In humans, “Theory of Mind” is the ability to understand others’ mental states: what they think, what they feel, what they desire, what they love, etc. It plays a major role in human social interactions. But where did this ability evolve from? What type of selection pressure ultimately led to this being imparted on the […]
The way in which people make decisions can sometimes seem reckless or even totally irrational. One explanation for this behavior is that humans tend to prefer information that confirms their beliefs and overlook that which contradicts them. This is a phenomenon called confirmation bias. In recent research published in PLoS Computational Biology, a team […]
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It generally affects young people, in whom it is the leading cause of non-traumatic motor disability. This disability develops either progressively or in the form of relapses interspersed with periods of remission. At present, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to […]
Depression is not just one of the world’s most incapacitating illnesses – it also comes with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly that of the coronary arteries (angina and heart attack). According to a study by Inserm conducted in 10,000 people followed up for more than 20 years, this risk is doubled in non-executive or blue-collar […]
Predicting recovery from coma following cardiac arrest remains a question to which physicians do not have an exact response. When – and if – a critical care patient will recover consciousness is evaluated essentially by means of recurrent clinical examinations and the recording of brain activity. Researchers at Inserm (Inserm Unit 1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Center) […]
Thanks to the receptors in our nose, we can identify thousands of smells. But there are still many grey areas regarding the mechanisms at work in sending information to the brain. Research conducted by Alexander Fleischmann and his colleagues at Unit 1050, “Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology” (Collège de France/CNRS/Inserm) provides a better understanding […]
In an attempt to respond to this problem, the research programme Silver Santé Study was launched in January 2016. This European project, coordinated by Gaël Chételat at Inserm Caen, is aimed at evaluating the impact of meditation on the well-being and mental health of older people. A first clinical trial will be conducted in […]
According to a few studies, when their brain suffers from a lack of oxygen, babies born by caesarean section are more likely to develop some mental disorders including schizophrenia. Researchers from Inserm compared two populations of patients with schizophrenia – delivered vaginally or by caesarean section – in order to determine the particular characteristics associated […]
A wide range of compounds is on the market to ameliorate depressive symptoms, however their efficiency is achieved only after long periods of treatment and not in 100% of patients. Inserm researchers identified early cellular changes in the brain for the emergence of depressive symptoms, and a novel promising drug target. These results are published […]
Depression is a real public health issue with 8% of adolescents affected by it, according to the French National Authority for Health (HAS). Adolescence is a time of transition during which young people are prone to episodes of depression. This often complicates the diagnosis of this disease. According to some studies, adolescents with severe depression […]