Welcome to the first edition of the Interestingly weekly review. The purpose of these emails is to inform you of Interesting events that have happened in the last week in the realms of Human Behaviour, science, psychology, crime and more.

Enjoy the read.

As always, if you have any suggestions or themes you would like us to include reply to this email.

1. Cognitive Fossils - Revealing Information on Ancient Psychologies

An article from SciTechDaily titled "Unlocking Minds of the Past: How 'Cognitive Fossils' Reveal Ancient Psychologies" discusses a novel approach to understanding the psychologies of ancient civilisations through what is referred to as 'cognitive fossils'. These are essentially traces of human thought and emotion preserved in historical artifacts like texts, artworks, and musical compositions.

By applying modern computational methods such as facial recognition in art and text mining in literature, researchers can analyse patterns and infer the psychological states of historical populations. These insights can reveal how emotions, social norms, and cultural dynamics have evolved over time, offering a window into the collective minds of our ancestors. The findings demonstrate shifts in expressions of empathy, power, and trust, mapping out a rich psychological landscape that has been imprinted by centuries of human experience.

2. Incels and dating

A groundbreaking study from Swansea University, published in The Journal of Sex Research, explores the dating psychology of a community known as 'incels' or involuntary celibates. I will not explain what an incel is, this will be saved for an upcoming deep dive.

The research - a formal investigation into incels' mating psychology, examines their self-perceived reasons for singlehood, self-assessed mate value, mate preferences, and their perceptions of female mate preferences.

The findings suggest that incels fundamentally misunderstand what women seek in a romantic partner, overvaluing traits like physical attractiveness and financial resources while undervaluing intelligence, kindness, humour, and loyalty.

Contrary to media portrayals, the study reveals that incels typically have lower standards for partners than non-incels and often struggle with mental health issues such as severe depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Moreover, a significant number of incels display traits associated with autism spectrum disorder, with a higher prevalence than in the general population.

The study's lead author, William Costello, emphasises that the research is an important step towards understanding the challenges incels face and the societal implications. He notes that improving incels' self-perceived mate value and mating prospects could also help reduce instances of misogyny. Co-author Dr. Andrew Thomas underlines the need for tailored mental health support for incels, suggesting cognitive behavioural therapy interventions to correct their specific mating-related cognitive errors.

The full article is available on Phys.org: Study reveals the dating psychology of incels.

3. Head trauma-induced amnesia reversal?

A recent article discusses a groundbreaking study by Georgetown University Medical Center, which has potentially reversed amnesia caused by head injury in mice. This research is significant for understanding memory loss in people, particularly athletes, who experience repeated head impacts.

Key Findings:

The study indicates that memory issues after head injury result from inadequate reactivation of neurons involved in forming memories.

Researchers trained two groups of mice in a new test, with one group experiencing mild head impacts for a week, akin to contact sport exposure, while the other group served as controls.

The impacted mice showed an inability to recall the new memory a week later, indicating amnesia due to head injury.

Innovative Approach:

The study used genetically modified mice to identify neurons involved in new memories, revealing that these memory neurons were present in both control and experimental mice.

The research team discovered that the inability to recall in impacted mice was due to their failure to activate memory engram neurons when revisiting the memory-associated environment.

Implications:

This research provides hope for designing treatments to reverse cognitive impairment caused by head impacts, moving beyond the limitations of current understanding, which often focuses on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The study, conducted in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, opens avenues for future research and potential non-invasive treatment methods for memory loss due to repeated head impacts.

For more details, Here is the full article

4. Neuropsychological Mechanisms of Rapid-Acting Antidepressants in Treating Depression

The article from ScienceDaily, dated January 10, 2024, delves into the neuropsychological effects of rapid-acting antidepressants, particularly focusing on their use in treating major depressive disorder. The study examines three specific antidepressants: ketamine, scopolamine, and psilocybin, offering insights into their mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential.

Key Findings:

1. Modulation of Affective Biases: The research revealed that these antidepressants modulate affective biases related to learning and memory. This is significant because negative affective biases, where emotions influence how the brain processes information, are central to major depressive disorder.

2. Behavioural Task Insights: Through an associative learning task in rats, the study demonstrated that these drugs can specifically alter affective biases tied to past experiences. This could explain the immediate improvement in mood observed in patients after treatment.

3. Diverse Drug Properties: Ketamine and synthetic psilocybin (COMP360) exhibited properties that might account for their long-lasting effects on mood, with a single treatment providing benefits that could last from days to months.

4. Neural Plasticity and Mood Regulation: The sustained effects of these antidepressants are linked to changes in the brain's prefrontal cortex, a key area for mood regulation. Notably, low doses of ketamine and psilocybin led to a re-learning effect, positively altering the emotional valence of previously negatively biased memories.

These findings not only deepen our understanding of how rapid-acting antidepressants impact mood but also pave the way for enhancing treatments for major depressive disorder. Link to article