Latest news with #JohannesGutenbergUniversity
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Your Brain Has a Hidden Rhythm, And It May Reveal How Smart You Are
The smarter you are, the more your brain is in sync with its own secret rhythm, a new study has found. When your brain works particularly hard, different regions of the brain sync up as they work together to perform tasks that require a higher cognitive load. This is called theta connectivity, and a new study has found that not only is it highly flexible, adapting quickly to changing situations, but better brain coordination strongly correlates with cognitive ability. "Specific signals in the midfrontal brain region are better synchronized in people with higher cognitive ability – especially during demanding phases of reasoning," says psychologist Anna-Lena Schubert of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany. Related: Your Brain Emits a Secret Light That Scientists Are Trying to Read Theta connectivity – synchronized activity between brain regions of slow waves in the band of 4 to 8 Hertz – is related to the brain's ability to pull itself together under mental load. A growing body of evidence suggests that it plays a significant role in cognitive function – a strong enough link that it may even show promise as a diagnostic tool. Schubert and her colleagues wanted to investigate theta connectivity as a marker of cognitive control – the brain's ability to adapt and adjust thought, behavior, and emotion based on current tasks and contexts. The researchers recruited 148 people between the ages of 18 and 60, and had them complete tests to assess their memory and intelligence. Then, each study participant donned a non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) cap to record their brain activity, and was given three mentally demanding tasks to complete. These tasks had different rules. In the first task, the participants were shown digits between one and nine, and had to indicate whether the number was higher or lower than five, or if the number was odd or even. In the second task, the participants were shown Navon figures, and had to either identify the big shape, or the small shapes of which it was constructed. Finally, in the third task, the participants were shown paired numbers and letters, and either had to indicate whether the number was more or less than five, or the letter was a vowel or a consonant. None of the tasks alone are particularly difficult, but the researchers wanted to assess how quickly the participants adapted to a changing ruleset, and whether that was detectable in their theta brain waves. To the researchers' surprise, not only were they able to see the brain coordinate in real-time to rapid changes in tasks, participants who had performed better on the intelligence and memory tests displayed stronger theta connectivity during these tasks. "People with stronger midfrontal theta connectivity are often better at maintaining focus and tuning out distractions, be it that your phone buzzes while you're working or that you intend to read a book in a busy train station," Schubert says. "We did not expect the relationship to be this clear." They found that one of the keys to higher cognitive performance is not sustained attention, but the ability to switch tasks on the fly, adapting quickly as circumstances demand. The midfrontal region of the brain works together with other brain regions, not just to prepare for tasks, but to execute decisions. "The results indicated that only theta connectivity during response-related processes, not during cue-evoked task-set reconfiguration, correlated with cognitive abilities," the researchers write in their paper. "These insights significantly advance theoretical models of intelligence, highlighting the critical role of specific aspects of cognitive control in cognitive abilities." These findings not only help us understand the role brain coordination plays in cognition, they could open new avenues for brain research and even – one day – help inform new diagnostic techniques. "Potential applications such as brain-based training tools or diagnostics are still a long way off," Schubert says. "But our study offers important groundwork for understanding how intelligence functions at a neural level." The research has been published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Burnout Might Not Actually Be a Work Problem After All, Study Shows Scientists Confirm Anti-Aging Drug Appears to Prolong Life in Animals Scientists Beamed Light Right Through a Man's Head For The First Time
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Love really is a rollercoaster! Incredible chart reveals how much relationship satisfaction changes in a single DAY
When it comes to relationships, there can be plenty of ups and downs. Now, a new study proves that love really is a rollercoaster. Scientists have mapped fluctuations in relationship satisfaction to reveal how it can vary considerably over several days – and even over the course of 24 hours. 'Fluctuations are quite normal,' lead author Louisa Scheling, from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz said. 'However, they may also indicate unsatisfied needs in the relationship.' Figures show that in the UK, 42 per cent of marriages now end in divorce, marking a significant increase since the 1950s. Research into the phenomenon has focused primarily on relationship satisfaction across months and years. 'In contrast, we have decided to take a narrow chronological approach to determine how satisfied partners were with their situation over the course of a few days and even within a 24-hour period,' Ms Scheling said. The researchers analysed data provided by nearly 750 couples who reported their relationship satisfaction on a daily basis, up to several times a day. They found that partners experience substantial fluctuations in terms of how satisfied they are with the relationship. These fluctuations tended to be greater over periods of several days than during a single 24-hour period. They also discovered the 'up and down' swing of satisfaction turned out to be relatively synchronised for both partners. Further analysis revealed that the perceived responsiveness of the partner was a key factor in determining the course of satisfaction. The emotional stability of male partners also had a notable effect, they found. 'The reliable perception and fulfillment of the partner's needs contributes significantly to stable relationship satisfaction in everyday life,' Ms Scheling explained. 'It's similar to a parent-child relationship: if needs are consistently met, satisfaction stabilizes at a high level.' Two couples with average (top) versus strong (bottom) fluctuations in relationship satisfaction, measured five times a day over 10 days The fluctuations in relationship satisfaction can – over the short term – be accompanied by thoughts of breaking up, she said. Over the long term, however, it appeared to have a limited effect on the course of the relationship. 'It is possible that fluctuations in relationship satisfaction tend on the whole to mimic the current relationship dynamics between partners, rather than predicting the future development of the relationship,' she added. In her view, the findings of the study can help to support couples and show them, for example, in the context of relationship counselling, that fluctuations in relationship satisfaction are normal but may serve as signals that there is room for improvement. The findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. WHAT ARE THE FIVE STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT THE BODY? Psychologists suggest there are five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability. Each of these stages has a different impact on our psyche and health, researchers at eHarmony found in a 2014 survey. 1) Butterflies Marked by intense infatuation and sexual attraction, symptoms noted by couples included weight loss (30 per cent) and a lack of productivity (39 per cent). Biologically, it's reported that during this early stage of dating, both men and women create more of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen. As a result more than half - 56 per cent - noted an increase in their libido. 2) Building As the initial attraction gives way to learning more about one another, the honeymoon stage subsides and a couple begin to build their relationship. eHarmony's study estimated around three per cent of Britons in relationship are currently at stage two. The body releases neurochemicals called monoamines, which speed up heart rate, trigger rushes of intense pleasure and replicate the effects of Class A drugs. The biological effect culminates in a feeling of 'happy anxiety', where people can think of little else than their blossoming relationship. Forty-four per cent of the study participants noted a lack of sleep while 29 per cent reported a their attention span had been adversely affected. 3) Assimilation Having established whether the other person is 'right', stage three forces a couple to question whether the 'relationship' itself is right. Questions over the future of the union and forming boundaries in the relationship can lead to a rise in stress levels, reported by 27 per cent of those taking part in the study. 4) Honesty Stage three combines with stage four, where people open up showing the 'real you' sees the first real rise in stress levels and anxiety. 'This stage deals with the concept behind how we all put on our best faces, through social media we edit our lives as well as our pictures to make it appear as though everything is fine,' psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who assisted with the study, told MailOnline. Opening up completely triggered feelings of doubt and increased vulnerability in 15 per cent of participants. 5) Stability If a couple can weather the emotional rollercoaster of the first four stages, the fifth and final stage, stability, brings with it increased levels of trust and intimacy. eHarmony found 50 per cent of respondents had reached this stage, and 23 per cent reported feeling happier as a result. Biologically, vasopressin - a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm - strengthens feelings of attachment. Meanwhile oxytocin - released during childbirth - deepens feelings of attachment. 'This is where we see a real level of contentness,' Dr Papadopolous told MailOnline. 'We found the body releases wonderful hormones which helps couples bond. We noted a real sense of attachment, and a sense of "you have got my back and I've got yours".'
