Mental Health News

Standout stories and recent research around matters of the mind

People living with mental illness perceive physical issues such as hunger, thirst and pain differently from others, because of activity in a particular area of the brain, according to a study carried out by neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge. The process of ‘interoception’ – the way that we know what’s going on in our bodies – is affected by a range of conditions, including eating disorders, depression and substance use disorders. Now researchers have discovered this is due to activity in the ‘dorsal mid-insula’, giving hope that targeted treatments can be developed to address some of the physical problems experienced by those living with mental illness.