75 Hot Neuroscience Topics for a Research Paper

The brain is the most mysterious part of our bodies, hiding untold secrets of healthy and happy living. With so many discoveries just waiting for your inquisitive mind, it’s no wonder you’re drawn to neuroscience and its latest advances. Still, when you’re new to the field, it can be challenging to make sense of thousands of neuroscience research questions screaming for attention from every corner. 

To help you find your footing and choose the right topic to highlight in your research paper, we’ve compiled a list of ideas and categorized them by relevance and research area. So check them out and take your pick.

Cognitive Neuroscience Topics

1. Causal neural mechanisms of context-based object recognition.
2. Behavioral and developmental changes caused by the reduction in placental hormone allopregnanolone levels.
3. The natural segregation of language and math processing neural networks in response to simultaneous stimuli.
4. The effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive function and memory.
5. Cognitive bias against improvement through subtraction.
6. The impact of pandemic-related isolation on cognition, information processing, and memory.
7. The link between physical activity and the brain’s ability to change and adapt.
8. The role of dopamine in motivation and decision-making.
9. The connection between learning processes improvement and reduced depression symptoms.
10. The role the locus coeruleus plays in learning, behavior and mental health.
11. Restoring memory and brain plasticity to combat age-related degradation.
12. The link between the levels of GABA and glutamate in the brain and math abilities among children.
13. The mechanism of memory consolidation during sleep.
14. Early-life exposure to air pollution connection with poor academic performance in children.
15. Advanced cognitive and language skills in infant boys with a gut bacterial composition high in Bacteroidetes.

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Topics

1. Neural mechanisms of modulations of empathy and altruism affected by beliefs of others’ pain.
2. The effect of androgens on individual aspects of social behavior.
3. Protein-induced development of inhibitory hippocampal synapses linked to anxiety-related behaviors.
4. The effect of the connection between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporal-parietal junction on the likelihood of punishing others for selfish behavior.
5. Social media toxicity increase caused by banning toxic users.
6. The connection between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of opioid addiction.
7. Neural activity underlying the formation of a decision to move.
8. The causes of adopting a fused identity of a crowd.
9. The increase in violent ideations among teens and young adults experiencing bullying and aggression.
10. The effect of olfactory imprinting during infancy on adult behavior.
11. Sleep apnea-induced behavioral changes in children.
12. Weaker uncinate fasciculus in preterm infants connected to emotional processing issues.
13. Childhood lead exposure connected to adulthood behavior changes for the worse.
14. The shared characteristics of people ignoring pandemic recommendations.
15. The effect of early and recent experiences on the patients’ mood in a clinical setting.

Neuropsychology Research Paper Topics

1. Early and late processing of emotional stimuli in incarcerated offenders with psychopathic traits.
2. The effects of mindfulness meditation on the generosity and selfishness of egocentric adults.
3. The impact of social distancing and resocialization on the brain.
4. Gender differences in perpetuating hypocritical and logically inconsistent attitudes towards sexual relationships.
5. Brain mechanisms underlying curiosity and novelty-seeking behavior.
6. The connection between a socially connected environment and the likelihood of binge drinking.
7. Analyzing the conversation satisfaction rates among college students.
8. Common psychological signatures linked to extremist behavior.
9. Finding the root of human rights in brain science.
10. Unexpected uncertainty as a motivator for decision and behavior changes.
11. Social interactions and the reduced risk of opioid use in senior adults.
12. The advantages and implications of psychedelic treatments for depression and other mental disorders.
13. The effect of the pandemic on human perceptions of mask-wearing people.
14. The duration of PTSD symptoms among the sexual assault survivors.
15. The connection between pain sensitivity and empathy.

Hot Topics in Neuroscience

1. The effect of neurohormones on brain injury.
2. Controlling neuron function and behavior through an X-ray scintillator-based optogenetics technique.
3. The molecular changes in the brain caused by opioid use disorder.
4. The use of machine learning to identify schizophrenia biomarkers through blood tests.
5. Brain inflammation caused by mild Covid-19 cases.
6. Machine learning used to identify brain tumors through MRI scans.
7. Enhancing connectivity between the default mode network and the dorsal attention network through meditation.
8. The potential uses of magnetic microrobots to deliver medication throughout the nervous system.
9. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sleep disorders and lucid dreaming.
10. First results of the magnetic field used in reducing glioblastoma size.
11. The neurological complications associated with the Covid-19 infection among children.
12. The increased risk of nervous system, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and metabolic diseases among adults with ADHD.
13. The impact of high-potency cannabis on free recall, source memory, and false memories.
14. The use of smartphone-based virtual reality games to reduce pain in young children.
15. Gender differences in processing facial expression among patients with alcohol use disorder.

Interesting Topics in Neuroscience

1. Blocking opioid receptors in brainstem neurons to prevent breathing disruption during an overdose.
2. The effects of opioid use during pregnancy on offspring behavior and gene expression.
3. The relationship between poverty and smaller size of subcortical brain regions in children.
4. The similarities between the enteric nervous system and neural networks in the brain and spinal cord.
5. White matter volume changes in professional football and rugby players.
6. The potential use of microglia in healing neurons post epilepsy seizures.
7. The effect of climate change on the evolution of the human body and brain size.
8. Brain oxygen fluctuations connected to the randomness of the flow rate of red blood cells through capillaries.
9. The impact of early-life exposure to antibiotics on emotional and cognitive function.
10. The role of the endocannabinoid system in psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
11. Depression, neuroticism and alcohol use disorder connection with the higher risk of nicotine dependence.
12. The effect of stimulating environments on the brain’s long-term fitness.
13. The level of saturated fatty acids in the brain throughout memory formation.
14. Deep brain stimulation for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. 
15. Stress-induced premature hair greying and its reversal.

Hopefully, you’ll find something to catch your eye on our list of neuroscience topics for a research paper. We’ve tried to make our selection as diverse and exciting as possible so that you can pick an idea for any class or research area. Besides, there are plenty of topics based on fresh research findings that are bound to catch your professor’s attention and earn you brownie points.

And if you need a little extra nudge in the right direction, we’d be more than willing to help. Reach out, and we’ll find the neuroscience expert to draft an outline, write the paper, or edit it to perfection. And short deadlines aren’t a dealbreaker for us.