http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/ Psychology news from leading research institutes around the world. Research on relationships, new treatments for mental health conditions, and more. Updated daily. en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:05:01 EST Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120091959.htm A community in Papua New Guinea that suffered a major epidemic of a CJD-like fatal brain disease called kuru has developed strong genetic resistance to the disease, according to new research by scientists in the UK. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120091959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000633.htm Drug dependency is a recurrent but treatable kind of addiction. However, not all people who are drug dependent progress in the same way once they stop taking drugs. A new study shows that, in the case of cocaine, a high score on the so-called ‘scale of craving’, an antisocial personality type and previous heroin abuse are the factors most commonly involved in people falling back into the habit. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124831.htm Older adults who have alcohol dependence problems drink significantly more than do younger adults who have similar problems, a new study has found. The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is not deafened by loud noises. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141048.htm Scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084613.htm Psychological therapy could be 32 times more cost effective at making you happy than simply obtaining more money, according to a new study. The research has obvious implications for large compensation awards in law courts but also has wider implications for general public health. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085051.htm The first ever large-scale, longitudinal study of ketamine users has been published. With ketamine use increasing faster than any other drug in the UK, this research showing the consequences of repeated ketamine use provides valuable information for users and addiction professionals alike. Heavy ketamine users were impaired on several measures, including verbal memory. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102034.htm Researchers have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the development of the nervous system, which is essential to addressing conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193807.htm People preferentially marry those with similar ancestry, but their decisions are not necessarily based on hair, eye or skin color. Research shows that Mexicans mate according to proportions of Native-American to European ancestry, while Puerto Ricans are more likely to settle down with someone carrying a similar mix of African and European genes. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm They were in a deep sleep, yet sounds, such as a teakettle whistle, somehow penetrated their slumber. The 25 sounds were reminders of earlier spatial learning, though the research participants were unaware of the sounds as they slept. Yet, upon waking, memory tests showed that spatial memories had changed. Deep sleep, then, is actually is a key time for memory processing, the study suggests. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118072053.htm A recent study determined there is a significant risk of seizure for individuals who currently smoke cigarettes. This is the first prospective study to examine the potential risks associated with cigarette smoking, caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption as they independently relate to epilepsy. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118072053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141227.htm Heavy criticism from a parent can increase aggressive behavior in some children. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184531.htm So a baby can detect outside signals, the brain cells use a a "pump" that drains chloride out of newborn neurons, making these highly chaotic, developing cells quiet down. Researchers have figured out the genetic control of the pump in rodents. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194122.htm Maternal depression can worsen asthma symptoms in their children, according to new research. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184537.htm Alternative health remedies are increasingly important in the health care marketplace. A new study explores how consumers choose among the many available remedies. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to significant impairments in social skills. Researchers have found that a social- skills intervention called Children's Friendship Training can lead to a decrease in hostile attributions or perceptions of children with PAE. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study questions that assumption. In the 575 patients they studied, the investigators did not detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111419.htm Many women don't quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight. That's because nicotine suppresses appetite and boosts a smoker's metabolism. But a new meta-analysis shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes. The finding disproves clinical guidelines that say trying to diet and quit smoking at the same time will sabotage efforts to ditch cigarettes. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191052.htm Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species -- from humans to house sparrows -- according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression and daring, are also more important to females when looking for a mate than they are to males. A new article draws together a range of studies to reveal the role that sexual selection plays in this disparity between males and females. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143209.htm Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Two new studies advance that argument and demonstrate how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduces cell proliferation, invasion and migration in both cell-culture and mouse models. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118163210.htm Eating a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and mashed potatoes makes consumers less likely to buy on impulse, which might affect the outcome of their shopping on Black Friday, historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118163210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences needed for normal cognitive development. Scientists have now demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down syndrome. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118161221.htm Needle! For some people, the word -- almost as much as the sight of one sliding into skin -- is enough for people to cringe, cry, even swoon if they're standing in line waiting for one. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118161221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161118.htm Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, an occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116205246.htm New data in humans shows that all doses of aspirin used in clinical practice increase nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is released from the blood vessel wall and may decrease the development and progression of plaques leading to heart attacks and strokes. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116205246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161133.htm Consumers will work harder on a task if they're expecting to have to do something difficult at a later time, according to a new study. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143259.htm Scientists have confirmed that blindness causes structural changes in the brain, implying that the brain may re-organize itself functionally in order to adapt to a loss in sensory inputs. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118163550.htm There is good news for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. A new study shows that pregnant women with multiple sclerosis are only slightly more likely to have cesarean deliveries and babies with a poor prenatal growth rate than women who do not have MS. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118163550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000140.htm Researchers in Norway have discovered a mechanism that the brain uses to filter out distracting thoughts to focus on a single bit of information. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119210836.htm A new treatment route for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human form Creutzfeldt Jakob disease could be a step closer based on new results from scientists in the UK. The team has found that a protein called Glypican-1 plays a key role in the development of BSE. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119210836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194124.htm Merely observing someone publicly blame an individual in an organization for a problem -- even when the target is innocent -- greatly increases the odds that the practice of blaming others will spread with the tenacity of the H1N1 flu. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193638.htm Treatment for alcohol use disorders and tuberculosis (TB) is rarely integrated, even though the two diseases have a high co-occurrence. American and Russian researchers have jointly designed and are monitoring an innovative program that will deliver alcohol treatment as part of routine TB care. The trial study is continuing. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193628.htm Researchers comparing the effectiveness of two interventions on driving-while-impaired re-offenders with alcohol problems found that one -- Brief Motivational Interviewing (BMI) -- was more effective. While both interventions led to significant declines in risky drinking, BMI produced significantly more pronounced and longer-lasting reductions in risking drinking compared to the control intervention. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to researchers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092620.htm Patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains, according to new research. This findings offer hope of being able to treat schizophrenia with drugs that affect the immune system. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm Tiny insects could be as intelligent as much bigger animals, despite only having a brain the size of a pinhead, say scientists. Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent. This begs the important question: what are they for? Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114532.htm Two new studies of pedestrian safety found that using a cell phone while hoofing it can endanger one's health. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm IBM has announced significant progress toward creating a computer system that simulates and emulates the brain's abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition, while rivaling the brain's low power and energy consumption and compact size. Scientists have performed the first near real-time cortical simulation of the brain that exceeds the scale of a cat cortex and contains 1 billion spiking neurons and 10 trillion individual learning synapses. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101357.htm Scientists have significantly advanced our understanding of dopamine release from nerve cells, findings that should speed the development of more effective drugs for treating Parkinson's disease. People with Parkinson's disease suffer from muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement and, in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement. These primary symptoms are caused by the loss of dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101354.htm Some children may suffer greater consequences of secondhand smoke exposure. In both toddlers and adolescents, obesity enhances the cardiovascular toxicities of secondhand smoke exposure. Toddlers had a four times greater risk of secondhand smoke exposure when compared to adolescents, despite having similar reported home exposures. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120314.htm People who experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express these experience more health problems, according to new research. Researchers discovered that heart failure patients with a negative outlook reported their complaints to a physician or nurse far less often. The personality of the partner can also exert a considerable influence on these patients. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161008.htm Eight percent of obese people misperceived their body size, believing they did not need to lose weight or that they could afford to gain weight. While those who misperceived their need for weight loss thought they were healthier than others their age, they had the same risk factors for heart disease as other obese patients. Those who misperceived their body size were less likely to exercise and see a physician than their counterparts who accurately perceived their body size. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094833.htm Students placed by their universities in coed housing are 2.5 times more likely to binge drink each week than students placed in all-male or all-female housing. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002323.htm Like all tissues in the body, the eye needs a healthy blood supply to function properly. Poorly developed blood vessels can lead to visual impairment or even blindness. While many of the molecules involved in guiding the development of the intricate blood vessel architecture are known, only now are we learning how these molecules work and how they might affect sight. Researchers have now found that when some cells in the mouse retina are not properly fed by blood vessels, they can remain alive for many months and can later recover some or all of their normal function, suggesting that similar conditions in people may also be reversible. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161135.htm If you feel like you're in a losing battle with a triple-chocolate cake, a "mental budget" can help, according to a new study. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094933.htm A new study has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking. The study also shows that patients with depression face an overall increased risk of mortality, while a combination of depression and anxiety in patients lowers mortality compared with depression alone. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101405.htm Control, independence, ambition, pressure, worry, guilt and resentment are all experienced by female breadwinners, according to researchers. They explored the experiences of American female breadwinners to get an insight into how these women experience the phenomenon of being the provider. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101405.htm