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 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:05:01 EDT Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:05:01 EDT 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/2009/07/090705215237.htm Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup. When aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were given caffeine -- the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day -- their memory impairment was reversed, report researchers. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705215237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701135533.htm Researchers have, for the first time, identified additional genes that confirm what scientists have long suspected -- that the immune system may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Further, they have also identified genetic anomalies that disrupt the cellular pathways involved in brain development, memory and cognition, all markers of schizophrenia. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701135533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075445.htm Scientists have shown that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. Producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without needing to see them, something which would be especially useful for the blind. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131759.htm A newly discovered mechanism controls whether muscle cells in blood vessels hasten the development of both atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new article. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153100.htm Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism linking soluble amyloid b protein with the synaptic injury and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research provides critical new insight into disease pathogenesis and reveals signaling molecules that may serve as potential additional therapeutic targets for AD. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701102856.htm The composer Richard Wagner is well-known, even notorious, for writing operas that can challenge both performers and listeners. A new study reveals that Wagner set his text to music in a way that uses the acoustics of the soprano voice in a manner that helps both performers and listeners. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701102856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081137.htm Experimental devices that read brain signals have helped paralyzed people use computers and may let amputees control bionic limbs. But existing devices use tiny electrodes that poke into the brain. A new study shows that brain signals controlling arm movements can be detected accurately using new microelectrodes that sit on the brain but don't penetrate it. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090154.htm Investigators have demonstrated that the early increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) is related to treatment response and does not depend on pharmacological interventions or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. For the first time, cellular biological markers could be associated with response to psychotherapy. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100651.htm Researchers have ameliorated inflammation of the brain in mice caused by immune cells. A receptor they discovered on T cells in the CNS plays the key role. They showed that this bradykinin receptor 1 controls the infiltration of immune cells into the CNS. When they activated B1 in mice with encephalitis, the inflammation markedly decreased. This may unveil a new target for the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064701.htm In a recent trial, a sample of alcohol-dependent patients received naltrexone, acamprosate or placebo for 12 weeks. While there were no differences in outcomes between treatment groups, those who believed they had been taking active medication consumed fewer alcoholic drinks and reported less alcohol dependence and cravings. That is, irrespective of actual treatment, perceived medication allocation predicted health outcomes. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163538.htm Scientists have developed an innovative robot rat which can seek out and identify objects using its whiskers. The SCRATCHbot robot will be demonstrated at an international workshop looking at how robots can help us examine the workings of the brain. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064703.htm Response and remission rates to antidepressants are significantly affected by study type and duration. Clinicians and researchers must consider the study design when interpreting and designing RCTs of antidepressant medications, researchers urge. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082718.htm Scientists have found that by switching the social role of honey bees, aging honey bees can keep their learning ability intact or even improve it. The research team is hoping to use them as a model to study general aging processes in the brain and how to prevent or ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with old age. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101231.htm Researchers have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin's actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol's effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705215239.htm A new study has found a substantial link between increased levels of nitrates in our environment and food with increased deaths from diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705215239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131757.htm Common genetic variations spread across five genes raise a person's risk of developing the most frequent type of brain tumor, scientists report. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065222.htm Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183007.htm Physicians focused on reducing anxiety in children and their families report that oral treatment with melatonin before surgery can significantly reduce the occurrence of emergence delirium in children. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110457.htm Since the 1970s, there has been much debate surrounding the fact that individuals with autism have difficulty in understanding speech in situations where there is background speech or noise. Neuroscientists argue in favor of smaller class sizes for children with autism. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132017.htm It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why. In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis -- arterial thickening that precedes a heart attack or stroke -- may be the stress of police work. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132827.htm As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed about the implications of being overweight as a step toward reversing current trends. A new study has found that overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative consequences of being overweight as early as kindergarten. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170207.htm A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183005.htm Scientists have found laboratory evidence that a cluster of peptides may be the toxic agent in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say the discovery may lead to new drugs for the disease. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110501.htm Hurricane Katrina was the largest natural disaster in US history, claiming the lives of more than 1,800 victims and causing well over $100 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast. The 2005 storm breached every levee in New Orleans, flooding almost the entire city as well as the neighboring parishes. Yet a surprising number of people stayed behind and rode out the storm. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110501.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132829.htm New research provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between preterm birth and brain malformations. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170133.htm Do friends wear the same style of shoe or see the same movies because they have similar tastes, which is why they became friends in the first place? Or once a friendship is established, do individuals influence each other to adopt like behaviors? Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110503.htm In times of doubt and uncertainty, many Americans turn to self-help books in search of encouragement, guidance and self-affirmation. The positive self-statements suggested in these books, such as "I am a lovable person" or "I will succeed," are designed to lift a person's low self-esteem and push them into positive action. According to a recent study in Psychological Science, however, these statements can actually have the opposite effect. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110503.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170209.htm Practice, practice, practice might get you to Carnegie Hall, but for aspiring musicians, there's new evidence that genes may influence one's ability to get there, as well. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140837.htm Although the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has only 302 neurons in its entire nervous system, studies of this simple animal have significantly advanced our understanding of human brain function because it shares many genes and neurochemical signaling molecules with humans. Now researchers have found novel C. elegans neurochemical receptors, the discovery of which could lead to new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders if similar receptors are found in humans. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm Randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" research method for assessing new medical treatments. But new research shows that the design of a remarkable 93 percent of 2235 so-called RCTs published in some Chinese medical journals during 1994 to 2005 was flawed, casting doubt on the reliability of research that is likely to influence medical decision-makers. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163152.htm The potential role of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the gums, in the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly ischemic stroke, has received growing attention during the last decade. A new study is the first prospective cohort study to use clinical measures of periodontitis to evaluate the association between this disease and the risk of cerebrovascular disease. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701122708.htm Researchers have determined that movie characters who smoke, regardless of whether they are "good guys" or "bad guys," influence teens to try smoking. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701122708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082710.htm Postpartum depression may aggravate an already impaired sleep quality, as experiencing difficulties with sleep is a symptom of depression. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065458.htm Resuming sexual activity is expressed by patients as extremely important after a myocardial infarction (MI). In spite of this, sex counseling is an area of nursing practice that is frequently neglected and needs more evidence-based knowledge. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065456.htm Researchers have studied loneliness among older people. A common stereotype about older people is that loneliness is typical for older women, rather than for older men. One problem with this stereotype is that feelings of loneliness are not particularly common among either men or women in the Nordic countries. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141519.htm Stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea who undergo treatment with continuous positive airway pressure following their stroke may substantially reduce their risk of death. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165114.htm Researchers report that it takes at least a year for former methamphetamine users to regain impulse control. The results tell recovering substance abusers, their families and drug-treatment specialists that it can take an extended period of time for the brain functions critical to recovery to improve. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082720.htm We swim in a sea of information, but filter out most of what we see or hear. A new analysis of data from dozens of studies sheds new light on how we choose what we do and do not hear. The study found that while people tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe, certain factors can cause them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131303.htm Scientists have discovered that many common genetic variants contribute to a person's risk of schizophrenia, providing the first molecular evidence that this form of genetic variation is involved in schizophrenia. The researchers also found that many of these DNA variations also are involved in bipolar disorder but not in several nonpsychiatric diseases. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120844.htm The pursuit of happiness characterizes the human condition. But for those suffering from stress, money trouble or chronic illness, a positive outlook on life can be difficult to find. Now, a researcher says we should look to our genes. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131314.htm The salamander is a superhero of regeneration, able to replace lost limbs, damaged lungs, sliced spinal cord -- even bits of lopped-off brain. Based on experiments on genetically modified axolotl salamanders, researchers show that cells from the salamander's different tissues retain the "memory" of those tissues when they regenerate, contributing with few exceptions only to the same type of tissue from whence they came. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163527.htm It’s the same dilemma every morning: do you take your usual route with its frequent traffic jams, or try to get to work faster by going cross-country? And do you listen to the advice from the traffic information service, or work it out yourself? Researchers found that although we appear to be stubborn creatures of habit, good traffic information makes us a bit more adventurous. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701160557.htm A human growth factor that stimulates blood stem cells to proliferate in bone marrow reverses memory impairment in mice genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701160557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131309.htm Scientists have shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163328.htm A current trend in secondary science education is for students to learn by discovering for themselves how things work. Computer modeling is a teaching method that fits in nicely with this trend and also with new learning objectives such as scientific literacy, inquiry-based learning and active involvement. Researchers have demonstrated that computer modeling is particularly useful for learning complex structures but less effective for learning simple facts. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112840.htm To ensure that all children enter elementary school with the foundation they need for success, a major national initiative is needed to improve early childhood mathematics education, says a new report. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616194237.htm A new study finds that U.S. pediatricians have plenty of room for improvement when it comes to using a screening questionnaire to flag developmental delays in premature children. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616194237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701083523.htm Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701083523.htm