http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/perception/ Delve into the complexities of perception research. Learn how infants recognize faces, how adults interpret conversational pauses, and how taste, smell and touch are processed in the brain. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:05:02 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/perception/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103525.htm Researchers have found that the color of a person's skin affects how healthy and therefore attractive they appear, and have found that diet may be crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103525.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. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000140.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/2009/11/091118143259.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/2009/11/091117124009.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/2009/10/091031002323.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/2009/11/091116163222.htm More than a year and a half following the first near-total face and upper jaw transplant, the donor tissue appears successfully integrated, according to a report. The recipient has experienced no long-term rejection, and has regained some functional abilities, including her senses of smell and taste. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm If humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? Scientists suspect that part of the answer to the mystery lies in a gene called FOXP2. When mutated, FOXP2 can disrupt speech and language in humans. Now, a new study reveals major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research. But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher's voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm You can improve your second-language listening ability by watching the movie with subtitles -- as long as these subtitles are in the same language as the film. Subtitles in one's native language, the default in some European countries, may actually be counter-productive to learning to understand foreign speech, according to a new study. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105357.htm Getting a flu shot this fall? Canadians scientists have found that focusing on a pretty image could alleviate the sting of that vaccine. According to a new study, negative and positive emotions have a direct impact on pain. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151445.htm People who become ill from harmless smells are not being silly, says a researcher. Rather, they perceive these smells differently than other people. The smell is detected more rapidly by the brain and processed more deeply. If you expect to become ill from a smell, then the smell in question might really make you ill. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132448.htm Common experience tells us that particular scents of childhood can leave quite an impression, for better or for worse. Now, researchers reporting the results of a brain imaging study show that first scents really do enjoy a "privileged" status in the brain. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm From their very first days, newborns' cries already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, reveals a new study. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm One in seven people worldwide will suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at some point. It is the most common injury arising from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and 75 pecent of 18 to 30 year-olds who go to nightclubs and concerts may experience temporary tinnitus. A research review (150 papers over 25 years) suggests that 94 percent of people are told nothing can be done. But help is at hand. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm Learning to talk also changes the way speech sounds are heard, according to a new study. The findings could have a major impact on improving speech disorders. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm By building a tiny microscope small enough to be carried around on a rat's head, scientists in Germany have found a way to study the complex activity of many brain cells simultaneously while animals are free to move around. With this new technology scientists can actually see how the brain cells operate while the animal is behaving naturally, giving rise to immense new insights into the understanding of perception and attention. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm Researchers have identified a part of the brain that responds to both facial and vocal expressions of emotion. They used the MagnetoEncephaloGraphic (MEG) scanner at the York Neuroimaging Centre to test responses in a region of the brain known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026105746.htm Imagine: during lunch your colleague throws an apple to you. You catch it (of course) without difficulty. But what actually happened? Did you consciously decide to catch the apple with two hands? And how did your hands know where they had to be to catch the apple? According to a Dutch researcher, you can catch an apple like this thanks to the close cooperation between two separate visual systems. He has now established for the first time how these areas cooperate. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026105746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm Try to pronounce the words "caught" and "cot." If you're a New Yorker by birth, the two words will sound as different as their spellings. But if you grew up in California, you probably pronounce them identically Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134639.htm An education professor says the underlying similarities between teaching, research and music can be a powerful metaphor for education and qualitative inquiry. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132939.htm Teachers tend to spend more time speaking than most professionals, putting them at a greater risk for hurting their voices -- they're 32 times more likely to experience voice problems, according to one study. And unlike singers or actors, teachers can't take a day off when their voices hurt. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025193337.htm Sometimes when a patient tells his ophthalmologist that he "can't see," what he really means is "I can see, but I can no longer read or write." In a minority of Alzheimer's patients the disease shows up first as problems with vision rather than memory or other cognitive functions. But diagnosis can be difficult because standard eye exams are often inconclusive for these patients. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025193337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025091144.htm A study using gene therapy safely improved vision in five children and seven adults with Leber's congenital amaurosis. The greatest improvements occurred in the children, all of whom are now able to navigate a low-light obstacle course. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025091144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025193500.htm To learn more about factors that may reduce diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk, researchers studied how refractive error (vision worse than 20/20, without glasses) relates to the presence and severity of DR. Earlier, smaller studies had suggested a protective effect for nearsightedness (myopia), but were inconclusive. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025193500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162921.htm Researchers have identified populations of neurons that code time with extreme precision in the primate brain. These neurons are found in two interconnected brain regions, the prefrontal cortex and the striatum, both of which are known to play critical roles in learning, movement, and thought control. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114319.htm Researchers say they have, for what is believed to be the first time, managed to measure and record the elusive electrical activity of the type II neurons in the snail-shell-like structure called the cochlea. And it turns out the cells do indeed carry signals from the ear to the brain, and the sounds they likely respond to would need to be loud, such as sirens or alarms that might be even be described as painful or traumatic. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162919.htm Infants as young as five months old are able to correctly identify humans as the source of speech and monkeys as the source of monkey calls, psychology researchers have found. Their finding provides the first evidence that human infants are able to correctly match different kinds of vocalizations to different species. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111412.htm Music serves as a natural and non-invasive intervention for patients with severe neurological disorders to promote long-term memory, social interaction and communication. However, there is currently no plausible explanation of its neural basis for why and how music affects physical and psychosocial responses. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021172659.htm Although we assume we can see everything in our field of vision, the brain actually picks and chooses the stimuli that come into our consciousness. A new study reveals that our brains can be trained to consciously see stimuli that would normally be invisible. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021172659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021154918.htm A 50-year-old New York woman who was diagnosed with a progressive blinding disease at age 13 was implanted with an experimental electronic eye implant that has partially restored her vision. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021154918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125133.htm Women are better than men at distinguishing between emotions, especially fear and disgust, according to a new study. Scientists demonstrated that women are better than men at processing auditory, visual and audiovisual emotions. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020153100.htm Beauty might seem to be only skin deep, but researchers have found that there is more depth to facial differences between men and women than presumed. researchers have demonstrated the existence of a facial contrast difference between the two genders. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020153100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021012847.htm A new artificial retina, an array of electrodes implanted on the back of the eye, has been found to restore partial vision to totally blind people. In a study focused on 15 blind participants who had the implant for at least three months, 10 of the patients subsequently tested were able to identify the direction of moving objects. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021012847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192202.htm Using a pacifier for too long may be detrimental to your child's speech. Research suggests that the use of bottles, pacifiers and other sucking behaviors apart from breastfeeding may increase the risk of subsequent speech disorders in young children. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172331.htm Treatment with a glucocorticoid medication, either alone or in combination with Ginkgo biloba, appears to significantly improve the sense of smell in individuals with previous olfactory loss due to upper respiratory infections, according to a new report. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163025.htm Scientists have created a remote-controlled robot that is able to simulate the "visual" experience of a blind person who has been implanted with a visual prosthesis, such as an artificial retina. An artificial retina consists of a silicon chip studded with a varying number of electrodes that directly stimulate retinal nerve cells. It is hoped that this approach may one day give blind persons the freedom of independent mobility. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122645.htm Scientists tested our ability to interpret a robot's "emotion" by reading its expression to see if there were any differences between the ages. They found that older adults showed some unexpected differences in the way they read a robot's face from the way younger adults performed. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171808.htm Migraine sufferers, beware. You may be more prone to an alcohol-induced headache after a night of drinking, according to researchers. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm Researchers in Spain have observed in this first year of the study that, three months after receiving a cochlear implant all the children showed improvement in their perception and ability to detect sounds around them. Children quickly learn that the implant is a device that allows them to hear and if it is deactivated they protest or make gestures asking that it be switched back on. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015102043.htm Psychology researchers have found that peripheral vision is most important for telling us what type of scene we're looking at. Examining how people take in scene information paves the way for building better robots. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015102043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016121827.htm Researchers have identified the first fish known to have switched from ultraviolet vision to violet vision, or the ability to see blue light. The discovery is also the first example of an animal deleting a molecule to change its visual spectrum. The findings on scabbardfish link molecular evolution to functional changes and the possible environmental factors driving them. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016121827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144727.htm Physical therapists studying persons with multiple sclerosis found that excessive force often used for gripping can be eased by gently touching the hand or arm in use, raising the possibility of new therapy approaches. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144727.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141510.htm Scientists report they have discovered the protein receptor for carbonatoin in mice, whose sense of taste closely resembles that of humans. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144738.htm For an animal that has a brain about the size of two grains of sand, a lot of plasticity seems to be packed into the head of the tropical paper wasp Polybia aequatorialis. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm A unique study of former guerrillas in Colombia has helped scientists redefine their understanding of the key regions of the brain involved in literacy. The study has enabled the researchers to see how brain structure changed after learning to read. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013123357.htm Ever wonder how your eyes adjust during a blackout? When we go from light to near total darkness, cells in the retina must quickly adjust. Vision scientists have identified an intricate process that allows the human eye to adapt to darkness very quickly. The same process also allows the eye to function in bright light. The discovery could contribute to better understanding of human diseases that affect the retina, including age-related macular degeneration. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013123357.htm