Psychology News

August 20, 2016

Neural Stem Cells Control Their Own Fate

Zika Infection May Affect Adult Brain Cells

Prenatal BPA Exposure Linked to Anxiety in Boys

New Insights Into How Mind Influences Body

Latest Headlines

updated 11:39am EDT

Electrical Synapses in the Brain Offer New Avenue for Epilepsy Research and Possible Treatment

Aug. 19, 2016 — A child with absence epilepsy may be in the middle of doing something—she could be dancing, studying, talking—when all of a sudden she stares off ... read more

Revolutionary Method to Map Brains at Single-Neuron Resolution Successfully Demonstrated

Aug. 19, 2016 — Neuroscientists have published details of a revolutionary new way of mapping the brain at the resolution of individual neurons, which they have ... read more

Brain More Robust Than Previously Thought

Aug. 19, 2016 — The brain is well capable of coping with the erratic way individual brain cells transmit information. This robustness is quite useful because variation in signal transmission doesn't merely concern ... read more

Study Supports New Strategy to Fight Cocaine Addiction

Aug. 18, 2016 — Strong evidence supporting a new strategy against drug addiction has been revealed by research. The researchers showed that a compound that inhibits the activity of certain brain-cell receptors can ... read more

Concussion Rates Rising Significantly in Adolescents

Aug. 18, 2016 — The number of Americans diagnosed with concussions is growing, most significantly in adolescents, according to researchers. They recommend that adolescents be prioritized for ongoing work in ... read more

Calcium Supplements Linked to Dementia Risk in Women With Certain Health Conditions

Aug. 17, 2016 — Calcium supplements may be associated with an increased risk of dementia in older women who have had a stroke or other signs of cerebrovascular ... read more

Similar Brain Connectivity During Rest, Tasks Linked to Better Mental Performance

Aug. 16, 2016 — A brain on task differs from a brain at rest. But, how much it differs could depend on the cognitive ability of the person whose brain is being ... read more

Curbing the Life-Long Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury

Aug. 17, 2016 — A fall down the stairs, a car crash, a sports injury or an explosive blast can all cause traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients often recover. But in the days or weeks following the hit, they can ... read more

When You Don't Feel Valued in a Relationship, Sleep Suffers

Aug. 17, 2016 — We spend up to one-third of our life asleep, but not everyone sleeps well. For couples, it turns out how well you think your partner understands and cares for you is linked to how well you ... read more

Researchers Examine How Parkinson's Disease Alters Brain Activity Over Time

Aug. 15, 2016 — Neuroscientists peered into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and two similar conditions to see how their neural responses changed over time. The study may provide a new tool for ... read more

VAs Study of Service Dogs for PTSD Criticized

Hill Push for Dogs to Help With Veterans' PTSD

Texas Conjoined Twins Undergo Separation Surgery

Grey Hair Gene Could Be Switched Off, Say Scientists

Potential Therapeutic Target for Huntington's Disease

Aug. 16, 2016 — There is new hope in the fight against Huntington's disease. Scientists have discovered that changing a specific part of the huntingtin protein prevented the loss of critical brain cells and ... read more

Microscale and Macroscale Brain Disruptions Are Associated in Schizophrenia

Aug. 16, 2016 — Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia have been identified at the microscale (alterations in synaptic connections between neurons) and the macroscale (altered connections between brain regions). ... read more

Diet and Exercise Can Reduce Protein Build-Ups Linked to Alzheimer's, Study Shows

Aug. 16, 2016 — A healthy diet, regular physical activity and a normal body mass index can reduce the incidence of protein build-ups that are associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, research ... read more

Scientists Find the Brain's Generosity Center

Aug. 15, 2016 — Scientists have identified part of our brain that helps us learn to be good to other people. People who rated themselves as having higher levels of empathy learned to benefit others faster than those ... read more

Biomarker Breakthrough Could Improve Parkinson's Treatment

Aug. 15, 2016 — A new, non-invasive way to track the progression of Parkinson’s disease could help evaluate experimental treatments to slow or stop the disease’s progression, say ... read more

Defect in Process That Controls Gene Expression May Contribute to Huntington's Disease

Aug. 15, 2016 — Researchers have identified a gene silencing mechanism that maintains neuronal specification and protects against neurodegeneration, a new report ... read more

Study Finds One in Three Former ICU Patients Shows Symptoms of Depression

Aug. 15, 2016 — Almost one in three people discharged from hospital intensive care units has clinically important and persistent symptoms of depression, a so-called meta-analysis of reports on more than 4,000 ... read more

Work Productivity Is Key Factor in Assessing Recovery of Depressed Patients

Aug. 15, 2016 — While medications can quickly reduce depressive symptoms, monitoring work productivity can provide unique insight into whether a patient will require additional treatments to achieve long-term ... read more

Brain Study Confirms Gene Mutation Link to Psychiatric Disorders

Aug. 15, 2016 — Brain scans have revealed how a genetic mutation linked to major psychiatric disorders affects the structure, function and chemistry of the brain. The study offers further clues about how the ... read more

Heading for a Fall: Neuroscientists Reveal How Overconfidence Can Lead to Poor Decision Making

Aug. 15, 2016 — The link between overconfidence and poor decision making is under the spotlight in a new, international study. Findings suggest that although being confident entails a reward-like component, it can ... read more

This Is Your Brain on Sentences

Aug. 15, 2016 — Researchers, for the first time, have decoded and predicted the brain activity patterns of word meanings within sentences, and successfully predicted what the brain patterns would be for new ... read more

Incidence of Most Fatal Type of Stroke Decreasing

Aug. 12, 2016 — A recently published study indicates that Finland's national tobacco policies seem to be radically reducing the incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, the most fatal form of ... read more

Sugar Addiction: Discovery of a Brain Sugar Switch

Aug. 12, 2016 — Researchers have discovered that our brain actively takes sugar from the blood. Prior to this, researchers had assumed that this was a purely passive process. The transportation of sugar into the ... read more

Large Human Brain Evolved as a Result of 'Sizing Each Other Up'

Aug. 12, 2016 — Humans have evolved a disproportionately large brain as a result of sizing each other up in large cooperative social groups, researchers have ... read more

Study of Brain Activity Shows That Food Commercials Influence Children's Food Choices

Aug. 12, 2016 — Food advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry, with approximately $1.8 billion annually aimed at children and adolescents, who view 1,000-2,000 ads per year. Some studies have shown there is a ... read more

How Did Primate Brains Get So Big?

Aug. 11, 2016 — Virtual brains reconstructed from ancient, kiwi-sized primate skulls could help resolve one of the most intriguing evolutionary mysteries: how modern primates developed large ... read more

Researchers 'Reprogram' Network of Brain Cells in Mice With Thin Beam of Light

Aug. 11, 2016 — Neurons that fire together really do wire together, says a new study, suggesting that the three-pound computer in our heads may be more malleable than we ... read more

Human Brain Clocks Exposed: Effects of Circadian Clocks, Sleep Loss Vary Across Brain Regions, New Study Finds

Aug. 11, 2016 — A new study helps us to understand how the brain maintains performance during the day, why many symptoms in psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions wax and wane, and why we should avoid long ... read more

Two Zika Proteins Responsible for Microcephaly Identified

Aug. 11, 2016 — Researchers have tracked down two Zika proteins potentially responsible for thousands of microcephaly cases in Brazil and elsewhere -- taking one small step toward preventing Zika-infected mothers ... read more

Your Brain on Google Glass

Aug. 11, 2016 — A group of biomedical engineers use functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure mental workload as subjects navigate a college ... read more

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Brain network of psychopathic criminal functions differently

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Scientists grow mini human brains

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