Psychology news

• What causes brain problems after traumatic brain injury? Studies have a surprising answer

  15-01-2015 19:48
  There is a widespread misunderstanding about the true nature of traumatic brain injury and how it causes chronic degenerative problems, researchers argue. The authors propose that chronic brain damage and neuropsychiatric problems after trauma are largely caused by long-term inflammation in the brain. They say inflammation is a key culprit behind the symptoms linked with TBI, including brain atrophy and depression.
  
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• Could our brain instruct our bodies to burn more fat?

  15-01-2015 19:48
  By uncovering the action of two naturally occurring hormones, scientists may have discovered a way to assist in the shedding of excess fat. Fat in adult humans is typically stored in adipocytes, specialized cells that comprise white fat. But around the neck and shoulders, there is a second form of fat made of brown adipocytes. Rather than storing fat, these cells can be induced to burn it off, experts say.
  
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• Good things come to those who wait?

  15-01-2015 19:47
  A team of scientists has found a causal link between the activation of serotonin neurons and the amount of time mice are willing to wait, and rejected a possible link between increased serotonin neuron activation and reward.
  
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• The conquerors of Dawn Wall show that obsession can give us hope | Anouchka Grose

  15-01-2015 17:40
  
  To complete their free climb of California’s massive sheer rock face, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson tapped into the very best of the human spiritWhat would compel someone to free climb a sheer rock face that is just under a kilometre high? It takes two-and-a-half weeks and involves constantly sticking your shredded fingertips back together with superglue and beeswax (during the night, every four hours), sanding them down to keep them smooth, and taking days off to heal while dangling
  
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• No more neuronal gibberish: How 100 billion nerve cells produce a clear thought or an action

  15-01-2015 16:27
  
  We have approximately 100 billion nerve cells in our brains, all of which communicate with one another. Why do they lead to clear thoughts or purposeful actions instead of mere gibberish? The reason lies, among other things, in a small group of inhibitory nerve cells that can use the messenger GABA to curb the activity of other nerve cells, scientists say.
  
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• Is schizophrenia one disease... or eight?

  15-01-2015 16:00
  Researchers have struggled to pinpoint which genes are responsible for schizophrenia. A new study finds that 42 gene networks contribute to eight distinct kinds of schizophrenia.
  
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• Extra-short nanowires best for brain

  15-01-2015 15:19
  If in the future electrodes are inserted into the human brain -- either for research purposes or to treat diseases -- it may be appropriate to give them a 'coat' of nanowires that could make them less irritating for the brain tissue. However, the nanowires must not exceed a certain length, according to new research.
  
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• Imaging test for autism spectrum disorder under development

  15-01-2015 15:18
  A two-minute brain-imaging test that may be able to aid in the diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder is currently under development in the United States. Usually, diagnosis -- an unquantifiable process based on clinical judgment -- is time consuming and trying on children and their families. That may change with this new diagnostic test.
  
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• Study shows that kids exposed to two languages have different expectations than those who are monolingual

  15-01-2015 11:00
  
  Most young children are essentialists: They believe that human and animal characteristics are innate.
  
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• Decisions about sex activate different brain regions in adolescent girls

  15-01-2015 11:00
  
  In a first-of-its-kind study, Indiana University researchers have shown that teenage girls use different parts of their brain when making hypothetical low- and high-risk decisions about sex.
  
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• Clinical trial examines safety, effectiveness of drug to treat binge eating disorder

  15-01-2015 11:00
  
  At some doses, the medication lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a drug approved to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, was effective compared with placebo in decreasing binge-eating (BE)...
  
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• Unconscious physiological changes demonstrated by 'temperature contagion'

  15-01-2015 10:00
  
  Just looking at somebody shivering is enough to make us feel cold, according to new research at the University of Sussex in the UK.
  
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• The benefits of animal-assisted therapy for adult cancer patients undergoing complex cancer treatment with chemotherapy and radiation

  15-01-2015 10:00
  
  Therapy dogs may improve the emotional well-being of some cancer patients, according to results of a clinical study, the first to document the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in adult cancer...
  
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• Sexual supply and demand affects mate choice among the Makushi

  15-01-2015 10:00
  The sexual stereotype, in line with evolutionary theory, is that women want commitment and men want lots of flings.
  
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• In the UK bisexual women have worse mental health than lesbians

  15-01-2015 10:00
  
  Bisexual women are more likely to experience poor mental health and mental distress than lesbians, according to new research published in the Journal of Public Health.
  
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• Interrupting cycle of violence before young perpetrators and their victims reach adulthood

  15-01-2015 09:00
  
  Widespread among adolescents, intimate partner violence and sexual violence can place young people on a lifelong trajectory of aggression -- either as victims or perpetrators -- endangering their...
  
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• Gray matter loss and the inflamed brain in the development of psychosis

  15-01-2015 09:00
  
  The thickness of cortical brain tissue progressively reduces as individuals develop psychosis, according to researchers of a large, multi-site study of young adults at clinical high risk.
  
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• 'Fear of exercise' is biggest barrier to chronic fatigue syndrome recovery

  15-01-2015 09:00
  Investigating how to optimize available CFS treatments, researchers found that many patients fear of exercise will exacerbate rather than improve their fatigue symptoms.
  
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• Beneficial effects conveyed on bone health by good life satisfaction

  15-01-2015 09:00
  
  Women aged 60-70 who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and they suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than their unsatisfied peers, according to a recent study completed at...
  
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• A woman's body image is tied to her perception of what men prefer

  15-01-2015 09:00
  
  Women who are told that men desire larger-body women who aren't model-thin are happier with their weight, according to a series of new studies.
  
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