Psychology news

• Breaking through the blood-brain barrier

  11-05-2015 23:27
  The bacteria that sneak past the brain's defenses to cause deadly bacterial meningitis are clever adversaries. New research investigates the molecular tricks bacteria use to convince their host that they are harmless and cause disease.
  
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• Brain protein linked to binge-drinking behavior

  11-05-2015 23:25
  Scientists have discovered that a brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking -- defined as drinking to the point of intoxication -- puts people at greater risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease and neurological damage.
  
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• Brain cells capable of 'early-career' switch

  11-05-2015 21:49
  A single molecule has been identified that controls the fate of mature sensory neurons, scientists report. By studying sensory neurons in mice, the team found that the malfunction of a single molecule can prompt the neuron to make an "early-career" switch, changing a neuron originally destined to process sound or touch, for example, to instead process vision.
  
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• 'Marriage works' according to Andy Murray, but is love a performance-enhancing drug for others?

  11-05-2015 19:40
  
  The strange effect of walking down the aisle on individual sporting success. (Or a lack of.) Commitmentphobes will be reeling, single people will be seething and Iain Duncan Smith will be planning to put it on a poster, next to a picture of a sad-faced single mother. But mainly, Andy Murray’s words “marriage works!”, which he scribbled on a TV camera after winning his second clay court title, were quite sweet. The player credits his wedding last month to Kim Sears, his longterm girlfriend,
  
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• New research implicates immune system in Rett syndrome

  11-05-2015 18:53
  The immune system plays an unsuspected and surprising role in the progression of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder affecting children, new research suggests. Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused primarily by mutations in the gene encoding for MeCP2, an important epigenetic regulator. Children with the disorder appear to develop normally but begin to lose acquired cognitive and motor skills at 6 to 18 months of age as symptoms start to show. As they age, patie
  
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• Study sheds new light on low-light vision, could aid people with retinal deficits

  11-05-2015 18:46
  Driving down a dimly lit road at midnight can tax even those with 20/20 vision, but according to a recent study, the brain processes the experience no differently than if it were noon. The same study also reveals how quickly the brain adapts to vision loss, contradicting earlier research and opening the door to novel treatments.
  
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• The professor who thinks video games will be the downfall of men | Pete Etchells

  11-05-2015 18:01
  
  Philip Zimbardo is worried that excessive gaming or porn watching is crippling masculinity. But the evidence just doesn’t back up these sorts of claimsSuzi Gage: If men are ‘failing’ we need to look to the future, not at lazy stereotypesPhilip Zimbardo is a superstar mainstay of introductory undergraduate courses in psychology – well, a lot of them. He’s the man behind the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971, which provided insights into the psychological impact of being placed
  
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• Some immigrants and refugees in Ontario at higher risk of psychotic disorders

  11-05-2015 18:00
  Some refugees and immigrants have a higher risk of psychotic disorders, with immigrants from the Caribbean and refugees from East Africa and South Asia at 1.
  
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• When divorced parents share custody, it’s better for their kids’ health

  11-05-2015 17:09 via washingtonpost.com
  
  Children who live in the same home with both parents experience the fewest psychosomatic health issues.
  
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• Parents often in denial about overweight kids

  11-05-2015 17:09 via today.com
  
  New study is described by its authors as the first to look at the lack of change in parents' perception of preschoolers' weight over time.
  
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• Mediterranean diet may boost brain power

  11-05-2015 17:01 via wsj.com
  
  Clinical study finds that supplementing the Mediterranean diet with more olive oil or more nuts helps diminish age-related decline in cognitive function.
  
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• Advanced MRI scans could help predict people at risk of schizophrenia

  11-05-2015 15:14
  Scientists have long known that the symptoms of schizophrenia are partly explained by disordered connectivity in the brain. Nownew scanning methods that map the wiring of the brain could provide a valuable new tool to predict people at risk of schizophrenia, according to a new study.  
  
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• If men are ‘failing’ we need to look to the future, not at lazy stereotypes

  11-05-2015 14:12
  
  Psychologist Philip Zimbardo believes society and technology are failing boys, but his views reek of old-school sexismPhilip Zimbardo is one of the first people undergraduate psychologists learn about. His prison experiment in the basement of Stanford University showed a darker side of humanity. So when I saw he was talking as part of Bristol’s excellent Festival of Ideas, I had to go. Then I read the synopsis: Zimbardo, with Nikita Coulombe has written a new book, “Man (Dis)connected” on
  
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• Why We Can’t Get Our Kids to at Least Try Healthier Foods

  11-05-2015 12:54 via counsellingresource.com
  
  Research suggests some interesting reasons why it can be so hard to persuade our children to try healthier foods.
  
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• Self-harm, suicide ideation tightly linked in Iraq, Afghanistan veterans

  11-05-2015 10:00
  Non-suicidal self-injury--that is, purposefully hurting oneself without conscious suicidal intent--is relatively common among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, according to a study published online in...
  
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• Brandeis researchers identify potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms

  11-05-2015 10:00
  Abnormal brain waves may provide drug target for therapeutic treatmentsSchizophrenia affects millions of people worldwide but the cause of its wide-ranging symptoms remains largely unknown.
  
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• Psychologists to help Dr. Google

  11-05-2015 09:00
  Psychologists are to improve online health information on lung cancer after research showed that family members are more likely to search online to encourage loved ones to seek help.
  
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• Online dating: how does your profile picture affect perceptions of trust?

  11-05-2015 09:00
  Enhancing a profile picture on an online dating site may boost attractiveness, but it also influences how trustworthy a person is perceived to be, according to new research.
  
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