Psychology news

• Digitizing Neurons: Researchers step up to BigNeuron challenge with big computing resources

  13-05-2015 22:40
  Supercomputing resources at an American lab will support a new initiative designed to advance how scientists digitally reconstruct and analyze individual neurons in the human brain. Mapping the complex structures of individual neurons, which can contain thousands of branches, is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process when done by hand. BigNeuron's goal is to streamline this process of neuronal reconstruction -- converting two-dimensional microscope images of neurons into 3-D digital models
  
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• Can drinking alcohol harm the child before the mother knows she is pregnant?

  13-05-2015 20:57
  Alcohol drunk by a mouse in early pregnancy changes the way genes function in the brains of the offspring. The early exposure was also later apparent in the brain structure of the adult offspring. The timing of the exposure corresponds to the human gestational weeks 3-6 in terms of fetal development.
  
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• Does wearing red really make you dominant, charismatic and sexy?

  13-05-2015 19:18
  
  A new study claims it does. Stuart Heritage puts the theory to the test in his local town centreRed is not my colour. Red makes me look fat and tired. Red makes me look as if I’ve been trying to treat eczema with sandpaper. For this reason, I tend to avoid wearing anything in red.And this is exactly where I have been going wrong. A Royal Society journal has published a study where subjects were shown identical images of a man wearing different-coloured shirts. When they saw him in red, they cl
  
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• Memory and the hippocampus: New work challenges old beliefs

  13-05-2015 18:51
  The size of the hippocampus, an important structure in the brain's memory circuit, is typically measured as one method to determine the integrity of the memory circuit. However, the shape of this structure is often neglected. New research challenges the long-held belief that a larger hippocampus is directly linked to improved memory function.
  
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• Depression intensifies anger in veterans with PTSD

  13-05-2015 17:18
  The tendency for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to lash out in anger can be significantly amplified if they are also depressed, according to new research.
  
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• Drug perks up old muscles and aging brains

  13-05-2015 15:36
  We age, in part, because the adult stem cells in our tissues are surrounded by chemicals that prevent them from replacing damaged cells. One of these chemicals is TGF-beta1, known to depress stem cell activity. A new study shows that a drug that blocks TGF-beta1, which is now being tested for its anticancer properties, makes brain and muscle tissue more youthful. This is a step toward a drug cocktail that could rejuvenate aging tissue.
  
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• Brains of smokers who quit successfully might be wired for success

  13-05-2015 15:33
  Smokers who are able to quit might actually be hard-wired for success. The study showed greater connectivity among certain brain regions in people who successfully quit smoking compared to those who tried and failed.
  
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• Men: Wearing red can make you appear angry, dominant

  13-05-2015 14:38
  Men who wear red clothes send out a signal that they are angry and aggressive, in much the same way as if their face had reddened, new research suggests. This study is believed to be the first into the effects of color on social perceptions of dominance and aggression in neutral settings.
  
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• New insights into the male bias of autism

  13-05-2015 14:37
  Male toddlers with autism have significant structural differences in their brains compared to females with the condition, according to research. The new work is looking at the links between sex/gender and autism, which reveal additional insights into the role of prenatal sex hormones and the 'female protective effect'.
  
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• Research finds differences in the brains and behavior of girls and boys with autism

  13-05-2015 14:37
  Differences in the underlying biology of children's brains and behavior has been identified through a study on a large cohort of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. The findings may help explain how the condition affects a little-studied and poorly understood population of children: girls.
  
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• The downside to being different: How sexual minority men cope with harassment, masculinity, and body image

  13-05-2015 12:00
  What does an ideal man or woman look like? How do they dress and behave? These are questions that every young person agonizes over.
  
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• A gap year does not weaken study success

  13-05-2015 12:00
  A gap year between high school and the start of university studies does not weaken young people's enthusiasm to study or their overall performance once the studies have commenced.
  
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• Researchers discover how cocaine, amphetamines disrupt the brain's normal functioning

  13-05-2015 10:00
  Research sheds light on how addictive drugs interfere with the dopamine transporter, expected to usher in long-sought advances in treatmentsIn a major advance in the field of neuropsychiatry...
  
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• Nurses cut stress 40 percent with relaxation steps at work

  13-05-2015 10:00
  A study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that a workplace mindfulness-based intervention reduced stress levels of employees exposed to a highly stressful...
  
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• Mass murder, mental illness, and men

  13-05-2015 10:00
  Mass murders in the United States are rare, but they receive a lot of media attention and are the focus of an ongoing controversy regarding the link between mass murder and mental illness among the...
  
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• Losing streak: Competitive high-school sports linked to gambling

  13-05-2015 10:00
  The soft signs of compulsive gambling -- high energy levels, unreasonable expectations, extreme competitiveness, distorted optimism and above-average IQs -- are often the very traits that...
  
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• Dine with a light eater if you want to consume less

  13-05-2015 09:00
  How much food your dining companion eats can have a big influence on how much you consume, a UNSW Australia-led study concludes.
  
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• Repetitive brain injuries may accelerate aging, dementia risk

  13-05-2015 00:50
  Repetitive head injuries that occur during contact sports and military service may accelerate the aging process by increasing the build-up of beta-amyloid in the brain, leading to worse disease and an increased likelihood of developing dementia. In particular, boxers fared the worst among athletes and military veterans with a history of head injuries.
  
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