Psychology news

• Readers recommend: songs about nostalgia | Peter Kimpton

  21-05-2015 21:44
  
  Looking back with a bittersweet melancholy? Suggest songs that hark back to the past using the five senses, musical echoes or any other trigger tricks of memory
  “I don’t like nostalgia, unless it’s mine,” said Lou Reed, with a bad-tempered smirk. “It isn’t necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia,” added Frank Zappa, with a humorous frown. But what is nostalgia, and is it good or bad? Well,
  
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• Obese teens' brains unusually susceptible to food commercials, study finds

  21-05-2015 20:41
  TV food commercials disproportionately stimulate the brains of overweight teenagers, including the regions that control pleasure, taste and -- most surprisingly -- the mouth, suggesting they mentally simulate unhealthy eating habits that make it difficult to lose weight later in life.
  
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• Study on neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb

  21-05-2015 20:40
  The integration of new neurons in the adult brain is a phenomenon more generally compromised in the brains of depressed patients, new research shows. This new work confirms that neurogenesis in the human olfactory bulb is a marginal phenomenon in adults. These findings shed light on the special features of the human brain.
  
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• Intuitive control of robotic arm using thoughts alone

  21-05-2015 20:40
  Through a clinical collaboration between Caltech, Keck Medicine of USC and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a 34-year-old paralyzed man is the first person in the world to have a neural prosthetic device implanted in a region of the brain where intentions are made, giving him the ability to perform a fluid hand-shaking gesture, drink a beverage, and even play 'rock, paper, scissors,' using a robotic arm.
  
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• Proteins may slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's

  21-05-2015 20:38
  Certain proteins may slow the devastating memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to a groundbreaking new study. The researchers found evidence that an elevated presence of a protein called neuronal pentraxin-2 may slow cognitive decline and reduce brain atrophy in people with Alzheimer's disease.
  
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• Memories influence choice of food

  21-05-2015 19:36
  The stronger our memory is of a certain food, the more likely we are to choose it -- even if it is the more unattractive option. Psychologists conducted a study on how memory influences our choices by offering various foods and using scans to track brain activity. The researchers were able to show that the influence of memory is mediated by increasing communication between the relevant brain areas.
  
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• Google a step closer to developing machines with human-like intelligence

  21-05-2015 19:24
  
  Algorithms developed by Google designed to encode thoughts, could lead to computers with ‘common sense’ within a decade, says leading AI scientist Computers will have developed “common sense” within a decade and we could be counting them among our friends not long afterwards, one of the world’s leading AI scientists has predicted. Professor Geoff Hinton, who was hired by Google two years ago to help develop intelligent operating systems, said that the company is on the brink of develop
  
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• Switching off brain circuit renders mice 'out of touch' with environment

  21-05-2015 18:10
  New research suggests that the apparent simplicity of tactile sensation comes from a clever two-stage brain circuit. By manipulating this circuit with light-driven optical genetic tools, researchers made laboratory mice literally "lose touch" with their surroundings as their feet became unable to sense rough or smooth surfaces.
  
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• Experts map surgical approaches for auditory brainstem implantation

  21-05-2015 18:09
  A technique called auditory brainstem implantation can restore hearing for patients who can't benefit from cochlear implants. A team of experts has mapped out the surgical anatomy and approaches for auditory brainstem implantation.
  
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• Regrets? Opting out of clinical trials may prompt more than a few

  21-05-2015 18:00
  Women who choose not to participate in a clinical trial may be significantly more likely to later regret that decision than women who choose to participate in the study, according to a team of Penn...
  
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• It's time to support older people in giving up smoking

  21-05-2015 18:00
  New research published online in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests that supporting older people with mental ill-health to give up smoking has positive health benefits and will not, as...
  
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• Genetic marker identified which influences brain activity patterns that place children at higher risk of psychological problems later in life

  21-05-2015 17:00
  Researchers studying a healthy population of young children have uncovered evidence for an association between a genetic marker that modulates the uptake of a particular brain chemical...
  
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• Brain tumors: Millimeter by millimeter towards a better prognosis

  21-05-2015 16:49
  A method known as navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has been gaining importance in neurosurgery for some time now. Among other applications, it is used to map brain tumors before an operation and to test whether important regions of the brain, for example motor and language areas, are affected. Doctors have now shown that preoperative nTMS analysis of motor areas improves the prognosis of patients with malignant brain tumors.
  
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• Study confirms link between sleep apnea and depression in men

  21-05-2015 16:00
  At the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference, researchers report new findings on the relationship between sleep apnea and depression in men.
  
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• Development of face perception earlier in Japanese children than Western children

  21-05-2015 15:59
  Face perception plays an important role in social communication. There have been many studies of face perception in human using non-invasive neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods, but studies of face perception in children were quite limited. Scientists have now investigated the development of face perception in Japanese children, by using an electroencephalogram (EEG). The team also compared their results for Japanese children with the previous findings for Western children.
  
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• Infections can affect your IQ

  21-05-2015 15:50
  New research shows that infections can impair your cognitive ability measured on an IQ scale. The study is the largest of its kind to date, and it shows a clear correlation between infection levels and impaired cognition.
  
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• Positive results for LATUDA (lurasidone HCI) in first placebo-controlled trial of patients with major depressive disorder with mixed features

  21-05-2015 14:00
  Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced results from the first placebo-controlled study in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) who presented with a limited number of associated manic...
  
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• Animals' presence may ease social anxiety in kids with autism

  21-05-2015 12:00
  NIH-funded study could have implications for treatmentA guinea pig from the study. The skin conductance sensor can be seen on the child's wrist. Credit: Marguerite O'Haire, Ph.D.
  
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• Twitter could provide valuable details about transgender individuals' health, social needs

  21-05-2015 11:00
  Twitter 'big data' could provide valuable details about transgender individuals' health and social needsTransgender and gender nonconforming people are at high risk for diseases such as AIDS and...
  
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• Parkinson's disease more likely in people with depression, study suggests

  21-05-2015 10:00
  Researchers suggest that there is a direct association between Parkinson's disease and depression after conducting research over a timespan of more than 2 decades.
  
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• Depressed people may be at risk of Parkinson's disease

  21-05-2015 10:00
  Researchers suggest that there is a direct association between Parkinson's disease and depression after conducting research over a timespan of more than 2 decades.
  
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• Be mindful of mindfulness: drug-free doesn't mean side-effect free | Philip Hoggart

  21-05-2015 08:10
  
  When it comes to psychiatric treatments, it’s not just mood-altering drugs that can have side-effectsMy morning pills consist of a multivitamin which I’m pretty sure is useless except for making nutrient-rich urine, an antidepressant which can have the unfortunate side effect of making me happy, and a mood stabiliser whose side-effects include an alarming number with the word “necrosis” in them. I swallow them every day, possibly less diligently than I should, and I guess I’m doing OK.
  
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• World's Oldest Stone Tools Predate Humans

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Yahoo News - ScienceThe oldest handmade stone tools discovered yet predate any known humans and may have been wielded by an as-yet-unknown species, researchers say. The 3.3-million-year-old stone artifacts are the first direct evidence that early human ancestors may have possessed the mental abilities needed to figure out how to make razor-sharp stone tools. Ancient stone artifacts from East Africa were first uncovered at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania in the mid-20th...
  
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• Why Parents Shouldn't Ignore Their Kids' Behavioral Issues

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - ScienceParents who are concerned about their kids' behavioral problems may not bring them up with their child's doctor, but they should consider doing so, researchers say. Telling the doctor about children's behavioral problems is important because doing so may help detect serious health issues, such as depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance abuse, they said. Parents can start conversations with their child's doctor...
  
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• Support for Same-Sex Marriage Hits Record High in U.S.

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - Top HeadlinesSupport for same-sex marriage in the United States is at an all-time high of 60 percent, a new poll showed Tuesday as the Supreme Court gears up to weigh in on the issue. Just two decades ago, only 27% of Americans backed gay marriage, while 68% opposed," Gallup said. The US Supreme Court is due to rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage in a month, a landmark ruling which could settle once and for all legal questions surrounding...
  
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• Study Explores Link Between Video Games and Psychiatric Disorders

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: The GuardianBenefits, such as improved attention and perception, could come at a price, according to research People who regularly play action video games could be at increased risk of developing neurological and psychiatric disorders, a study suggests. We’re saying ‘Hey, wait, there might be a serious risk with them’ Continue reading...
  
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• Playing with Food May Help Kids Become Less Picky Eaters

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - HealthPlaying with food may actually help kids overcome a fear of new flavors and eat a more varied diet, a small study suggests. Researchers in the U.K. asked a group of kids to search for buried toys in mashed potatoes and jelly and found that the children who were comfortable getting their hands dirty at the table were less likely have a condition known as food neophobia, a fear of tasting new things. "Although this is just an association, the...
  
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• Oxytocin, Alcohol Seem to Work on Brain in Similar Ways

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportSo-called 'love hormone' may one day help treat some psychiatric disorders, researchers say.
  
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• Competitive? We Assume Our Key Goals Are Others' Goals Too

  21-05-2015 07:54 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceDailyWhether we’re buying a ticket to a movie, catching a train, or shopping for groceries, the more committed we are to achieving that goal, the more likely we are to assume others have exactly the same objective, a study by psychology researchers shows.
  
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• Girl Scouts Welcome Transgender Girls

  21-05-2015 07:25 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: CNN - Top StoriesTransgender girls are welcome in the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, a stance that has attracted controversy from some conservative groups over the past week.
  
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• Child Marriage a Form of Slavery: African Union Goodwill Ambassador

  21-05-2015 07:25 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - HealthChild marriage should be seen as a form of modern slavery and is tantamount to sanctioning child rape, the African Union's goodwill ambassador said at a conference on ending the practice. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said child marriage inflicted life-long trauma on many girls and far more must be done to address its psychosocial impact. "(With child marriage) we are sanctioning rape, we are sanctioning abduction, we are sanctioning a modern form of...
  
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• People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease

  21-05-2015 01:35
  People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a large study.
  
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