Psychology news

• Statins linked to lower aggression in men, but higher in women

  01-07-2015 20:08
  In the first randomized trial to look at statin effects on behavior, researchers report that aggressive behavior typically declined among men placed on statins (compared to placebo), but typically increased among women placed on statins.
  
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• Lifelong learning is made possible by recycling of histones, study says

  01-07-2015 18:33
  A new mechanism that makes neuronal plasticity and, as a result, learning possible has been discovered by researchers. This discovery centers on a specific type of histone, proteins that support DNA and help control its expression.
  
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• Revised view of brain circuit reveals how we avoid being overwhelmed by powerful odors

  01-07-2015 18:33
  Scientists report the discovery of a neural circuit in the mouse olfactory bulb that explains how our mammalian cousins (and by extension, we) are able to dial down powerful odor signals sampled from the environment, for the simple reason that they would otherwise overpower the nerve cells that receive and process them.
  
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• Human brain may contain a map for social navigation

  01-07-2015 18:33
  A study reveals how the hippocampus contributes to social behavior. The brain region that helps people tell whether an object is near or far may also guide how emotionally close they feel to others and how they rank them socially.
  
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• Human brain study sheds light on how new memories are formed

  01-07-2015 18:33
  In the first study of its kind researchers found that neurons in a specific brain region play a key role in rapidly forming memories about every day events, a finding that may result in a better understanding of memory loss and new methods to fight it in Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
  
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• St John's Wort warning

  01-07-2015 18:00
  A popular herbal medicine used in the treatment of depression has been found to cause the same adverse reactions as prescription antidepressantsSt John's Wort, according to new research by...
  
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• Electrical nerve stimulation can reverse spinal cord injury nerve damage in patients

  01-07-2015 17:53
  Researchers find that nerve stimulation can improve the function of peripheral nerves damaged by spinal cord injury (SCI). This technique may be a new approach to preventing long-term changes in nerve and muscle function after SCI and improving SCI rehabilitation outcomes.
  
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• Doing good deeds helps socially anxious people relax

  01-07-2015 17:48
  Being busy with acts of kindness can help people who suffer from social anxiety to mingle more easily.
  
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• Sleep deprivation could reduce intrusive memories of traumatic scenes

  01-07-2015 16:48
  A good night's sleep has long been recommended to those who have experienced a traumatic event. But a new study provides preliminary experimental work suggesting it could actually be the wrong thing to do.
  
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• How the stress hormone cortisol reinforces traumatic memories

  01-07-2015 16:00
  The stress hormone cortisol strengthens memories of scary experiences. However, it is effective not only while the memory is being formed for the first time, but also later when people look back at...
  
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• Males may contribute to offspring's mental development before pregnancy

  01-07-2015 14:37
  A new study provides evidence in mice that males may play a positive role in the development of offspring's brains starting before pregnancy.
  
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• People with epilepsy can benefit from smartphone apps to manage their condition

  01-07-2015 14:30
  While many people with epilepsy can control their seizures with medication, those unpredictable and involuntary changes in behavior and consciousness can be limiting for others. Neurologists evaluated the application of smartphones in epilepsy care. Apps include seizure diaries as well as medication trackers with reminders to take the next dose of medication. In addition, apps are available to answer any questions patients with epilepsy might have, to detect potential drug interactions and to de
  
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• Computer model shows how nerve cell connections form in visual cortex

  01-07-2015 14:28
  Researchers develop a computer model to explain how nerve cell connections form in the visual cortex. When newborn babies open their eyes for the first time, they already possess nerve cells specialized in particular stimuli in the visual cortex of their brains - but these nerve cells are not systematically linked with each other. How do neural networks that react in a particular way to particular features of a stimulus develop over the course of time?
  
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• Infants' superior perception discovered as predictor of autism symptoms

  01-07-2015 12:21
  Researchers from CBCD discover a link that could prove useful in early autism detection.
  
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• Pioneering study into whether or not babies learn from touchscreens

  01-07-2015 12:18
  A Leverhulme Trust funded project, TABLET, will investigate how infants use touchscreen devices and how this interaction influences cognitive and social development.
  
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• Hospital-wide program for delirium, alcohol withdrawal and suicide/harm impacts readmission rates

  01-07-2015 12:00
  Brigham and Women's Hospital finds that developing and implementing an interdisciplinary care improvement initiative improves outcomesApproximately 20 percent of all patients admitted to a...
  
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• Professor Karmiloff-Smith’s research team studies babies with Down’s to shed light on Alzheimer's

  01-07-2015 11:55
  Pioneering study may lead to treatments that could slow down cognitive decline in those with Down syndrome and the general population.
  
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• Virtual training helps veterans with PTSD, mentally ill nab more jobs

  01-07-2015 11:00
  Virtual human -- based on FBI training -- shows them how to ace job interview Nine times more job offers after training Eases anxiety and boosts rapport with interviewer High...
  
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• Bisexual men and women report poorer health than gays, lesbians and heterosexuals

  01-07-2015 11:00
  Bisexual males and females report poorer health than gays, lesbians and heterosexuals, according to a new study from sociologists at Rice University.
  
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• How people misunderstand stalking

  01-07-2015 09:00
  Members of the public have a fixed and faulty view of what stalkers look like, and this has potential implications for victims and court proceedings.
  
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• U.S. Kids Suffer High Rates of Assault and Abuse, Study Finds

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportLong-term effects include poor mental and physical health, experts say.
  
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• The N-Word in America: A Term Loaded Like No Other

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - Top HeadlinesIt's loaded and volatile like no other word in America: a legacy of centuries of violent race relations expressed in just six letters. Here, unless perhaps you are African American, you don't write it and you definitely don't say it. Roof apparently believed in white supremacy and racial segregation.
  
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• Nigeria Poll Suggests 87% Oppose Gay Rights

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: BBC News - AfricaA new opinion poll suggests that 87% of people in Nigeria support the legal ban on same-sex relations, compared with 96% five years ago.
  
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• Mozambique Scraps Antigay Law

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: The GuardianOld Portuguese colonial laws removed in victory for gay rights campaigners Mozambique decriminalised homosexuality on Monday when a new penal code came into force that swept away old Portuguese colonial laws, in a victory for campaigners for gay rights in Africa. The old code, dating back to 1886, targeted anyone “who habitually engages in vices against nature” – but no known prosecutions were brought after Mozambique became independent in...
  
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• Half of Heart Disease Deaths Due to Preventable Factors

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - HealthAlthough the death toll has steadily declined over the past 30 years due to prevention and treatment measures, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., causing one in every four deaths, or 610,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To estimate how many heart disease deaths are due to preventable factors, Patel and her coauthors analyzed responses from more than 500,000 people,...
  
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• "Growing Up Trans" Explores Transgender Identity Among Kids

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines"Growing Up Trans" explores the transgender phenomenon as younger people than ever (and their parents) now experience it: a frontier of possibilities and unknowns, and a minefield of high-stakes choices for these youngsters as they also navigate the changes adolescence brings.
  
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• Girl Scouts Rejects $100K After Donor Won't Let It Go to Transgender Girls

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: USA Today - U.S. NewsThe chapter has received an outpouring of support, and has raised more than double the donation amount.            .
  
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• Drexel University Implements New Mental Health Kiosk

  01-07-2015 07:16 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: USA Today - Top StoriesThe two-minute anonymous screening can test for six different signs of mental health problems, from depression to alcohol-use disorders...
  
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