Psychology news

• Study on multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis supports improved education of clinicians

  31-08-2016 22:30
  A new study defines the current problems that lead patients to be misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the possible reasons why they are misdiagnosed.
  
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• Brain perceives taste with all senses, scientific evidence reveals

  31-08-2016 19:37
  The phrase "it looks so good you can almost taste it" may actually be scientifically proven based on the findings of a new study that explored how the brain processes stimuli predicting taste.
  
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• Connection between chronic pain, anxiety disorders found by researchers

  31-08-2016 19:34
  New study results provide insight into a long-observed, but little-understood connection between chronic pain and anxiety and offer a potential target for treatment. Researchers found that increased expression of PACAP -- a peptide neurotransmitter the body releases in response to stress -- is also increased in response to neuropathic pain and contributes to these symptoms.
  
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• Insecure childhood can make dealing with stress harder

  31-08-2016 17:08
  Emotional bonds with our primary caregiver or parent in early childhood are thought to be the basis of our ability to regulate our emotions as adults, report investigators.
  
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• Scientists discover noninvasive technique to monitor migraines

  31-08-2016 16:28
  New UBC research has found that amplified electroencephalograms can produce diagnostic results of a brainwave associated with migraines and epilepsy that are comparable to the current, more invasive, standard -- a discovery that could lead to better treatment and diagnosis of these conditions.
  
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• PTSD increases risk for metabolic syndrome, reduced cortical thickness

  31-08-2016 14:53
  Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of cardiometabolic conditions, may be a biological mechanism linking posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to structural brain abnormalities, according to a new study. The findings highlight the need to develop effective interventions for PTSD to treat not only the symptoms associated with the disorder, but also potential ensuing metabolic and neurodegenerative consequences, which may be suggestive of premature aging.
  
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• Dopamine: Far more than just the 'happy hormone'

  31-08-2016 14:53
  Dopamine is a so-called messenger substance or neurotransmitter that conveys signals between neurons. It not only controls mental and emotional responses but also motor reactions. Dopamine is particularly known as being the "happy hormone." It is responsible for our experiencing happiness. Even so-called adrenaline rushes, such as those experienced when playing sport, are based on the same pattern. Adrenaline is a close relative of dopamine. However, serious health problems can arise if too litt
  
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• Can social media help maternal mental health?

  31-08-2016 12:00
  
  Going online may fill a void for struggling parents, but can the internet’s instant gratification fail to address deeper perinatal problems?She irritates your parents. She baffles your grandparents. The preoccupied young mum feeding, with one hand, organic sweet potato puree to her eager eight-month-old, and checking her Facebook notifications with her smartphone in the other. A stereotype which would pass for a member of the Modern Tribe and one I’m sure you already recognise. Perha
  
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• Am I a good person? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Andrew Brown

  31-08-2016 09:00
  
  Every day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries
  The beginning of being a good person is the knowledge that you may not be, or that you have acted as a bad one would. After that it gets complicated.The most obvious complication, perhaps, is that there is no agreement on what constitutes a good person. In fact there’s no agreement on whether we should even agree who a good person is. In som
  
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• Fallout from 9/11 May Include Early Dementia

  31-08-2016 08:46 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportWorld Trade Center first-responders who developed PTSD seem at greater risk of mental decline, a new study finds.
  
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• Stopping Exercise Decreases Brain Blood Flow, Study Finds

  31-08-2016 08:45 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceDailyResearchers examined cerebral blood flow in master athletes (ages 50-80 years) before and after a 10-day period during which they stopped all exercise. Using MRI brain imaging techniques, they found a significant decrease in blood flow to several brain regions important for cognitive health, including the hippocampus, after they stopped their exercise routines.
  
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• "Racist School Hair Rules" Suspended at South African High School

  31-08-2016 08:45 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: BBC News - AfricaRules over how female students wear their hair at a South African school are suspended after anti-racism protest from pupils, a local minister says.
  
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• Brain's Internal Compass Also Navigates During Imagination

  31-08-2016 08:44 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceDailyWhen you try to find your way in a new place, your brain creates a spatial map that represents that environment. Neuroscientists now show that the brain’s ‘navigation system’ is not only active during actual or virtual movement, but also when imagining view directions. This suggests that the brain’s spatial navigation system might also be important for cognitive functions such as imagination and memory.
  
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• Smarter brains are blood-thirsty brains

  31-08-2016 03:16
  A new project has overturned the theory that the evolution of human intelligence was simply related to the size of the brain -- but rather linked more closely to the supply of blood to the brain.
  
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• Researcher finds mechanism affecting alcohol consumption

  31-08-2016 03:16
  A researcher has found a mechanism that strongly influences whether or not an animal is likely to drink a lot of alcohol, turning lush mice into teetotalers, a new report explains.
  
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