Psychology news

• Stimulating the brain with electricity may reduce bulimia symptoms

  25-01-2017 20:59
  Key symptoms of bulimia nervosa, including the urge to binge eat and restrict food intake, are reduced by delivering electricity to parts of the brain using non-invasive brain stimulation, according to new research.
  
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• Hypoxia due to CHD linked to abnormal neurogenesis and impaired cortical growth

  25-01-2017 20:59
  The subventricular zone in normal newborns' brains is home to the largest stockpile of neural stem/progenitor cells, with newly generated neurons migrating from this zone to specific regions of the frontal cortex and differentiating into interneurons. When newborns experience disruptions in cerebral oxygen supply due to congenital heart disease, essential cellular processes go awry and this contributes to reduced cortical growth.
  
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• Drug compound halts Alzheimer's-related damage in mice

  25-01-2017 20:59
  In some people, the normal brain protein tau collects into toxic tangles that damage brain cells and contributes to diseases such as Alzheimer's. Now, researchers report that they have found a drug can lower tau levels and prevent some of the neurological damage. The findings suggest a potential treatment for tau-related neurodegenerative diseases.
  
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• Triggering the brain's auto-focus

  25-01-2017 20:57
  Environmental cues don't just trigger actions, like reaching for our phones when they buzz; they can also trigger our brains to enter a more focused state. Researchers combined brain imaging with a celebrity naming game to pinpoint the structure in the brain responsible for forming these links between stimuli and focus. This structure, called the caudate nucleus, is also known to play an important role in linking motor actions to their consequences.
  
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• Some specialized neurons are for processing faces

  25-01-2017 20:57
  Neurons specialized for processing faces in the human brain are controlled by attention, according to a new study.
  
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• Get up and move. It may make you happier.

  25-01-2017 15:37 via nytimes.com
  Researchers find that people who move are more content than people who sit.
  
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• Is Simon Cowell to blame for the end of western civilisation? | Dean Burnett

  25-01-2017 15:32
  
  The Western world is in a dark place right now. It may be Simon Cowell’s fault. No, honestly – just consider the psychological impact of reality TVDid Simon Cowell bring about the end of Western civilisation as we know it? Well, first some caveats to clarify this unhinged-sounding question. Firstly, Western civilisation clearly hasn’t ended entirely. The fact that you’re reading this is proof of that. If civilisation collapses, surreal Guardian blogs will probably be the
  
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• Personality traits linked to differences in brain structure

  25-01-2017 15:00
  
  Our personality may be shaped by how our brain works, but in fact the shape of our brain can itself provide surprising clues about how we behave - and our risk of developing mental health disorders...
  
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• The narcissistic scientist: big brain, big head? – Science Weekly podcast

  25-01-2017 14:35
  
  How prevalent is narcissism in science? Has this changed over time? And how could it threaten the fundamental pillars of science?Subscribe & Review on iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud & AcastWhen it comes to scientists, the stereotype of a socially-reclusive and tortured genius is one that, arguably, still remains. But in a new book Swiss immunologist Professor Bruno Lemaitre challenges this assumption, instead pointing to the recent rise of the narcissistic scientist. But is ther
  
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• Nicotine may help treat schizophrenia, study finds

  25-01-2017 09:00
  
  A new study finds the chemical compound may be key in normalizing brain deficits commonly associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
  
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• Atheists: you're not as rational as you think – video

  25-01-2017 08:00
  
  Atheists pride themselves on being rational and drawing their knowledge from the world of facts. But, Prof Dominic Johnson argues, even atheists display moral behaviour that is based on superstition. He says the feeling that we are being watched and judged has served an important evolutionary purposeGod Is Watching You: How the Fear of God Makes Us Human by Dominic Johnson is published by Oxford University PressContinue reading...
  
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