http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/ Psychology news from leading research institutes around the world. Research on relationships, new treatments for mental health conditions, and more. Updated daily. en-us Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:05:01 EDT Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180515.htm People who occasionally forget an appointment or a friend's name may have a loss of brain volume, even though they don't have memory deficits on regular tests of memory or dementia, according to new study. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002204433.htm It may very well be that models used for the design of new drugs have to be regarded as impractical. Scientists have elucidated the structure of the adenosine A2A receptor, one of caffeine's main targets in the body and a key player in Parkinson's. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002204433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172136.htm According to the asymmetry principle of trust, information on negative events decreases trust to a much higher extent than information on positive events increases trust. A new study examines whether this notion holds true with respect to trust in the safety of tourist destinations. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172136.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180702.htm Curious toddlers and pre-schoolers are all-too-often scalded by foods heated in microwave ovens, but a locking mechanism could prevent these severe injuries that require hospitalization. Researchers investigated these cases as part of a three-year study of children in their burn unit and found that inadequate safeguards exist on microwave ovens. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180658.htm As soon as children are old enough to interact socially, some become entrenched in chronic and increasing patterns of victimization by their peers, according to a new report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Children who are aggressive in infancy and are from families with harsh parenting styles and insufficient income appear more likely to be consistently victimized. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130515.htm Girls who don’t share a common language may have more difficulty adjusting socially than boys, according to surprising new research looking at language acquisition among young children. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112103.htm Researchers have discovered what promises to be the on-off switch behind several major diseases. They report how the GPR91 receptor contributes to activate unchecked vascular growth that causes vision loss in common blinding diseases. These findings could also have wide-ranging and positive implications for brain tissue regeneration. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092518.htm White people -- including children as young as 10 -- may avoid talking about race so as not to appear prejudiced, according to new research. But that approach often backfires as blacks tend to view this "colorblind" approach as evidence of prejudice, especially when race is clearly relevant. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002094838.htm Thought processes made visible: Researchers have succeeded in optically detecting individual action potentials in the brains of living animals. The scientists introduced fluorescent indicator proteins into the brain cells of mice via viral gene vectors: the illumination of the fluorescent proteins indicates both when and which neurons are communicating with each other. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002094838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180656.htm Magnetic resonance brain imaging reveals that patients with generalized social phobia respond differently than others to negative comments about themselves, according to a new report. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092900.htm More and more persons with mental illnesses, addiction disorders, and chronic and infectious diseases receive their medical care in a jail or prison. As of mid-2007, approximately 13 million inmates had been admitted to US jails during the previous 12 months. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093758.htm To date, few studies have focused on the viewpoints of autistic persons themselves despite an increasing number of published autobiographies. The results of this study suggest that what has been selected as major signs by psychiatric nosography is regarded as manifestations induced by perceptive peculiarities and strong emotional reactions by the autistic persons who expressed themselves. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007120433.htm An atomic resolution view of an enzyme found only in the eye is providing clues about how the enzyme is activated. The enzyme, PDE6, is critical to the way light entering the retina is converted into signals to the brain. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007120433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102849.htm Psychologists have developed a personality inventory that can predict who will excel in academic and creative domains, even when respondents are trying hard to fake their answers. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007102849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007091457.htm Australians with mental illness smoke at four times the rate of the general population, says a new study. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007091457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007085534.htm Researchers are trying to pinpoint the factors that affect how much food a child eats, to stave off unhealthy relationships with food later in life. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007085534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073926.htm Intensive Care Unit doctors seeking to balance the complex needs of their patients and the patients' families may make an imperfect compromise, withdrawing life support systems over a prolonged period of time. This practice is much more common than previously believed, and is also surprisingly associated with higher satisfaction with care -- at least among surviving family members. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073924.htm About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) -- snoring or obstructive sleep apnea -- have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult to correlate to the severity of the SDB, suggesting that other important issues may be at play, or that the right factors were simply not being measured. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093039.htm Do patients who survive a severe brain injury but fail to recover speech or non-verbal communication perceive pain? After their remarkable publication where they showed that a patient in a vegetative state in reality was conscious, scientists in Belgium were able to tackle the very difficult issue of pain perception in coma survivors. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203103.htm A little exercise goes a long way toward helping severely obese individuals improve their quality of life and complete important daily tasks, according to researchers at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203057.htm If the current financial climate has taught us anything, it's that a system where over-borrowing goes unchecked eventually ends in disaster. It turns out this rule applies as much to our bodies as it does to economics. Instead of cash, our body deals in energy borrowed from muscle and given to the brain. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926120524.htm Using 3,200 computer processors and long-established data on cholesterol, a clearer picture emerges of a protein involved in inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, addiction and more. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926120524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081004080914.htm Researchers recently examined the eating habits of urban children before and after school as part of a larger project to make corner store snacks healthier. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081004080914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122705.htm When dining at Chinese buffets, overweight individuals serve themselves and eat differently than normal weight individuals. This may lead them to overeat, according to a recent study. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001183008.htm Visual acuity --- the ability to see objects in sharp detail --- was evaluated in 1,504 children aged 30 to 71 months as part of the Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study, the first large, population-based study of eye disorders in preschool children. Researchers found that FPT --- considered the "clinical standard" for testing vision in preverbal children and the only test widely available to eye specialists for this age group --- did not accurately identify the presence or absence of visual acuity problems in this study population. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001183008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm Psychologists investigated the effect that exposure to violent TV programs has on negative behavior in children from different ethnic backgrounds. The results showed a positive relationship between the amount of violent TV watched and negative personality attributes among white males and females and African-American females. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081004080918.htm It's no secret that reading is beneficial. But can it help kids lose weight? In the first study to look at the impact of literature on obese adolescents, researchers discovered that reading the right type of novel may make a difference. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081004080918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143751.htm Scientists have found that 2-year-olds with autism looked significantly more at the mouths of others, and less at their eyes, than typically developing toddlers. This abnormality predicts the level of disability, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930154839.htm In a large group of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, depression was linked with a higher death rate from all causes in a two-year study period. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930154839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930095337.htm Much like a dashboard gives a good read on how your car is doing, researchers hope they'll soon give physicians a better idea of how they are doing with patients. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930095337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122545.htm The melodious singing of birds has been long appreciated by humans, and has often been thought to reflect a particularly positive emotional state of the singer. Researchers in Japan have now demonstrated that this can be true. When male birds sang to attract females, specific "reward" areas of their brain were strongly activated. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930164454.htm Psychodynamic psychotherapy lasting for at least a year is effective and superior to shorter-term therapy for patients with complex mental disorders such as personality and chronic mental disorders, according to a meta-analysis published in the Oct. 1 issue of JAMA. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930164454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926105027.htm Having a good night's sleep is proving elusive for six percent of the population. They have sleep apnea, which causes them to stop breathing in bouts throughout the night. Now, a researcher at Temple University School of Medicine is studying an experimental device to treat people with positional sleep apnea. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926105027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135259.htm With childhood obesity expanding to epidemic proportions in the United States, educators, researchers and health practitioners are actively seeking to identify effective means of addressing this public-health crisis. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929213004.htm Heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health, according to a scientific advisory. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929213004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180654.htm About 44 percent of individuals who had bipolar disorder as children continue to have manic episodes as young adults, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This rate, along with the severity of the disease at young ages, strongly suggest that bipolar disorder can be continuous from childhood to adulthood, the authors note. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180519.htm Researchers have found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and appears to significantly decrease the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180509.htm Traumatic brain injury is common amongst homeless people and is associated with poorer health, found a study of more than 900 homeless men and women in Toronto. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155923.htm A new study reveals that the general appearance of a neighborhood is the single most important factor affecting how satisfied residents are about the area where they live. But beyond general appearance, people living in different neighborhoods may be looking at distinct factors when making their overall evaluations. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130542.htm Many credit card customers become fixated on the level of minimum payments given on credit card bills. The mere presence of a minimum payment is enough to reduce the actual amount many people choose to pay on their bills, leading to further interest payments. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112055.htm A new study has found that using chemotherapy alone and delaying or avoiding cranial radiation altogether can be effective in treating pediatric patients with unresectable or progressive low-grade glioma. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102535.htm A potentially blinding neurological disorder, often confused with multiple sclerosis, has now become a little less mysterious. A new study may have uncovered the cause of Devic's disease. The research could result in new treatment options for this devastating disease. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006102535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093033.htm Does coffee taste better when your coffee machine produces a particular sound? According to one industrial designer, the sound a product makes is an integral part of that product. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093020.htm Music therapy can reduce psychological stress among pregnant women, according to research just published in a special complementary and alternative therapy medicine issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092641.htm Asthmatic children whose parents have high expectations for their ability to function normally are less likely to have symptoms than other children dealing with the condition. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092514.htm Hospitalized kids with painful ailments from broken bones to cancer are often dosed with strong, painkilling drugs known as opiates. The medications block pain, but they can have nasty side effects. Constipation, for instance, is one side effect that can cause discomfort and even extend a child's hospital stay. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093233.htm A new study shows that the successful manipulation of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) amplitude by instrumental SMR conditioning (ISC) improved sleep quality as well as declarative learning. ISC might thus be considered a promising nonpharmacological treatment for primary insomnia. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093237.htm A new study shows that adolescent insomnia symptoms are associated with depression, suicide ideation and attempts, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs such as cocaine. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093237.htm