Public Release: 3-Oct-2018 Hug receipt on day of interpersonal conflict correlated with smaller decrease in positive affect PLOS Receiving hugs may buffer against deleterious changes in mood associated with interpersonal conflict, according to a study published October 3rd in… Read More ›
Behavior Modification
Is a popular painkiller hampering our ability to notice errors?
Public Release: 8-Apr-2016 University of Toronto It’s been known for more than a century that acetaminophen is an effective painkiller, but according to a new U of T study it could also be impeding error-detection in the brain. The… Read More ›
The human brain uses several frequency bands for the flow of information between lower and higher areas
Public Release: 28-Jan-2016 The brain communicates on several channels Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Caption The human brain ‘fires’ on different channels: nerve cells are active in alpha, beta and gamma channels with different frequencies. This ensures that information can be exchanged between differing… Read More ›
Flashing lights and music turn rats into problem gamblers
Public Release: 20-Jan-2016 University of British Columbia Credit: University of British Columbia Adding flashing lights and music to gambling encourages risky decision-making — even if you’re a rat. In research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists at UBC… Read More ›
Mirrors can make unhealthy foods less tasty
Public Release: 17-Dec-2015 Healthy reflections Cornell Food & Brand Lab People often choose the unhealthy food because they think it is tastier. Aiming for solutions promoting healthy eating practices and ultimately combating obesity, this research shows that the… Read More ›
Study 329 – Reanalysis of antidepressant trial finds popular drug ineffective & unsafe for adolescents
Public Release: 16-Sep-2015 Results contradict original findings and have important implications for research and practice BMJ The widely used antidepressant paroxetine is neither safe nor effective for adolescents with depression, concludes a reanalysis of an influential study originally published in… Read More ›
How music alters the teenage brain
Public Release: 20-Jul-2015 Music training initiated during high school might hone brain development Northwestern University Music enhances the teenage brain’s response to sound; sharpens language skills Band class had larger effect on brain than fitness-based ROTC training Results highlight music’s… Read More ›
The sleep-deprived brain can mistake friends for foes
Public Release: 14-Jul-2015 If you can’t tell a smile from a scowl, you’re probably not getting enough sleep University of California – Berkeley If you can’t tell a smile from a scowl, you’re probably not getting enough sleep. A new… Read More ›
Statins linked to lower aggression in men, but higher in women
“One early hypothesis was that lower levels of cholesterol may reduce brain serotonin. (The connection between low brain serotonin activity and violence has been viewed as one of the most consistent findings in biological psychiatry.) “ Public Release: 1-Jul-2015… Read More ›
Knowledge about alternative medicine connected to education, income
Public Release: 17-Jun-2015 San Francisco State University People with lower educational levels and incomes are less likely to know about yoga, acupuncture, natural products and chiropractic medicine, according to a new study from San Francisco State University. Studies on the… Read More ›
Common Medications associated with Homicide
The newly published study analysed the pre-crime use of prescription drugs among all persons convicted of a homicide in Finland between 2003 and 2011 “Benzodiazepines can weaken impulse control, and earlier research has found that painkillers affect emotional processing. 1…. Read More ›
Infections can affect your IQ by over 9 points
Public Release: 21-May-2015 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… Read More ›
Obese teens’ brains unusually susceptible to food commercials, Dartmouth study finds
Public Release: 21-May-2015 – TV food commercials activated overweight adolescents’ brain region that controls their mouths Dartmouth College IMAGE: The most surprising finding of a new Dartmouth College study was that TV food commercials activated overweight adolescents’ brain region that… Read More ›
Three universities using $1.55M NIH grant to track vaccine attitudes via Twitter
UGA using NIH grant to track vaccine attitudes with Twitter May 1, 2015 developed to study vaccination attitudes and behaviors through social media could change the way researchers conduct public health surveillance. Researchers from the University of Georgia, George Washington… Read More ›
The key to reducing pain in surgery may already be in your hand
Public Release: 29-Apr-2015 Cornell University ITHACA, N.Y. – Imagine a hand-held electronic device – accessible, portable and nearly universal – that could reduce pain and discomfort for patients, and allow doctors the freedom to use less powerful and potentially risky… Read More ›
Hostile Parents Blast CA Senators; Vote on Vaccination Bill Postponed
By NICK CAHILL SACRAMENTO (CN) – Before a hostile audience of parents threatening to take their children out of public school, a California Senate committee Wednesday delayed a vote on a bill to remove an exemption for parents… Read More ›
The placebome: Where genetics and the placebo effect meet
Public Release: 13-Apr-2015 How will genomics impact the role of the placebo in patient care and clinical research? Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center BOSTON -Placebos have helped to ease symptoms of illness for centuries and have been a fundamental component… Read More ›
Change in Human Social Behavior in Response to a Common Vaccine
– Human social behavior does, indeed, change with exposure – Compared to the 48 hours preexposure, participants interacted with significantly more people, and in significantly larger groups, during the 48 hours immediately post-exposure. – However, social behavior at the 4-week… Read More ›
World first study reveals antibodies that may trigger psychosis in children
Public Release: 31-Mar-2015 University of Sydney A world first study revealing the presence of two antibodies in a sub-group of children experiencing their first episode of psychosis affirms a longstanding recognition that auto-immune disorders play a significant role in psychiatric… Read More ›
You are when you eat
Public Release: 12-Mar-2015 A new study finds that limiting flies to specific eating hours protected their hearts against aging San Diego State University SAN DIEGO (Thursday, March 12, 2015) — If you’re looking to improve your heart health by changing… Read More ›