ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

The biological spoils of war: Those engaged in more violent war have more wives, children Posted: 29 Dec 2014 01:48 PM PST Under certain circumstances, those who engage in violent conflict had more wives, and thus more opportunities to increase their reproductive success through having more children, a study has demonstrated.

Report on remission in patients with MS three years after stem cell transplant Posted: 29 Dec 2014 01:48 PM PST Three years after a small number of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy and then transplanted with their own hematopoietic stem cells, most of the patients sustained remission of active relapsing-remitting MS and had improvements in neurological function, according to a study.

Thanking customers can reap rewards Posted: 29 Dec 2014 11:14 AM PST Companies rarely acknowledge customers who fill out those ubiquitous satisfaction surveys. But a sincere, well-timed 'thank you' can reap huge rewards, finds first-of-its-kind research.

Yoga as a potential therapy for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome Posted: 29 Dec 2014 11:14 AM PST The potential for yoga to have an impact on concrete, physiological outcomes that represent some of the greatest health burdens today has been demonstrated through new research.

Patient self-reporting version of 'blood pressure cuff' for dementia is reliable, valid Posted: 29 Dec 2014 09:22 AM PST Patient self-reporting version of the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor -- a primary-care tool to measure cognitive, functional and psychological symptoms -- is user-friendly, reliable and valid, including being sensitive to symptom change, according to a new study.

Binge drinking disrupts immune system in young adults, study finds Posted: 29 Dec 2014 06:26 AM PST Binge drinking in young, healthy adults significantly disrupts the immune system, according to a study. Drinkers generally understand how binge drinking alters behavior, researchers note, however, there is less awareness of alcohol's harmful effects in other areas, such as the immune system.

Optogenetics captures neuronal transmission in live mammalian brain Posted: 25 Dec 2014 11:35 AM PST Scientists have used a cutting-edge method to stimulate neurons with light. They have successfully recorded synaptic transmission between neurons in a live animal for the first time.

Fear of terrorism increases resting heart rate, risk of death Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:54 PM PST A new study of over 17,000 Israelis has found that long-term exposure to the threat of terrorism can elevate people's resting heart rates and increase their risk of dying. The researchers suggest that since changes in heart rate are easy to follow, the findings may help identify asymptomatic people who could benefit from prevention measures that limit increases in cardiovascular mortality risk.

Cardiorespiratory fitness improves memory among older adults, study shows Posted: 22 Dec 2014 10:15 AM PST Older adults who have greater heart and lung health also have better memory recall and cognitive capabilities. A new study examines the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, memory and cognition in young and older adults.