ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Psychedelic drug prevents asthma development in mice Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:13 PM PST Researchers have found that a psychedelic drug, (R)-DOI, prevents the development of allergic asthma in a mouse model. The effects are potent and effective at a concentration 50-100 times less than would influence behavior.

Serotonin-deficient brains more vulnerable to social stress Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:13 PM PST Mice deficient in serotonin -- a crucial brain chemical implicated in clinical depression -- are more vulnerable than their normal littermates to social stressors, according to a new study. Following exposure to stress, serotonin-deficient mice did not respond to the standard antidepressant Prozac. The results point to new strategies to help alleviate treatment-resistant depression.

F-bombs notwithstanding, all languages skew toward happiness: Universal human bias for positive words Posted: 09 Feb 2015 01:11 PM PST Arabic movie subtitles, Korean tweets, Russian novels, Chinese websites, English lyrics, and even the war-torn pages of the New York Times -- research examining billions of words, shows that these sources -- and all human language -- skews toward the use of happy words. This Big Data study confirms the 1969 Pollyanna Hypothesis that there is a universal human tendency to "look on and talk about the bright side of life."

Brain develops abnormally over lifespan of people who stutter Posted: 09 Feb 2015 11:34 AM PST The largest-ever MRI imaging study of stuttering is the first to examine brain changes across the lifespan.

Amber fossil links earliest grasses, dinosaurs and fungus used to produce LSD Posted: 09 Feb 2015 10:07 AM PST A perfectly preserved amber fossil from Myanmar has been found that provides evidence of the earliest grass specimen ever discovered -- about 100 million years old -- and even then it was topped by a fungus similar to ergot, a hallucinogen which for eons has been intertwined with animals and humans. Among other things, it gave us the psychedelic drug LSD.

Pick a card, any card: How magicians sway decision-making Posted: 09 Feb 2015 08:30 AM PST A team of Canadian researchers has combined the art of magic and the science of psychology to demonstrate how certain contextual factors can sway the decisions people make, even though they may feel that they are choosing freely.

Both Liberals, Conservatives Can Have Science Bias Posted: 09 Feb 2015 08:30 AM PST New research suggests that liberals, as well as conservatives, can be biased against science that doesn’t align with their political views.

What autism can teach us about brain cancer: Both disorders involve faults in same protein Posted: 09 Feb 2015 06:50 AM PST Applying lessons learned from autism to brain cancer, researchers have discovered why elevated levels of the protein NHE9 add to the lethality of the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. Their discovery suggests that drugs designed to target NHE9 could help to successfully fight the deadly disease.

Energy drinks significantly increase hyperactivity in schoolchildren, study finds Posted: 09 Feb 2015 06:50 AM PST Middle-school children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66 percent more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, a new study has found.

Do clothes make the doctor? Patient perceptions of physicians based on attire Posted: 09 Feb 2015 06:48 AM PST What should doctors wear? And how does something as simple as their choice of a suit, scrubs or slacks influence how patients view them? A new analysis takes a comprehensive look – and finds that the answer isn’t as simple as you might think. It also finds that doctors don’t seem to be getting a lot of guidance on how to dress – despite the influence their attire can have on patients’ perceptions.

Can't sing? Do it more often Posted: 09 Feb 2015 05:36 AM PST If you've ever been told that you're 'tone deaf' or 'can't carry a tune,' don't give up. New research suggests that singing accurately is not so much a talent as a learned skill that can decline over time if not used. The ability to sing on key may have more in common with the kind of practice that goes into playing an instrument than people realize, according to experts.

Multiple sclerosis: pathological progression of disease documented Posted: 09 Feb 2015 05:35 AM PST Scientist have documented the pathological progress of the disease from its early to late stage and also shown that inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes have a role to play. This raises the possibility of new treatment options.

Awkward positions, distractions and fatigue may trigger low back pain Posted: 09 Feb 2015 05:35 AM PST New research reveals the physical and psychosocial factors that significantly increase the risk of low back pain onset. In fact results show that being engaged in manual tasks involving awkward positions will increase the risk of low back pain by eight times. Those who are distracted during activities or fatigued also significantly increase their risk of acute low back pain.

Preemies may have psychiatric problems as adults Posted: 09 Feb 2015 05:30 AM PST The study found that extremely low birth weight babies whose mothers received a full course of steroids prior to giving birth are at even greater risk for psychiatric disorders.

Consumer preferences and the power of scarcity Posted: 06 Feb 2015 11:52 AM PST How does scarcity, or the appearance of scarcity, affect choice when several consumer products are presented at once? Researchers found a clear pattern: Scarcity polarizes preferences.

Teens likely to combine multiple forms of tobacco, study finds Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:14 AM PST Teens who use tobacco products are likely to use more than one product, including e-cigarettes, hookahs and pipes, and smokeless tobacco, according to a new study.

Many US wells tainted with arsenic Posted: 05 Feb 2015 02:49 PM PST Arsenic is the biggest public-health problem for water in the United States -- yet we pay far less attention to it than we do to lesser problems. Private wells present continuing risks. Even low doses of arsenic may reduce intelligence in children. There are also well-documented risks of cancer, heart disease, and reduced lung function.

Key pathway protects cells against death by stress Posted: 05 Feb 2015 09:27 AM PST When it comes to protecting cells from death brought on by the calamities of environmental stress, the human body is particularly ingenious. From cellular components that suck up misfolded proteins to a vigilant immune system, the ways we protect our cells (and ourselves) are many and mysterious.

Social freezing: The pros and cons of oocyte storage Posted: 05 Feb 2015 08:15 AM PST The announcement by Apple and Facebook that they would pay for their employees to place oocytes in frozen storage -- so-called social freezing -- sparked a heated debate about the creation of such a fertility resource for non-medical reasons. Although discussion of the moral and social aspects predominates, the medical consequences cannot be ignored.