ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Terror attacks offer insights for first responders Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:04 PM PST When terrorists strike, emergency workers who have the proper training, information access and a positive work environment will make better decisions, according to research.

Researcher has some questions for the interview Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST Interviews begin with questions, but a researcher is instead questioning the interview, and the answers are mapping the history and unexplored conceptual areas of this familiar information-gathering tool.

Organizational culture, climate predicts use of evidence-based practices in the treatment of youth with psychiatric disorders Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST Many mental health therapists use treatments that have little evidence to support them. A new multi-institution study has found that an organization’s culture and climate are better predictors of the use of evidence-based practices than an individual therapist’s characteristics in the treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders.

When strep throat is something else: Forgotten bacterium is cause of many severe sore throats in young adults Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST New research suggests that Fusobacterium necrophorum more often causes severe sore throats in young adults than streptococcus — the cause of the much better known strep throat. The findings, suggest physicians should consider F. necrophorum when treating severe sore throat in young adults and adolescents that worsens.

Complex nerve-cell signaling traced back to common ancestor of humans and sea anemones Posted: 16 Feb 2015 12:57 PM PST New research shows that a burst of evolutionary innovation in the genes responsible for electrical communication among nerve cells in our brains occurred over 600 million years ago in a common ancestor of humans and the sea anemone. The research reveals many of these genes, which when mutated in humans can lead to neurological disease, first evolved in the common ancestor of people and a group of animals that includes jellyfish, coral, and sea anemones.

Focusing on the success of others can make us selfish Posted: 16 Feb 2015 12:57 PM PST It is believed that the success of humans as a species depends to a large extent on our ability to cooperate in groups. Much more so than any other ape (or mammal for that matter), people are able to work together and coordinate their actions to produce mutual benefits. But what do we base our decisions on when we know whatever we do will affect those around us?

Juvenile offenders do better close to home Posted: 16 Feb 2015 12:56 PM PST Juvenile criminal offenders in Texas who are placed under county supervision, close to home, are less likely to be rearrested than those placed in state-run correctional facilities, according to researchers.

Anti-inflammatory mechanism of dieting and fasting revealed Posted: 16 Feb 2015 10:11 AM PST Researchers have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists uncover marvel molecule that could lead to treatments for inflammatory diseases Posted: 16 Feb 2015 10:11 AM PST Scientists have uncovered a marvel molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases. The finding could meet a major unmet clinical need by inspiring new non-invasive treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Muckle-Wells syndrome, among a myriad of other inflammatory diseases.

Mindfulness meditation appears to help improve sleep quality Posted: 16 Feb 2015 10:11 AM PST Mindfulness meditation practices resulted in improved sleep quality for older adults with moderate sleep disturbance in a clinical trial comparing meditation to a more structured program focusing on changing poor sleep habits and establishing a bedtime routine, according to a new article.

Researchers may develop saliva test to diagnose autism Posted: 16 Feb 2015 09:54 AM PST A spit test may one day be able to diagnose autism according to new research. Scientists have published the first study showing that children with autism spectrum disorder have differences in protein levels in their saliva when compared to typically developing children.

Marital 'long-timers' have a 'modest rebound' in sexual frequency after 50 years Posted: 16 Feb 2015 06:22 AM PST While people in the early years of marriage have sex more frequently, and their sexual activity tapers off over time, a slight rebound occurs for those whose marriages endure longer than half a century, according to new research.

Teens increasingly sleep deprived Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:49 AM PST A new study found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night compared with their male counterparts, non-Hispanic white teenagers, and students of higher socioeconomic status, respectively. The largest decrease in the percentage getting seven hours of sleep per night was 15-year-olds, a particularly concerning trend for students at this important juncture in development.

Tuition fee increase has had little effect on students’ mental health Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:48 AM PST New research has found no evidence of a long term impact on students’ mental health as a result of the rise in tuition fees, introduced in 2011. The study did find students paying the higher fees were less likely to experience an improvement in their state of mind during their first year of university, but that the increase had no longer term impact on their mental well-being.

Eating disorders linked with financial difficulties in female students Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:48 AM PST Experiencing financial difficulties at university may increase the risk of female students developing an eating disorder, according to new research. Conversely, the study also found that having extreme attitudes to food and eating predicted short-term financial difficulties for female students, suggesting the possibility of a 'vicious cycle' occurring, researchers report.

Personal navigation: How we know where we are Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:47 AM PST Knowing where we are and remembering routes that we’ve walked are crucial skills for our everyday life. In order to identify neural mechanisms of spatial navigation, researchers analyzed the relevant processes with the aid of an electroencephalography (EEG) monitored directly in the brain. They have now identified the neural signature during learning and remembering of specific spatial locations.

Technology changing teacher's role Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:47 AM PST Along with technological development, traditional teaching methods have been challenged by various technologically enhanced teaching and learning methods. This trend has received mixed reactions: On the one hand it is feared that these new technologies will replace teachers altogether. On the other hand, the expectations towards technology can also be over-optimistic; that it will solve all the problems of learning.

Support for sleeping in? Half of parents favor later school start times for teens Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:46 AM PST What do parents across the country think of delaying their teens' school start times?

Human neural stem cells restore cognitive functions impaired by chemotherapy Posted: 15 Feb 2015 04:02 AM PST Human neural stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to radiation oncology researchers.

Stress linked to worse recovery in women after heart attack Posted: 13 Feb 2015 01:48 PM PST Young and middle-aged women experience more stress than their male counterparts, which could contribute to worse recovery from acute myocardial infarction, according to new findings by researchers.

Identifying mentally ill 'frequent fliers' first step to reducing police contact Posted: 12 Feb 2015 07:28 AM PST Identifying the population of people with mental illness who have frequent contact with police could help law enforcement officials and community agencies allocate limited resources to those with the highest needs, new research indicates.