ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Our thoughts are susceptible to external influence, even against our will Posted: 03 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST New research documents how our thoughts are influenced by our outside environment. This research is the first demonstration of two thoughts in the stream of consciousness being controlled externally and against participants' will.

Get the gist? Tool provides unique insight for those with traumatic brain injury Posted: 03 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST Individuals with traumatic brain injury have significantly more difficulty with gist reasoning than traditional cognitive tests, research shows. Using a unique cognitive assessment, these findings indicate that an individual's ability to 'get the gist' after a TBI more strongly predicts daily functionality than traditional cognitive tests alone.

New research sheds light on neural circuit development Posted: 03 Feb 2015 10:33 AM PST Using multiphoton imaging, researchers are now able to move beyond characterizing the properties of individual cells to investigate how communication among neurons changes over the course of development. In a new paper, researchers report substantial developmental changes in communication among cells that significantly improve the information processing capabilities of the brain.

Add nature, art and religion to life's best anti-inflammatories Posted: 03 Feb 2015 10:32 AM PST Taking in such spine-tingling wonders as the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel ceiling or Schubert's 'Ave Maria' may give a boost to the body's defense system. Researchers have linked positive emotions -- especially the awe we feel when touched by the beauty of nature, art and spirituality -- with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Children's hunger born from mothers' trauma Posted: 03 Feb 2015 09:34 AM PST The roots of children's hunger today may stretch back, in part, to the past childhood trauma of their caregivers. Evidence amassed over the past two decades has demonstrated that stress and deprivation during childhood have lifelong consequences on health, as well as school and job performance. A new small-scale study now suggests a strong relationship between exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and household food insecurity among mothers of young children.

If Facebook use causes envy, depression could follow Posted: 03 Feb 2015 09:34 AM PST Facebook use can lead to symptoms of depression if the social networking site triggers feelings of envy among its users, research shows. "Facebook can be a fun and healthy activity if users take advantage of the site to stay connected with family and old friends and to share interesting and important aspects of their lives," an author said. "However, if Facebook is used to see how well an acquaintance is doing financially or how happy an old friend is in his relationship--things that cause envy among users--use of the site can lead to feelings of depression."

Neurologists Find Movement Tracking Device Helps Assess Severity of Parkinson's Disease Posted: 03 Feb 2015 09:31 AM PST A device that measures movement and balance can effectively help assess and track the progression of Parkinson’s disease, even when medications are used to reduce Parkinson’s symptoms, researchers report.

Study sheds new light on aggressive cancer in children Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST A new study has revealed how children with an aggressive cancer predisposition syndrome experience a never before seen flood of mutations in their disease in just six months. The syndrome, called 'biallelic mismatch repair deficiency' (bMMRD) causes multiple brain tumours, lymphomas and gastrointestinal cancers by the age of 10. As a result these children rarely survive into adulthood.

Protective brain protein reveals gender implications for autism, Alzheimer's research Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST Both autism and Alzheimer's disease can have tragic consequences for sufferers and their families. Now a new study may offer insight into the pathology of both autism and Alzheimer's by revealing that different activities of certain proteins in males and females cause gender-specific tendencies toward these diseases. The research may lead to new drugs for potential future therapeutics to treat both illnesses.

Customers who binge-consume are more valuable, says study Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST In contrast to traditional market segmentation, one based on 'binge consumption' brings a higher long-term return to business, a new article suggests.

Power psychs people up about... themselves Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST We all know the type -- people who can talk on and on about their latest adventures, seemingly unaware that those around them may not be interested. They also get really psyched up about their own experiences. A new paper suggests that what separates such people from the rest of us is their perceived sense of power: Powerful people, researchers found, draw inspiration from themselves rather than others.

How do 'graduation' ceremonies affect addiction treatment? Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:20 AM PST As 64 percent of Americans entering addiction treatment are repeat patients, many health care professionals have questioned the significance of addiction graduation ceremonies. In a new article, an addiction clinician explores this disconnect and its origins in the treatment context.

Study compares effectiveness of different transfusion strategies for severe trauma Posted: 03 Feb 2015 08:19 AM PST Among patients with severe trauma and major bleeding, those who received a transfusion of a balanced ratio of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells (RBCs) were more likely to have their bleeding stopped and less likely to die due to loss of blood by 24 hours compared to patients who received a transfusion with a higher ratio of RBCs, according to a study.

Non-invasive first trimester blood test reliably detects Down's syndrome Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Cell-free fetal DNA testing, which measures the relative amount of free fetal DNA in a pregnant woman's blood, is a new screening test that indicates the risk of Down syndrome (trisomy 21), researchers report.

Research points to genes that may help us form memories Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Gene expression within neurons is critical for the formation of memories, but it's difficult to identify genes whose expression is altered by learning. Now researchers have successfully monitored the expression of genes in neurons after rats were exposed to auditory fear conditioning, in which a neutral auditory tone is paired with electric shock.

Sleep problems may impact bone health Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST The daily rhythm of bone turnover is likely important for normal bone health, and recent research suggests that sleep apnea may be an unrecognized cause of some cases of osteoporosis. Sleep apnea's effects on sleep duration and quality, oxygen levels, inflammation, and other aspects of health may have a variety of impacts on bone metabolism, experts say.

Smoking linked to higher risk of death among colorectal cancer survivors Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Colorectal cancer survivors who smoke cigarettes were at more than twice the risk of death than non-smoking survivors, according to a new study, one of the largest of its kind.

Primed memories tempt people into gambling more Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:39 AM PST When reminded, or primed, of past winning outcomes as part of a controlled test, people were over 15% more likely to gamble and select the risky option. Surprisingly, being reminded of past losing outcomes did not change their gambling behavior.

Early childhood programs found to significantly lower likelihood of special education placements in third grade Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:29 AM PST Access to state-supported early childhood programs significantly reduces the likelihood that children will be placed in special education in the third grade, academically benefiting students and resulting in considerable cost savings to school districts, according to new research.

Simple strategies used by parents lead to improvements in one-year-olds at risk for autism spectrum disorder Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:29 AM PST A collection of simple strategies used by parents can lead to significant improvements in one-year-olds at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers have found. The study followed 18 families with a one-year-old child at risk for ASD. Researchers compared the effects of a parent-coaching, home-based intervention called "Adapted Responsive Teaching" (ART) versus referral to early intervention and monitoring.

Smokers have strong support for many e-cigarette policies Posted: 03 Feb 2015 07:29 AM PST As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is preparing to issue a final ruling on whether it will extend its tobacco regulatory authority to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), researchers have identified strong support for a number of e-cigarette policies among smokers. Findings included strong support for advertising restrictions and placing warning labels for potential risks on the devices.

Precision medicine in action: Genomic test helps solve medical mystery Posted: 03 Feb 2015 06:56 AM PST Precision medicine is getting a jump-start from a new national initiative announced in President Obama's State of the Union message. One Georgia family has already experienced its benefits: genomic testing called whole exome sequencing helped a neurologist solve a medical mystery that had left a boy with painful, jerking spasms that at times prevented him from walking or talking. The doctor describes the case in a newly published article.

How is noise produced by wind power plants experienced? Posted: 03 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST The disruptiveness of the noise generated by wind power plants in Finland is the focus of a new study that combines the measurement of the noise produced by wind power with the noise experienced by humans in relation to sound pressure levels and the time and frequency behavior of sound.

Decreases in short-term memory, IQ, and altered brain metabolic ratios in urban apolipoprotein ?4 children exposed to air pollution Posted: 03 Feb 2015 06:41 AM PST A new study heightens concerns over the detrimental impact of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ?4 allele -- the most prevalent genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease -- upon cognition, olfaction, and metabolic brain indices in healthy urban children and teens.

New study postulates the role of dietary advanced glycation end products in the risk of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 03 Feb 2015 06:41 AM PST Evidence that cooking foods at high temperatures increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease has been gained through a new study. This study looked at the content of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in national diets and clinical studies comparing and compared total AGEs to Alzheimer's disease rates.

Researchers determine how the brain controls robotic grasping tools Posted: 02 Feb 2015 06:24 PM PST Grasping an object involves a complex network of brain functions. First, visual cues are processed in specialized areas of the brain. Then, other areas of the brain use these signals to control the hands to reach for and manipulate the desired object. New findings suggest that the cerebellum, a region of the brain that has changed very little over time, may play a critical role. Findings could lead to advancements in assistive technologies benefiting the disabled.