ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Terrible at remembering names? Blame it on the music, not the memory Posted: 11 Feb 2015 12:39 PM PST A study challenged younger and older people to look at faces and names while either listening to non-lyrical music or nothing at all. The college-aged participants had no problems -- the music didn't affect their performance. But the older adults remembered 10 percent fewer names when listening to background music or musical rain (as compared to silence).

Brain's GPS system influenced by shape of environment Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:12 AM PST Patterns created by the brain's grid cells, which are believed to guide navigation, are modified by the shape of the environment, according to new research. This means grid patterns aren't a universal metric for the brain's GPS system to measure distance, as previously thought.

How CBD, a component in marijuana, works within cells Posted: 11 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST Researchers have identified fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) as intracellular transporters for two ingredients in marijuana, THC and CBD (cannabidiol). The finding is significant because it helps explain how CBD works within the cells. Recent clinical findings have shown that CBD may help reduce seizures and could be a potential new medicine to treat pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Apes prefer the glass half full: Nearest primate relatives also susceptible to marketing spin Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST Humans aren't the only species to be influenced by spin. Our closest primate relatives are susceptible, too. For example, people rate a burger as more tasty when it is described as "75 percent lean" than when it is described as "25 percent fat," even though that's the same thing. A new study finds that positive and negative framing make a big difference for chimpanzees and bonobos too.

How much sleep do we really need? Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST An expert panel that examined data from 320 studies is recommending new guidelines on how much sleep people should get. The guidelines are based on age, ranging from newborns (who need 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day) to adults aged 65 and up (7 to 8 hours per day).

Breakthrough in stroke treatment: Stent thrombectomy Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST A randomized clinical research study looked at the effectiveness of a new treatment for stroke. The study involved adding a minimally invasive clot removal procedure called stent thrombectomy to standard clot-dissolving therapy, known as tissue plasminogen activator. The study showed a dramatic improvement in restoring blood flow back to the brain, which is critical in the recovery of stroke.

Love online is about being real, not perfect Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:19 AM PST How you fill out an online profile makes a big difference in how you're seen by others. New research shows it is better to be real with your information than trying to be perfect.

Meth messes up brains of youths far more than adults Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:18 AM PST In a study with chronic adolescent and adult meth users in South Korea, MRI brain scans showed decreased thickness in the gray matter of younger users’ frontal cortex. Adult brains showed less damage.

Plant extract fights brain tumor Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:40 AM PST Silibinin from milk thistle seeds could be a novel, non-invasive treatment strategy for Cushing Disease. Cushing Disease, not to be confused with Cushing's Syndrome, is caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland in the brain.

Treating the uninjured side of the brain appears to aid stroke recovery Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:37 AM PST To maximize stroke recovery, researchers may want to focus more on ways to support the side of the brain where the injury didn't occur, scientists report.

Stroke patients receiving better, more timely care Posted: 11 Feb 2015 05:41 AM PST One in four acute ischemic stroke patients receiving the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator were transferred to a facility with expertise in stroke care. Those transferred to a certified stroke center were more likely to be younger, male and white. Hospitals that accepted transferred stroke patients were more common in the Midwest and more likely to be larger or academic medical centers.

Elementary teachers' depression symptoms related to students' learning Posted: 11 Feb 2015 05:41 AM PST A new study has found that teachers who report having more symptoms of depression had classrooms that were of lesser quality, and that students in these classrooms had fewer performance gains. Researchers looked at 27 teachers and their 523 third-grade students in a Florida school district. Teachers reported the frequency of their symptoms of clinical depression, and students' basic reading and math skills were assessed throughout the year.

How Health Authorities Might Improve Communication about Vaccinations Posted: 11 Feb 2015 05:29 AM PST Fatalists trump rational thought: A new study by a political scientist examines perceptions of U.S. citizens about the benefits and risks of immunizations.

New therapeutic principle for Parkinsonian dyskinesia shows clinical effect Posted: 10 Feb 2015 06:26 PM PST Involuntary dyskinetic movements induced by treatment with levodopa are a common problem for people with Parkinson's disease. Now, however, researchers seem to be close to a novel therapy to this distressing side effect.

Babies can identify complex social situations and react accordingly Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:20 AM PST In the social world, people constantly gather information through visual cues that are used to evaluate others and interact. A new study determined that babies can make sense of complex social situations, and that they expect people to behave appropriately.

Will your partner stay or stray? Look at finger length Posted: 10 Feb 2015 10:29 AM PST Both men and women may be genetically inclined to be either promiscuous or faithful according to new research. The study analysed individual attitudes relating to non-committed sex and the length of the ring finger compared to the index finger.

Simple blood test can predict risk of dementia Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:44 PM PST Scientists have identified a new biomarker that can predict the risk of developing dementia by way of a simple blood test. In the long term, this could mean better prevention and thus at least postponement of the illness and at best evading the development all together.

Stress may partly explain worse heart attack recovery in young and middle-aged women Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:13 PM PST Stress is associated with worse recovery after heart attack among young and middle-age patients. Women patients perceive greater psychological stress than men. Greater stress among women partially explained their worse recovery.