Brain And Consciousness Research - July 2007 Archives

Hand Gestures Dramatically Improve Learning (7/31/2007)

Kids asked to physically gesture at math problems are nearly three times more likely than non-gesturers to remember what they've learned. ...> Full Article

Seeing Colors: New Study Sheds Light on Sensory System Quirk (7/30/2007)

In the psychological phenomenon known as "synesthesia," individuals' sensory systems are a bit more intertwined than usual. Some people, for example, report seeing colors when musical notes are played. ...> Full Article

Researchers Demonstrate How Placebo Effect Works in the Brain (7/30/2007)

Columbia University scientists, with colleagues from the University of Michigan, have shown how the neurochemistry of the placebo effect can relieve pain in humans. ...> Full Article

Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared (7/29/2007)

A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behavior is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. How can this be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies? It certainly seems counterintuitive that so many people would voluntarily immerse themselves in almost two hours of fear, disgust, and terror. Why do people pay for this? How is this enjoyable? ...> Full Article

Faster-Acting Antidepressants Closer to Becoming a Reality (7/29/2007)

Experimental medication ketamine relieves depression in just hours; points to targets for new medications ...> Full Article

Cannabis Could Increase Risk Of Psychotic Illness Later In Life By 40 Per Cent. (7/29/2007)

There is now enough evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life, a collaborative Cardiff University study has found. ...> Full Article

Study Finds Estrogen Therapy Gives Aging Brain Cells a Boost (7/28/2007)

Cyclical, long-term estrogen injections protected brain cells from age-related deterioration, according to a new study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The study suggests that age is a factor in estrogen treatment and sheds light on the intricate relationship between mind, age, and hormones. The study will be published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of June 25. ...> Full Article

Learning a Second Language: Is It All In the Head? (7/28/2007)

Think you haven't got the aptitude to learn a foreign language? New research led by Northwestern University neuroscientists suggests that the problem, quite literally, could be in your head. ...> Full Article

Can You Trust Your Eyes? How To Manipulate Perceptual Focus In Advertisements (7/28/2007)

In a new study from the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, researchers from Northwestern University demonstrate how advertisements can be manipulated to cause overemphasis of a particular feature and increase the likelihood that a certain product is chosen. Their finding runs contrary to economic models, which assume that choices are based on stable preferences and should not be influenced by the inclusion of inferior options. ...> Full Article

Man With Tiny Brain Leads Normal Life (7/27/2007)

The unusual case of a man with a tiny brain caused by massive ventricular enlargement, who has led a normal life, is studied in a clinical update in The Lancet. ...> Full Article

Steroids, Not Songs, Spur Growth Of Brain Regions In Sparrows (7/27/2007)

Neuroscientists are attempting to understand if structural changes in the brain are related to sensory experience or the performance of learned behavior, and now University of Washington researchers have found evidence that one species of songbird apparently has something in common with a few baseball sluggers. Both rely on steroids, birds to increase the size of song production areas of their brain and some players, apparently, to knock a fastball out of the park. ...> Full Article

Electronics Inserted Into Brain To Control Epileptic Seizures (7/27/2007)

Imagine a chip, strategically placed in the brain, that could prevent epileptic seizures or allow someone who has lost a limb to control an artificial arm just by thinking about it. ...> Full Article

Study Says You're Not As Generous As You Think (7/26/2007)

A new study out of Carnegie Mellon University reveals that people who regard themselves as humanitarians are even more likely than others to base donations to the poor on whether they believe poverty is a result of bad luck or bad choices. ...> Full Article

Immune Cells In The Brains Of Aging Mice Prove More Functional Than Expected (7/26/2007)

As people age past 50, their brains begin to decrease in mass. But even as neurons shrink, other brain cells appear to become more active. Microglia - the small immune cells that sense injury and the presence of pathogens in the nervous system - have shown increased activity, producing higher amounts of signaling molecules called cytokines and leading researchers to suggest that these cells may become dysfunctional as our brains get older. Because higher levels of cytokines have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, scientists are paying close attention to the role of microglia in these disorders. ...> Full Article

Researchers Identify Woman's Struggle To Recognise New Faces (7/26/2007)

A young woman - who is by every other measure healthy and intelligent but struggles to recognize new faces - has presented Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) scientists with fascinating new insights into learning and memory. ...> Full Article

Scientists Unveil The 'Face' Of A New Memory (7/25/2007)

Breakthrough study also links learning to a specific chemical process in brain cells ...> Full Article

Grey Matter Loss in Bipolar Disorder Patients (7/24/2007)

People with bipolar disorder - or manic depression - suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain, researchers at the University have found. ...> Full Article

Accident-Prone? Scientists Link Brain Function To Knee Injuries (7/24/2007)

A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is among an athlete's most-dreaded injuries, often requiring surgery and months of rehab, as has been the case with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. ...> Full Article

Study Finds Men More Willing To Take Financial Risks Than Women (7/24/2007)

Men are more trusting of strangers than women when it comes to making financial decisions, according to a study by Associate Professor Ananish Chaudhuri, an economist at The University of Auckland Business School. The study, in collaboration with Associate Professor Lata Gangadharan of The University of Melbourne, helps confirm a belief that women perceive more risk in online purchasing than men. ...> Full Article

For Better Understanding, Researcher Simulates Schizophrenia In Healthy People (7/23/2007)

To better understand schizophrenia, a University of Missouri-Columbia psychology researcher simulated one of its more common symptoms - the inability to speak clearly or respond to questions in a precise manner - in people who don't have the illness. ...> Full Article

Training Mothers Improves Children's Memory and Narrative Skills (7/23/2007)

Pre-schoolers' memory and language skills can be significantly improved if their mothers talk to them in richer ways about past events, according to University of Otago research published today. ...> Full Article

Scientists A Step Closer To Understanding How Anaesthetics Work In The Brain (7/23/2007)

New study using human-snail chimeras shows how anaesthetics target one specific protein in the brain ...> Full Article

Females More Prone To Brain Damage From Alcohol Abuse (7/22/2007)

OHSU, VAMC study on mice shows more brain cells die in females than males ...> Full Article

How The Brain And iPhones Differ (7/22/2007)

How many simple objects can you think about at once? Even though people feel they have rich visual experiences, researchers have found that the average person is only aware of about four items at a time. ...> Full Article

Study Examines Placebo Effect (7/22/2007)

U-M study shows placebo effect varies from person to person because of differences in how our brains anticipate rewards ...> Full Article

New Mechanism Found For Memory Storage In Brain (7/21/2007)

Persistent changes in "slow" nerve currents may also link memory and addiction ...> Full Article

Researchers Show That Culture Influences Brain Cells (7/21/2007)

A thumb's up for "I'm good." The rubbing of a pointed forefinger at another for "shame on you." The infamous and ubiquitous middle finger salute for—well, you know. Such gestures that convey meaning without speech are used and recognized by nearly everyone in our society, but to someone from a foreign country, they may be incomprehensible. ...> Full Article

Ingredient From Chinese Club Moss To Be Tested Against Epilepsy (7/21/2007)

If a painting's worth were measured by the money it fetched, van Gogh's famous rendering of his friend and physician Dr. Gachet would be among the most valuable in all of art. "Portrait of Dr. Gachet"—which depicts a languid man holding a purple foxglove, the plant from which the drug digitalis is derived—was sold in 1990 for an astounding 82 million dollars. The great and famously tortured artist had his own reasons for valuing the portrait. He suffered from severe epilepsy and depended heavily on Gachet's prescription of digitalis to treat his debilitating seizures. ...> Full Article

Genes Located For Severe Mental Illness (7/20/2007)

Researchers have found the location of genes which can make women vulnerable to severe psychiatric illness and even suicidal just after childbirth. ...> Full Article

Gene Research Used In Test For Schizophrenia (7/20/2007)

QUT's research on schizophrenia genetic markers forms the basis of a collaboration with a major United States diagnostic product manufacturer. ...> Full Article

It's In Their Genes: Study Of Twins Connects Smoking Addiction With Major Depression (7/20/2007)

Ever wonder why smoking and depression seem to go together? A Saint Louis University School of Public Health researcher finds the connection is genetic. ...> Full Article

New Gene Mutation Identified In Common Type Of Dementia (7/19/2007)

Researchers have identified a new gene mutation linked to frontotemporal dementia, according to a study published in the July 10, 2007 issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ...> Full Article

Keeping the Body On Schedule (7/19/2007)

Hours before you wake, an inner alarm clock primes your body for a day on the go. From deep within your brain, it triggers the release of hormones that tell your cells to mobilize sugars, your blood pressure and temperature to rise, and your gut to make the enzymes that will break down breakfast. The rise and fall of these and other hormones throughout the day keep the body's systems working in harmony. ...> Full Article

The Karma of Gratitude (7/19/2007)

Gratitude may seem like a simple emotion, but Robert Emmons argues that it inspires kindness, connection, and transformative life changes. And he's done the research to prove it. ...> Full Article

Girls Who Complain About Their Problems at Greater Risk of Developing Anxiety and Depression (7/18/2007)

A researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that girls who talk very extensively about their problems with friends are likely to become more anxious and depressed. ...> Full Article

Sex Differences In Brains Reflect Disease Risks (7/18/2007)

Women may need different treatment from men ...> Full Article

EPA1 In The Brain Regulates The Female Reproductive Cycle (7/18/2007)

The onset of puberty and maintenance of the female reproductive cycle are events controlled by neurons in the hypothalamus that secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). How signaling to these neurons is controlled remains unclear. ...> Full Article

Scientists Peer Into Stem Cells in Live Brain (7/17/2007)

Observations Reveal How Brain Cells Move to Proper Functional Location; May Offer New Ways to Target Malfunctioning Brain Cells ...> Full Article

The Emerging Field Of Metacognition: Evaluating Perceptual And Conceptual Decisions (7/17/2007)

"Are you sure about that?" This simple question captures a nettlesome mystery in psychology: How does the brain judge its own functioning? Sara Kvidera has broken new ground with her research in "metacognition" -- our ability to evaluate the reliability of our own thinking. ...> Full Article

Exploring How Deaf People 'Hear' Voice-Hallucinations (7/17/2007)

A new UCL study, published in the July 2007 issue of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, systematically explores the perceptual characteristics of voice hallucinations in deaf people with schizophrenia for the first time. ...> Full Article

Emotional Memories Can Be Suppressed With Practice (7/16/2007)

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows people have the ability to suppress emotional memories with practice, which has implications for those suffering from conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression. ...> Full Article

New Study Sheds Light on How We Would Have Done Things Differently (7/15/2007)

If you're like most people, you've probably experienced a shoulda-woulda-coulda moment; a time when we lament our missteps, saying that we should have invested in a certain stock, should have become a doctor instead of a lawyer and so on. ...> Full Article

Brain Virus Has 'Bystander'¯ Effects (7/14/2007)

A common brain virus that is usually harmless in adults but can be devastating in early development causes deterioration of infected cells and also affects nearby non-infected brain cells, which may explain why it is so destructive, a Yale School of Medicine researcher reports in the Journal of Virology. ...> Full Article

Area of Brain That Suppresses Unconscious Actions May Also Reveal How Habits Are Broken (7/13/2007)

Scientists at Cardiff University and University College London (UCL) have discovered an area of the brain that helps to suppress unconscious actions. ...> Full Article

Researchers Find That Fewer Choices May Lead To Better Recognition (7/12/2007)

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that less is more when it comes to online content. In a study that examined responses to pictures viewed online, the researchers found that people were able to pay more attention to pictures selected from a small array of choices than from a large array of choices. These findings may have implications for Internet search engines, advertising and news sites. ...> Full Article

Secretions Of Cortisol During Early Puberty Are Linked To Antisocial Behavior (7/11/2007)

A propensity for activities in the evening rather than in the morning may offer clues to behavioral problems in early adolescence, according to psychologists who have found that kids who prefer evenings are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior, rule-breaking, and attention problems. ...> Full Article

Neurologists Studying Neurons That Control Attention (7/11/2007)

Every kid knows that moms have "eyes in the back of their heads." We are adept at fixing our gaze on one object while independently directing attention to others. Salk Institute neurobiologists are beginning to tease apart the complex brain networks that enable humans and other higher mammals to achieve this feat. ...> Full Article

White Matter Research Sheds Light On Schizophrenia (7/10/2007)

An important international study has identified "white matter" abnormalities in the brain as an underlying cause of the symptoms of schizophrenia. ...> Full Article

Chemical That Acts Like a Fuel Gauge (7/9/2007)

A single neurotransmitter can carry the signal that alerts the brain to low blood sugar levels, say USC neuroscientists. ...> Full Article

Why We Learn From Our Mistakes (7/8/2007)

Psychologists from the University of Exeter have identified an "early warning signal" in the brain that helps us avoid repeating previous mistakes. Published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, their research identifies, for the first time, a mechanism in the brain that reacts in just 0.1 seconds to things that have resulted in us making errors in the past. ...> Full Article

Brain Cells Need microRNA to Survive (7/7/2007)

There are lots of things that brain cells need to survive. Add to that list microRNAs. New research from Rockefeller University shows that neurons that cannot produce microRNAs, tiny single strands of RNA that regulate the expression of genes, slowly die in a manner similar to what is seen in such human neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In the July issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers say that although no one has yet found microRNAs to be involved in any disease, their study in mice shows that these tiny snippets of RNA are essential for survival of mature neurons. ...> Full Article

New Findings On Drug Addiction And Abstinence (7/3/2007)

The fight against the dependence of psychoactive substances forms a gross challenge in the new century, and becomes a research "hot spot" for toxicology and psychology. Yet, one stumbling block on the way to the research progress lies in the precise description at the molecular level of the anomaly in the synaptic morphology and neuro-physiological mechanism taking place in the addictive process. ...> Full Article

Difficulty Identifying Odors May Predict Cognitive Decline (7/2/2007)

Older adults who have difficulty identifying common odors may have a greater risk of developing problems with thinking, learning and memory, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ...> Full Article

Cognitive Scores Vary as Much within Test Takers as Between Age Groups (7/2/2007)

How precise are tests used to diagnose learning disability, progressive brain disease or impairment from head injury? Timothy Salthouse, PhD, a noted cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia, has demonstrated that giving a test only once isn't enough to get a clear picture of someone's mental functioning. It appears that repeating tests over a short period may give a more accurate range of scores, improving diagnostic workups. ...> Full Article

Violence in Schizophrenia Patients More Likely Among Those with Childhood Conduct Problems (7/2/2007)

Some people with schizophrenia who become violent may do so for reasons unrelated to their current illness, according to a new study analyzing data from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). CATIE was funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study was published online on June 30, 2007, in the journal Law and Human Behavior. ...> Full Article