Brain And Consciousness Research Archives Page 10

Study Identifies New Patterns of Brain Activation Used in Forming Long-Term Memories (2/23/2008)

Researchers at New York University and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science have identified patterns of brain activation linked to the formation of long-term memories. The study, which appeared in the journal Neuron, also offered an innovative and more comprehensive method for gauging memories. It asked subjects to recall the content of a television sit-com, which more accurately simulated real-life experiences because it required retrieving material that occurs in more complex settings than typically exist in a laboratory environment. ...> Full Article

What Is The Cognitive Rift Between Humans And Other Animals? (2/22/2008)

Shedding new light on the great cognitive rift between humans and animals, a Harvard University scientist has synthesized four key differences in human and animal cognition into a hypothesis on what exactly differentiates human and animal thought. ...> Full Article

'Hotties' not so hot when you're in love, study (2/22/2008)

As if inspiring countless songs and poems and an international holiday weren't enough, love now is being credited with a truly amazing power: the ability to resist temptation. ...> Full Article

Tomorrow's Antidepressants: Skip the Serotonin Boost? (2/22/2008)

New research adds to evidence of potentially better molecular targets in the brain to treat depression and other mental disorders ...> Full Article

Hypnosis helped physicians pinpoint cause of children's seizures (2/22/2008)

It was no way for an 11-year-old to live. For a month the boy had endured daily episodes of uncontrollable jerking and foaming at the mouth, and his physicians at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital were concerned that the boy had epilepsy. Before starting the boy on a lifetime of anti-seizure medications, though, they turned to an unconventional diagnostic tool: hypnosis. ...> Full Article

Total, Genetically-Based Recall: Psychologists explore possibility of sex differences in memory, findings favor females (2/21/2008)

There are several human characteristics considered to be genetically predetermined and evolutionarily innate, such as immune system strength, physical adaptations and even sex differences. These qualities drive the nature versus nurture debate and ask of our species, who is more successful and why? ...> Full Article

Cold, Unfeeling Traits Linked to Distinctive Brain Patterns in Kids with Severe Conduct Problems (2/21/2008)

Brain's Amygdala Region Less Responsive to Other People's Distress Signals ...> Full Article

Is Your Partner Happy? It May Be Hard to Know (2/20/2008)

High self-monitors -- people who are highly attuned to social situations and who most prone to moderate their behavior and the image they present to others accordingly -- are less satisfied in their romantic relationships than low self-monitors, a Northwestern University study finds. ...> Full Article

Rethinking What We Want in a Partner (2/20/2008)

When it comes to romantic attraction men primarily are motivated by good looks and women by earning power. At least that's what men and women have been saying for a long time. Based on research that dates back several decades, the widely accepted notion permeates popular culture today. ...> Full Article

Advertisers, neuroscientists trace source of emotions in brain (2/20/2008)

First came direct marketing, then focus groups. Now, advertisers, with the help of neuroscientists, are closing in on the holy grail: mind reading. ...> Full Article

Linguist tunes in to pitch processing in brain (2/19/2008)

More of the brain is busy processing pitch from language and other sounds than previously thought, according to a researcher in neurophonetics at Purdue University. ...> Full Article

Scientists Explore Consciousness (2/19/2008)

An international team of scientists led by a University of Leicester researcher has carried out a scientific study into the realm of consciousness. The scientists have made a significant step into the understanding of conscious perception, by showing how single neurons in the human brain reacted to perceived and nonperceived images. ...> Full Article

Sex Differences In The Brain's Serotonin System (2/19/2008)

A new thesis from he Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the brain's serotonin system differs between men and women. The scientists who conducted the study think that they have found one of the reasons why depression and chronic anxiety are more common in women than in men. ...> Full Article

When People Feel Powerful, They Ignore New Opinions, Study Finds (2/18/2008)

Don't bother trying to persuade your boss of a new idea while he's feeling the power of his position - new research suggests he's not listening to you. ...> Full Article

How believing can be seeing: study shows how context dictates what we believe we see (2/18/2008)

Scientists have found the link between what we expect to see, and what our brain tells us we actually saw. The study, published in this week's PLoS Journal of Computational Biology, reveals that the context surrounding what we see is all important - sometimes overriding the evidence gathered by our eyes and even causing us to imagine things which aren't really there. ...> Full Article

The Beauty Bias: Can people love the one they are compatible with? (2/17/2008)

Physical attractiveness is important in choosing whom to date. Good looking people are not only popular targets for romantic pursuits, they themselves also tend to flock together with more attractive others. Does this mean then that more attractive versus less attractive people wear a different pair of lens when evaluating others' attractiveness? ...> Full Article

Pupil Dilation Marks Decision Making (2/17/2008)

The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but the simple pupil--the circular opening at the center of the eye that contracts and dilates to regulate the amount of light the eye receives--offers a remarkable portal to the inner workings of the brain. Such is the conclusion of neurobiologist Christof Koch of the California Institute of Technology and his colleagues, who have found that changes in pupil diameter correspond to the moment when a simple decision is made. ...> Full Article

Practicing information retrieval is key to memory retention, study finds (2/16/2008)

Learning something once, like the fact that "berg" means "mountain" in German, and studying it over and over again may do little to help you remember it in the future. The key to future recall, suggests a new study from Washington University in St. Louis, is how often over time you actively practice retrieving that information from memory. ...> Full Article

Yes, dear: Romantic relationships can make you defensive, 'avoidant' (2/16/2008)

Some people in relationships tend to be defensive and avoid prickly discussions and even words like "divorce"-something that can lead to anxiety later, a University of Michigan researcher says. ...> Full Article

A Sense of Scarcity: Why it seems like all the good ones are taken (2/15/2008)

Singles' bars, classified personals and dating websites are a reflection, not only of the common human desire to find a mate, but of the sense of scarcity that seems to surround the hunt. Many people participate in dating activities in the hopes of finding that special someone, yet feel as though it is an impossible task. However, thanks to an international team of psychologists, the solution may be closer than we think -- within ourselves, to be exact. ...> Full Article

New York, New York: Study determines difference between abstract and concrete jungle (2/15/2008)

The Big Apple, a densely populated metropolis of more than 8.2 million people in the 332 square miles of blocks, boroughs and buildings, could have been named metaphorically by outsiders as a fertile land of opportunity. New York City, in other words, can be considered concretely as a geographical location with a large population, but it also can be viewed symbolically as the gateway to America. ...> Full Article

Sheep in human clothing - scientists reveal our flock mentality (2/15/2008)

Have you ever arrived somewhere and wondered how you got there? Scientists at the University of Leeds believe they may have found the answer, with research that shows that humans flock like sheep and birds, subconsciously following a minority of individuals. ...> Full Article

What do we mean when we talk of love? (2/14/2008)

Just in time for Valentine's Day, psychologist Dacher Keltner demystifies the biological manifestations of everyone's favorite heartfelt emotion ...> Full Article

Gene research may help explain autistic savants (2/14/2008)

Mice lacking a certain brain protein learn some tasks better but also forget faster, according to new research from MIT that may explain the phenomenon of autistic savants in humans. The work could also result in future treatments for autism and other brain development disorders. ...> Full Article

Research Scientists Find Protein May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease (2/14/2008)

What Can Destroy a Heart Might Safeguard the Brain ...> Full Article

Melatonin well-tolerated sleep aid in children with autism (2/13/2008)

Researchers are reporting that melatonin, an over-the-counter and relatively inexpensive dietary supplement taken for insomnia and jet lag, shows promise in treating children with autism who have difficulty falling asleep. ...> Full Article

Misery is not Miserly: New Study Finds Why Even Momentary Sadness Increases Spending (2/13/2008)

How you are feeling has an impact on your routine economic transactions, whether you’re aware of this effect or not. ...> Full Article

'Love Hormone' Promotes Bonding (2/12/2008)

Gazing into your lover's eyes isn't only romantic; it may also mimic early attachments that forever alter your brain and body. ...> Full Article

Scientists research delivering drugs direct to the brain (2/12/2008)

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth have won nearly half a million pounds to try and develop a way of allowing drugs to be delivered straight to the brain. ...> Full Article

Brain Imaging Technology Not Ready for Forensic Use, Says Prof (2/11/2008)

Technology that can monitor brain activity is moving into the world of forensic investigation faster than it should, according to new research by a University of Guelph psychology professor. ...> Full Article