Brain And Consciousness Research Archives Page 4

Mechanism and function of humor identified by new evolutionary theory (6/30/2008)

Research identifies the reason humor is common to all human societies, its fundamental role in the evolution of homo sapiens and its continuing importance in the cognitive development of infants ...> Full Article

Portable device effective in zapping away migraine pain (6/29/2008)

A novel electronic device designed to "zap" away migraine pain before it starts has proven to be the next form of relief for those suffering from the debilitating disease ...> Full Article

Scientists find how neural activity spurs blood flow in the brain (6/29/2008)

Newfound mechanisms could bolster understanding of brain imaging, aging's effects ...> Full Article

Morbid thoughts whet the appetite (6/28/2008)

Can watching TV news or crime shows trigger overeating? According to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research, people who are thinking about their own deaths want to consume more. ...> Full Article

Are you a different person when you speak a different language? (6/28/2008)

People who are bicultural and speak two languages may actually shift their personalities when they switch from one language to another, according to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research. ...> Full Article

Study shows 'being fat in today's world' invites social discrimination (6/27/2008)

Obese people feel "a culture of blame" against them, which they say has been made worse by media reports about the health risks of obesity ...> Full Article

Study uncovers how Ritalin works in brain to boost cognition, focus attention (6/27/2008)

Ritalin fine-tunes the functioning of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) - a brain region involved in attention, decision-making and impulse control ...> Full Article

Neuroscientists discover a sense of adventure (6/26/2008)

Scientists have identified a key region of the brain which encourages us to be adventurous ...> Full Article

The high cost of low status: Feeling powerless leads to expensive purchases (6/26/2008)

Feeling powerless can trigger strong desires to purchase products that convey high status ...> Full Article

If it's hard to read, is it hard to do? (6/25/2008)

Marketers and designers would do well to choose easy-to-read fonts ...> Full Article

Study Seeks to Understand Link Between Visual Cues, Motor Skills (6/25/2008)

Because what you see often affects what you do, a research team thinks a better understanding of the neurological processes involved could lead to improved treatment for stroke and brain injuries. ...> Full Article

Hot Flashes Underreported and Linked to Forgetfulness (6/24/2008)

Women in midlife underreport the number of hot flashes that they experience by more than 40 percent, and these hot flashes are linked to poor verbal memory ...> Full Article

Researchers unlock mystery behind brain imaging (6/23/2008)

Star-shaped brain cells shown to play key role ...> Full Article

New research shows how aging brain brings a healthy dose of perspective (6/23/2008)

Scientist has proven that wisdom really does come with age, at least when it comes to your emotions. ...> Full Article

Study of marine snail leads to new insights into long-term memory (6/22/2008)

cellular neuroscientists are providing new insights into the mechanisms that underlie long-term memory - research with the potential to treat long-term memory disorders. ...> Full Article

When the Powerless Rise Up (6/21/2008)

Power leads to positive action, but only when acquired legitimately ...> Full Article

Researchers find an evolutionarily preserved signature in the primate brain (6/20/2008)

Researchers have determined that there are hundreds of biological differences between the sexes when it comes to gene expression in the cerebral cortex of humans and other primates ...> Full Article

Society's attitudes have little impact on choice of sexual partner (6/19/2008)

New study suggests that the attitude of families and the public have little impact on if adults decide to have sex with persons of the same or the opposite sex ...> Full Article

Research on octopuses sheds light on memory (6/18/2008)

Research on octopuses has shed new light on how our brains store and recall memory ...> Full Article

Children Learn Smart Behaviors Without Knowing What They Know (6/17/2008)

Young children show evidence of smart and flexible behavior early in life – even though they don't really know what they're doing ...> Full Article

Brain scans reveal what's behind the aversion to loss of possessions (6/16/2008)

A new study reveals fascinating insights into the specific neuropsychological mechanisms that are linked with the potential loss of possessions. ...> Full Article

'Faulty' brain connections may be responsible for social impairments in autism (6/16/2008)

New evidence shows that the brains of adults with autism are "wired" differently from people without the disorder, and this abnormal pattern of connectivity may be responsible for the social impairments that are characteristic of autism. ...> Full Article

Chemical Messenger Lets Synapses Communicate as Neurons Learn (6/16/2008)

By stimulating a single neuronal synapse, researchers triggered local activation of the enzyme Ras. During the next several minutes, active Ras escaped the stimulated spine and spread into neighboring spines. ...> Full Article

Transfer of learning traced to areas of the brain (6/15/2008)

Practice makes perfect, but a question that still remains a mystery is why it is so difficult to transfer learning from a trained to an untrained task? Why are we no better at remembering faces when we have been training our memory for words? Scientists say that the answer lies in the brain areas activated by each task. ...> Full Article

Prejudice or perception? (6/15/2008)

Expecting to be treated with prejudice may be part of a self-fulfilling prophecy ...> Full Article

The brain of the pregnant woman releases a hormone related to confidence, and deactivates a stress-related hormone (6/15/2008)

The natural biological process of pregnancy reduces stress in the mother, due to the deactivation of cortisol, and increases confidence, due to the release of oxytocin. ...> Full Article

High impulsivity predicts the switch to compulsive cocaine-taking (6/14/2008)

Scientists have found impulsivity, a trait often associated with addicts' behaviour, predicts whether casual drug use will lead to compulsive drug use. ...> Full Article

Brain Power Leads to Level-Headedness When Faced with Moral Dilemmas (6/14/2008)

Testing a persons morality by measuring individuals' ability to mentally juggle multiple pieces of information ...> Full Article

Scenes of nature trump technology in reducing low-level stress (6/13/2008)

Technology can send a man to the moon, help unlock the secrets of DNA and let people around the world easily communicate through the Internet. But can it substitute for nature? ...> Full Article

Is ADHD an Advantage For Nomadic Tribesmen In Kenya? (6/13/2008)

A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads ...> Full Article