Posted on December 27 2011 Read more...

Childhood hypersensitivity linked to OCD

Medical researchers have established a direct correlation between sensory processing and ritualistic behaviors in children. A new study suggests that when children experience heightened levels of sensitivity, they develop ritualistic behaviors to better cope with their environment -- one potential pathway to OCD.
Posted on December 27 2011 Read more...

Sea snails help scientists explore a possible way to enhance memory

Efforts to help people with learning impairments are being aided by a species of sea snail. The mollusk, which is used by researchers to study the brain, has much in common with other species including humans. Neuroscientists have used this animal model to test an innovative learning strategy designed to help improve the brain's memory ...
Posted on December 26 2011 Read more...

Quality of mother-toddler relationship linked to teen obesity

The quality of the emotional relationship between a mother and her young child could affect the potential for that child to be obese during adolescence, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed national data detailing relationship characteristics between mothers and their children during their toddler years. The lower the quality of the relationship in terms of ...
Posted on December 23 2011 Read more...

What are emotion expressions for?

That cartoon scary face -- wide eyes, ready to run -- may have helped our primate ancestors survive in a dangerous wild, according to a new article. The authors present a way that fear and other facial expressions might have evolved and then come to signal a person's feelings to the people around him.
Posted on December 23 2011 Read more...

Multiple sclerosis linked to different area of brain

Radiology researchers have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions.
Posted on December 23 2011 Read more...

Cultural diversification also drives human evolution

Changes in social structure and cultural practices can also contribute to human evolution, according to a new study.
Posted on December 22 2011 Read more...

Brain size may predict risk for early Alzheimer’s disease

New research suggests that, in people who don't currently have memory problems, those with smaller regions of the brain's cortex may be more likely to develop symptoms consistent with very early Alzheimer's disease.
Posted on December 21 2011 Read more...

Crucial advances in ‘brain reading’ demonstrated

A new study demonstrates several crucial advances in "brain reading" or "brain decoding" using computerized machine learning methods. Researchers classified data taken from people being scanned while watching videos meant to induce nicotine cravings and detected whether people were watching and resisting cravings, indulging in them, or watching videos that were unrelated to smoking or ...
Posted on December 21 2011 Read more...

Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of thinking, new research suggests

Where does prejudice come from? Not from ideology, say the authors of a new article. Instead, prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need, associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others.
Posted on December 21 2011 Read more...

How pregnancy changes a woman’s brain

We know a lot about the links between a pregnant mother's health, behavior, and moods and her baby's cognitive and psychological development once it is born. But how does pregnancy change a mother's brain?