Brain | Page 287 | Science Codex

The tougher men think they are, the less likely they are to be honest with doctors

Men are less likely than women to go to the doctor, more likely to choose a male doctor when they do go, but less likely to be honest with that doctor about their symptoms, Rutgers psychologists have found. The researchers believe this may contribute to men's dying earlier than women.

"The question that we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women?" said Diana Sanchez, associate professor of psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences. "Men can expect to die five years earlier than women, and physiological differences don't explain that difference."

Novel stadium-based research helps us understand group dynamics

New Psychology research led out of New Zealand's University of Otago is backing up the old saying that "birds of a feather flock together". The findings emerged after researchers used high-definition video cameras on the roof of a large covered stadium to track and analyze how strangers formed groups.

They found that individuals were likely to join groups containing members with similar physical traits -- including levels of attractiveness. The researchers also discovered that attractive women were the most likely to be placed in the physical center of social groups.

The conflict between science and religion lies in our brains

The conflict between science and religion may have its origins in the structure of our brains, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Babson College have found.

Clashes between the use of faith vs. scientific evidence to explain the world around us dates back centuries and is perhaps most visible today in the arguments between evolution and creationism.

Stanford scientists pinpoint brain circuit for risk preference in rats

Investigators at Stanford University have identified a small group of nerve cells in a specific brain region of rats whose signaling activity, or lack of it, explains the vast bulk of differences in risk-taking preferences among the animals.

That activity not only predicts but effectively determines whether an animal decides to take a chance or stick with the safe choice.

Scientists cross-breed to improve head shape in toy dogs predisposed to a painful disorder

New research shows it is possible to prevent Chiari malformation in toy dogs by cross breeding
Chiari malformation is found in toy dogs and affects 1 in 1,280 humans
University of Surrey researchers say findings give insight into the inheritance of Chiari malformation and should be used in new breeding guidelines

Brain stimulation may reduce symptoms and improve decision-making in people with anorexia

Core symptoms of anorexia nervosa, including the urge to restrict food intake and feeling fat, are reduced after just one session of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, according to King's College London research published today in PLOS ONE.

This new study is the first randomised control trial to assess whether repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS), already an approved treatment for depression, is also effective in reducing symptoms of anorexia.

Using magnetic forces to control neurons, study finds brain is vital in glucose metabolism

To learn what different cells do, scientists switch them on and off and observe what the effects are. There are many methods that do this, but they all have problems: too invasive, or too slow, or not precise enough. Now, a new method to control the activity of neurons in mice, devised by scientists at Rockefeller University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, avoids these downfalls by using magnetic forces to remotely control the flow of ions into specifically targeted cells.

People with rage disorder twice as likely to have latent toxoplasmosis parasite infection

Individuals with a psychiatric disorder involving recurrent bouts of extreme, impulsive anger--road rage, for example--are more than twice as likely to have been exposed to a common parasite than healthy individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis.

In a study involving 358 adult subjects, a team led by researchers from the University of Chicago found that toxoplasmosis, a relatively harmless parasitic infection carried by an estimated 30 percent of all humans, is associated with intermittent explosive disorder and increased aggression.

Smoking cessation benefits persist in spite of weight gain in patients with mental illness

The weight gain that can result from quitting smoking does not eliminate the reduction in cardiovascular risks associated with smoking cessation among patients with serious mental illness, at least not during the first year. A report from a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team, being published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, describes the results of a one-year trial but cannot rule out future health risks associated with continuing weight gain.

Does a common parasite play a role in rage disorder?

In recent years, a common parasitic infection - as many as a third of the world's population may have it - has been linked to a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as behavioral dysregulation such as suicide attempts and car accidents. Now a new study has linked it to repeated bouts of rage, a disorder known as intermittent explosive disorder (IED).

Live-imaging technique for mice seen as boost to studies of brain function and development

EUGENE, Ore. -- University of Oregon scientists have looked into the brains of living mice to see in real time the processing of sensory information and generation of behavioral responses.

To do so, researchers developed a line of transgenic mice whose brains expressed a green fluorescent protein that lights up active neurons. They then used a customized wide-field microscope with dual lenses to capture images of the brain similar to what fMRI does in humans. Combined, the technique allows them to visualize the activity across cortex, the outer surface of the brain.

Teen dating violence prevention programs fall short

Study: "A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Interventions Aimed to Prevent or Reduce Violence in Teen Dating Relationships"

Authors: Lisa De La Rue (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); Joshua R. Polanin (Vanderbilt University); Dorothy Espelage (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); Therese D. Pigott (Loyola University Chicago)

Published online Feb. 18, 2016, in the AERA peer-reviewed journal Review of Educational Research

Chronic diseases may negatively affect the mental health of poor and middle-income adults

In a study of more than 8,000 adults, those with a chronic health condition such as diabetes or asthma were more likely to report psychological distress and functional impairment if they were residents of poor or middle-income households. There was no significant association between chronic disease and distress for individuals from higher-income households.

Overlap between genetic factors associated with risk of schizophrenia & maternal age at 1st birth

The risk of schizophrenia in children associated with younger and older maternal age appears to be partly explained by the genetic association between schizophrenia and age at first birth, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

S. Hong Lee, Ph.D., of the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia, and coauthors investigated the genetic relationship between schizophrenia and age at first birth in women using multiple independent genome-wide association study data sets.

Oxytocin level in pregnancy predicts postpartum depression severity

Higher oxytocin in pregnancy linked to depression symptoms postpartum
Depression biomarkers should be screened in pregnancy, just like gestational diabetes
Preventive treatment could begin in pregnancy

CHICAGO --- Higher oxytocin levels in the third trimester of pregnancy predicts the severity of postpartum depression symptoms in women who previously suffered from depression, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

The small study of 66 women indicates the potential for finding biomarkers to predict depressive symptoms postpartum.