Brain | Page 381 | Science Codex

Religious upbringing associated with less altruism, study finds

Many families believe religion plays an essential role in childhood moral development. But children of religious parents may not be as altruistic as those parents think, according to a new international study from the University of Chicago published Nov. 5 in Current Biology.

A team of developmental psychologists led by Prof. Jean Decety examined the perceptions and behavior of children in six countries. The study assessed the children's tendency to share--a measure of their altruism--and their inclinationto judge and punish others for bad behavior.

Study: Strength of brain connectivity varies with fitness level in older adults

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A new study shows that age-related differences in brain health - specifically the strength of connections between different regions of the brain - vary with fitness level in older adults. The findings suggest that greater cardiorespiratory fitness - a measure of aerobic endurance - relates to stronger brain connections and likely improves long-term brain function in aging populations.

The study results are reported in the journal NeuroImage.

Researchers show how positive stimuli provide benefits to the distracted brain

You're walking up your driveway, laden down with groceries, your cell phone glued to your ear. Your mother has just shared your elderly aunt's phone number, and you're repeating it as you walk to the door of your house. Suddenly a stray dog, barking and snarling, races across the lawn. Are you able to remember the number?

Rewind the situation and, instead of the barking dog, see a cute puppy bounding across the yard. Do you remember the number now?

Brain imaging reveals possible depression signature in traumatic brain injury

Approximately half of individuals who experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience depression within a year. Those with TBI and depression are prone to poorer recovery, reductions in cognitive performance, greater functional disability, increased suicide attempts and other social and sexual difficulties. Since depression symptoms vary greatly, teasing apart a diagnosis in the context of traumatic brain injury is often difficult.

Relying on faith, culture and family to reduce stress of caregivers

Coral Gables, Fla. (November 5, 2015) - Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling psychiatric disorder that affects about one percent of the population in the United States. Approximately 60 percent of those suffering from this condition live with a relative. Despite the fact that that family interventions have shown to significantly improve outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia, only about seven percent of patients with this illness receive any family therapy.

Assessing ecosystem services: Increasing the impact on decision making

Assessments of ecosystem services (ES), aiming at informing decisions on land management, are increasing in number around the globe, but only in a few cases recommendations are then applied by decision-makers in real life. In a new paper published in the journal Ecology and Society a team of researchers aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy needs, by providing a new step-by-step problem-oriented approach for informing land-use decisions.

Potential solution for side effect of Alzheimer's immunotherapy treatment

It is estimated that 46.8 million people worldwide are living with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease the most common form.

Now researchers from the University of Southampton have discovered a possible solution for side effects seen in immunotherapy treatment for Alzheimer's.

Elephants may use trunks like 'leaf blowers' to obtain inaccessible food

Two captive elephants blast air through their trunks to grasp hard-to-reach food, suggests an initial study published today in Springer's journal Animal Cognition. This behaviour, studied in a zoo population of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), is altered according to the distance to the food, which may indicate advanced mental ability and awareness of their physical environment.

Better sleep and tai chi reduce inflammation and promote health

Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 5, 2015 - Inflammatory processes occur throughout the body, with a primary function of promoting healing after injury. However, when too active, these inflammatory processes can also damage the body in many ways, and may contribute to heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and other significant medical problems.

Stress, including sleep disturbance, is a major contributor to inflammation in the body. Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders, is associated with increased risk for depression, medical comorbidities, and mortality.

Researchers reveal acoustic complexity of chickadee songs

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2015 - Songbirds join humans in the select few animal groups that are "vocal learners" -- that is, they must learn from adults of their own species to develop a normal ability to speak (or sing, as the case may be). Because the brain wiring underlying vocal learning in songbirds is analogous to that of humans, songbirds are a useful model system for studying human language development.

Expert system for early diagnosis of schizophrenia

The opinion of a qualified professional is unlikely to be replaced by a computer algorithm for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, additional medical evidence based on such an algorithm might be useful in early diagnosis, according to work published in the International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications.

In preventing return of winter blues, talk outshines light, new study says

A new study to be published online November 5 in the American Journal of Psychiatry casts a shadow on light therapy's status as the gold standard for treating SAD, or seasonal affective disorder.

Study: Brain's immune system could be harnessed to fight Alzheimer's

A new study appearing in the Journal of Neuroinflammation suggests that the brain's immune system could potentially be harnessed to help clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

Connections discovered between masculinity, energy drink use, and sleep problems

Energy drinks have grown in popularity for many Americans, but there is growing concern about the health risks of consuming them in large quantities. Because men are the main consumers of energy drinks, a research team lead by Dr. Ronald F. Levant, a professor of psychology at The University of Akron, set out to study a possible link between masculinity, expectations about the benefits of consuming energy drinks, how those expectations affect energy drink use, and the impact on sleep. Their findings were published in the November 2015 issue of Health Psychology.

Student scientists, dusty data, and dirty discoveries

Modern technology has blurred the boundaries between place, time zone, and people -- between students learning details, and scientists leading discoveries.

Case in point: A revolutionary virtual class brought together undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Arizona (UA) and Western Michigan University (WMU) in the spring of 2014.