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Dr Helen Mayberg at Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S., studied brain scans to look for clues about what happens in the brain when someone is depressed and how different treatments affect brain activity. She used PET scans to measure brain glucose metabolism, an important index of brain function, and found that scan [...]
For many people, race does matter, even if they don’t know it. They feel more empathy when they see white skin pierced than black. This is known as the racial empathy gap. To study it, researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca showed participants all of whom were white video clips of a needle or an [...]
By now you’ve seen the pretty pictures: Color-drenched brain scans capturing Buddhist monks meditating, addicts craving cocaine, and college sophomores choosing Coke over Pepsi. The media—and even some neuroscientists, it seems—love to invoke the neural foundations of human behavior to explain everything from the Bernie Madoff financial fiasco to slavish devotion to our iPhones, the [...]
Just like you, the genes in your brain follow a daily routine. But that natural rhythm may be thrown off in people with depression, a new study suggests. via Daily Gene Rhythms May Be Off in Depressed People --Doctors Lounge.
Science is starting to recognise the connection between the ancient and authentic meditation experience and optimal performance states, both at work and play. What the martial artist refers to as "muslin" and elite sportspeople call "the zone" can also be found in the essence of meditation practice. It is primarily useful in stilling the mind. [...]
The study found that a beer's flavor alone, without any effect from alcohol, can lead the brain to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure and reward. It is also associated with drinking and drug abuse. Previous research suggests that sensory cues (smells and tastes) associated with drug intoxication can provoke dopamine transmission. Researchers from [...]
Drugs derived from magic mushrooms could help treat people with severe depression. Scientists believe the chemical psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms, can turn down parts of the brain that are overactive in severely depressive patients. The drug appears to stop patients dwelling on themselves and their own perceived inadequacies. However, a bid by British scientists [...]
The first time in nearly two decades, experts want to rewrite the definition of autism. Some parents fear that if the definition is narrowed, their children may lose out on special therapies. via Doctors want to redefine autism; parents worried - Times Union.
In the past ten years, there has been growing interest in applying our knowledge of the human brain to the field of education, including reading, learning, language, and mathematics. Teachers themselves have embraced the neuro revolution enthusiastically. A recent investigation in the US-based journal Mind, Brain, and Education showed that almost 90% of teachers consider knowledge [...]
