A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Researchers say a new study of aging Vietnam veterans has helped scientists develop the first detailed map of the brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence, or the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions, is a concept that has gained prominence over the last three decades. It is now widely recognized as [...]
The area of the brain that makes us want to mate keeps functioning, no matter how much we drink, meaning that people can still assess how visually-appealing others are, says Dr Amanda Ellison. “We still see others basically as they are,” she said. “There is no imagined physical transformation - just more desire." Dr Ellison, [...]
Though learning to read proceeds smoothly for most children, as many as one in 10 is estimated to suffer from dyslexia, a constellation of impairments unrelated to intelligence, hearing or vision that make learning to read a struggle. Now, Northwestern University researchers report they have found a biological mechanism that appears to play an important [...]
Of late, more and more schools are asking me to work with their students as well as their staff. My most popular workshop at the moment is Learning to Bounce where we explore resilience. Resilience is generally accepted to mean the ability to bounce back after adversity. However, inspired by the words of Dr Sue [...]
You Only Live Once. Why not change the world? Dolly February 2013 As always, I’m confused about teen girls’ magazines approach to airbrushing and photo-shop (see here for a past example of my confusion). This issue contains an explanation of the ‘Retouch Free Zone’. “DOLLY is all about healthy body image – that’s why we [...]
Despite significant advances in brain imaging and cognitive science, neuroscientists continue to search for how the brain develops and retains perceptions and memories. Emerging evidence suggests that a group of neurons can represent each unique piece of information, but no one knows just what these ensembles look like, or how they form. In a new [...]
Alcohol use by expectant mothers can lead to problems with the mental and physical development of their children -- a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Research suggests an incidence of 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Costs for care of individuals affected by fetal [...]
DANGEROUS new psychoactive drugs are emerging in Australia at a breathtaking rate, say experts conducting groundbreaking research into online drug sales. The drugs can be toxic to the brain and are often untested on humans, and unsuspecting users are buying them without knowing what they contain or what effect they will have. About four new [...]
The brain has evolved to respond in predictable ways to threats in the physical environment. Similarly, the brain is attuned to identify and reinforce behaviours that benefit our survival. These threat and reward-related circuits are well described. For example the amygdala, the most well studies threat-related brain region, responds to universally threatening stimuli such as [...]
Teenagers who binge drink risk trapping their brains in permanent adolescence and lay the groundwork for alcoholism, new research shows. via Binge drinking traps brains in adolescence, Brisbane research shows.
