Bruce Landon: Introductory Psychology 200

sleep

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:42:59 GMT

Patients with insomnia who implemented cognitive behavioral therapy interventions such as relaxation techniques had greater improvement in their sleep than patients who received the sleep medication zopiclone, according to a study in the June 28 issue of JAMA.

[Science Blog -]

intelligence

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 06:42:15 GMT

Music thought to enhance intelligence, mental health and immune system.

A recent volume of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences takes a closer look at how music evolved and how we respond to it. Contributors to the volume believe that animals such as birds, dolphins and whales make sounds analogous to music out of a desire to imitate each other. This ability to learn and imitate sounds is a trait necessary to acquire language and scientists feel that many of the sounds animals make may be precursors to human music.

[Science Blog -]

depression

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 06:39:49 GMT

Brain function and negative thinking linked to late-onset depression.

Late-onset depression, which first emerges in people aged 60 and over, is linked to a decline in the brain's executive functions that leads to repetitive, negative thought patterns a new study reveals. Executive functions are those that enable people to plan and control their thoughts and actions.

[Science Blog -]

language processing

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 06:37:20 GMT

Robot Dogs Evolve Their Own Language.

[Slashdot]

depression

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:09:48 GMT

FDA Approves the First Drug for Seasonal Depression.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Wellbutrin XL for prevention of major depressive episodes in patients with a history of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is the first drug approved for SAD. Wellbutrin XL (bupropion HCL extended release tablets) previously was approved for treatment of major depressive disorder.

[Science Blog -]

abuse

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:47:04 GMT

New theory: Child abuse can cause schizophrenia.

University of Manchester researcher Paul Hammersley is to tell two international conferences, in London and Madrid on 14 June 2006, that child abuse can cause schizophrenia. The groundbreaking and highly contentious theory, co-presented by New Zealand clinical psychologist Dr John Read, has been described as "an earthquake" that will radically change the psychiatric profession.

[Science Blog -]

happiness

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:18:17 GMT

Hope I die before I get old?.

Back when he was 20 years old in 1965, rock star Pete Townshend wrote the line "I hope I die before I get old" into a song, "My Generation" that launched his band, the Who, onto the rock 'n' roll scene. But a unique new study suggests that Townshend may have fallen victim to a common, and mistaken, belief: That the happiest days of people's lives occur when they're young.

[Science Blog -]

violent

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:11:49 GMT

Intermittent explosive disorder affects up to 16 million Americans.

A little-known mental disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Depending upon how broadly it's defined, intermittent explosive disorder (IED) affects as many as 7.3 percent of adults -- 11.5-16 million Americans -- in their lifetimes. The study is based on data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey of 9,282 U.S. adults, conducted in 2001-2003.

[Science Blog -]

networks

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 15:41:23 GMT

Social Networking From Your Cell.this is just the beginning --BL

[Slashdot]

remote control

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 06:17:55 GMT

Motorola Patents Therapy Patch. Instead of the annoying buzz of current cell-phone vibrating alerts, a new design can be applied anywhere on the body that will "stimulate" you when a call comes in. [Wired News: Top Stories]

addiction

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 04:55:40 GMT

Drinking Problem? Try Drugs. Pharmaceuticals that combat alcohol abuse have come a long way since Antabuse. New formulations could make alcoholism easier to beat. By Suzanne Leigh. [Wired News: Top Stories]

Brain

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 04:24:05 GMT

New Hope for Head Injuries. Detecting and diagnosing brain trauma isn't so easy for emergency medical technicians and battlefield medics working in crisis situations. But backers of a new device say help is on the way. By Abby Christopher. [Wired News: Top Stories]

language

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 21:23:21 GMT

Why brain-injured children often recover.

The number of sites in children's brains involved in language recognition decreases as the children age, according to a University of Cincinnati (UC) study. The finding, says Jerzy Szaflarski, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at the UC Academic Health Center, suggests that as a child grows more language proficient, recalling words may involve less effort. It also supports earlier explanations as to why young children who injure a large part of one side of the brain often recover completely, or almost completely.

[Science Blog -]

IQ

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 06:13:04 GMT

Scans Show Different Growth for Intelligent Brains. The brains of highly intelligent children develop in a different pattern from those with more average abilities, researchers say. By NICHOLAS WADE. [NYT > Education]

attention

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:27:45 GMT

Why we read what we read when angry.

When men and women are angry, they both choose the news media articles they read with the goal of regulating their moods, a new study suggests. But, in some circumstances, men choose to read articles that will fuel their anger, while women choose articles that will dissipate it.

[Science Blog -]

language

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:30:44 GMT

Infnats learning language as early as 10 months.

Infants are listening and learning their first words as young as 10 months, but they are only learning the words for objects that are of interest to them, not for objects of interest to the speaker, according to researchers at Temple University, University of Delaware and University of Evansville.

[Science Blog -]

aging

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:21:24 GMT

Good news: Quality of life can improve in old age.

Increasing age does not necessarily cause a reduction in the quality of life, and in some cases, can even improve it. Research published online this month in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, describes how researchers looked at indicators of the quality of life, and found that in England it is above average between the ages of 50 and 84, and in some cases increases compared with earlier years.

[Science Blog -]

addiction

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:14:17 GMT

Researchers Find 'Switch' for Brain's Pleasure Pathway.

Amid reports that a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease has caused some patients to become addicted to gambling and sex, University of Pittsburgh researchers have published a study that sheds light on what may have gone wrong.

[Science Blog -]

gender

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 22:58:29 GMT

Internet's Gender Gap Narrows. Building websites targeted to women pays off for some pioneers, but studies say distinctions in how males and females approach the net are more subtle than we thought. Commentary by Joanna Glasner. [Wired News: Top Stories]

violent

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 22:51:12 GMT

A version of a gene previously linked to impulsive violence appears to weaken brain circuits that regulate impulses, emotional memory and thinking in humans, researchers at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found. Brain scans revealed that people with this version â€“ especially males â€“ tended to have relatively smaller emotion-related brain structures, a hyperactive alarm center and under-active impulse control circuitry.

[Science Blog -]