Brain

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden and the Cancer Registry of Norway have studied possible causes behind the development of brain tumours. The results, published in the journal Oncotarget, show differences in expression of certain molecules known as metabolites when comparing healthy individuals with people who would eventually develop brain tumours. The greatest difference were found when looking at vitamin E.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- People with intellectual disabilities are more susceptible to exploitation and abuse, and the rise of the Internet only increases their vulnerability.

A first-of-its-kind study co-authored by a Michigan State University scholar finds that adults with Williams syndrome -- who are extremely social and trusting -- use Facebook and other social networking sites frequently and are especially vulnerable to online victimization.

Scientists have understood quite well why so many poisonous animals have brightly colored bodies - the colors send a message to the predators: " don't eat me, or you'll get sick and die". But why some toxic animals actually hide the warning colors from the predator's view, showing them only at the very last moment, when they are already attacked? How can a sudden display of bright underwings at the moment of capture help a distasteful insect, such like the spotted lanternfly (see Figure and movie clip).

A baby's cry not only commands our attention, it also rattles our executive functions--the very neural and cognitive processes we use for making everyday decisions, according to a new University of Toronto study.

"Parental instinct appears to be hardwired, yet no one talks about how this instinct might include cognition," says David Haley, co-author and Associate Professor of psychology at U of T Scarborough.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The biggest decision many children have regarding their diets may be deciding whether to have fries with a fast-food burger. However, a new educational software application under development at the University of Illinois is introducing middle school students to the topic of climate change and showing them how their dietary choices affect the planet.

Bar-Ilan University researchers have found that belief in the success of the Iron Dome air defense system, coupled with a strong sense of resilience (an inner trait that results in positive adaptation to trauma), can reduce Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms (i.e., can mitigate the effect of exposure to trauma on the development of PTSD symptoms).

Their study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, examined PTSD symptoms in Israeli civilians following Operation Protective Edge, the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2014.

Parents looking to help their children succeed academically can access free online educational programs, games and services to help them outside the classroom. A plethora of these tools have popped up in recent years in an attempt to close the achievement gap and digital divide between the rich and poor.

Instead, the gap seems to be getting larger because of these tools, according to a new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Believe it or not, both the public and policy-makers often get their ideas from the media. When those ideas are formed about something as serious and impactful as posttraumatic stress disorder, it's important for the media to tell the story in the right way.

With that in mind, Drexel researchers examined how the country's most influential paper, the New York Times, portrayed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the year it was first added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1980) to present day (2015).

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A new study from The Miriam Hospital and The Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies found that interventions targeting fraternity or sorority members at colleges around the country were unsuccessful in reducing alcohol consumption and related problems. The study recommends that more robust interventions be created for use with student members of Greek letter organizations. The paper was published today in Health Psychology.

Fortifying the U.S. food supply with folic acid was not associated with a decline in certain birth defects that researchers expected to see in California, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The new findings are likely to contribute to an ongoing debate about the future of the fortification program.

MINNEAPOLIS - A drug commonly used to treat pain, epilepsy, anxiety and other brain health disorders may be associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a study published in the May 18, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

While it is well established that childhood ADHD may continue into adulthood, new research by King's College London suggests that for some people the disorder does not emerge until after childhood.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder marked by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity and is one of the most common behavioural disorders in children. It is widely believed that adult ADHD is the continuation of the disorder from childhood.

Two new studies and an editorial published online by JAMA Psychiatry examine attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young adulthood. The articles are summarized below.

Many Young Adults with ADHD Did Not Have Childhood Diagnosis

Among a group of young adults with ADHD at age 18, many of them did not meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD at any assessment in childhood, according to a study by Louise Arseneault, Ph.D., of King's College London, and colleagues.

Foreign language teachers play a pivotal role in creating global citizens, but some teachers lack confidence in their ability to speak in their nonnative tongue, which could undermine the quality of language instruction, Michigan State University researchers argue.

Over the past 15 years, deaths caused by heroin and prescription opioid overdoses have quadrupled despite the existence of a highly effective antidote. The cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores what it might take to turn the tide.