Brain

Only few children suffering from anxiety disorders undergo treatment. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have looked into how many children who suffer from the most common yet treatable anxiety disorders that are actually diagnosed in the psychiatric system in Denmark. According to the researchers, the number is surprisingly low compared to other western countries, indicating that anxiety disorders in children and youth are disregarded in Denmark.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Children exposed to open-fire cooking in developing countries experience difficulty with memory, problem-solving and social skills, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif.

Scientists at the Florida State University Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) have released their fourth annual Atlantic hurricane season forecast, using a unique computer model with a knack for predicting hurricanes with unprecedented accuracy.

Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - June 1, 2012 - Positive results from clinical trials exploring algal DHA supplementation during pregnancy and infancy were presented this week at the 10th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) - an international scientific society focused on research of dietary fats, oils and lipids.

Benefits of Algal DHA During Pregnancy

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) reached an important milestone today, publicly releasing the first installment out of 500 terabytes of data so far collected in their pathbreaking project to construct the first whole-brain wiring diagram of a vertebrate brain, that of the mouse.

Radiology programs and their residents would benefit from incorporating tablet devices, like the iPad, into residency education, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

The methods used to learn and teach radiology are evolving, and mobile technology is playing a role. It is widely expected that tablet devices will bring change to radiology education. However, few studies have examined the impact of mobile devices on radiology residency education.

Many boys say they would prefer a male befriender according to early findings, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Yet, less than a quarter of UK volunteer child befrienders are men.

"The shortage means many boys in need of a strong male presence in their lives are missing out on the adult male companionship they would like," states researcher Dr Sue Milne of the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR) at the University of Edinburgh.

Women with irregular heart rhythm (known as atrial fibrillation) have a moderately increased risk of stroke compared with men, suggesting that female sex should be considered when making decisions about anti-clotting treatment, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

Several studies have suggested that women with atrial fibrillation are at higher risk for ischaemic stroke (caused by an interruption of the blood supply to the brain) than men, but other studies found no such difference.

The 2012 Olympics in London are about to start, and millions around the world will admire and ponder the mysteries of athletic performance. Psychological scientists are no exception. Researchers have examined how visual illusions improve sports performance, how attitudes and beliefs about competence determine performance and what exactly happens when we indulge in silly sports rituals. These and other pieces of cutting edge research can be found in the journals published by the Association for Psychological Science.

Neuroplasticity after severe injury

It is well known that the brain and spinal cord can adapt and recover from moderate injury, a quality known as neuroplasticity. But until now the spinal cord expressed so little plasticity after severe injury that recovery was impossible. Courtine's research proves that, under certain conditions, plasticity and recovery can take place in these severe cases—but only if the dormant spinal column is first woken up.

AUSTIN, Texas — Humans, fish and frogs share neural circuits responsible for a diversity of social behavior, from flashy mating displays to aggression and monogamy, that have existed for more than 450 million years, biologists at The University of Texas at Austin found.

If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then it shouldn't be surprising that their neural circuits differ. In research published today in the journal Current Biology, researchers have used dramatic changes in the behaviour of the female fruit fly after sex to help map these often very different circuits.

University of Alberta researchers have made breakthrough use of 3-D magnetic resonance technology to map the structure of a common fungus that is potentially deadly for individuals with impaired immune function. The work could pave the way for development of an effective vaccine.

The researchers targeted Candida, a pathogen that in its most virulent form has led to more than 70,000 bloodstream infections in North American hospital patients. Health officials estimate that death rate from this bloodstream infection is 40 per cent.

INDIANAPOLIS -- An innovative model of dementia care that significantly reduces emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and encourages use of medications that are not harmful to older brains, has now been used to treat over 1,000 patients. The Aging Brain Care model was developed by researcher-clinicians from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine.

WASHINGTON – Working memory training is unlikely to be an effective treatment for children suffering from disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity or dyslexia, according to a research analysis published by the American Psychological Association. In addition, memory training tasks appear to have limited effect on healthy adults and children looking to do better in school or improve their cognitive skills.