Brain

Level of self-control linked to environment

What should you do after a difficult day at work? Many people would take a peaceful walk in nature, but this may not be a wise choice for everyone.

A Journal of Consumer Psychology study found evidence that people who are more prone to anxiety should instead take a walk in a busy, urban environment.

How to boost online ratings

Have you ever wondered how to get your customers to write more positive reviews? Wait a while before you ask for feedback about a service or product.

In a new Journal of Consumer Psychology study, researchers discovered a way to increase the odds of getting a better review. Their data revealed that people who waited longer or traveled farther before authoring a review gave more favorable evaluations.

Small brain area plays key role in making everyday decisions

Choosing what shirt to buy, what to order for lunch or whether to go with the hearty red wine or the lighter white all involve assigning values to the options. A small brain structure plays a central role in the many decisions like this we make each day. But it hasn't been clear how a limited number of neurons in this small part of the brain can support an unlimited number of choices.

This 5-fingered robot hand learns to get a grip on its own

Robots today can perform space missions, solve a Rubik's cube, sort hospital medication and even make pancakes. But most can't manage the simple act of grasping a pencil and spinning it around to get a solid grip.

Intricate tasks that require dexterous in-hand manipulation -- rolling, pivoting, bending, sensing friction and other things humans do effortlessly with our hands -- have proved notoriously difficult for robots.

Study: Smartphone alerts increase inattention -- and hyperactivity

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 9, 2016 -- Society's increasingly pervasive use of digital technology may be causing ADHD-like symptoms even among the general population, according to a new study of college students presented this week in San Jose, California at the Human-Computer Interaction conference of the Association for Computing Machinery.

Raising a child with autism

Humans are resilient, even facing the toughest of life's challenges. How individuals and families deal with demanding and emotionally charged circumstances plays a large role in how they view and face the world and the possible outcomes of a difficult situation. There's no exception for the challenging Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how families adjust and cope with the reported stress of raising a child with autism.

When the physical world is unreliable

A new study out today in the journal Translational Psychiatry sheds further light on the idea that schizophrenia is a sensory disorder and that individuals with the condition are impaired in their ability to process stimuli from the outside world. The findings may also point to a new way to identify the disease at an early stage and before symptoms become acute.

Major global study identifies a safer treatment of acute stroke

The safety of a controversial clot-busting drug has been investigated by researchers, who have shown a modified dosage can reduce serious bleeding in the brain and improve survival rates.

It is hoped the findings from the trial of more than 3,000 patients in 100 hospitals worldwide could change the way the most common form of stroke is treated globally.

Intravenous rtPA (or alteplase) is given to people suffering acute ischaemic stroke and works by breaking up clots blocking the flow of blood to the brain.

Mouse model of autism offers insights to human patients, potential drug targets

DURHAM, N.C. -- A new mouse model of a genetically-linked type of autism reveals more about the role of genes in the disorder and the underlying brain changes associated with autism's social and learning problems.

Scientists at Duke Health who developed the new model also discovered that targeting a brain receptor in mice with this type of autism could ease repetitive behaviors and improve learning in some animals.

Psychology has important role in helping older Americans as they age

WASHINGTON -- With more than 13 percent of Americans currently over age 65, and that proportion expected to grow in the coming decades, psychology has played and will continue to play an important part in helping seniors maintain their health, adjust to retirement and prevent cognitive decline, according to the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association.

Black students more likely to be identified as gifted if teachers are black

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- African-American children are three times as likely to be placed in gifted-education programs if they have a black teacher rather than a white teacher, according to research conducted by faculty members at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Vanderbilt University.

When you take acetaminophen, you don't feel others' pain as much

COLUMBUS, Ohio - When you take acetaminophen to reduce your pain, you may also be decreasing your empathy for both the physical and social aches that other people experience, a new study suggests.

Researchers at The Ohio State University found, for example, that when participants who took acetaminophen learned about the misfortunes of others, they thought these individuals experienced less pain and suffering,when compared to those who took no painkiller.

Study suggests new treatment for seizures

Researchers from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, have discovered a new factor in the escalation of seizures: the synthesis, or generation, of estrogens in the brain.

Their study in rats, published in the journal eLife, also suggests that using a drug that inhibits estrogen synthesis, called an aromatase inhibitor, may be an effective approach to controlling seizures.

Reading an opponent's face gives the edge in martial arts

There's more to excelling in the martial arts combat sport of taekwondo than just being able to produce well-aimed kicks or punches. A participant's skill at reading the emotions on an opponent's face and to therefore anticipate his or her next move can mean the difference between winning and losing a sparring match. This is according to Yu-Ling Shih and Chia-Yen Lin of the National Taiwan University of Sport.

Experimental therapy halts treatment-resistant brain tumors

CINCINNATI - Researchers report in the journal Cancer Cell an experimental therapy that in laboratory tests on human cells and mouse models stops aggressive, treatment-resistant and deadly brain cancers called glioblastoma and high-grade gliomas.

A multi-institutional team led by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center publishes their results on May 9.