Mind & Brain

  • Redefining alcohol use disorder
    on January 25, 2022 at 12:49 am

    Researchers have developed a new framework that they believe will help identify people previously overlooked for alcohol use disorder (AUD). This framework focuses on 13 risk factors, such as impulsive behavior, reward sensitivity, and punishment sensitivity, that could lead to someone developing an AUD.

  • Heat dome and other climate events have growing impact on mental health
    on January 24, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    Last summer’s Western North American heat dome caused more than record-breaking temperature increases–rising anxiety about climate change is reported in a new study on the weather event’s impact on our mental health.

  • Researchers provide insight into how the brain multitasks while walking
    on January 24, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    New research turns the old idiom about not being able to walk and chew gum on its head. Scientists have shown that the healthy brain is able to multitask while walking without sacrificing how either activity is accomplished.

  • Breathing: The master clock of the sleeping brain
    on January 24, 2022 at 3:38 pm

    Neuroscientists have shown that breathing coordinates neuronal activity throughout the brain during sleep and quiet.

  • Feelings of fatigue predict early death in older adults
    on January 24, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    How fatigued certain activities make an older person feel can predict the likelihood death is less than three years away. Researchers show that perceived physical fatigability is an indicator of earlier mortality.

  • Key to happiness at the office — is getting plenty of action in the bedroom
    by Kate Ferguson on January 24, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    CORVALLIS, Ore. — If you’re feeling fulfilled at home, there’s a good chance you’re feeling fulfilled at work, too. A recent study finds that having an active sex life could lead to increased job satisfaction at work. Researchers concluded that people who prioritize their love lives at home head into the work day with more enjoyment and focus… The post Key to happiness at the office — is getting plenty of action in the bedroom appeared first on Study Finds.

  • Physics offers explanation to why time flies as we get older
    by John Anderer on January 20, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    DURHAM, N.C. — For many of us, when we think back to childhood summers or seemingly endless days spent in the classroom, these periods of time feel as though they stretched on forever. In comparison, our more recent years of adulthood often feel like they’ve passed us by in a flash. This is usually just chalked… The post Physics offers explanation to why time flies as we get older appeared first on Study Finds.

  • Two-thirds of adverse reactions to COVID vaccine just placebo effect, study says
    by Jocelyn Solis-Moreira on January 20, 2022 at 4:47 am

    BOSTON, Mass. — Could the majority of side-effects people feel after getting the COVID-19 vaccine all be in their heads? That’s what a new study claims, finding that more than half of the adverse effects patients experience are not from the actual vaccine, but a psychological reaction to it. The psychological phenomenon called the “placebo… The post Two-thirds of adverse reactions to COVID vaccine just placebo effect, study says appeared first on Study Finds.

  • Love pinching babies’ cheeks? Study explores basis of ‘cute aggression’
    by Ben Renner on January 7, 2022 at 11:22 am

    RIVERSIDE, Calif. — If you’ve ever felt a powerful impulse to squeeze a cute puppy or pinch a baby’s cheeks, you’ve felt what researchers refer to as “cute aggression.” A recent study conducted at the University of California, Riverside researchers attempted to figure out exactly what causes these bizarre, yet fairly common urges. Cute aggression is characterized… The post Love pinching babies’ cheeks? Study explores basis of ‘cute aggression’ appeared first on Study Finds.

  • At peace: Positive attitudes about death improve end-of-life care
    by Study Finds on January 2, 2022 at 3:06 pm

    ADELAIDE, Australia — Changing the way we think and talk about death could improve end-of-life health care. Recent research suggests encouraging people to view death differently, as a positive and natural part of life, it could help them make better decisions as they prepare for what is inevitably to come. For many people, especially if… The post At peace: Positive attitudes about death improve end-of-life care appeared first on Study Finds.

  • Ketamine therapy reduces depression, suicidal thoughts within hours
    by Study Finds on January 1, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    EXETER, England — Growing research on the anesthetic ketamine, also known as the club drug “Special K,” continues to suggest remarkable improvements for people struggling with their mental health. New research out of England shows the drug effectively reduces depression and suicidal thoughts shortly after being taken. Scientists from the University of Exeter uncovered this… The post Ketamine therapy reduces depression, suicidal thoughts within hours appeared first on Study Finds.

  • For astronauts, long periods of time in space can lead to declining mental health
    by Study Finds on January 1, 2022 at 3:37 pm

    HOUSTON — Long-term space travel could lead to a spiral into mental health problems for astronauts mired in loneliness, according to research carried out on isolated workers in the Antarctic. The study shows that after long periods of time there was a lack of positive emotions and no “bounce-back” effect even when the workers were… The post For astronauts, long periods of time in space can lead to declining mental health appeared first on Study Finds.