April 28, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
How different are our brains from our primate ancestors? This is the question researchers in Germany attempted to answer in a new study published in the Journal of Science Advances. The study looked at brain asymmetry in humans and great apes as seen from endocasts, casts of the inner bony brain case that approximate the size and shape of the brain. Brain asymmetry is imperative to cognition and brain function in humans and has been linked to language and the use of tools.
[More]
March 31, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
Being less agreeable in old age may be protective against Alzheimer’s disease.
Using brain imaging and psycho-cognitive evaluations, researchers from the University of Geneva and the University Hospitals of Geneva found that certain personality traits in elderly people were protective against neuro-degeneration.
[More]
March 29, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
A study of the largest sample of transgender people ever surveyed found that possession of gender-concordant ID is associated with a lower rate of suicidal thoughts and suicidal planning, and a reduction in psychological stress among transgender people.
[More]
March 3, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Stressed-out parents take heed! It would seem running after the kids, having a full time job, getting the gym, and making time for a social life all count as a diversity of activities that are actually good for your brain. Now if you can just remove the 'stress' part. A new study published in the Journal of Gerontology found that change is good for the brain and that a diversity in activities helps with cognitive function across adulthood.
[More]
January 21, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Imagine this: You’re five years old and you've just been given your favorite treat. Maybe it's a marshmallow or maybe it’s a lollipop. Whatever it is, you want to devour it instantly but are told that if you wait a certain amount of time and don’t eat it until that certain amount of time is up, you’ll get another treat of the same variety, thereby increasing your tally to two treats. What would you do? What would you say a five-year-old would do? And why does it matter?
[More]
January 14, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
A recent study examined whether extreme adversity early in life can have a long-lasting impact on brain development. Previous research shows that early childhood adversity is linked to a higher risk for a wide range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric problems later in life. This study examined whether early adversity is also linked to changes in brain structure and whether these brain changes can partly explain why some individuals develop persisting neurodevelopmental problems, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), following adversity while others do not
[More]
January 7, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
The tradition of making new year's resolutions goes all the way back to the Babylonians in 1894 BC. At the start of the new year, the Babylonians would make promises to their gods, return borrowed items and pay off debts. New year's resolutions continue to be popular thousands of years later. According to a recent survey completed in December, one in three people in the U.S. said they would be making resolutions for 2020. The survey also listed the most popular. Here's how to make sure you keep your resolutions all year long.
[More]
December 31, 2019
by Patricia Tomasi
If you’re wondering what new year’s resolutions to make, you might want to consider adding another spouse or two. According to a recent study of 2000 participants over two decades living in Tanzania, multiple husbands can be advantageous to women and children when times are difficult. While this scenario might not exactly play well in most relationships today, it seems that in that remote village in East Africa where the study took place, having an extra spouse can be a buffer in economic and social crises and help children live longer.
[More]
December 23, 2019
by Elizabeth Pratt
What is the meaning of life? Since the begin of time mankind has sought to answer that question. Now, researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that the search for or presence of meaning in life are important for wellbeing and health.
[More]
December 17, 2019
by Patricia Tomasi
According to the World Health Organization, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins in childhood. One in 160 children worldwide has been diagnosed with autism. But since autism was only recognized as a disorder in 1980, there are many adults who went through childhood without a diagnosis and without help. Now, a new study thought to be the first of its kind examining an autism diagnosis exclusively in middle age, found that adults diagnosed with autism in their fifties grew up believing they were ‘bad people’, ‘alien’, and ‘non-human’. The study is published in the Journal of Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine
[More]