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Narcissists don’t learn from their mistakes, because they fail to acknowledge they made a mistake in the first place. Researchers from Oregon State University found that narcissists don’t admit fault when they get something wrong or make a mistake, but if they make good decisions are happy to claim they knew that would be the outcome. [More]

Some children develop obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms quite suddenly, often after an infectious illness such as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). It has been hypothesized that these symptoms derive from antibodies that cross-react with cells in the brain, causing local brain inflammation and impairing brain circuit function. However, this has been somewhat controversial, in large part because these antibodies have proven difficult to identify. A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry by a team of Yale scientists examined this phenomenon. [More]

There are over five million people in the United States today who are living with dementia and 50 million around the globe. By 2050, it’s predicted that nearly 14 million people in the U.S. will have dementia and 152 million worldwide. A new study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at whether personality traits were associated with a risk of developing cognitive decline in aging. [More]

A recent study found that feeling prepared in one area of life might also bring you a newfound sense of confidence in other areas. In three studies from The Ohio State University at Lima, researchers found that if a person felt prepared in one area, it made them more confident in their belief in an area of their life that was completely different. That held true regardless of whether that belief was positive or negative. [More]

For centuries, spiritual gurus and scientists alike have been trying to answer the age old question of human consciousness: What is it? Where is it? Does it even exist? Now, a team of scientific researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have discovered what they believe could be the area of the brain involved in generating consciousness. The study, titled: The claustrum coordinates cortical slow-wave activity, was published in the Journal of Nature Neuroscience. Researchers set out to elucidate the function of a mysterious brain region called the claustrum. [More]

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]

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]

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]

A study by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles had found it is possible to determine a person’s ability to feel empathy by studying their brain activity whilst resting rather than when engaged in activity. [More]

“Keep a gratitude journal.” A common statement made to people who are depressed or experiencing other negative emotions and research says gratitude can increase happiness.And it makes us more altruistic because it biases the brain’s reward system towards rewards for others. [More]