Child abuse 'alters stress gene'

Analysis of brain tissue from adults who had committed suicide found key genetic changes in those who had suffered abuse as a child. "If you're a public health individual or a child psychologist you could say this shows you nothing you didn't already know. "Beyond that, you could ask whether a drug could reverse these effects

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Neuroscientist says social websites harm children's brains

Social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned.

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Scientists warn of first ever case of human mad cow disease

The first case of a person being infected with the human form of mad cow disease after receiving contaminated blood plasma has been identified by scientists.

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Buying Experiences, Not Possessions, Gives Greater Happiness

Can money make us happy if we spend it on the right purchases? A new psychology study suggests that buying life experiences rather than material possessions leads to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them.

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How memories form, fade, and persist over time

What was the name of that guy with that stuff in that place with those things? Don't you remember?

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Is Quantum Mechanics Controlling Your Thoughts?

The rules of quantum mechanics are turning up everywhere these days, and may be behind the efficiency of photosynthesis, the accuracy of our sense of smell, and even the source of our conscious mind.

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Mind-Body Therapy May Improve Pelvic Pain

Mind-Body Therapy May Improve Pelvic Pain

A new study suggests that a mind-body therapy called Mensendieck somatocognitive therapy may reduce long-term (chronic) pelvic pain in women. The effects lasted several months after the treatment ended.

Mensendieck therapy emphasizes body awareness. During treatment, patients learn how to correct their movements, breathing patterns and posture. This therapy is commonly used in Europe, especially Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Last year, Norwegian researchers found that Mensendieck therapy reduced pain and restored normal movement in 40 women with chronic pelvic pain with no known cause. The researchers reported their findings after a one-year follow up in the latest issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In the study, the participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard care alone or standard care plus 10 weeks of Mensendieck therapy.

At the beginning and end of the study, the authors measured the motor function (including movement, posture, gait and respiration), pain and psychological stress and well being. All of the women in the Mensendieck therapy group experienced significant improvements in all areas compared to the control group.

One year later, the authors found that the women in the therapy group experienced additional improvements in their symptoms. During the one-year period, their pain scores improved by 64 percent, and they experienced significant improvements in psychological distress. In contrast, pain scores in the control group did not change appreciably.

Although these early results are promising, additional studies are needed before a firm conclusion can be reached.Natural Standard

The Mystery of Borderline Personality Disorder

People with borderline personality disorder are some of psychology's hardest cases. Many commit suicide. But recent treatment advances are unlocking what was once a mystery illness.

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Exercise Improves Old Brains

The moment of truth has arrived, again. The holidays have passed, the leftovers are dwindling and you have renewed your annual New Year's resolution to get back into shape... for real.

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Study: Facial Expressions of Emotion are Innate, Not Learned

Facial expressions of emotion are hardwired into our genes, according to a study published today in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

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Video Games May Do the Aging Brain Good

Older adults might want to take an interest in their grandchildren's' video games, if early research on the brain benefits of gaming is correct. In a study of 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, researchers found that those who learned to play a strategy-heavy video game improved their scores on a number of tests of cognitive function.

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People Who Exercise On Work Days Happier, Suffer Less Stress

People who exercise on work days are more productive, happier and suffer less stress than on non-gym days, scientists revealed today.

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Scientists extract images directly from brain

Japan’s ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed new brain analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person’s mind and display them on a computer monitor, it was announced on December 11. Further development of the technology may soon make it possible to view other people’s dreams while they sleep.

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New Study Links Green Spaces to Healthier Bodies & Minds

A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living amid more concrete and fewer trees.

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Memories may be stored on your DNA

Remember your first kiss? Experiments in mice suggest that patterns of chemical "caps" on our DNA may be responsible for preserving such memories.To remember a particular event, a specific sequence of neurons must fire at just the right time. For this to happen, neurons must be connected in a certain way by chemical junctions called synapses.

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Top 4 Foods To Boost Your Memory

Here are some of the memory foods that you should incorporate into your diet to reap the benefits of memory enhancement.

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Radical Evolution: The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence

Ray Kurzweil sees a radical evolution of the human species in the next 40 years. The merger of man and machine, coupled with the sudden explosion in machine intelligence and rapid innovation in gene research and nanotechnology, will result in a world with no distinction between the biological and the mechanical or physical and virtual reality.

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15 Ways to Hack Your Brain For A Better Life

If you ’re looking to improve mental cognition, increase your memory, and enhance your alertness, here are 15 easy ways to give your brain a six-pack.

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Seven of the Greatest Scientific Hoaxes Ever

The history of science is replete with frauds and fakers. Of course, there are serious cases of scientific fraud, such as the stem cell researchers recently found guilty of falsifying data and the South Korean cloning fraud. The following stories, however, are not so serious.

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Is Oversleeping Hazardous To Your Health?

When it comes to sleep, can you have too much of a good thing? It's true a good night's sleep is essential for health. But oversleeping has been linked to a host of medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and increased risk of death.

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