Brain And Consciousness Research

Researchers map damaged connections in Phineas Gage's brain

Saturday, May 26, 2012 00:00 MST

In 1848, Phineas Gage survived an accident that drove an iron rod through his head. UCLA researchers, for the first time, used images of Gage's skull combined with modern-day brain images to suggest there was extensive damage to the white matter "pathways" that connected various regions of his brain.

How do facial cues affect preference and trust?

Friday, May 25, 2012 00:00 MST

People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images.

'Gaydar' automatic and more accurate for women's faces, psychologists find

Friday, May 25, 2012 00:00 MST

After seeing faces for less than a blink of an eye, college students have accuracy greater than mere chance in judging others' sexual orientation. Their "gaydar" persisted even when they saw the photos upside-down, and gay versus straight judgments were more accurate for women's faces than for men's.

When does planning interfere with achieving our goals?

Friday, May 25, 2012 00:00 MST

It seems really simple: If you want to achieve something, set a goal and then make specific plans to implement it. But according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers get overwhelmed while juggling multiple goals.

Scientists identify neurotranmitters that lead to forgetting

Thursday, May 24, 2012 00:00 MST

In a study that appears in the May 10, 2012, issue of the journal Neuron, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have pinpointed a mechanism that is essential for forming memories in the first place and, as it turns out, is equally essential for eliminating them after memories have formed.

The music of the (hemi)spheres sheds new light on schizophrenia

Thursday, May 24, 2012 00:00 MST

In 1619, the pioneering astronomer Johannes Kepler published Harmonices Mundi in which he analyzed data on the movement of planets and asserted that the laws of nature governing the movements of planets show features of harmonic relationships in music. In so doing, Kepler provided important support for the, then controversial, model of the universe proposed by Copernicus.

Touching tarantulas

Thursday, May 24, 2012 00:00 MST

A brief therapy session for adults with a lifelong debilitating spider phobia resulted in lasting changes to the brain's response to fear. The therapy was so successful, the adults were able to hold a tarantula in their bare hands six months after the treatment. This is the first study to document the immediate and long-term brain changes after treatment and to illustrate how the brain reorganizes long-term to reduce fear.

Social jetlag is a real health hazard

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 00:00 MST

Social jetlag -- a syndrome related to the mismatch between the body's internal clock and the realities of our daily schedules -- does more than make us sleepy. It is also contributing to the growing tide of obesity, according to a large-scale epidemiological study reported online on May 10 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

New study discovers powerful function of single protein that controls neurotransmission

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 00:00 MST

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

Researchers reveal different mechanisms of pain

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 00:00 MST

Researchers at the University of Leeds have found a previously unknown mechanism through which pain is signaled by nerve cells -- a discovery that could explain the current failings in the drug development process for painkillers and which may offer opportunities for a new approach.

Let's get moving: Unraveling how locomotion starts

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 00:00 MST

Scientists at the University of Bristol have shed new light on one of the great unanswered questions of neuroscience: how the brain initiates rhythmic movements like walking, running and swimming.

People see sexy pictures of women as objects, not people

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 00:00 MST

Perfume ads, beer billboards, movie posters: everywhere you look, women's sexualized bodies are on display. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that both men and women see images of sexy women's bodies as objects, while they see sexy-looking men as people.

Study finds ovulating women perceive sexy dads as good dads

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 00:00 MST

Nice guys do finish last at least when it comes to procreation according to a study from the University of Texas at San Antonio that answers the question of why women choose bad boys.Research from Kristina Durante, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Texas at San Antonio College of Business, finds that hormones associated with ovulation influence women's perceptions of men as potential fathers.

Brain circuitry is different for women with anorexia and obesity

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 00:00 MST

Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? A study recently published by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher shows that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized in obese women.

Sleepwalking more prevalent among US adults than previously suspected, researcher says

Monday, May 21, 2012 00:00 MST

New Stanford University School of Medicine research found that about 3.6 percent of US adults -- or upward of 8.4 million -- are prone to sleepwalking. The work also showed an association between nocturnal wanderings and certain psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.