ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain NewsPsychology news from leading research institutes around the world. Research on relationships, new treatments for mental health conditions, and more. Updated daily.Despite Frustrations, Americans Are Pretty Darned Happy- July 1, 2008 We're number 16 ... in world happiness. Feel the joy. The United States ranks ahead of more than 80 countries, but below 15 others in happiness levels, according to new World Values Survey data released in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630130129.htm Low Levels Of Good Cholesterol Linked To Memory Loss, Dementia Risk- July 1, 2008 Low levels of good cholesterol are associated with diminished memory by age 60. Researchers encourage physicians to monitor levels of good cholesterol.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630162411.htm Migraine Mutations Reveal Clues To Biological Basis Of Disorder- July 1, 2008 By studying a rare, inherited form of migraine, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found clues to the biological basis of the painful, debilitating disorder.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630173930.htm New Map IDs The Core Of The Human Brain- July 1, 2008 Researchers have created the first complete high-resolution map of how millions of neural fibers in the human cerebral cortex connect and communicate. Their groundbreaking work identified a single network core, or hub, that may be key to the workings of both hemispheres of the brain.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630200947.htm United States Has Highest Level Of Illegal Cocaine And Cannabis Use- July 1, 2008 A survey of 17 countries has found that despite its punitive drug policies the United States has the highest levels of illegal cocaine and cannabis use. Cannabis use was highest in the US (42.4%). Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," say the authors, "since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies." In the Netherlands, for example, which has more liberal...http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630201007.htm Multiple Vaccinations Have Not Caused Ill Health In UK Soldiers In Iraq- July 1, 2008 Multiple vaccinations have not been a cause of ill health in UK service personnel deployed to Iraq, according to a new study. The report says "recall bias" is to blame, when people link a perception of ill health with their memory of having had multiple vaccinations.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630200941.htm Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed In Their Natural Environment- July 1, 2008 In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630093621.htm Neuronal Correlates Of The Set-size Effect In Monkey Lateral Intraparietal Area- July 1, 2008 It is well known that the brain is limited in the amount of sensory information it can process at any given time. During an everyday task such as finding an object in a cluttered environment (known as visual search), observers take longer to find a target as the number of distractors increases. Scientists now show how a higher-order parietal area relates to attention and eye movements.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630200956.htm Depression Ups Risk Of Complications Following Heart Attack, Study Suggests- July 1, 2008 People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study. "There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years," said the lead author and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "No one had yet studied whether depression impacts cardiac outcomes immediately after a heart...http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701194736.htm Personal Information In E-mail Marketing Can Backfire, Study Indicates- July 1, 2008 Businesses risk chasing away prospective customers when they send chummy E-mails that bandy around people's names, hobbies and other personal information to pitch sales, according to a new study of the popular marketing tool. "People bristle at personalization just for the sake of personalization," says lead author of the new study.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701145102.htm |