Archive for April, 2009
Driven to distraction? Taking your mind off a decision can help
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SyST8u1X3FBcjjhCgEcOXdyhTNg/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SyST8u1X3FBcjjhCgEcOXdyhTNg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SyST8u1X3FBcjjhCgEcOXdyhTNg/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SyST8u1X3FBcjjhCgEcOXdyhTNg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pRemember when the answer to a big question came to you in the shower? Is "sleep on it" really good advice for someone making a big decision? A new study Journal of Consumer Research examines the way distraction affects consumers' product decisions.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/q01Yextv9wo" height="1" width="1"/
Using tools requires that the brain is able to control movements
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0TUXZwGbyuCuvEIWof_aNhECi3Y/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0TUXZwGbyuCuvEIWof_aNhECi3Y/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0TUXZwGbyuCuvEIWof_aNhECi3Y/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0TUXZwGbyuCuvEIWof_aNhECi3Y/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pOur ability to use objects and tools to perform actions is essential to our daily activities, and it is developed to a level that is unique to our species. In a study performed by a scientific team of the French National Center for Scientific Research and the Paris Descartes University, published by Elsevier in the April 2009 issue of Cortex, researchers have found that brain-lesioned patients who have difficulties using familiar objects and tools in their usual context may also be impaired at controlling the movement of an object in the context of simpler movements such as pointing at a target.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/PeiaxUabmZo" height="1" width="1"/
Brain mechanisms for behavioral flexibility
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XxdVEyy2Q6EnEdKLchqtyIXoBU/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XxdVEyy2Q6EnEdKLchqtyIXoBU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XxdVEyy2Q6EnEdKLchqtyIXoBU/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XxdVEyy2Q6EnEdKLchqtyIXoBU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pNew research provides insight into how the brain can execute different actions in response to the same stimulus. The study, published by Cell Press in the April 16 issue of the journal Neuron, suggests that information from single brain cells cannot be interpreted differently within a short time period, a finding that is important for understanding both normal cognition and psychiatric disorders.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/_SBeZj21Jf4" height="1" width="1"/
I feel like a different person
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S0kJpHyDmu4qqMKTtz_g3v1QVX0/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S0kJpHyDmu4qqMKTtz_g3v1QVX0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S0kJpHyDmu4qqMKTtz_g3v1QVX0/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S0kJpHyDmu4qqMKTtz_g3v1QVX0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pStudy suggests link between how we feel, our culture and how we behaveimg src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/rimBM70Ea6c" height="1" width="1"/
Where you live may affect your state of mind
Friday, April 17th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EKqHYpNhCOwTaFxyGHkmcwqZ7Ns/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EKqHYpNhCOwTaFxyGHkmcwqZ7Ns/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EKqHYpNhCOwTaFxyGHkmcwqZ7Ns/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EKqHYpNhCOwTaFxyGHkmcwqZ7Ns/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pStress and depression vary by region, according to new studyimg src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/X0TGgmtLJVU" height="1" width="1"/
Signals from stroking have direct route to brain
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Uh3fnSo8uPN-b7lgX7HeEfkLBkA/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Uh3fnSo8uPN-b7lgX7HeEfkLBkA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Uh3fnSo8uPN-b7lgX7HeEfkLBkA/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Uh3fnSo8uPN-b7lgX7HeEfkLBkA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pNerve signals that tell the brain that we are being slowly stroked on the skin have their own specialized nerve fibers in the skin. This is shown by a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The discovery may explain why touching the skin can relieve pain.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/6V-EkYiizrE" height="1" width="1"/
Baby’s first dreams
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7Y97puf4AbtHoU6yXmNJm16VuAs/0/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7Y97puf4AbtHoU6yXmNJm16VuAs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/abr/
a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7Y97puf4AbtHoU6yXmNJm16VuAs/1/da"img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7Y97puf4AbtHoU6yXmNJm16VuAs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pAfter about seven months growing in the womb, a human fetus spends most of its time asleep. Its brain cycles back and forth between the frenzied activity of rapid eye movement sleep and the quiet resting state of nonREM sleep. But whether the brains of younger, immature fetuses cycle with sleep or are simply inactive has remained a mystery, until now.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/9TkfMY3tWas" height="1" width="1"/
Tweet this: Rapid-fire media may confuse your moral compass
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9on7GtImW_wwMdy11uG4Dtzxt6c/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9on7GtImW_wwMdy11uG4Dtzxt6c/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pMedia culture should allow time for reflective moments, say USC neuroscientists in a study that also shows higher emotions to be as rooted in the body as primal impulsesimg src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/SHrn-zmBPM0" height="1" width="1"/
Count Your Blessings
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
BRThe other day I sent my brother, David, nbsp;an email telling him some of the things that were getting me down.nbsp; He was sorry to hear I was having problems and then told me something that I'm trying to remember.nbsp;nbsp; He said to try to list the things in my life that are good.nbsp; I think that's excellent advice but I am having a hard time remembering to do it when I feel especially sad. BRBREaster wasn't a happy day for me this year.nbsp; I guess because I didn't put enough into it.nbsp; I have felt sad and depressed all day.nbsp; In fact, I've been having a lot of trouble with depression ever since Christmas.nbsp;nbsp; I'm not sure why I'm having so much trouble getting out from under the weight of this cloud that I feel.nbsp;nbsp; I keep focusing on the negative things....they seem so overwhelming, and I need to remember what my brother said,nbsp;"List the good things and be happy about them".nbsp;nbsp; Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to do that.nbsp;nbsp; BRBRTonight I needed to expressnbsp;my feelings of sadness and depression, as well as the inability I seem to be having in shaking those feelings.nbsp;nbsp; I hope that wasnbsp;okay with you, our readers.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
Adult brain processes fractions ‘effortlessly’
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/qhwm23vsYoB6NrRoseKp950XHTc/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/qhwm23vsYoB6NrRoseKp950XHTc/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pMathematical value intuited without calculation; findings may impact math educationimg src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/BrainMysteries/~4/8YQprIg15Vc" height="1" width="1"/