my readings in psychology for september 29th 2010

Wonderful things from 'the House of Balsamic', something one of my high school classmates is doing right now... CLICK on the picture and be transported to see how 'the other half lives'... and we all need to 'live' a little,too!

Some fun stories for today:

• the price of popularity

“The consumption of drugs and alcohol by teenagers is not just about rebellion or emotional troubles. It’s about being one of the cool kids, according to a study by led by researchers at the Université de Montréal.”

• can’t sleep? trying running!

“Sleepless and sedentary? Instead of counting sheep in a field, try running through a meadow. Experts agree that an aerobic exercise routine during the day can keep you from tossing and turning at night, even if they’re not sure why. “The bottom line is we really don’t know why people tell us that exercise helps them sleep,” said Dr. David Davila of the National Sleep Foundation.”

• why we fight

“A new study by USC researchers reveals that stressed men looking at angry faces had diminished activity in the brain regions responsible for understanding others’ feelings.”

• are you high on estrogen?

“High estrogen levels in women while they are ovulating may be directly responsible for sluggishness or problems concentrating, a Canadian study released Friday has found.  Researchers at Concordia University’s Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology in Montreal linked high estrogen levels in laboratory rats to an inability to pay attention and learn.”

• don’t like your handedness? brain sim can change that!

“Each time we perform a simple task, like pushing an elevator button or reaching for a cup of coffee, the brain races to decide whether the left or right hand will do the job. But the left hand is more likely to win if a certain region of the brain receives magnetic stimulation, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.”

• give neurons a beat and they act like a team

“When it comes to conducting complex tasks, it turns out that the brain needs rhythm,…”

• gene therapy and cocaine addiction

“Within two years, cocaine addicts desperate to kick the habit could take part in a pioneering trial of a gene therapy that gives them extra copies of a gene primed to mop up the drug. The therapy will be combined with a new vaccine that stops cocaine affecting the brain. The idea is that if you get no kick from the drug, you’ll be less likely to get hooked again if you relapse.”

TODAY is my daughter Kristin’s Birthday!   Happy Birthday!