Few diseases are stigmatized as much as schizophrenia, or other similar mental health illnesses. But things are looking up: according to new MRI research, brains afflicted with schizophrenia show an ability to identify and fight off the disease. The study, entitled Dynamic cerebral reorganization in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia: a MRI-derived cortical thickness study, was [...]
While it comes as no surprise that MRI scans reveal powerful activity in infants' brains upon hearing the voices of their mothers, scientists were looking for more specific information. “Many of our social, language and emotional processes are learned by listening to our mom's voice,” said study author Daniel Abrams. “But surprisingly little is known about how the [...]
To ride the elevator or climb the stairs may not seem like an important decision, but when it's a decision you make every day it could have lasting implications on not only your physical fitness, but your cognitive function as well. A new Canadian MRI study from researchers at Concordia University has found that younger-looking [...]
Adolescents are known for their risk taking. Health experts in privileged countries like ours cite preventable, often self-inflicted mishaps as the biggest risk to teenage well-being. But while the negative effects of peer pressure are well-known, less known are the more positive characteristics (faster learning and self exploration) attributed to the risks associated with group [...]
Could differences in male-female behaviours simply be social conditioning? One thing's for sure, they're not anatomical; a new MRI study has found no distinct differences between male and female brains. The study, entitled Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic was published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers, based at Tel-Aviv University, scanned over [...]
Self-help literature abounds with the quest for happiness: what causes it and how can you get some of your own? But what does neuroscience have to say on the subject? A new MRI study from Korean researchers offers new information to the happiness market. The study, entitled The structural neural substrate of subjective happiness, was [...]
A troubling new MRI study has uncovered that there are differences in brain development between wealthy and impoverished children. The study, called Family income, parental education and brain structure in children and adolescents was published in Nature Neuroscience spring 2015. It is the largest socioeconomic MRI brain study to date; its researchers spent 3 years studying [...]
While researchers can't claim to know the source of creativity, they are indeed getting closer to understanding where it occurs in the brain. A new MRI study from Stanford University has linked the cerebellum, the region of the brain responsible with coordinating movement, to creative output. The study, entitled Pictionary-based fMRI paradigm to study the [...]
Tomatoes, olive oil, whole grain breads and pastas, feta cheese, hummus, roasted red peppers, fresh fish--are you hungry yet? The above foods (and more!) are staples of the Mediterranean diet, an ancient lifestyle that regularly gets good press for its heart-healthy benefits. Now, thanks to a new MRI study, we can add enhanced brain volume [...]
Are you looking forward to holiday treats and libations but dreading sluggish energy levels and extra weight come January? Turns out those feelings of dread might be the right approach to keeping off the pounds, according to a new MRI study. Why are some people better at resisting food cravings than others? The answer [...]