435 posts · 451,728 views
Brain Blogger covers topics from multidimensional biopsychosocial perspectives. It reviews the latest news and stories related to neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology. It serves as a focal point for attracting new minds beyond the science of the mind-and-brain and into the biopsychosocial model.
Brain Blogger
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- March 30, 2008
- 11:08 AM
- 1,191 views
Ignoring Natural Remedies
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
I have yet to form a solid opinion regarding universal health coverage. Regardless of what I conclude to be the best policy, I am glad that the issue is out there. But I wish that this topic was more extensive; I wish that our country would broaden its’ definition of healthcare to include alternative treatments.
A ... Read more »
J GOUIN, J KIECOLTGLASER, W MALARKEY, & R GLASER. (2007) The influence of anger expression on wound healing☆. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.10.013
- March 29, 2008
- 10:08 AM
- 1,278 views
The Science of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Women take a lot of criticism for premenstrual syndrome, being accused by male friends and partners of irritability and moodiness. Now, women may have a good explanation for their behavior.
During the 2 weeks before their period, women experience a gradual surge of progesterone secretion. Progesterone is produced by an ovulated egg within the ovaries, and ... Read more »
G van Wingen, F van Broekhoven, R J Verkes, K M Petersson, T Bäckström, J K Buitelaar, & G Fernández. (2008) Progesterone selectively increases amygdala reactivity in women. Molecular Psychiatry, 13(3), 325-333. DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002030
- March 28, 2008
- 01:09 PM
- 1,859 views
The Brain-Road Link: New Evidence on Cell Phones and Driving
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Law enforcers now have all the proof they need for tougher anti-cell phone measures for drivers, as the latest published neurological study shows that there is a 37% reduction in parietal cortex activity with driving. Arguments that there are many among us who can multi-task well have taken a back seat in recent studies involving ... Read more »
Mei-Ching Lien, Robert McCann, Eric Ruthruff, & Robert Proctor. (2005) Dual-Task Performance With Ideomotor-Compatible Tasks: Is the Central Processing Bottleneck Intact, Bypassed, or Shifted in Locus?. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31(1), 122-144. DOI: 10.1037/0096-1523.31.1.122
- March 24, 2008
- 11:20 AM
- 1,271 views
Is This a Cure for War and Domestic Violence?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
"When people could envision their own government committing acts similar to those of the terrorists, they were less vengeful. ...they were more supportive of negotiations and economic aid."
... Read more »
Julie Exline, Roy F Baumeister, Anne L Zell, Amy J Kraft, & Charlotte V Witvliet. (2008) Not so innocent: Does seeing one's own capability for wrongdoing predict forgiveness?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(3), 495-515. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.3.495
- March 23, 2008
- 01:10 PM
- 1,037 views
Why People Stop Taking Anti-Depressants: Part 3
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
We’ve examined the common reasons people stop taking anti-depressants. That’s part of this puzzle. We’ve looked at the difficulty of proving the type of depression an individual has. Now, let’s answer the big question: why does the “cause” of depression really matter? Let’s start with something that happened recently.
Research published by Dr. Irving Kirsch of ... Read more »
Irving Kirsch, Brett Deacon, Tania Huedo-Medina, Alan Scoboria, Thomas Moore, & Blair Johnson. (2008) Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS Medicine, 5(2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045
- March 19, 2008
- 10:27 AM
- 1,123 views
Functional MRI: A Radiological Window into the Mind - Part 1
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Functional MRI (fMRI) is one of the most widely used experimental tools in neuroscience today, which allows us to study blood flow patterns to different parts of the brain during a given task. For example during solving mathematical problems, a typical fMRI pattern is seen. Recently however, psychological theories are being tested, and a broader ... Read more »
J MARQUES, N CANESSA, S SIRI, E CATRICALA, & S CAPPA. (2008) Conceptual knowledge in the brain: fMRI evidence for a featural organization. Brain Research, 90-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.11.070
R SAXE. (2006) Why and how to study Theory of Mind with fMRI. Brain Research, 1079(1), 57-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.01.001
- March 18, 2008
- 12:28 PM
- 1,266 views
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Brain Revisited
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
A few weeks ago, I wrote about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the abnormal brain activity seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a recent clinical trial. These findings supported the theory that patients with IBS have an altered sensation of abdominal pain and respond more strongly and more emotionally to pain than unaffected patients.
Now, ... Read more »
S Berman, B D Naliboff, B Suyenobu, J S Labus, J Stains, G Ohning, L Kilpatrick, J A Bueller, K Ruby, J Jarcho.... (2008) Reduced Brainstem Inhibition during Anticipated Pelvic Visceral Pain Correlates with Enhanced Brain Response to the Visceral Stimulus in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(2), 349-359. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2500-07.2008
B Naliboff, M P Frese, & L Rapgay. (2007) Mind/Body Psychological Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 5(1), 41-50. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nem046
- March 13, 2008
- 05:13 PM
- 1,894 views
Videophilia Takes Over
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The benefits of spending time outdoors are numerous –- fresh air, sunshine, relaxation. Who wouldn’t want that? Apparently, many Americans don’t. Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago tracked outdoor activities over several decades, and found a sharp decline among US citizens. Rates of fishing, hiking, hunting, backpacking and national and state park visits ... Read more »
O Pergams, & P A Zaradic. (2008) Evidence for a fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(7), 2295-2300. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0709893105
- March 12, 2008
- 10:32 AM
- 1,350 views
When Entertainment Encourages Epidemics
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a press release calling for ABC to cancel its pilot episode of a new drama Eli Stone. Renee R. Jenkins, MD, President of the AAP, accused ABC of “reckless irresponsibility” in screening a television program that may give parents the false impression that vaccines cause autism. She goes on ... Read more »
A WAKEFIELD, S MURCH, A ANTHONY, J LINNELL, D CASSON, M MALIK, M BERELOWITZ, A DHILLON, M THOMSON, & P HARVEY. (1998) Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet, 351(9103), 637-641. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)11096-0
- March 10, 2008
- 02:42 PM
- 1,485 views
Magnetoencephalography: A Breakthrough Imaging Technique for Pediatrics
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is an imaging technique that is currently being used before resective surgery in pediatric epilepsy patients to determine whether or not surgery is necessary and if the surgery will be successful. Before this technique was implemented, doctors had to rely on symptoms caused by seizures and traditional techniques that did not provide sufficient ... Read more »
ES Schwartz, DJ Dlugos, PB Storm, J Dell, R Magee, TP Flynn, DM Zarnow, RA Zimmerman, & TPL Roberts. (2008) Magnetoencephalography for Pediatric Epilepsy: How We Do It. American Journal of Neuroradiology. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A1029
- March 6, 2008
- 01:20 PM
- 1,318 views
Is it the Brain or the Game? Gender Differences in Gaming
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
New research findings from the Stanford University proves that men find playing video games more rewarding. This wouldn’t appear surprising to the millions of console and PC gaming widows worldwide, but this gives us an opportunity to have a look at the good old chicken-and-egg conundrum in the context of arriving at sweeping generalizations on ... Read more »
F HOEFT, C WATSON, S KESLER, K BETTINGER, & A REISS. (2008) Gender differences in the mesocorticolimbic system during computer game-play. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 42(4), 253-258. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.11.010
- March 4, 2008
- 01:15 PM
- 1,927 views
Are Insurance Copayments Unethical?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Mammograms are recommended for all women over the age of 45 as a breast cancer screening tool. Some insurance and Medicare plans provide full coverage for these tests because they are deemed necessary and beneficial. Other plans apply co-pays to mammograms, and other similar medical interventions, despite the prevalent medical opinion that they are both ... Read more »
A Trivedi, W Rakowski, & J Z Ayanian. (2008) Effect of Cost Sharing on Screening Mammography in Medicare Health Plans. New England Journal of Medicine, 358(4), 375-383. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa070929
- March 3, 2008
- 12:14 PM
- 1,223 views
Emotional Vitality May Protect Against Heart Disease
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
While a number of studies have shown that negative social behaviors and emotional states tend to correlate with a lower overall level of physical health, few have sought to illuminate a link between emotional vitality and physical well-being. A recent study provides evidence that there may, indeed, be a connection. Six thousand twenty-five men and ... Read more »
L Kubzansky, & R C Thurston. (2007) Emotional Vitality and Incident Coronary Heart Disease: Benefits of Healthy Psychological Functioning. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(12), 1393-1401. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.12.1393
- March 1, 2008
- 10:13 AM
- 1,575 views
Why Some Men, Like Women, Cannot Read Maps Too
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
I never quite got around to write the sequel to Barbara and Allan Pease’s evocative work (1), although I had figured out a nice name for it, “Why men don’t use makeup, and women can’t Sumo wrestle.” Not to make fun of the genetic determinists who study gender differences, but to drive home the whole ... Read more »
Qazi Rahman, & Johanna Koerting. (2007) Sexual orientation-related differences in allocentric spatial memory tasks. Hippocampus, 18(1), 55-63. DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20375
- February 26, 2008
- 11:14 AM
- 1,369 views
The Chattering Brain - How Chronic Pain Throws our Cortex out of Sync
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
A new study from the Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine has provided important clues to how chronic pain might throw our lives out of gear by affecting many areas of the cerebral cortex. Worse, if left unchecked, it could lead to irreversible damage to the interconnection between the neurons, leading to permanent changes in ... Read more »
M Baliki, P Y Geha, A V Apkarian, & D R Chialvo. (2008) Beyond Feeling: Chronic Pain Hurts the Brain, Disrupting the Default-Mode Network Dynamics. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(6), 1398-1403. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4123-07.2008
Lynn Webster, Youngmi Choi, Himanshu Desai, Linda Webster, & Brydon J Grant. (2007) Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Chronic Opioid Therapy. Pain Medicine, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2007.00343.x
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