http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. It's safe to say that humans are smarter than animals, but a University of Iowa researcher is investigating the extent of that disparity in intelligence. http://www.physorg.com/news153671032.html Biology Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:24:26 EST news153671032 Parents and educators who favor traditional classroom-style learning over free, unstructured playtime in preschool and kindergarten may actually be stunting a child's development instead of enhancing it, according to a University of Illinois professor who studies childhood learning and literacy development. http://www.physorg.com/news153670275.html Medicine & Health Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:11:44 EST news153670275 The underlying sense of being in control of our own actions is challenged by new research from UCL (University College London) which demonstrates that the choices we make internally are weak and easily overridden compared to when we are told which choice to make. http://www.physorg.com/news153581911.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:39:06 EST news153581911 Study results to be published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society show that computerized brain exercises can improve memory and lead to faster thinking. http://www.physorg.com/news153579799.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:04:15 EST news153579799 Unraveling the genetics of social behavior and cognitive abilities, researchers at the University of Utah and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have traced the role of two genes,GTF2I and GTF2IRD, in a rare genetic disorder known as Williams Syndrome. http://www.physorg.com/news153577714.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:30:41 EST news153577714 Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes. http://www.physorg.com/news153574019.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:27:38 EST news153574019 Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy, older adults who participated in a computer-based training program to improve the speed and accuracy of brain processing showed twice the improvement in certain aspects of memory, compared to a control group. http://www.physorg.com/news153501936.html Medicine & Health Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:25:59 EST news153501936 Doctors may be able to use certain cognitive tests to help determine whether a person with Alzheimer's disease can safely get behind the wheel. The research is published in the February 10, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://www.physorg.com/news153421746.html Medicine & Health Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:10:46 EST news153421746 Eating a Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with less risk of mild cognitive impairment -a stage between normal aging and dementia -or of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology. http://www.physorg.com/news153419152.html Medicine & Health Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:28:54 EST news153419152 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have shown for the first time that the active training of the working memory brings about visible changes in the number of dopamine receptors in the human brain. The study, which is published in the prestigious scientific journal Science, was conducted with the help of PET scanning and provides deeper insight into the complex interplay between cognition and the brain's biological structure. http://www.physorg.com/news153149048.html Medicine & Health Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:24:48 EST news153149048 A new University of British Columbia study reconciles a debate that has long raged among marketers and psychologists: What colour most improves brain performance and receptivity to advertising, red or blue? http://www.physorg.com/news153066202.html Medicine & Health Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:23:45 EST news153066202 Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) have problems with memory and other aspects of cognitive functioning, reports a new study published by Elsevier, in the February issue of Journal of Cardiac Failure . http://www.physorg.com/news153065042.html Medicine & Health Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:05:44 EST news153065042 Humans and mice are both good at assessing risk in everyday tasks, according to a study by Rutgers University scientists published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.physorg.com/news152818400.html Biology Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:33:40 EST news152818400 A team of Arizona psychologists, geneticists and neuroscientists has reported that a safe and effective drug used to treat vascular problems in the brain has improved spatial learning and working memory in middle-aged rats. Although far from proving anything about human use of the drug, the finding supports the scientific quest for a substance that could treat progressive cognitive impairment, cushion the cognitive impact of normal aging, or even enhance learning and memory throughout the life span. http://www.physorg.com/news152773555.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:06:18 EST news152773555 When it comes to assessing the romantic playing field -- who might be interested in whom -- men and women were shown to be equally good at gauging men's interest during an Indiana University study involving speed dating -- and equally bad at judging women's interest. http://www.physorg.com/news152526254.html Medicine & Health Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:24:48 EST news152526254 Non-verbal communication, in the form of facial expressions, may be impaired in people with schizophrenia. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions have shown that deficits in non-verbal expressivity in schizophrenia are linked to poor social skills and an unawareness of the thoughts and intentions of others. http://www.physorg.com/news151911329.html Medicine & Health Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:36:07 EST news151911329 A growing body of evidence demonstrates that we can take steps to delay age-related cognitive decline, including in some cases that which accompanies Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. http://www.physorg.com/news151842200.html Medicine & Health Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:24:46 EST news151842200 Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan, have for the first time identified a relationship between Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin", and cognitive impairment in a large-scale study of older people. The importance of these findings lies in the connection between cognitive function and dementia: people who have impaired cognitive function are more likely to develop dementia. The paper will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology. http://www.physorg.com/news151839942.html Medicine & Health Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:46:24 EST news151839942 A new study conducted at the Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience of the University of Bologna, and published by Elsevier in the February 2009 issue of Cortex shows that, in confabulating patients, memory accuracy improves when attentional resources are reduced. http://www.physorg.com/news151760649.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:44:47 EST news151760649 (PhysOrg.com) -- Many individuals with Parkinson`s disease are able to recall losing their sense of smell well before the onset of more commonly recognized symptoms such as tremors, impaired dexterity, speech problems, memory loss and decreased cognitive ability. To determine if a fading sense of smell may signal Parkinson`s, researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University`s Feinberg School of Medicine are participating in a national study to examine the correlation and ascertain whether smell loss presents a tool for early detection of the disease and an opportunity to delay or ultimately prevent more troublesome symptoms. http://www.physorg.com/news151689638.html Medicine & Health Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:03:50 EST news151689638 Researchers at UC Davis have launched an innovative study to determine whether closer examination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can detect the onset of Alzheimer's disease even before patients begin to show the symptoms of cognitive decline that are the hallmarks of the condition. http://www.physorg.com/news151383149.html Medicine & Health Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:52:29 EST news151383149 In a national clinical trial, adolescents with moderate to severe depression first given a placebo treatment and then an antidepressant medication alone or in combination with therapy responded just as well over the long term as participants who received active treatment throughout the study, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report. http://www.physorg.com/news151225628.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:07:08 EST news151225628 Cognitive rehabilitation after a serious brain injury or stroke can help the mind in much the same way that physical therapy helps the body, according to a new meta-analysis. Because the data suggest that treatment may work best when tailored to age, injury, symptoms, and time since injury, the findings may help establish evidence-based treatment guidelines. A full report is in the January issue of Neuropsychology, which is published by the American Psychological Association. http://www.physorg.com/news151079650.html Medicine & Health Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:34:10 EST news151079650 Researchers at The University of Arizona are developing a set of standardized tests that could improve the lives of people with Down syndrome. http://www.physorg.com/news150991781.html Medicine & Health Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:09:41 EST news150991781 Both the developing brain and the aging brain can suffer from lead exposure. For older people, a buildup of lead from earlier exposure may be enough to result in greater cognitive problems after age 55, according to a follow-up study of adults exposed to lead at work. http://www.physorg.com/news150954580.html Medicine & Health Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:49:40 EST news150954580 New research published in the international journal Neurobiology of Aging by Marc Poulin, PhD, DPhil, finds that being physically fit helps the brain function at the top of its game. An Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scholar, Poulin finds that physical activity benefits blood flow in the brain, and, as a result, cognitive abilities. http://www.physorg.com/news150645185.html Medicine & Health Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:53:05 EST news150645185 (PhysOrg.com) -- As people age, memory and the ability to carry out tasks often decline. Scientists looking for ways to lessen that decline often have focused on the "gray matter" -- the cortical regions where high-level functions such as memory are located. http://www.physorg.com/news150562618.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:56:58 EST news150562618 Adults with diabetes experience a slowdown in several types of mental processing, which appears early in the disease and persists into old age, according to new research. Given the sharp rise in new cases of diabetes, this finding means that more adults may soon be living with mild but lasting deficits in their thought processes. http://www.physorg.com/news150347652.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:14:12 EST news150347652 Researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that the human brain -once thought to be a seriously flawed decision maker -is actually hard-wired to allow us to make the best decisions possible with the information we are given. The findings are published in today's issue of the journal Neuron. http://www.physorg.com/news149345120.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:45:20 EST news149345120 Dollar signs for eyes - cartoonists have been drawing them for years, and the artists, while whimsical, may have been onto something. According to new research from UC San Diego, areas of the brain responsible for vision respond more strongly to objects of value. http://www.physorg.com/news149344893.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:41:33 EST news149344893