Older Mothers Are More Likely To Have Better Adjusted Children

The trend of the average maternal age increasing steadily for the past many years comes with some benefits. Older mothers are less likely to punish and scold their children while raising them, and the children have fewer behavioral, social and emotional difficulties, according to new research from Denmark. Having said that, the findings should be…

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Children Understand Far More About Other Minds Than Long Believed

Until a few decades ago, scholars believed that young children know very little, if anything, about what others are thinking. Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who is credited with founding the scientific study of children’s thinking, was convinced that preschool children cannot consider what goes on in the minds of others. The interviews and experiments he…

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Deep Brain Stimulation In Medial Forebrain Has Antidepressant Effects

Deep brain stimulation can give lasting relief to patients with previously non-treatable, severe forms of depression several years into the therapy or even eliminate symptoms entirely, a new study has found. Conducted by scientists at the Medical Center of University of Freiburg, this is the first long-term study on this form of therapy. Deep brain…

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Social Anxiety Linked To Serotonin Transporter Gene Variant

Evidence for a gene variant that is believed to be linked to social anxiety has been found by researchers at the University of Bonn. The gene encodes a serotonin transporter in the brain. Interestingly, this messenger suppresses feelings of anxiety and depression. The scientists want to investigate this cause more precisely and are thus looking…

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Gaining Others Perspectives vs. Inferring Others Perspectives

You can get a much better idea of how others are feeling if you put ourselves in their shoes instead of trying to read how they feel through facial expressions and body language, new research shows. Study authors Haotian Zhou of Shanghai Tech University and Nicholas Epley of University of Chicago, explained: “People expected that…

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Schizophrenia May Begin In The Womb, Skin Cells Suggest

The skin cells of four adults with schizophrenia provide a unique insight into how the disease began before they were born. Scientists call the findings the first proof of concept for the hypothesis that a common genomic pathway lies at the root of schizophrenia. They add the work is a step toward the design of…

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Perceptual Decision Is Biased Against Action Effort Required

We are biased towards perceiving anything challenging to be less appealing, suggests a new study from University College London. The amount of effort needed to do something influences what we think we see, the study found. Imagine you are in an orchard, trying to decide which of the many apples to pick. On what do…

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Weak Central Coherence Causes Shared Attention Deficit In Autism

A relationship between two features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that were previously thought to be unrelated is detailed in new research by The University of Queensland. The findings, from a study led by UQ School of Psychology researcher Dr Daniel Skorich, may provide a better understanding of the social functioning difficulties of people with…

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High Dose B Vitamins Reduce Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

Adding treatment with high-dose b-vitamins, including B6, B8 and B12, can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia compared to standard treatments alone, a a systematic review and meta-analysis has found. Schizophrenia affects around 1% of the population and is among the most disabling and costly long term conditions worldwide. Current treatment is based around the administration…

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