Concerns have been raised over the long-term use of nutritional supplements containing chromium, after an Australian research team found the supplement is partially converted into a carcinogenic form when it enters cells. Chromium is a trace mineral found primarily in two forms. Trivalent chromium(III) picolinate and a range of other chromium(III) forms are sold as…
Why Some People Have More Trouble After Romantic Rejection
People carry a heavier burden from rejection when they view it as revealing something about “who they really are” as a person, new research from Stanford University shows. The study examines the link between rejection and a person’s sense of self. Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology, co-authored the paper along with psychology doctoral student…
Neural Correlates of Stories About Deeply Held Values
Everyone has at least a few non-negotiable values. These are the things that, no matter what the circumstance, you’d never compromise for any reason – such as “I’d never hurt a child,” or “I’m against the death penalty.” Real-time brain scans show that when people read stories that deal with these core, protected values, the…
Mindfulness Can Improve Living With A Disability
Mindfulness, a meditative practice focusing on attention and awareness training, has been shown to have positive effects on mental and physical wellbeing. A recent review of studies has also shown that mindfulness meditation helps people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder reduce their mental and physical problems. Challenging behaviour is the most prevalent problem…
Microglia Cells Key To Maintaining Blood-brain Barrier
New research shows that the cells responsible for protecting the brain from infection and inflammation are also responsible for repairing the system of defenses that separates the brain from the rest of the body. These findings have significant clinical implications because certain cardiovascular drugs could possibly impede the brain’s ability to repair itself after a…
Ability To Control Dreams May Help Unravel Mystery Of Consciousness
We spend around six years of our lives dreaming – that’s 2,190 days or 52,560 hours. Although we can be aware of the perceptions and emotions we experience in our dreams, we are not conscious in the same way as when we’re awake. This explains why we can’t recognise that we’re in a dream and…
Is Clinical Perfectionism a Mental Disorder?
We all know a perfectionist – the person we live with, share an office with, or are friends with, who has agonisingly high standards and is disappointed when things fall short. It might even be you. It’s often harmless enough. But for some people, this perfectionism is taken to an extreme level, and interferes with their…
Infant Reach Training Affects Object Exploration 12 Months Later
Scientists have known that infants’ early learning experiences may positively affect later development through processes called developmental cascades. For example, walking and fine motor skills have been associated with vocabulary size and later language development. These cascades have been commonly theorized, but until now evidence supporting them has been largely correlational. A new study demonstrates…
Glioblastoma Multiforme: Key Driver For Treatment Found
Glioblastoma multiforme is a particularly deadly cancer. A person diagnosed with this type of brain tumor typically survives 15 months, if given the best care. But scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a key to how these tumor cells proliferate so quickly —and ways to turn this engine of tumor growth into a target…