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Choir singing induces state of stimulated regeneration in IBS patients

A Swedish investigation has compared choir singing and group discussion in irritable bowel syndrome in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

19 May 2010

Hand-clapping song activity has positive effect on children: Study

A researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev conducted the first study of hand-clapping songs, revealing a direct link between those activities and the development of important skills in children and young adults, including university students.

29 Apr 2010

Laughter increases production of antibodies and activates body's protective cells

Laughter is a highly complex process. Joyous or mirthful laughter is considered a positive stress (eustress) that involves complicated brain activities leading to a positive effect on health. Norman Cousins first suggested the idea that humor and the associated laughter can benefit a person's health in the 1970s. His ground-breaking work, as a layperson diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, documented his use of laughter in treating himself—with medical approval and oversight—into remission.

27 Apr 2010

Uproar over UK Foreign Office take on Papal visit

Following the uproar after the release of the controversial Foreign Office memos that suggested that Pope Benedict XVI's visit to UK this September could be marked by the launch of "Benedict" condoms. The Foreign Office document, called "The ideal visit would see...", said the Pope could be invited to open an abortion clinic, launch a range of condoms, singing a charity duet with the Queen and bless a gay marriage. The document raised the issues of child abuse by priests and urged the “sacking” of “dodgy bishops” and opening helplines for abused children.

26 Apr 2010

Peer interaction may provide a learning opportunity for autistic children

The numbers are startling: New research now indicates that that 1 in 110 children in the United has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

6 Apr 2010

Genome of Australian zebra finch decoded

Nearly all animals make sounds instinctively, but baby songbirds learn to sing in virtually the same way human infants learn to speak: by imitating a parent.

2 Apr 2010

MSCHIE launches Phase 2 of HIE deployment

The Mississippi Coastal Health Information Exchange (MSCHIE) has launched Phase 2 of its HIE deployment - which will expand its services to four additional health systems, launch a community outreach training program, and integrate with additional EHR vendors throughout the community - marking a major milestone in its efforts to improve patient care coordination and clinical outcomes in the Mississippi counties hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina.

31 Mar 2010

Christian Companion Senior Care to offer services to Charlotte

Christian Companion Senior Care, the nation's first senior care franchise to combine practical and spiritual assistance, is bringing its services to Charlotte.

27 Mar 2010

Electronic cigarettes revolutionize the face of tobacco smoking

The new face of tobacco smoking has now become vaping due to the increasing popularity of the electronic cigarette. This product was so revolutionary that even pharmaceutical industry reports stated that "e-cigarettes will revolutionize the face of tobacco smoking and could pose a threat to the smoking cessation market."

17 Mar 2010

National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS in the U.S. and the World

The National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS begins Sunday, March 7th – Saturday, March 13th, 2010, with Churches, Synagogues, Temples and Homes calling Americans to teach, advocate and pray for the healing of AIDS in the United States and the World.

8 Mar 2010

Neuroimaging study may lead to new therapeutic treatments for stroke and hearing loss

Duke University Medical Center scientists crowded around a laser-powered microscope in a darkened room to peer into the brain of an anesthetized juvenile songbird right after he heard an adult tutors' song for the first time.

18 Feb 2010

Plagiocephaly babies need to be screened and monitored early in life for possible cognitive, motor delays

In a new study, infants averaging six months of age who exhibited positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) had lower scores than typical infants in observational tests used to evaluate cognitive and motor development. Positional or deformational plagiocephaly may occur when external forces shape an infant's skull while it is still soft and malleable, such as extended time spent lying on a hard surface or in one position. This is the first controlled study to suggest that babies who have flattened areas on the back of their heads during the first year of life may be at risk for developmental delay.

15 Feb 2010

Auditory feedback pathway in the brain linked to learned vocal control identified

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have identified neurons in the songbird brain that convey the auditory feedback needed to learn a song.

18 Jan 2010

Contentious party politics consume health care debate

The Wall Street Journal's Capital Journal details the tough choices facing Democrats. "At this stage in the sausage-making process that is writing legislation, nobody is under the illusion he or she is working on anything like the perfect health bill, or one that is growing in popularity. A series of recent polls shows the opposite -- that support is eroding the longer the bill hangs in the balance

15 Dec 2009

New evidence of a deep biological link between human music and speech

A pair of studies by Duke University neuroscientists shows powerful new evidence of a deep biological link between human music and speech.

4 Dec 2009

Music therapy can reduce pain and anxiety in hospice pateints

Add guitars and other musical instruments to the tools caregivers can use to help patients in hospice care. That's what University of Alabama senior Sarah Pitts found when she brought her music therapy skills to patients in Hospice of West Alabama.

1 Dec 2009

New research examines screen time in home-based and center-based child care settings

In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares.

23 Nov 2009

America's Got Talent Donald Braswell to participate in "Songs for Sara" Benefit Concert

Donald Braswell, 4th place winner from TV's "America's Got Talent" 2008 season, and William Stokking, retired principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, are featured in the "Songs for Sara" Benefit Concert for Sara Ann Kronrot, a six-year-old Collingswood girl with profound cerebral palsy.

21 Nov 2009

Perceptual Control Theory may soon revolutionize psychological and social sciences

Just as 400 years ago a correct explanation of the solar system set the stage for major progress in the physical sciences, so today a correct explanation of control is setting the stage for major progress in the life sciences.

17 Nov 2009

Marriott hotels continues to support Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, hosts benefit Torch Relay

Representatives from Marriott hotels throughout the Washington, DC, area, along with co-workers, customers friends and family, joined forces last week to participate in a Torch Relay to benefit Children’s Miracle Network.

6 Nov 2009