Psychology News and Research

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Psychology is the study of human mental functions, behavior and processes.

NJISA experts available for interviews on Alzheimer's disease

An estimated five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, a disease that affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language and is the most common form of dementia among older people.

21 Nov 2008

Researchers study effect of ADHD on smoking cessation

Tobacco use is more prevalent and smoking cessation less likely among persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

21 Nov 2008

Brain reorganizes to compensate for loss of vision

A new study from Georgia Tech shows that when patients with macular degeneration focus on using another part of their retina to compensate for their loss of central vision, their brain seems to compensate by reorganizing its neural connections.

20 Nov 2008

Regular religious service attendance reduces risk of death by 20 percent

A study published by researchers at Yeshiva University and its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent.

19 Nov 2008

Marijuana may be good for the aging brain

The more research they do, the more evidence Ohio State University scientists find that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation there and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells.

19 Nov 2008

A new Institute for Nanotechnology

The George Washington University has announced the establishment of the GW Institute for Nanotechnology.

19 Nov 2008

High levels of social support may protect brain during stroke

New research in mice suggests that high levels of social support may provide some protection against strokes by reducing the amount of damaging inflammation in the brain.

18 Nov 2008

Stress found to impair decision making in rats

Neuroscientists from the University of Washington have found that a single exposure to uncontrollable stress impairs decision making in rats for several days, making them unable to reliably seek out the larger of two rewards.

18 Nov 2008

Kynurenic acid in brain shows potential as schizophrenia target

New research has traced elevated levels of a specific compound in the brain to problem-solving deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

18 Nov 2008

Proposition 8 sparks distress among same-sex couples

Amendments that restrict civil marriage rights of same-sex couples - such as Proposition 8 that recently passed in California - have led to higher levels of stress and anxiety among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults, as well as among their families of origin, according to several new studies to be published by the American Psychological Association.

18 Nov 2008

Nostalgia helps overcome loneliness

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, has a crucial part to play in combating feelings of isolation and loneliness, claim researchers in a new study.

18 Nov 2008

New handbook helps prevent the tragedy of campus violence

A guide to help colleges and universities prevent the tragedy of campus violence has been released by a team of leading experts.

18 Nov 2008

Sleep helps the mind learn complicated tasks

Sleep helps the mind learn complicated tasks and helps people recover learning they otherwise thought they had forgotten over the course of a day, research at the University of Chicago shows.

17 Nov 2008

Intervention program boosts survival in breast cancer patients

A new study provides the best evidence to date that a psychological intervention program designed for breast cancer patients not only improves their health - it actually increases their chance of survival.

17 Nov 2008

No clear evidence that depression screening improves cardiovascular patients' health

Results of a new study call into question recent clinical guidelines issued by leading cardiovascular groups, including the American Heart Association, which recommend patients with cardiovascular disease be screened for signs of depression and treated accordingly.

16 Nov 2008