brain news stories on Newser

Scientists Finally Figure Out 'Brain Freeze'

Matt Cantor — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:33:37 CDT

Why must a shooting pain so often accompany a delicious bite of ice cream? In their work to learn more about migraines, scientists may have figured it out, LiveScience reports. Using the previously established findings that migraine-sufferers have the double whammy of more frequent brain freeze, the researchers decided to...

Thinking, Religion Don't Mix: Study

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:09:05 CDT

People prone to analytical thinking are less prone to religious faith, a new study has concluded. Scientists have long believed that analytical thinking can override one's intuitive responses, and studies have shown that religion is rooted in intuitive thought. So Canadian researcher Will Gervais set out to see if analytical...

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:05:44 CST

Why are some stock traders and gamblers so willing to take financial risks? A new study shares a possible answer: Scientists found that people with higher levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in a critical part of the brain related to sensory and reward systems are less sensitive to the pain...

This Diet Helps Your Mind

John Johnson — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:00:05 CST

Add this to the potential benefits of the Mediterranean diet: It might just help your brain along with your heart, a new study suggests. Using MRI scans of the brain, researchers found that those who ate a diet based on fruits, veggies, fish, whole grains, olive oil, and a moderate...

Nurturing Moms Help Kids' Brains Grow

Matt Cantor — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:30 CST

A mother's care may affect the physical development of a child's brain, a study suggests. Researchers found that preschool kids with more nurturing mothers had larger hippocampi than their peers by the time they were school age, reports HealthDay News, via the Philadelphia Inquirer . The hippocampus is a part of...

'Silent Strokes' May Damage Memory

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:00:00 CST

"Silent strokes" may be taking a toll on seniors' memory. A new study shows that seniors who have suffered such strokes—they don't have obvious symptoms but leave behind dead brain cells—do worse on memory tests, reports USA Today . It's no small thing: An estimated 1 in 4 seniors...

Are We Hardwired to See Jesus in Toast?

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:20:00 CST

Does that smear of jam on your toast look a bit like Uncle Al ... or Jesus ? It's pretty normal to try to recognize features in the flotsam and jetsam of our lives. Humans strive so mightily to make sense of their surroundings that they constantly search for familiarity—or...

Gamers' Brains Have Bigger 'Reward Hub'

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:10:00 CST

This is your brain on videogames: The brains of hardcore gamers are wired differently than those who rarely play video games, according to a new study. Researchers who scanned the brains of more than 150 14-year-olds found that the brain's "reward hub"—which plays a role in addiction—was bigger...

Worrying Yourself Sick? Science Has a Cure

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:00:00 CST

Worried that it's unhealthy to be glued to the Internet, surfing through stories? That anxiety alone could cause health problems—and doctors are now uncovering the neurological roots of this so-called "nocebo" effect, according to an award-winning essay by Penny Sarchet in the Guardian . The opposite of the "placebo" effect,...