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Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 9, 2010
When it comes to pain, the two competing schools of thought are that it’s either “all in your head†or “all in your body.†A new study led by University of Oxford researchers indicates that, instead, pain is an amalgam of the two.
Depression and pain often co-occur, but the underlying mechanistic reasons for this have largely been unknown. To examine the interaction between depression and pain, Dr. Chantal Berna and colleagues used brain imaging to see how healthy volunteers responded to pain while feeling low.
Their findings revealed that inducing depressed mood disrupted a portion of the participants’ neurocircuitry that regulates emotion, causing an enhanced perception of pain. In other words, as explained by Dr. Berna, “when the healthy people were made sad by negative thoughts and depressing music, we found that their brains processed pain more emotionally, which led to them finding the pain more unpleasant.â€
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/06/09/pain-depression-linked/14411.html
 
Article Date: 02 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
When we get angry, the heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone production increases, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and the left hemisphere of the brain becomes more stimulated. This is indicated by a new investigation lead by scientists from the University of Valencia (UV) that analyses the changes in the brain’s cardiovascular, hormonal and asymmetric activation response when we get angry.
“Inducing emotions generates profound changes in the autonomous nervous system, which controls the cardiovascular response, and also in the endocrine system. In addition, changes in cerebral activity also occur, especially in the frontal and temporal lobes”, Neus Herrero, main author of the study and researcher at UV, explains to SINC.
The researchers induced anger in 30 men using the version that has been adapted to Spanish of the procedure “Anger Induction” (AI), consisting of 50 phrases in first person that reflect daily situations that provoke anger. Before and immediately after the inducement of anger they measured the heart rate and arterial tension, the levels of testosterone and cortisol, and the asymmetric activation of the brain (using the dichotic listening technique), the general state of mind and the subjective experience of the anger emotion.
The results, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, reveal that anger provokes profound changes in the state of mind of the subjects (“they felt angered and had a more negative state of mind”) and in different psychobiological parameters. There is an increase in heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone, but the cortisol level decreases.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/190522.php
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Article Date: 02 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
When we get angry, the heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone production increases, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and the left hemisphere of the brain becomes more stimulated. This is indicated by a new investigation lead by scientists from the University of Valencia (UV) that analyses the changes in the brain’s cardiovascular, hormonal and asymmetric activation response when we get angry.
“Inducing emotions generates profound changes in the autonomous nervous system, which controls the cardiovascular response, and also in the endocrine system. In addition, changes in cerebral activity also occur, especially in the frontal and temporal lobes”, Neus Herrero, main author of the study and researcher at UV, explains to SINC.
The researchers induced anger in 30 men using the version that has been adapted to Spanish of the procedure “Anger Induction” (AI), consisting of 50 phrases in first person that reflect daily situations that provoke anger. Before and immediately after the inducement of anger they measured the heart rate and arterial tension, the levels of testosterone and cortisol, and the asymmetric activation of the brain (using the dichotic listening technique), the general state of mind and the subjective experience of the anger emotion.
The results, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, reveal that anger provokes profound changes in the state of mind of the subjects (“they felt angered and had a more negative state of mind”) and in different psychobiological parameters. There is an increase in heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone, but the cortisol level decreases.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/190522.php
 
New study finds memory improved by vocalising or sub-vocalising words.
Committing words to memory is a notoriously hit-and-miss business. Over the last forty years psychologists have found three methods which consistently improve memory for words:
- Imagery: recall is aided by creating an image of what you want to remember.
- Elaboration: thinking of associations helps anchor words in your mind.
- Generation: memory is improved when you have to put some work in to generate the target. E.g. guess the name of your favourite blog from this cryptic clue: _sy_log.
In research on trying to remember lists of words, these three methods have each produced memory improvements of 10% over simply reading words once.
That might not sound much, but it is an average over many studies and often for things that are hard to remember. Psychologists like testing people with non-words like ‘trackle’ or ‘nosting’ that could be words, but aren’t.
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New study finds memory improved by vocalising or sub-vocalising words.
Committing words to memory is a notoriously hit-and-miss business. Over the last forty years psychologists have found three methods which consistently improve memory for words:
- Imagery: recall is aided by creating an image of what you want to remember.
- Elaboration: thinking of associations helps anchor words in your mind.
- Generation: memory is improved when you have to put some work in to generate the target. E.g. guess the name of your favourite blog from this cryptic clue: _sy_log.
In research on trying to remember lists of words, these three methods have each produced memory improvements of 10% over simply reading words once.
That might not sound much, but it is an average over many studies and often for things that are hard to remember. Psychologists like testing people with non-words like ‘trackle’ or ‘nosting’ that could be words, but aren’t.
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 9, 2010
Fewer than half of patients with bipolar disorder achieve functional recovery, report researchers who note that married patients, those with greater education, and those with fewer years of illness are more likely to recover.
“Psychosocial and occupational impairments in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder are highly prevalent despite modern therapeutic advances,†Emory University psychiatrist Aliza Wingo and co-authors comment in the journal Bipolar Disorders. “An important question is what factors might facilitate or impede functional recovery of bipolar disorder patients, particularly considering those in or near symptomatic recovery.â€
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/06/09/bipolar-recovery-more-likely-in-those-married-better-educated/14434.html
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Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 9, 2010
Fewer than half of patients with bipolar disorder achieve functional recovery, report researchers who note that married patients, those with greater education, and those with fewer years of illness are more likely to recover.
“Psychosocial and occupational impairments in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder are highly prevalent despite modern therapeutic advances,†Emory University psychiatrist Aliza Wingo and co-authors comment in the journal Bipolar Disorders. “An important question is what factors might facilitate or impede functional recovery of bipolar disorder patients, particularly considering those in or near symptomatic recovery.â€
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/06/09/bipolar-recovery-more-likely-in-those-married-better-educated/14434.html
 
Article Date: 09 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Traditionally, the most successful methods used to combat stage fright have been prescribed medications (beta blockers) and aerobic exercise. In the most recent issue of Biofeedback, researchers studied another technique: the effect of biofeedback training on Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). MPA is a severe form of stage fright marked by high anxiety levels and impaired performance.
Up to 72% of all musicians may suffer from MPA. Like other forms of stage fright, MPA is a complex experience that has mental, emotional, physiological, and psychological components.
In this study, university student-musicians performed in front of an audience and were assessed. Later, they participated in four 30- to 50-minute sessions during which they were taught techniques to control their heart rhythm patterns and focus their thoughts and emotions. A heart rate biofeedback device provided feedback, so participants could tell when the techniques were working. At the end of the training, they were asked to perform for an audience again.
The results showed a 71% decrease in performance anxiety and a 62% improvement in performance. Once the techniques were learned, participants were also able to use them in other areas of their lives and reported an increased sense of calmness, improved anger management, better sleep and generally more relaxed feelings. Previous studies have shown that biofeedback training also increases test-taking ability, decreases stress and relieves depression.
…. Full text of the article, “Effects of Heart Rate Variability Coherence Biofeedback Training and Emotional Management Techniques to Decrease Music Performance Anxiety.”
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191246.php
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Article Date: 09 Jun 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Traditionally, the most successful methods used to combat stage fright have been prescribed medications (beta blockers) and aerobic exercise. In the most recent issue of Biofeedback, researchers studied another technique: the effect of biofeedback training on Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). MPA is a severe form of stage fright marked by high anxiety levels and impaired performance.
Up to 72% of all musicians may suffer from MPA. Like other forms of stage fright, MPA is a complex experience that has mental, emotional, physiological, and psychological components.
In this study, university student-musicians performed in front of an audience and were assessed. Later, they participated in four 30- to 50-minute sessions during which they were taught techniques to control their heart rhythm patterns and focus their thoughts and emotions. A heart rate biofeedback device provided feedback, so participants could tell when the techniques were working. At the end of the training, they were asked to perform for an audience again.
The results showed a 71% decrease in performance anxiety and a 62% improvement in performance. Once the techniques were learned, participants were also able to use them in other areas of their lives and reported an increased sense of calmness, improved anger management, better sleep and generally more relaxed feelings. Previous studies have shown that biofeedback training also increases test-taking ability, decreases stress and relieves depression.
…. Full text of the article, “Effects of Heart Rate Variability Coherence Biofeedback Training and Emotional Management Techniques to Decrease Music Performance Anxiety.”
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191246.php
 
 Molecular model of human insulin. (Credit: iStockphoto/Martin McCarthy)
ScienceDaily (June 9, 2010) — Defects in insulin function — which occur in diabetes and obesity — could directly contribute to psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have discovered a molecular link between impaired insulin signaling in the brain and schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice. The findings, reported June 8 in PLoS Biology, offer a new perspective on the psychiatric and cognitive disorders that affect patients with diabetes and suggest new strategies for treating these conditions.
“We know that people with diabetes have an increased incidence of mood and other psychiatric disorders,” said endocrinologist Kevin Niswender, M.D., Ph.D. “And we think that those co-morbidities might explain why some patients have trouble taking care of their diabetes.”
“Something goes wrong in the brain because insulin isn’t signaling the way that it normally does,” said neurobiologist Aurelio Galli, Ph.D.
Galli’s group was among the first to show that insulin — the hormone that governs glucose metabolism in the body — also regulates the brain’s supply of dopamine — a neurotransmitter with roles in motor activity, attention and reward. Disrupted dopamine signaling has been implicated in brain disorders including depression, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Read in Full:Â http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100608182645.htm