Study Finds a Person’s Walk Can Reveal Aggressive Personality Traits Summary: A new exploratory study suggests that certain gait patterns — the way a person walks — can indicate higher levels of aggression and relate to established personality traits. Source: University of Portsmouth Overview Researchers in the Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth … Read more

Summary: The balance between GABA and glutamate influences long-term strategic choices and short-term, value-based decisions in distinct ways. Source: HHU Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg examined how neurochemical balances shape different forms of decision-making. Published in Nature Communications, their study shows that variations in the ratio of … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that exercising during the late morning may boost metabolism and enhance fat burning more than exercising late in the evening. These findings could be useful for people aiming to lose weight or improve metabolic health by scheduling their workouts at specific times of day. Source: Karolinska Institute Exercise timing appears to … Read more

Summary: A new analysis of print cartoons published between 1930 and 2010 finds clear gender differences in what viewers find funny. Men show a stronger preference for visual and situational (slapstick) humour, while women tend to favour cartoons that involve political commentary or the dynamics of close, domestic relationships. Both sexes, however, respond positively to … Read more

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified an epigenetic mechanism that helps explain why a subset of glioblastomas – the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor – resist targeted drug therapy. The findings were published as a priority report in the journal Oncotarget. According to Clark C. Chen, … Read more

Summary: Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with peripheral nerve stimulation over an extended period may restore voluntary movement in some people with chronic spinal cord injury. Source: Helsinki University Hospital New patient research at the BioMag laboratory, Helsinki University Hospital suggests a promising rehabilitation approach for people living with chronic spinal cord injury. Researchers at the … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a gene-regulation therapy that markedly lowers tau protein levels in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease after a single administration, with effects that persist for many months. Source: Mass General Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), in collaboration with Sangamo Therapeutics Inc., report a promising gene-based approach that substantially reduces tau, a … Read more

Researchers at the University of Michigan have uncovered how to repair a key cellular structure called the Golgi apparatus, which becomes fragmented in the neurons of all Alzheimer’s patients and appears to play a central role in disease progression. The team reports that by understanding the molecular events that cause Golgi fragmentation, they can better … Read more

Summary: New research identifies a connection between the personality trait of perfectionism and severe alcohol use disorder. Author: Research Society on Alcoholism Perfectionist characteristics—marked self-criticism, rigid and unrealistic personal standards, and the resulting social withdrawal—are linked with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to the first study to directly compare people with severe AUD to … Read more

Results suggest it may be possible to use gene therapy in the brain to treat substance abuse, neurological diseases and mental illnesses. Scientists at the University at Buffalo have demonstrated that they can alter alcohol-drinking behavior in rodents by using optogenetics, an experimental method that employs light to activate specific neurons. Their findings point to … Read more