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Psychology News

These research articles involve many aspects of psychology such as cognitive psychology, depression studies, mental health, stress, happiness and neuropsychology, Scroll below for more specific categories.

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Brain Stimulation May Improve Cognitive Performance in Those With Schizophrenia

Researchers at King's College London report transcranial direct current stimulation can help to improve cognitive function in those with Schizophrenia. The researchers found the improvement in cognitive performance was seen 24 hours after the initial stimulation was applied. They suggest the changes make not be instantaneous, and may take some time to occur.

Toddlers Begin Learning Rules of Reading and Writing at Very Early Age

A new study reveals that by the age of three, children are already starting to follow complex rules and patterns that govern how letters fit together to make words.

Autism Severity Detected With Brain Activity Test

EEG tests reveal children on the autism spectrum have lower peak alpha frequency than their peers not on the spectrum. Additionally, the lower the peak alpha frequency, the lower a child's non-verbal IQ was, the researchers discovered. Researchers believe the peak alpha frequency may not only be a useful biomarker for autism diagnosis, but also a marker to test the severity of the disorder.

Psychopaths are Better at Learning to Lie

A new study using university students reveals those with high psychopathic traits showed a significantly reduces response time when being prompted to lie following training than those low levels of the traits. Researchers say their findings provide evidence that those with higher psychopathic traits may be better at learning to lie.

Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy Linked to Slightly Increased Autism Risk

A new study in the BMJ links antidepressant use in pregnant women to a very small increased risk of autism in their offspring. Researchers discovered 4.1% of children exposed to antidepressants while in the womb were diagnosed with ASD, where as only 2.9% of children whose mothers had a history of mental health problems but did not take take medications were diagnosed with autism.

Eye Test Could Help Diagnose Autism

A simple eye test may be a useful tool in helping to diagnose ASD, a new study reports. Researchers measured eye movement in those on the autism spectrum and found they continually missed a specific target. The researchers suggest sensory motor control in the cerebellum that is usually responsible for eye control could be impaired in those with ASD.

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Alcohol Boosts Recall of Earlier Learning

A new Scientific Reports study reveals alcohol may have a surprising effect on learning and memory. Researchers found those who drank alcohol following a learned word task had better recollection of the terms they learned the next day than those who did not drink.

Ketamnine Shows Promise in Treatment of Geriatric Depression

A new study reports ketamine may be a safe and effective method of treating depression in older people. The University of New South Wales study reveals ketamine was well tolerated by those with depression, and repeated treatments led to a higher likelihood of remission.

Musicians Have Higher Prevalence of Eating Disorders

Researchers from Imperial College London report musicians may be at a reduced risk of developing eating disorders. In a recent study, researchers found the higher prevalence of eating disorders could be a result of the demands of the job in combination with certain personality traits, including increased levels of perfectionism.

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Choir Helps People with Parkinson’s Disease Battle Destructive Effects to Muscles, Brain and Voice

Researchers at the Northern Arizona University are helping alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's and quash social isolation in sufferers by establishing a choir.

High-Fat Diet in Pregnancy Can Cause Mental Health Problems in Offspring

Mothers who eat high fat diets during pregnancy could be elevating the risk of future depression and anxiety symptoms for their children, a new study in Frontiers in Endocrinology reports. High fat diets may impair the development of the central serotonin system, researchers discovered. Further studies noted that introducing a healthy diet to the offspring at an early age did not reverse the effect.