en-us Science news and technology updates from Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com Copyright 1996-2013 Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com 45 http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/logo/SAlogo_144px.gif 144 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=9f45db1faf496db74940c6c273c8b8a9 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-dsm5-ignores-biology-mental-illness <p>This month the American Psychiatric Association (APA) will publish the fifth edition of its guidebook for clinicians, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , or DSM-5 . Researchers around the world have eagerly anticipated the new manual, which, in typical fashion, took around 14 years to revise. The DSM describes the symptoms of more than 300 officially recognized mental illnesses--depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and others--helping counselors, psychiatrists and general care practitioners diagnose their patients. Yet it has a fundamental flaw: it says nothing about the biological underpinnings of mental disorders. In the past, that shortcoming reflected the science. For most of the DSM &#39;s history, investigators have not had a detailed understanding of what causes mental illness.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-dsm5-ignores-biology-mental-illness>[More]</a> Mind & Brain Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:30:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5d3d812c9beebb057506f32c69c2b188 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=psychology-war-helps-explain-atrocities <p>&ldquo;I really tortured others. At night we went out and raided villages. We killed whomever we saw. If we happened to see a woman, we raped her.... Fighting is all there is in the life of a man. Whenever I hear guns go off, I want nothing more than to fight. This thirst lies deep within me.&rdquo;</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=psychology-war-helps-explain-atrocities>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Mind & Brain,Thought & Cognition,Everyday Science,More Science,Psychology,Biology,Society & Policy Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=0236b6fd7516c9a90e7b3a27845ed6d9 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dont-sleep-it-off <p>It may be tempting to seek solace in slumber after a traumatic event, but a study from the October 2012 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology found that sleeping too soon after trauma might lead to increased post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Two groups of rodents were exposed to a predator&#39;s scent, a traumatic event for a mouse. For six hours afterward, one group was prevented from sleeping, whereas a control group was not. The sleep-deprivation group displayed fewer physiological markers of stress than the control group and less PTSD-like behavior, such as freezing and a heightened startle response.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dont-sleep-it-off>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Thought & Cognition,Everyday Science,More Science,Health,Mind & Brain Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7d1ca674240165ef04734c7e16fac93f http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=faulty-sleep-mechanism-might-cause-trauma-to-linger <p>Scientists have long known that once we nod off, certain memories grow stronger. One recent theory suggests that forgetting, too, is an essential function of sleep [see &ldquo;Sleep&#39;s Secret Repairs,&rdquo; by Jason Castro; Scientific American Mind, May/June 2012]. Researchers now suspect that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may emerge from flaws in sleep&#39;s forgetting process. Two studies presented at the 2012 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans indicate that sleep might offer a window of opportunity for weakening memories and providing relief from lingering reminders of trauma.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=faulty-sleep-mechanism-might-cause-trauma-to-linger>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Everyday Science,Thought & Cognition,Addiction & Recovery,Neuroscience,Psychology,Mind & Brain,More Science Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=87348c47ba470a4421b3fff44d8fd017 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=psychiatry-comes-to-the-aid-of-captive-chimps-with-abnormal-behavior <p>As our closest relatives, chimpanzees have played a role in science for nearly 80 years. Because they can contract infections such as HIV and hepatitis, they have proved valuable for biomedical research. This research has revealed another trait, however, that chimpanzees share with humans: vulnerability to psychological damage. Concerned by mounting evidence of lasting trauma in great apes, the European Union banned their use in research in 2010. And in January 2013, a National Institutes of Health report recommended that all but 50 of the nearly 700 chimps in NIH-supported labs be retired to sanctuaries. In 2010 the Scientific American Board of Editors published an editorial calling for a ban on the use of apes in invasive biomedical research.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=psychiatry-comes-to-the-aid-of-captive-chimps-with-abnormal-behavior>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Health,Mind & Brain,Ethics,More Science,Psychiatry,Psychology,Thought & Cognition,Biology,Society & Policy Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6e654174dad82e619e43aa316c884492 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=magnetic-brain-stimulation-could-ease-pain <p>Treating the brain with magnets went mainstream a few years ago, when the technique proved successful at relieving major depression. Now the procedure, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), shows promise for another mysterious, hard-to-treat disorder: chronic pain.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=magnetic-brain-stimulation-could-ease-pain>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Psychology,More Science,Neurological Disorders,Mind & Brain,Everyday Science Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f6d7a8fa1db7e94064cd6af904a14fb6 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=research-offers-few-answers-trauma-children <p>In the aftermath of traumatic events like the Newtown massacre, Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, children need to heal, just as adults do. But in turning to research to find out what approaches work best for young people, one finds little guidance, according to a research review published February 11 in Pediatrics .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=research-offers-few-answers-trauma-children>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Mind & Brain,Pharmaceuticals,Everyday Science,Psychiatry,Psychology,Health,Society & Policy Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=80b08e32367ab124bca452653c919023 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-eye-movements-treat-trauma <p>Imagine you are trying to put a traumatic event behind you. Your therapist asks you to recall the memory in detail while rapidly moving your eyes back and forth, as if you are watching a high-speed Ping-Pong match. The sensation is strange, but many therapists and patients swear by the technique, called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Although skeptics continue to question EMDR&#39;s usefulness, recent research supports the idea that the eye movements indeed help to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-eye-movements-treat-trauma>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Mind & Brain,Thought & Cognition,More Science,Addiction & Recovery,Psychology,Health,Everyday Science Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:03:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f2f9e316840ce5b98a969dc69ba29487 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=will-we-come-to-grips-with-nuclear-weapons <p> The Science Of The Next 150 Years: 50 Years in the Future <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=will-we-come-to-grips-with-nuclear-weapons>[More]</a> Technology,Society & Policy,Everyday Science,Climate,Energy & Sustainability,Alternative Energy Technology,Alternative Energy Technology,Technology,More Science Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:30:08 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=14c04e95ab84c3ef7b1d65598a0d79e2 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=civilian-trauma-may-lead-to-combat-12-12-08 <p>War is hell. And for many soldiers, the experience leaves lasting scars. And not just physical ones. A subset of veterans develop post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. But it might not be only the horrors of battle that make them susceptible. According to a study in the journal Psychological Science [link to come] echoes of childhood abuse may contribute .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=civilian-trauma-may-lead-to-combat-12-12-08>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Mind & Brain,Society & Policy,Psychology,More Science,Neurological Disorders,Psychiatry,Health,Everyday Science Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:22:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f901465ef221f6043b1c0f0194543e0e http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kate-middleton-is-pregnan <p>The happy news for the British monarchy is that Kate Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge, is with child--a potential heir to the throne. Sadly, the royal isn&#39;t having an easy go of her first pregnancy.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kate-middleton-is-pregnan>[More]</a> Health,Everyday Science,Psychology,Neurological Disorders,Psychiatry,Health,Science Education Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=062cd62ed3b6ae597e99133033c14ab2 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=troubled-childhood-may-predict-ptsd <p>In 2009 a regiment of Danish soldiers, the Guard Hussars, was deployed for a six-month tour in Afghanistan&#39;s arid Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold. They were stationed along with British soldiers--270 in all--at a forward operating base called Armadillo. Although none of the Guard Hussars were killed during the tour of duty, they nonetheless experienced many horrors of battle. A commander was seriously injured by a roadside bomb, and a night patrol ended in a firefight that killed and dismembered several Taliban combatants.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=troubled-childhood-may-predict-ptsd>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Psychology,Thought & Cognition,Mind & Brain Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=82887c2db14f6c6bcb5ad215cb417dcc http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=roots-post-trauma-resillience-sought-genetics-brain-changes <p>From Nature magazine</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=roots-post-trauma-resillience-sought-genetics-brain-changes>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Mind & Brain,Psychology,Neuroscience,Health Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:02:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c865d1b5a93d8c1b2fa3292202457fd5 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=letters-to-the-editor-readers-respond-to-feeling-free <p> FEELING FREE </p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=letters-to-the-editor-readers-respond-to-feeling-free>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Everyday Science Thu, 13 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=08bc2fce8e67f32e853595f606f499ce http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-all-psychotherapies-created-equal <p>As a prospective client searches for a psychotherapist, numerous questions may spring to mind. How experienced is the therapist? Has he helped people with problems like mine? Is she someone I can relate to? Yet it may not occur to clients to ask another one: What type of therapy does the clinician deliver? People often assume that the brand of therapy offered is irrelevant to the effectiveness of treatment. Is this assumption correct?</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-all-psychotherapies-created-equal>[More]</a> More Science,Everyday Science,Thought & Cognition,Neurological Disorders,Psychiatry,Psychology,Mind & Brain,Addiction & Recovery Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:40:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ffea573accc8604ba7f75e32ff8fbfc9 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-criminal-trials-help-us-heal-from-mass-shootings <p>Americans know mass shootings like the ancient Greeks knew tragedy. It&rsquo;s a narrative, played out in stereotyped acts. Confusion begets horror. Rescue teams arrive. We tally the dead. Reporters introduce us to the face of evil. And in a final, protracted scene, a dazed killer sits subdued before a judge as we search his demeanor for answers.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-criminal-trials-help-us-heal-from-mass-shootings>[More]</a> More Science,Society & Policy,Everyday Science,Thought & Cognition,Psychology,Mind & Brain,More Science Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=529b7085927573a40352840f7046a544 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=olympics-insula-gives-edge <p>All elite athletes train hard, possess great skills and stay mentally sharp during competition. But what separates a gold medalist from an equally dedicated athlete who comes in 10th place? A small structure deep in the brain may give winners an extra edge.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=olympics-insula-gives-edge>[More]</a> Mind & Brain,Health,Neuroscience,Mind & Brain,Everyday Science,Biology Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:09:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=344a30de7a3b58a2ad79fb948c074192 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=proustian-mind-pops-may-spur-creativity <p>In everyday life, people often search their memory for specific information: &ldquo;Where did I leave the car keys?&rdquo; &ldquo;Did I really turn the oven off?&rdquo; Other times they actively reminisce about the past: &ldquo;Remember that crazy night out last week?&rdquo; Not all recall is a choice, however; some forms of memory are involuntary. Perhaps the most famous example is a scene from French novelist Marcel Proust&apos;s In Search of Lost Time (also called Remembrance of Things Past ). As the narrator drinks some tea and eats a small, plump sponge cake known as a madeleine, the taste brings up a memory of eating the same treat at his aunt&apos;s house when he was young.</p><p>Researchers are beginning to study a related form of memory called mind pops, fragments of knowledge, such as words, images or melodies, that drop suddenly and unexpectedly into consciousness. Unlike the Proustian example, mind pops, a term coined by University of California, San Diego, emeritus professor George Mandler, seem completely irrelevant to the moments in time and thought into which they intrude. They are more often words or phrases than images or sounds, and they usually happen when someone is in the middle of a habitual activity that does not demand much concentration. (For example: you are doing the dishes when the word &ldquo;orangutan&rdquo; springs into your mind for no obvious reason.) Most notably, identifying a trigger for a mind pop in the surrounding environment or even in previous thoughts is extremely difficult--they seem to come out of nowhere.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=proustian-mind-pops-may-spur-creativity>[More]</a> More Science Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a9ab0c229b9e35120b10cf4a07301e88 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lsd-may-cure-some-addicts <p>Psychedelic drugs are making a quiet comeback, as a smattering of recent studies have demonstrated their medicinal potential. The latest finding suggests it is time to revisit LSD as a treatment for addiction.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lsd-may-cure-some-addicts>[More]</a> Mind & Brain