Perceptual illusions are not only great fun, they also remind us of a basic truth: Our perceptions are more than projections of the world into our brain. As our brains assemble sensory inputs they construct our perceptions, based partly on…
Posts published in March 2018
A Genomics Workgroup of the National Advisory Mental Health Council has issued a report with recommendations for NIMH’s ongoing support of genomics research. Dr. Gordon offers highlights of the report with his reflections. Source: NIH
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tend to fall back on maladaptive coping strategies such as rumination and thought suppression, according to new research; even though adaptive coping skills such as acceptance and problem-solving could improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, many…
Long ago, I read a jest that most people believe in the shaping power of environmental nurture—until they have their second child. That pretty well sums up the results of a not-yet-published survey of 1000 Americans by an Emily…
Often the biggest existential distress that we carry is the idea that no-one will remember us when we are gone—initially we know that our friends and family will hold who we are, but after a generation, these people are likely…
“Live life to the fullest.” “Celebrate life.” “Carpe diem.” I’ve heard them all. But what if I don’t feel like it? What if I’m having a lousy brain day, restricted to a darkened room with a blinding headache, and seizing…
In an earlier post, I offered my nominee for psychology’s most misunderstood concept: negative reinforcement (which is not a punishing, but a rewarding event—withdrawing or reducing something aversive, as when taking ibuprofen leads to relief from a headache). Second…
Three NIMH-funded collaborative research hubs are exploring the factors behind the high suicide rates among American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) youth and designing and testing approaches to preventing suicide. Source: NIH
The human brain depends on a constant energy supply, which is needed for proper functioning. Energy supply impairments can jeopardize brain function and even lead to the pathogenesis or progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic disruption of energy causes degradation of cellular…