Can Curiosity help you learn?

In the October issue of Neuron, a study was published that suggests our brain’s chemistry changes when we become curious and that it assists in learning and retaining information. The study had 19 participants who were asked to review more than 100 trivia questions. Participants rated the

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Your Brain and Marijuana

A recent article in New York Times Magazine looked at the effects of marijuana on brain structures. A joint study out of Harvard and Northwestern University found evidence of structural changes in the brains of participants who smoked Marijuana. The study looked at brain scans of 40

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Curiosity can help you learn?

In the October issue of Neuron, a study was published that suggests our brain’s chemistry changes when we become curious and that it assists in learning and retaining information. The study had 19 participants who were asked to review more than 100 trivia questions. Participants rated the

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Is biofeedback for you?

Initially used with veterans suffering from PTSD, biofeedback is now an evidence-based practice (EBP) for numerous mental illnesses including, but not limited to, anxiety, ADHD, depression, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. But what is biofeedback? Biofeedback is training based on traditional behavioral conditioning techniques used to reinforce

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Brain Training

If you want to lose weight or get stronger, you go to the gym. Is there a way for our brains to get stronger? A recent article released by Monitor on Psychology, looked at recent research in brain training. Recently, companies like Lumosity and Post Science offer

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Students Under Pressure

New research suggests that there is a greater need for mental health services on college and university campuses. According to the 2013 National College Health Assessment, approximately one-third of U.S. college students had symptoms of depression or anxiety that affected their daily functioning in the past 12

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Why Adolescents are Crazy

Inside the adolescent brain:  Can the angst of adolescence be traced to neurodevelopment? Many parents can attest to the “storm and stress” of adolescence.  Historically, this tumultuous period of development was attributed to the significant life transitions that occur as adolescents struggle to form a sense of

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Schizophrenia and Marijuana

New research suggests marijuana use and schizophrenia share common genes. According to the Center for Disease Control, about forty percent of individuals in the United States will try marijuana at least once in their lifetime.  On a global scale, marijuana is the most used illicit drug worldwide. 

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Correlation between Mental Illness and Life Expectancy

Mental Illness Reduces Life Expectancy A recent analysis by Oxford University psychiatrists has revealed that many mental illnesses reduce life expectancy by 10 to 20 years[1].  According to their review of studies which reported the mortality risk of various diagnoses (e.g., mental disorders, substance and alcohol abuse,

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Emotional Pain

New research indicates that social pain and physical pain are processed in similar regions of the brain We all can relate to the psychic turmoil associated with social pain, where rejection and heartbreak are often described as unbearable.  And yet in our “sticks and stones” society, emotional

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