ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, March 11, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, March 11, 2012

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In recognizing faces, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts (March 9, 2012) -- How do we recognize a face? To date, most research has answered "holistically": we look at all the features -- eyes, nose, mouth -- simultaneously and, perceiving the relationships among them, gain an advantage over taking in each feature individually. ... > full story

Scientists claim brain memory code cracked (March 9, 2012) -- Despite a century of research, memory encoding in the brain has remained mysterious. Neuronal synaptic connection strengths are involved, but synaptic components are short-lived while memories last lifetimes. This suggests synaptic information is encoded and hard-wired at a deeper, finer-grained molecular scale. ... > full story

Revisiting LSD as a treatment for alcoholism (March 8, 2012) -- Several decades ago, a number of clinics used LSD to treat alcoholism with some success. But until now, no research has pulled together the results of these trials to document exactly how effective LSD was. Now a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the drug provides evidence for a clear and consistent beneficial effect of LSD for treating alcohol dependency. ... > full story

Promising new drug could help patients battling deadly and difficult to treat form of melanoma (March 8, 2012) -- Researchers say they may have discovered a new drug for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, one that uses the patient’s own tumor cells to customize the therapy. ... > full story

Bias in decision-making leads to poor choices and possibly depression (March 8, 2012) -- When faced with making a complicated decision, our automatic instinct to avoid misfortune can result in missing out on rewards, and could even contribute to depression, according to new research. ... > full story

Deeper view of HIV reveals impact of early mutations (March 8, 2012) -- Mutations in HIV that develop during the first few weeks of infection may play a critical role in undermining a successful early immune response, a finding that reveals the importance of vaccines targeting regions of the virus that are less likely to mutate. ... > full story

Partnerships in the brain: Mathematical model describes the collaboration of individual neurons (March 8, 2012) -- How do neurons in the brain communicate with each other? One common theory suggests that individual cells do not exchange signals among each other, but rather that exchange takes place between groups of cells. Researchers have now developed a mathematical model that can be used to test this assumption. ... > full story

Drug helps purge hidden HIV (March 8, 2012) -- Researchers have successfully flushed latent HIV infection from hiding, with a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma. ... > full story

Discovery of hair-cell roots suggests the brain modulates sound sensitivity (March 8, 2012) -- The hair cells of the inner ear have a previously unknown "root" extension that may allow them to communicate with nerve cells and the brain to regulate sensitivity to sound vibrations and head position, researchers have discovered. ... > full story

Genetic manipulation boosts growth of brain cells linked to learning, enhances effects of antidepressants (March 8, 2012) -- Investigators have identified a genetic manipulation that increases the development of neurons in the brain during aging and enhances the effect of antidepressant drugs. ... > full story

Nanoparticles affect nutrient absorption, study suggests (March 8, 2012) -- Nanoparticles are everywhere. From cosmetics and clothes, to soda and snacks. But as versatile as they are, nanoparticles also have a downside, say researchers. These tiny particles, even in low doses, could have a big impact on our long-term health. ... > full story

Eating wild: Foraging safely in a modern world (March 8, 2012) -- In an expanding “foodie” culture, people go to great lengths to get the best ingredients, seek out the most aesthetic desserts, and buy natural and organic. Less noted, though, is the movement of "foragers": people who “eat wild” on a regular basis, supplemented by naturally growing, edible plants for which they search in their local communities, whether urban or rural. ... > full story