Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 31, 2012

No Myth: Eye-Gouging Is Rare Symptom of Untreated Psychosis

When the mythical Greek king Oedipus realized he'd murdered his father and married his mother, he gouged his own eyes out. But in real life, self-blinding is a rare yet devastating consequence of untreated psychosis. Self-enucleation, or removing one's own eyes, happens extremely rarely. When it does, it has often...

Dec 31, 2011

Marriage, Cohabitation Provide Similar Health Benefit

We've heard married people are happier, but that might not be a reason to rush to the altar, according to a new study. In terms of health, self-esteem, and psychological well-being, marriage offers little benefit over simply living together without wedding rings, the study found. It's the relationship itself, rather...

Oct 31, 2013

More Kids Treated for Mental Health Conditions

The use of mental health treatments in children has increased in recent years much more than it has among adults, a new study finds. The trend signals a growing attention to mental health problems in children, but could also be a source of concern about unnecessary medication use in children,...

May 31, 2013

Normal or Not? When Temper Tantrums Become a Disorder

Editor's Note: With the release of the latest edition of the mental health manual, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), LiveScience takes a close look at some of the disorders it defines. This series asks the fundamental question: What is normal, and what is not? Angry...

Apr 30, 2013

Normal or Not? New Psychiatric Manual Stirs Controversy

With the release of the latest edition of the mental health manual, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), LiveScience takes a close look at some of the disorders it defines. This 10-part series asks the fundamental question: What is normal, and what is not? As of May...

Apr 30, 2013

Jedi Mind Trick? Brain Thinks It Inhabits Virtual Body

The brain's perception of the body may seem set in stone, but a new study shows the mind can be tricked into taking an entire virtual body for its own. In 1998, neuroscientists Matthew Botvinick and Jonathan Cohen performed an experiment where they showed people a rubber hand being stroked...

Apr 30, 2013

The Surprising Optimism of Tornado Victims (Op-Ed)

Jerry Suls is a social psychologist at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Previously, he was a psychology professor at the University of Iowa. He contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The people who survived the recent tornado disaster in Oklahoma...

Jan 31, 2013

4 Reasons to Limit Super Bowl Toasts

Like millions of football fans, lovers of Beyoncé and advertising junkies, you'll probably be attending or hosting a Super Bowl party on Sunday. Think chips and dip. Nachos. Ribs. Chili. And, last but not least, wine and beer — and plenty of it. As you drink and nosh and drink,...

Jan 31, 2013

Exercising Your Brain May Improve Your Life

NEW YORK — Throughout life, even shortly before death, the brain can remodel itself, responding to a person's experiences. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, offers a powerful tool to improve well-being, experts say. We now have evidence that engaging in pure mental training can induce changes not just in the...

Nov 30, 2014

Dystextia: Garbled Phone Text May Be Sign of a Stroke

A woman's garbled text message to her son had an underlying message: She was having a stroke. Her case, published last month in the journal BMJ Case Reports, is now the fourth reported incident in which garbled texting, similar to slurred speech, was a symptom of a stroke. Doctors are...

Nov 30, 2014

Smartphone Use Reveals Brain's Plasticity

All that texting is changing your brain. A new study shows that the delicate, repetitive finger movements that people use on their smartphone's touch screen result in a change in the brain's sensory-processing area. The findings suggest that a common, daily activity such as smartphone use could teach scientists about...

Aug 31, 2014

Walking or Biking to Work May Make You Happier

Walking to work is not only good for your body; it may also benefit your psychological health, a new study from England suggests. In the study, the researchers analyzed information from nearly 18,000 commuters in England who answered questions about their well-being, such as whether they experienced feelings of worthlessness,...

Jun 30, 2014

Harsh Thoughts: Cynicism Linked to Stroke Risk

Middle-age and older people who are highly stressed, have depression or who are perhaps even just cynical may be at increased risk of stroke, according to new research. In the study, more than 6,700 healthy adults ages 45 to 84 completed questionnaires about their stress levels, depressive symptoms, feelings of...

Jun 30, 2014

Your Skin Can Heal by 'Sniffing' Aromas

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Humans have about 350 different types of olfactory receptors in the nose, which detect odors and start a signalling process that then messages the brain. These receptors work together...

May 31, 2014

Ambitious Brain-Mapping Project's Science Goals Revealed

In April 2013, President Obama launched an initiative to develop new technologies to create a picture of the brain in action. Today, a group of scientists released a roadmap highlighting the specific goals for the project over the next five to 10 years. The priorities of the BRAIN Initiative (short...