Cognitive Impact of Multiple Concussions Can Persist in Young Adults

A new study finds that young adults with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussions, can experience persistent cognitive changes as well as altered brain activity.

“Multiple concussions, even after general symptoms have subsided, decrease an individual’s ability to flexibly shift their mode of thinking,” said Dr. Robert Ross, assistant professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire.

“We found that these decreases in performance are associated with...

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Gently Stroking Infant Before Medical Test Can Help Ease Pain

Gently stroking a baby before a medical procedure can help reduce pain processing in the brain, according to a new U.K. study published in the journal Current Biology.

The findings suggest that lightly caressing an infant at a certain speed — a little more than one inch per second — could provide effective pain relief before clinically necessary medical procedures.

“Parents intuitively stroke their babies at this optimal velocity,” said senior author Dr. Rebeccah Slater, professor...

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It Helps to Be Humble

At the end of each semester, I require my writing students to evaluate in essay-form both themselves and my class. In evaluating themselves, they consider such criteria as their attendance, their grades, their participation and the new knowledge they’ve learned that semester. In critiquing the class, they judge the quality of the day-to-day life in English 11011. Did they like the textbooks? Did they appreciate the workshop format? Did they enjoy and learn from the assignments?

In doing...

[Read More ...]

Cognitive Impact of Multiple Concussions Can Persist in Young Adults

A new study finds that young adults with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussions, can experience persistent cognitive changes as well as altered brain activity.

“Multiple concussions, even after general symptoms have subsided, decrease an individual’s ability to flexibly shift their mode of thinking,” said Dr. Robert Ross, assistant professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire.

“We found that these decreases in performance are associated with...

[Read More ...]

source https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/12/23/cognitive-impact-of-multiple-concussions-can-persist-in-young-adults/141393.html

Gently Stroking Infant Before Medical Test Can Help Ease Pain

Gently stroking a baby before a medical procedure can help reduce pain processing in the brain, according to a new U.K. study published in the journal Current Biology.

The findings suggest that lightly caressing an infant at a certain speed — a little more than one inch per second — could provide effective pain relief before clinically necessary medical procedures.

“Parents intuitively stroke their babies at this optimal velocity,” said senior author Dr. Rebeccah Slater, professor...

[Read More ...]

source https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/12/23/gently-stroking-infant-before-medical-test-can-help-ease-pain/141414.html

It Helps to Be Humble

At the end of each semester, I require my writing students to evaluate in essay-form both themselves and my class. In evaluating themselves, they consider such criteria as their attendance, their grades, their participation and the new knowledge they’ve learned that semester. In critiquing the class, they judge the quality of the day-to-day life in English 11011. Did they like the textbooks? Did they appreciate the workshop format? Did they enjoy and learn from the assignments?

In doing...

[Read More ...]

source https://psychcentral.com/blog/it-helps-to-be-humble/

Want to Move Cheese Curds in Aisle 3? Enlist Darth Vader

A new study finds that consumers seem to prefer it when unhealthy, or indulgent, foods are labeled with a well-known hero as opposed to a villain, but they find healthy foods much more compelling when marketed with a villain.

“If someone wants an ice cream bar and it is packaged with a hero on the label, the kind and benevolent character makes the indulgent product seem less vice,” said Professor Tamara Masters of Brigham Young University.

“But a product that is already healthy, like...

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source https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/12/22/want-to-move-cheese-curds-in-aisle-3-enlist-darth-vader/141410.html