http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A new study by a Rhode Island Hospital researcher has found that traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly increase the odds of having major depression, personality impulsivity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). The paper, by W. Curt LaFrance Jr., M.D., M.P.H., director of neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology, is published online in advance of print in the journal Epilepsia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-traumatic-brain-injury-worsens-outcomes.html Neuroscience Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:03:48 EST news284655821 (Medical Xpress)—Despite the well known inaccuracies of polygraph lie detectors, they remain in widespread, if selective, use by the criminal justice system. While they are far from truth machines, if the person who is interviewed believes that they have caught in a lie, the prosecutorial sector can turn the thumbscrews so to speak. Predicting future arrest, however, is not something a polygraph can address—if the parolee doesn't even know if he or she might re-offend, how can a yes/no classifier? A study published yesterday in PNAS is the latest in a series of efforts to use fMRI to assign risk to the possibility of repeat offense. They do not claim to have found the repeat offense area of the brain, but rather determine this risk by proxy, namely a measure of impulsivity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-brain-scans.html Neuroscience Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:57:55 EST news283509709 Compulsive hoarders are more likely to suffer from executive dysfunction, a cognitive deficit that inhibits flexible thinking and categorisation skills, a study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-compulsive-hoarders-struggle-categorise.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:17:36 EST news282557839 Most people believe they can multitask effectively, but a University of Utah study indicates that people who multitask the most – including talking on a cell phone while driving – are least capable of doing so. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-frequent-multitaskers-bad-motorists-overrate.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:28:56 EST news278184526 Saving bar patrons' time on their commute home could save lives. A pair of studies by University of Missouri psychologists found that people who reported drinking and driving also exhibited "urgency," or a lack of emotional self-control, especially while drinking. This suggests that some people when intoxicated may be more likely to choose the convenience of driving themselves home instead of waiting for a taxi, said Denis McCarthy, associate professor of psychology at MU. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-people-urgency-personality-trait.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:02:02 EST news273747712 Previous research has shown that personality traits such as impulsivity or compulsiveness are indicators of an increased risk of addiction. Now, new research from the University of Cambridge suggests that these impulsive and compulsive personality traits are also associated with a traumatic upbringing during childhood. The study was published today, 31 August, in the journal American Journal Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-traumatic-childhood-drug-addiction.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:39:17 EST news265599537 Girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are significantly more likely to attempt suicide or injure themselves as young adults than girls who do not have ADHD, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-girls-adhd-self-injury-suicide-young.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:26:30 EST news264158728 Compared to European American adolescents, African American adolescents are more likely to abstain from alcohol, drink less frequently, and engage in less heavy drinking when they do drink. Very little research has examined racial differences in disinhibition. A study of changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking from childhood into adolescence has found that European American youth have higher levels of sensation seeking while African American youth have higher levels of impulsivity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-disinhibitiondrinking-differences-african-american-european-american-youth.html Addiction Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:00:06 EST news262268226 Drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) do not appear to have long-term effects on the brain, according to new animal research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-long-term-adhd-drug-safe-brain.html Autism spectrum disorders Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:42:58 EST news261823367 A team of researchers led by an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and University of Iceland has found a correlation between the age at which children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begin taking medication, and how well they perform on standardized tests, particularly in math. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-mount-sinai-adhd-medication-affect.html Attention deficit disorders Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:30:01 EST news259811724 New research provides the strongest evidence to date that psychopathy is linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain. The study, published in Archives of General Psychiatry and led by researchers at King's College London is the first to confirm that psychopathy is a distinct neuro-developmental sub-group of anti-social personality disorder (ASPD). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-psychopathy-linked-specific-abnormalities-brain.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 07 May 2012 16:00:08 EST news255611529 A new study lead by the Neuroscience Institute of Alicante reveals how manipulating the endocannabinoid system can modulate high levels of impulsivity. This is the main problem in psychiatric illnesses such a schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cannabinoid-receptors-impulsive-behavior.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:23:50 EST news250424624 Impulsive children with attention problems tend to play more video games, while kids in general who spend lots of time video gaming may also develop impulsivity and attention difficulties, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-impulsive-kids-video-games.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:28:50 EST news249215324 Being impulsive can lead us to say things we regret, buy things we really don't need, engage in behaviors that are risky and even develop troublesome addictions. But are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-ids-genetic-links-impulsivity-alcohol.html Genetics Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:04:32 EST news240674664 Children with certain dopamine system gene variants have an improved response to methylphenidate - the most commonly prescribed medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - in a finding that could help eliminate the guesswork from prescribing effective medications for children with ADHD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-children-dopamine-gene-variants-adhd.html Attention deficit disorders Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:17:34 EST news238411045 Mike Johnston has no idea what he was thinking when he took up cigarettes at age 15. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-keys-people.html Health Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:58:07 EST news236271475 University of Missouri researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-personality.html Health Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:55:03 EST news235061688 A study using mice provides insight into how a specific receptor subtype in the brain could play a role in increasing a person's risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research, conducted by the Intramural Research Program (IRP) at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, could also help explain how stimulants work to treat symptoms of ADHD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-scientists-gene-variant-linked-adhd.html Attention deficit disorders Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:03:45 EST news232732982 People with personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through cycles of gaining and losing weight throughout their lives, according to an examination of 50 years of data in a study published by the American Psychological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-personality-role-body-weight.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:34:27 EST news230207648 Research led by the University of Cambridge has found a link between impulsivity and flawed reasoning (such as believing in superstitious rituals and luck) in problem gamblers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-good-luck-leaf-clovers-impulsivity.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:04:03 EST news228539016