Tag Archives: Neuroscience News

November 25, 2018 · 12:01 am

Psychological Differences Between Those Who Love and Those Who Loathe Black Friday Shopping

Foll disclosure: I don’t loathe it, but I wouldn’t go out on Black Friday shopping with your money. I do know folks who get up at Midnight and plunge right in. The following is what Neuroscience News has to say about Black Friday shopping.

Summary: Researchers consider why some people enjoy the thrill of Black Friday shopping, and why others don’t. Enjoyment of the social aspects of shopping may determine whether you are a fan of the day, or not. Source: The Conversation.

If the thought of taking part in the annual ritual of Black Friday gives you cold chills rather than a rush of excitement, you’re not alone. For every avid bargain hunter who plans for the day as if training for a marathon, there’s someone else who stays home, secure in the knowledge that no one will trample them, shove them or invade their personal space just to get this season’s hottest deals.

NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from The Conversation news release.

It’s not just a lack of appreciation for bargains that drives this disconnect. Psychology research indicates that several factors determine which side of the shop-‘til-you-drop divide you land on. Some people just aren’t wired to enjoy the more social aspects of shopping.

What you prioritize plays in

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Filed under Black Friday, dealing with stress, shopping, stress

Tagged as Black Friday, Neuroscience News, shopping, stress

March 22, 2016 · 12:04 am

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Protect Cognitive Function in Aging Adults

It looks like there is some good dietary news on the cognitive functioning horizon.

Neuroscience News says, “Study participants who received omega-3 fatty acids showed greater improvements on an object location memory task than participants who received a placebo containing sunflower oil. However, there was no evidence of improved performance on a verbal learning test. “Results from this study suggest that a long-term approach to prevention is particularly effective in preserving cognitive function in older individuals. A targeted approach involving dietary supplements can play a central role in this regard,” concluded the researchers. Emphasis mine.

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“Changes in cognitive function and memory decline form a normal part of aging. However, in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or sometimes in the case of mild cognitive impairment, these changes occur more quickly. There are currently no effective treatments for these diseases….”

While there are no effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease, it is a fact that exercise definitely can hold back other forms of dementia. I direct your attention to my Page – Important Facts About Your Brain (and Exercise Benefits) for a number of posts I have written on the connection between exercise and the maintaining a healthy brain. Continue reading →

Vigorous Exercise May Help Restore Mental Health

There is more good mental news on the exercise front. I have been promoting exercise for one and all, but mostly for seniors to help preserve their mental faculties. Now it turns out that younger folks benefit in similar ways from it, too.

People who exercise have better mental fitness, and a new imaging study from UC Davis Health System shows why. Intense exercise increases levels of two common neurotransmitters — glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA — that are responsible for chemical messaging within the brain, Neuroscience News reported.

Published in this week’s issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, the finding offers new insights into brain metabolism and why exercise could become an important part of treating depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders linked with deficiencies in neurotransmitters, which drive communications between the brain cells that regulate physical and emotional health.

“Major depressive disorder is often characterized by depleted glutamate and GABA, which return to normal when mental health is restored,” said study lead author Richard Maddock, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Our study shows that exercise activates the metabolic pathway that replenishes these neurotransmitters.”

The research also helps solve a persistent question about the brain, an energy-intensive organ that consumes a lot of fuel in the form of glucose and other carbohydrates during exercise. What does it do with that extra fuel? Continue reading →