news 2010

Sheffield report reveals recommendation to mental health services for veterans Mental health services for armed forces veterans suffering from a variety of mental health conditions should be staffed by people with knowledge and understanding of the Armed Forces, a University of Sheffield report has recommended.

Plants don't think - but animals do. The difference between the thoughts of humans and the thoughts of other animals - and whether we will ever be able to find out exactly what they are - will be the topic of a public lecture given this evening by a Cambridge philosopher. While scientists spend their time in laboratories, philosophers spend their time thinking.

PA 332/10 New research using a world leading motorcycle simulator to analyse rider behaviour has proved that safer doesn't necessarily mean slower and that formal advanced training for bikers can demonstrate improved safety on our roads. The study was carried out by researchers at The University of Nottingham's Centre for Motorcycle Ergonomics & Rider Human Factors.

Extremism is an aspect of humanity common to all of us, and is not necessarily a negative trait, a University of Cambridge researcher will argue at a presentation of his work tomorrow. Shahzad Shafqat (pictured) worked as a psychologist in his native Pakistan and spent five years with the Pakistan Air Force, before coming to Cambridge to study for an MPhil and PhD on the Psychology of Extremism at the Department of Social and Developmental Psychology.

19 October 2010 Research brings cure for Parkinson´s disease a step closer An international collaboration led by academics at the University of Sheffield, has shed new light into Parkinson´s disease, which could help with the development of cures or treatments in the future.

14 October 2010 Researchers shed light on children´s perception Research at the University of Sheffield has demonstrated how a child´s perception of shaded pictures becomes increasingly more rigid as they mature, due to changes in the way their brains interpret light on an image. The research looked at how perception in children changes as they develop, based on the idea that although perception of a shaded picture is inherently ambiguous, this ambiguity can be resolved if the brain assumes that light comes from a specific direction.

A study has gained new insight into the minds of dogs, discovering that those that are anxious when left alone also tend to show 'pessimistic' like behaviour. The research by academics at the University of Bristol, and funded by the RSPCA is published in Current Biology tomorrow (12 October). The study provides an important insight into dogs? emotions, and enhances our understanding of why behavioural responses to separation occur.

Light drinking during pregnancy does not harm a young child's behavioural or intellectual development, according to new research led by Dr Yvonne Kelly (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health) and published online today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. A previous study in 2008 by Dr Kelly and colleagues of 3 year olds drew similar conclusions, but the authors wanted to rule out possible delayed 'sleeper' effects in older children.

Neuroscientists at the University of Birmingham are working on a novel approach to ending the scourge of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) after identifying, for the first time, an organic cause for the condition. Researchers led by Dr Thelma Lovick have shown that premenstrual-like symptoms can be triggered in female rats by a change in the level of secretion of one of the female sex hormones that normally occurs towards the end of the menstrual cycle in women.

The testimony of a University of Cambridge researcher has played a key role in the decision to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriages. Professor Michael Lamb, from the University's Department of Social Psychology, provided information that played a crucial role in the decision of a Federal Judge to overturn "Proposition 8" last week.

A major new investigation which aims to solve two of the biggest unanswered questions in psychology is being launched by researchers at the University of Cambridge in partnership with the BBC. The project, which will form the next phase of the BBC's successful online experiment, the "Big Personality Test", will attempt to explain whether people with similar tastes have more successful relationships, or if opposites attract?

Genetic link to emotional problems 23 Jul 2010, PR 163/10 Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's and Duke University (US) have discovered a genetic variation that moderates whether victims of bullying will go on to develop emotional problems. Gene and environment interactions are a burgeoning area of scientific research and an increasing body of evidence demonstrates that children who are victims of bullying are at risk of developing emotional problems including depression.

Verbal distractions are a primary cause of poor memory, according to scientific tests, which prove that the key to preventing ourselves from forgetting is to rehearse and 'refresh' our thoughts. Psychologists from the University of Bristol conducted a series of tests with 117 six year old children and 104 eight year old children to assess why we forget and how we preserve material in working memory, which governs our ability to process information in order to complete everyday tasks such as problem solving and arithmetic.

New research from the University of Sheffield has found that social and psychological factors have the biggest influence upon women´s sexual behaviour during the menopause, rather than biological changes such as declining hormone levels. The study, which will be published in the Journal of Health Psychology, found that contrary to previous evidence, women´s experience of sexual activity during the menopause differs greatly between individuals, and is not always directly linked to biological factors.

A new study by the University of Sheffield has uncovered new evidence of a strong link between workplace bullying and the subsequent psychological ill-health of employees. The study, which was funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), found that bullying from organisational insiders, for example colleagues, subordinates and superiors, significantly influenced levels of stress reported seven months later.

Second-hand smoke exposure is associated with psychological distress and risk of future psychiatric illness, according to new UCL research that suggests the harmful affects of passive smoking go beyond physical health. The new research, published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry , examined the associations between mental health and second hand smoke (SHS) exposure ? known as passive smoking ? by measuring the circulating biochemical marker cotinine, which is found in saliva and can be used to measure levels of exposure to tobacco smoke.

People who have drunk a moderate amount of alcohol before a traumatic event report more flashbacks than those who have had no alcohol, according to new UCL research. The results may give new insight into why some individuals develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a traumatic event and others do not.

Dr Alison Bish and Professor Susan Michie (UCL Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology) investigated the results of a number of studies into how people behave during pandemics, such as the recent swine flu outbreak, to better understand protective behaviour and to improve interventions and communication in the future.