news 2013

Expert wine tasters cannot tell which grapes are in sparkling wines when asked to taste them blind, an Oxford University-led study has found. And the champagnes they rated highly weren't always the most expensive, showing that you don't necessarily have to fork out when buying champers for your Christmas party.

Steroid injections given to pregnant women before premature birth may increase the child's risk of later behavioural difficulties, a study has found. Mothers who are expected to give birth prematurely are often given an infusion of glucocorticoids, which mimic the natural hormone cortisol. This treatment is vital for helping the baby's lungs mature, but the new research suggests it may also increase the risk of mental health problems including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Institute of Health and Wellbeing Prof Andrew Gumley Dr Peter Uhlhaas A collaborative research network being launched today (20 November) is aiming to establish the city of Glasgow as a leading centre for research into the causes and treatment of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

12 Nov 2013 Research by the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester has found that people experiencing depressive episodes display increased brain activity when they think about themselves. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain imaging technologies, scientists found that people experiencing a depressive episode process information about themselves in the brain differently to people who are not depressed.

12 Nov 2013 Research by the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester has found that people experiencing depressive episodes display increased brain activity when they think about themselves. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain imaging technologies, scientists found that people experiencing a depressive episode process information about themselves in the brain differently to people who are not depressed.

Under-18s who experience psychosis go untreated after their first psychotic symptoms for twice as long as adults, according to new research. Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, are a feature of several disorders of mental health, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists recognise that starting medication for psychosis early greatly improves the chances of a successful outcome, but the study reveals that teenagers are much less likely than adults to get timely access to mental health services and appropriate drug treatment.

04 Nov 2013 A study by researchers from the universities of Liverpool and Manchester has identified ways to improve how older people and ethnic minority populations access mental health care services. As part of the `Improving Access to Mental Health in Primary Care' programme, researchers sought to identify why two underserved groups in four areas of Liverpool and Manchester had not been using mental health services that were available and what measure could address this.

A study by researchers from the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester has identified ways to improve how older people and ethnic minority populations access mental health care services. As part of the `Improving Access to Mental Health in Primary Care' programme, researchers sought to identify why two underserved groups, in four areas of Liverpool and Manchester, had not been using mental health services and what measures could be taken to address this.

New research from a team of psychologists supports the popular perception that women are better at multitasking than men. Although many people believe that women are better than men at carrying out multiple tasks at the same time, the amount of research carried out to test the hypothesis is extremely limited.

An innovative new study has been announced aiming to explore and develop new ways of positively transforming the life chances of children and young people in care in Wales over the next 10 years. Commissioned by the Big Lottery Fund, the study could also pave the way for a new £5 million investment which could dramatically improve the outcomes of children in care in Wales.

Earlier this month the "Too Much, Too Soon" campaign made headlines with a letter calling for a change to the start age for formal learning in schools. Here, one of the signatories, Cambridge researcher David Whitebread, explains why children may need more time to develop before their formal education begins in earnest.

Heart in your Hand? Neuroscientists discover a new illusion of consciousness The sight of a virtual-reality hand pulsing in time with your heart beat is enough to convince your brain that it's part of your body, according to a new study published this week from the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex.

Daydreamers are also distracted by the world around them, new study finds Look! A seagull. I once dropped an ice-cream in Eastbourne. Now, where was I? Oh yes. A new study published today (20 August 2013) has revealed that those prone to mind wandering are also more likely to be distracted by irrelevant external events.

PA 237/13 We take it for granted that our thoughts are in constant turnover. Metaphors like "stream of consciousness" and "train of thought" imply steady, continuous motion. But is there a mechanism inside our heads that drives this? Is there something compelling our attention to move on to new ideas instead of dwelling in the same spot forever? A research team led by Dr Matthew Johnson in the School of Psychology at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) may have discovered part of the answer.

Yoga can improve mood and mental wellbeing among prisoners, an Oxford University study suggests, and may also have an effect on impulsive behaviour. The researchers found that prisoners after a 10-week yoga course reported improved mood, reduced stress and were better at a task related to behaviour control than those who continued in their normal prison routine.

Don't (use the term) 'panic', say psychologists New research from the universities of Sussex and Brighton looks at popular representations of crowd behaviour in disasters that are often wrongly characterised as 'panic'. The study suggests that the term is too loaded and does not accurately describe what actually happens in such situations.

Different brain areas are activated when we choose for ourselves to suppress an emotion, compared to situations where we are instructed to inhibit an emotion, according a new study from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Ghent University. In this study, published in Brain Structure and Function , the researchers scanned the brains of healthy participants and found that key brain systems were activated when choosing for oneself to suppress an emotion.

A team of academics from the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde have formed a network designed to drive forward mental health breakthroughs. The Glasgow Psychosis Research Network will bring together expertise from a range of organisations, with the aim of improving the diagnosis and treatment of mental health condition.

Infants who sweat less in response to scary situations at age one show more physical and verbal aggression at age three, according to new research by Cardiff University. Lower levels of sweat, as measured by skin conductance activity (SCA), have been linked with conduct disorder and aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents.

19 Apr 2013 Young people seeking help who are at high risk of developing psychosis could significantly reduce their chances of going on to develop a full-blown psychotic illness by getting early access to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), new research shows. Researchers from The University of Manchester found the risk of developing psychosis was more than halved for those receiving CBT at six, 12 and 18-24 months after treatment started.