New Scientist - Mental Health

Psychologist finds Wikipedians grumpy and closed-minded

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Contributors to the free online encyclopaedia are motivated by egotism, not altruism, a psychological survey concludes

Wikipedians are 'closed' and 'disagreeable'

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A survey of contributors to the online encyclopedia reveals they score low on agreeableness and also on openness to new experiences

Inside the mind of an autistic savant

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We could all unleash extraordinary mental abilities if we learned to think like savants, says

Radical alternatives proposed for cannabis controls

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Cannabis is the world's most widely used illegal drug – now a team of experts says governments should rethink how they control it

How your friends' friends can affect your mood

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Your behaviour is influenced by others far more strongly than you might think, even if you've never met them, says

Invention: Vision amplifier

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:20:00 GMT

Specks of semiconductor lodged in the retina could brighten the view of people with fading vision, a new patent application claims

Prozac may counter parasite mind control

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMT

A behaviour-altering parasitic worm has been found to stymie its host's production of serotonin – the same brain chemical that Prozac ramps up

Editorial: Beagle 2 and the dangers of spin

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

On Christmas Day in 2003, many waited eagerly to hear if the UK's first Mars probe had landed safely – but Beagle 2 never phoned home. Quite why it failed has remained a puzzle: until now.

Cold sore virus might cause Alzheimer's

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:46:00 GMT

Tests on brain samples from dead people have strengthened claims that Alzheimer's disease may be caused by the herpes virus

Happiness spreads like the plague

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMT

It seems happiness – and misery too – spread through social networks, affecting people through three degrees of separation

Web test could help beat the blues

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:22:00 GMT

Feeling glum? New software could predict whether your feelings will descend into full-blown depression within the next year – : take the test

Psychopaths have an eye for the underdog

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:52:00 GMT

People with psychopathic behavioural traits seem to steer away from the rich and successful, and focus on more vulnerable people

Brain works better with neurological disease

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:17:00 GMT

The surprising discovery that the deadly neurological disease Huntington's improves sufferers ability at some cognitive tests is aiding our understanding of the illness

Soccer stars at increased risk of fatal brain disease

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:51:00 GMT

Italian football players seem to have an increased susceptibility to a motor neurone disorder - and people from other sports may be at risk

Scanner 'reads minds' to spot early signs of dementia

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:15:00 GMT

A new system compares the brains of healthy individuals and dementia sufferers to help spot the characteristic features of the condition

Babies are OK after light drinking in pregnancy

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:33:00 GMT

A big survey of children born in the UK shows that those born to mothers who drink a little when pregnant seem no worse off than the rest

Invention: Treatment for Fragile X

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:27:00 GMT

A naturally occurring protein helps mice with cognitive impairment and humans could be next, claims patent

Drug reboots immune system to reverse MS

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:16:00 GMT

For the first time, a drug seems to have reversed nerve and brain damage from multiple sclerosis, raising hope for sufferers everywhere

Skull-flexing blasts may explain puzzling brain injuries

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:55:00 GMT

Mysterious injuries caused by bomb explosions may be explained by a new model that shows how blast waves cause the skull to bend inwards

Magnetic brain therapy gets US green light

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:45:00 GMT

A controversial treatment for depression, which involves stimulating brain tissue with an electromagnetic coil, now has FDA approval

Man 'roused from coma' by a magnetic field

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Treating the brain with rapidly changing magnetic fields has helped a man in a coma-like state to communicate

Never gamble with an autistic opponent

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:11:00 GMT

An experimental game with cash stakes suggests that people with high- functioning autism are less swayed by emotional bias than non-autistics

VIP stalkers prone to serious mental illness

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:51:00 GMT

People who stalk royals and celebrities are more likely to need psychiatric help than non-VIP stalkers, such as jilted lovers

Antidepressants may harm male fertility

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:03:00 GMT

Drugs taken by millions of men for depression could be impairing their fertility by causing damage to the DNA in their sperm

Do supercharged brains give rise to autism?

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:20:00 GMT

Most theories about the disorder assume affected people have neurological deficits – in fact, the reverse may be true, says