Scientists have discovered that the amygdala, a small almond shaped structure deep within the temporal lobe, is important to a rich and varied social life among humans. The finding was published this week in a new study in Nature Neuroscience and is similar to previous findings in other primate species, which compared the size and complexity of social groups across those species. ...

Beautiful people get all of the breaks. For one thing, they are beautiful. Moreover, other people often think they have better personalities. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people not only see beautiful people more positively, but they also see the beautiful people’s "unique selves." That is, people see personality more accu ...

Results from a large European study suggest that poorly educated people are more likely to be admitted to hospital with chronic heart failure than the better educated, even after differences in lifestyle have been taken into account. The study is published online in the European Heart Journal. ...

After recovering from a cold or other infection, your body’s immune system is primed to react quickly if the same agent tries to infect you. White blood cells called memory T cells specifically remember the virus or bacterium and patrol the body looking for it. Vaccines work on the same principle: Harmless fragments of a virus or bacterium provoke the immune system to generate memory T cells that can attack ...

Primary school children who do not like eating fruits and vegetables are 13 times more likely to develop functional constipation than children who do, according to a study in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Drinking less than 400ml of fluid a day also significantly increases the risk. ...

While there are still couples who wait for a deep level of commitment before sexual relations, it is far more common today for two people to explore their sexual compatibility before making long-term plans together. So does either method lead to better marriages? ...

Moderately and morbidly obese persons face many health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, gallbladder disease, and others. Now, increased chances of dying while driving during a severe auto accident can be added to the list. The study was posted online ahead of print in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. ...

Practices for protecting human research subjects with Alzheimer's disease and other conditions that make them incapable of giving informed consent are widely variable and in need of more concrete ethical and legal guidance, according to a study in IRB: Ethics & Human Research. ...

Merry Christmas to our valued readers from everyone at BMED Report! We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season, and that this is a special time for family, friends, and fun. ...

Parents, caregivers and mental health professionals have often reported violence and aggression in children or adolescents with autistic disorder. However, most of these observations derived from anecdotal reports, and studies remain limited on the frequency and characterization of aggression in autism. Thus, researchers set out to better characterize and understand the different types of aggressive behavio ...