Dr. Reich's Memory Network

David DiSalvo’s article “What Caffeine Really Does to Your Brain” in the August 2012 issue of Psychology Today, discusses how caffeine “plays” the ultimate mimic  character of the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine is produced by neurons throughout the day and as they fire, and as more of it is produced, the more your nervous system [...]

Link for the following post.

According to a recent study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found that “many parents believe that letting young children taste alcohol discourages later use”. The study was based off of data collected from 1,050 mothers and their third-grade children in which the adults were asked their alcohol-specific attitudes [...]

The April 2012 edition of Discover Magazine contained the article, “Where Memory Lives”, written by Dan Hurley. The article discussed the research designed to find if memories in the amygdala of mice where fear-based memories are stored could be manipulated. The research held promise, not only to eradicate the fear from trauma or a negative [...]

This post is based on the following article found on the APA.org news page:

http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/why-its-so-hard-stop-multitasking

According to a recent study cited by the American Psychological Association, people experience an incredible 40 percent drop in productivity when they multitask. There is actually no such thing as multitasking; our brains can only process one thing at a time. When [...]

Post based on the following article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120831104157.htm

Researchers at the University of Bristol think they have found a way to help people pace themselves while out drinking alcoholic beverages. They have found within their research that the type of glass used to consume the alcohol changes the pace a person drinks it. They used 160 social drinkers [...]

This semester, students who are working on research projects with me will be posting weekly entries on this blog.  The first of these (below) was by Jessica Reyka.  I welcome, and highly encourage your comments.  This is a blog, so opinions are welcome.

Bullying and the Gifted: Welcome Back to School?  based on the following article:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/gifted-ed-guru/201208/bullying-and-the-gifted-welcome-back-school

Many gifted students have worries about going back to school due to the fact that they feel as though they don’t “belong” or fit in with their peers. Due to the idea that they portray themselves as a student in isolation compared to [...]

This past Sunday (2/19), 60 minutes ran a story on antidepressants, specifically SSRIs (watch video,http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7399362n).  The central point of the story was that for people with mild to moderate depression, the effect of antidepressants was not greater than the placebos they were compared to in research trials.  Key points of discussion:

1. The drugs were effective, [...]

In Saturday’s New York Times Opinion page, an article by Dr. Andy Clark, do-thrifty-brains-make-better-minds (read the entire article using this link), describes the thrifty nature of the human brain. Essentially, our brain matches current stimuli (things we see, hear, smell, or emotions, drug states, etc.) with previous experience and predict what will happen next. We behave [...]

It is my intent to use this blog as a tool for exposing students to the latest research in psychological science. Periodically, I will create posts on hot topics. I invite students to comment on these topics.