Hearing voices that are not there was once thought to be a core symptom of schizophrenia and signify severe mental illness. It has been increasingly acknowledged that people with no other symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis do hear voices [1]. There are several theories about what causes these auditory hallucinations. For example, there is good evidence that hearing voices can be linked to trauma [2]. Attempting to understand the phenomenon is not only scientifically interesting but also relates to how society views people with these experiences and if and how they may be treated. A search for how these experiences are associated with brain function is ongoing. New research published in the journal Human Brain Mapping suggests that the predisposition to hearing voices may relate to abnormal functioning of the brain whilst at rest [3].
Evidence of Basis for Caregiving Impulse Seen in NIH Brain Imaging Study
Distinct patterns of activity, which may indicate a predisposition to care for infants, appear in the brains of adults who view an image of an infant face, even when the child is not theirs, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and in Germany, Italy, and Japan. Seeing images of infant faces appeared to activate in the adult’s brains circuits that reflect preparation for movement and speech as well as feelings of reward.
Health Highlights – December 10th, 2007
Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.
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12 Tips for a Happier Holiday Season | Dr Shock MD PhD
Dr. Shock offers 12 tips for a happier holiday season.
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The Acetaminophen Blues | Secundum Artem
N.B. discusses the difference between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen.
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Medicine 2.0 Wiki: Benchside to Bedside 2.0
Rahul Shetty of Constructive Medicine 2.0 has created a wiki on Medicine 2.0 to serve as a common healthcare and life science resource.
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Drugs Don’t Work | InsureBlog
Drugs don’t work … unless you take them. Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Bob at Insureblog writes about a USA Today article discussing people with chronic health conditions who stop taking their medication.