Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC study

Ara Norenzayan
April 26, 2012 – A new University of British Columbia study finds that analytic thinking can decrease religious belief, even in devout believers.

The study, which will appear in tomorrow’s issue of Science, finds that thinking analytically increases disbelief among believers and skeptics alike, shedding important new light on the psychology of religious belief. Continue reading

Taking it all in: revealing how we sense things

Maurice Chacron

April 24, 2012 – McGill physiology research team sheds light on how the brain processes what we sense

We rely on our senses in all aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, many people suffer from some kind of impaired sensory function. In Canada alone, 600,000 people are visually impaired while almost three million suffer from partial or total hearing loss. Continue reading

Preventing dementia: new research by VCH and UBC shows the trajectory of cognitive decline can be altered in seniors at risk for dementia

Theresa Liu-Ambrose

April 23, 2012 – Cognitive decline is a pressing global health care issue. Worldwide, one case of dementia is detected every seven seconds. Mild cognitive impairment is a well recognized risk factor for dementia, and represents a critical window of opportunity for intervening and altering the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors. Continue reading

Why some pain drugs become less effective over time

April 5, 2012 – Researchers at the University of Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital have identified how neural cells are able to build up resistance to opioid pain drugs within hours. “A better understanding of these mechanisms will enable us to design drugs that avoid body resistance to these drugs and produce longer therapeutic responses, including longer-acting opioid analgesics”, lead author Dr. Graciela Pineyro said.

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