Electric bike

Electric assist bikes provide meaningful exercise, cardiovascular benefits

July 7, 2016

A new SMµ÷½ÌËù study shows that using an electrically-powered bicycle on a regular basis can provide riders with an effective workout while improving some aspects of cardiovascular health, especially for riders who previously had been sedentary.

a man's arm in a sling

Empathy for others’ pain rooted in cognition rather than sensation, SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder study finds

June 14, 2016

The ability to understand and empathize with others’ pain is grounded in cognitive neural processes rather than sensory ones, according to the results of a new study led by SMµ÷½ÌËù researchers.

A vial of morphine

Narcotic painkillers prolong pain in rats, says SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder study

May 31, 2016

Brace for another shot across the bow: Opioids like morphine have now been shown to paradoxically cause an increase in chronic pain in lab rats, findings that could have far-reaching implications for humans, says a new study led by the SMµ÷½ÌËù.

Christopher Lowry

Raising body temperature relieves depression, study finds

May 12, 2016

Raising the body temperature of depressed volunteers to the equivalent of a mild fever improved their symptoms of major depression for as long as six weeks after a single treatment, results from a new study show.

woman laying awake in bed next to alarm clock

SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder awarded $7.5 million to study gut microbes and sleep

May 5, 2016

\A team led by the SMµ÷½ÌËù has received a $7.5 million grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) to study how gut microbes in humans and animals are affected by stressors like sleep deprivation and circadian clock issues.

Three-dimensional culture of human breast cancer cells

SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder researchers to study elevated anxiety in Colorado cancer survivors, test potential treatments

April 12, 2016

SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder researchers are embarking on a multi-year research project to study and address the psychological concerns of cancer survivors, including elevated anxiety.

Monetary rewards for healthy behavior can pay off both in the pocketbook and in positive psychological factors like internal motivation, according to a new SMµ÷½ÌËù study.  While programs involving monetary incentives to encourage healthy behavior have become more popular in recent years, the evidence has been mixed as to how they can be most effective and how participants fare once the incentives stop, said SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder doctoral student Casey Gardiner, who led the new study.

Monetary incentives for healthy behavior can pay off, says SMµ÷½ÌËù study

April 1, 2016

Monetary rewards for healthy behavior can pay off both in the pocketbook and in positive psychological factors like internal motivation, according to a new SMµ÷½ÌËù study. While programs involving monetary incentives to encourage healthy behavior have become more popular in recent years, the evidence has been mixed as to how they can be most effective and how participants fare once the incentives stop, said SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder doctoral student Casey Gardiner, who led the new study.

a person meditating

SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder researchers examine compassionate behavior’s ‘active ingredients’

March 29, 2016

Researchers at the SMµ÷½ÌËù have developed a quantitative framework for predicting compassionate behavior, a significant step forward in the quest to identify the key psychological processes underlying human compassion.

Many types of energy drinks stacked in cans

Adolescent caffeine use may heighten anxiety risk, SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder study finds

March 23, 2016

New research may cause parents to think twice before letting their kids drink energy drinks or grande lattes. A SMµ÷½ÌËù study suggests that consumption of caffeine puts adolescents at risk of suffering anxiety-related jitters long after they stop ingesting it.

An albatross in flight

Hop, skip and a jump: SMµ÷½ÌËù-Boulder researchers reveal molecular search patterns

March 6, 2016

Like an albatross scanning for pods of squid in a vast ocean, molecules on solid surfaces move in an intermittent search pattern that provides maximum efficiency, according to new research from the SMµ÷½ÌËù.

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