Raising the minimal legal drinking age: the best preventive measure thinkable Barbara Braams is correct in that there is not one single solution to the problem of young people drinking large quantities of alcohol. Yet, no intervention is as effective in lowering adolescent alcohol use as raising the minimum legal drinking age. Winifred Gebhardt • February 19, 2014
Underage drinking: Why raising the minimum legal drinking age does not solve the problem Over the last couple of years over 700 adolescents have been admitted to hospital due to excessive alcohol use. These 'comazuipers' have sparked debate on underage drinking and brain development. Will the increased legal drinking age solve the problem? Barbara Braams • February 03, 2014
To spy or not to spy? Bridging the gap between politics and clinical cognitive neuroscience Suddenly the whole universe was shocked: “We are being spied upon!” But why? If countries and agencies spy on a macro level due to fear, why do people spy on a micro level? How does the brain function under such circumstances? Klodiana Daphne Tona • January 22, 2014
Misophonia: when the sound of slurping drives you crazy The sounds of other people eating, slurping, smacking their lips, or chewing can be pretty annoying. Yet, in some people hearing these sounds leads to blood-boiling rage: a condition called misophonia. Jiska Peper • January 13, 2014
Bieber Fever - Why teens obsess over celebrities The arena is filled with excitement, lights go dim and an intense roar rises up from the stadium full of fans, as their idol enters the stage. Most of these fans are teenage girls - why are teenagers especially prone to obsessing over pop stars? Barbara Braams • December 23, 2013
Refueling your mental engine, cheap and easy! Ever feel like your brain is running out of fuel? Our study shows that eating the right food can give you back that edge needed to keep up your great performance. In fact, food is found to be an efficient and easy way to enhance your cognition! Bryant Jongkees • December 16, 2013
Truly awesome data Researchers perform studies to test their hypothesis. Yet, some hypotheses require data so special, that they are rarely tested. The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety provides researchers in Leiden, Amsterdam, and Groningen with such special data Anne-Wil Kruijt • December 09, 2013
Thanksgiving: who feels most grateful? Last week was Thanksgiving – a day to reflect on things we are grateful for. People who dwell on past experiences are generally less happy in life than people who are able to detach themselves. How would ‘detachers’ and ‘dwellers’ feel after Thanksgiving? Marijke van Putten • December 05, 2013
Tis better to have feared and fled, than never to have feared at all Fleeing from a fearful situation is not always a good response to threat. However, the program of Social Anxiety & School Refusal points out that for some school refusers the choice of self-preservation can be a valuable lesson. David Heyne • November 18, 2013
