My picks from ScienceDaily (the Brain Edition)

Viagra Increases Release Of Key Reproductive Hormone, Study Finds:

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison report this month that sildenafil increases the amount of oxytocin released by stimulation of the posterior pituitary gland, a small structure directly underneath the brain that regulates hormone levels in response to neural signals.

Mice Provide Important Clues To Obsessive-compulsive Disorder:

Mice born without a key brain protein compulsively groom their faces until they bleed and are afraid to venture out of the corner of their cages. When given a replacement dose of the protein in a specific region of the brain, or the drugs used to treat humans suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), many of these mice seem to get better.

Brain Research Shows Why Long-term Drug Users Just Can't Say No:

New research from the University of Melbourne has shed new light on why long term drug users find it hard to say no, despite dire consequences to their health. A study into the frontal cortex, the key region of the brain involved in decision making, has shown that drug users have to place much greater demand on the brain to control impulses.

Longer Life? 'Longevity' Genes Protect Very Old People From The Bad Genes' Harmful Effects:

People who live to 100 or more are known to have just as many--and sometimes even more--harmful gene variants compared with younger people. Now, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered the secret behind this paradox: favorable "longevity" genes that protect very old people from the bad genes' harmful effects. The novel method used by the researchers could lead to new drugs to protect against age-related diseases.

Tone Deafness Explained:

Do people cringe when you sing? You've got company. But researchers have found that only 1 in 20 people truly has amusia, the technical term for tone deafness. Tests have shown that some people with bad singing voices hear music just fine. Amusics are a smaller group with a perceptual problem: They can't pick out differences in pitch or follow the simplest tunes, reports the September 2007 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.