List of All Articles with Tag 'm'

Our taste in fine art can develop from a very early age, researchers have said, after they found babies as young as four months can demonstrate artistic preferences. When shown landscapes by the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, psychologists at the University of Sussex found both babies and adults mostly favoured the same paintings, with Green Corn Stalks (1888) proving to be the most popular. The team at the university’s Sussex Baby Lab also uncovered that infants liked paintings that had more edges – such as those featuring leaves or branches – and curved lines. In their findings, published in the Journal of Vision, the researchers said aspects of artistic preferences may be hardwired from an early age. Our study also appears to have identified features of adult aesthetics that can be traced back to sensory biases in infancy Philip McAdams Philip McAdams, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex and lead author on the paper, said: “It was fascinating to find that babies respond to the basic building blocks of the paintings, such as edges and colours, and that these properties could explain large amounts of why babies look at, and adults like, particular artworks. “Our study also appears to have identified features of adult aesthetics that can be traced back to sensory biases in infancy. “Our findings show that babies’ visual systems and visual preferences are more sophisticated than commonly thought.” For the study, which was in collaboration with children’s sensory brand, Etta Loves, the researchers recruited 25 babies, aged four to eight months, and 25 adults. The babies sat on their parent’s lap while 40 pairs of images, featuring landscape paintings by Van Gogh, were shown on a tablet. Adults were also shown the same paintings and asked which image in the pair they found to be more pleasant. Recordings showed babies looked longer at the Van Gogh landscapes that adults also rated as most pleasant. These paintings featured high colour and lightness contrasts as well as lots of the colour green. The most preferred Van Gogh painting was Green Corn Stalks whilst the least preferred was Olive Grove (1889). But researchers also found small differences in the artistic tastes between adults and babies. For example, they found that infants preferred paintings that contained the most edges and curved lines, which the adults did not seem to favour. Professor Anna Franklin, head of the Sussex Colour Group and founder of the Sussex Baby Lab, and lead author on the paper, said: “We’ve been amazed by how much the young babies responded to the art. “Although newborn babies’ vision is very blurry, our findings demonstrate that by four months old, babies can see well enough to look longer at some paintings than others, and can pay attention to many of the artistic details.”

Stimulating the brain using electrodes could help ease symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, a study has found. Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) works by sending a mild electrical current to the brain through two electrodes on the scalp. The study, led by researchers from the University of Surrey and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – and published in the Translational Psychiatry journal, explored the use of tRNS alongside cognitive training as a treatment for ADHD. Roi Cohen Kadosh, head of the School of Psychology and professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said: “I believe that the scientific community is duty-bound to investigate and develop evermore effective and longer-lasting treatments for ADHD.” The clinical trial included 23 newly diagnosed and unmedicated children between the ages of six and 12, who were recruited from groups referred to the ADHD clinic by doctors, teachers, psychologists or parents. Researchers at the computerised neurotherapy lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem administered tRNS during cognitive training each weekday over a two-week period. The parents of 55% of the group reported “significant clinical improvement” in ADHD symptoms to researchers, compared to 17% in a control group that was given placebo brain simulation. Prof Kadosh said the findings demonstrate the treatment “has the potential to transform the lives of children and their families”. Future studies, with larger and more varied samples, should help establish this as a viable therapy for ADHD, and help us understand the underlying mechanisms of the disorder Dr Mor Nahum ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and symptoms include hyperactivity, an inability to focus and impulsiveness. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), it is present in about 5% of children globally. Researchers are now preparing to start a larger clinical trial using tRNS and cognitive training. “If successful, this approach will be approved as a medical device for ADHD by the United States Food and Drug Administration,” Prof Kadosh said. Dr Mor Nahum is co-lead of the study and head of the computerised neurotherapy lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She added: “This is an important first step in offering new therapeutic options for ADHD. “Future studies, with larger and more varied samples, should help establish this as a viable therapy for ADHD, and help us understand the underlying mechanisms of the disorder.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Black LGBTQ+ icons everyone should know Ashley James: ‘We have a totally warped idea of what a mum should be’ Host Maya Jama’s glamorous Love Island outfits cost over £10,000

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