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Born shy, always shy? Temperamental differences may last throughout life

Whether a person avoids novelty or embraces it may depend in part on brain differences that have existed from infancy, new findings suggest. When shown pictures of unfamiliar faces, adults who were shy toddlers showed a relatively high level of activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala. Adults who were more outgoing toddlers showed less activity in this brain structure, which is related to emotion and novelty. The findings appear in the journal Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Past abuse related to poor mental health in HIV-positive women

Women with HIV who are young, in poor physical health, in conflict with others, and who have been physically abused by a partner in the past are at greater risk for developing mental health and drug abuse problems, according to a new study. The study of HIV-infected women published in the May-June issue of Women’s Health Issues found that women who reported past physical abuse were 2.1 times more likely to have a probable psychiatric disorder than women without a history of past abuse, according to Cathy Sherbourne, Ph.D., of RAND, and colleagues.

Combination therapy for obsessions more effective than drugs alone

People with obsessions and compulsions experience considerable benefit from a combined treatment of drugs and behavioural therapy. Treatment with drugs alone is less effective. This is revealed in doctoral research by psychologist Nienke Tenney from Utrecht University. About half of the patients with an obsessive-compulsive disorder do not benefit from treatment. Some refuse treatment or stop the treatment before it has been completed. Moreover, many patients who do respond to treatment continue to experience a considerable number of residual symptoms.