Psychiatry

Experts call for small and easy changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the "bible" of psychiatry, so that everyone with autism spectrum disorder qualifies for a diagnosis

Research finds that where the itch begins says a lot about how bad it is--and how pleasurable the scratch. Christie Nicholson reports

Magic mushrooms' active ingredient constrains control centres.

Extreme lack of sleep might make one more susceptible to food imagery, making us feel hungrier than we actually are. Christie Nicholson reports

A recent study finds that when men perceive that there are few women, they'll spend more money. Christie Nicholson reports

Extracting DNA from a museum collection of jellied autopsied brains dating back to the 1890s may give researchers a new take on the study mental disorders

A new study finds that the inevitable cognitive decline we all face starts earlier than we originally thought. Christie Nicholson reports

True sufferers are often troubled—and yet time and treatment can often improve their lives

Letters to the Editor about the September/October 2011 issue of Scientific American Mind

Drugs and other therapies may soon be able to alter or even delete recollections selectively

Recent studies have found that the elderly may respond more slowly to specific tasks, but not because their cognitive skills are slower. Christie Nicholson reports

Overstating the dangers of methamphetamine may impede treatment of drug abusers, asserts a review by Columbia University researchers