Excess weight linked to brain changes that may relate to memory, emotions, and appetite – Being overweight appears related to reduced levels of a molecule that reflects brain cell health in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory, learning, and emotions, and likely also involved in appetite control, revealed by researchers.
Fun and friends help ease the pain of breast cancer — Kaiser Permanente study among the first to examine how social relationships influence quality of life in breast cancer patients – Breast cancer patients who say they have people with whom they have a good time, or have “positive social interactions” with, are better able to deal with pain and other physical symptoms. This study provides research-based evidence that social support helps with physical symptoms.
Stressful life events may increase stillbirth risk, NIH network study finds – Pregnant women who experienced financial, emotional, or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having a stillbirth, say researchers. Stillbirth is the death of a fetus at 20 or more weeks of pregnancy. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2006, there was one stillbirth for every 167 births External Web Site Policy.
NIH-supported study finds U.S. dementia care costs as high as $215 billion in 2010 — Formal and unpaid dementia care costs are tallied – The costs of caring for people with dementia in the United States in 2010 were between $159 billion to $215 billion, and those costs could rise dramatically with the increase in the numbers of older people in coming decades, according to estimates by researchers at RAND Corp. and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Program that pays for weight loss seems to pay off — Rewards, penalties get better participation, greater weight loss than program without incentives – Modest financial incentives offered over an extended period of time were significantly more likely to encourage sustained participation in a weight-loss program and long-term maintenance of weight loss than an identical program that did not offer financial rewards.
Agent reduces autism-like behaviors in mice — Boosts sociability, quells repetitiveness ? NIH study – National Institutes of Health researchers have reversed behaviors in mice resembling two of the three core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). An experimental compound, called GRN-529, increased social interactions and lessened repetitive self-grooming behavior in a strain of mice that normally display such autism-like behaviors, the researchers say.
PTSD genes identified by UCLA study — Findings could lead to new screenings, targeted therapies — Two genes TPH1 and TPH2 more likely to develop PTSD symptoms – Why do some persons succumb to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not? UCLA scientists have linked two genes involved in serotonin production to a higher risk of developing PTSD.
Emergency dispatchers suffer from symptoms of PTSD, study reveals – Indirect exposure to traumatic incidents can lead to psychological disorders – Dispatchers who answer 911 and 999 emergency calls suffer emotional distress which can lead to symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Researchers reveals that direct exposure to traumatic events is not necessary to lead to post-trauma disorders.
Kids’ abnormal breathing during sleep linked to increased risk for behavioral difficulties — Risk of problems later in childhood can double with snoring and apnea – Young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms and difficulty with peer relationships.
New study: Adolescents suffering from depression more likely to be bullied — It’s often assumed that bullying leads to psychological problems, but this study doesn’t support this line of thought – A new study provides evidence that adolescents who suffer from depression are more likely to develop difficulty in peer relationships including being bullied at school. It’s often assumed that being bullied leads to psychological problems, such as depression, but the study doesn’t support this line of thought.
