Newsline — Tuesday, January 28, 2014 13:00
How Metabolism and Brain Activity Are Linked
Heavy Drinking in Middle Age May Speed Memory Loss in Men
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 9:05
According to a study published in the January issue of Neurology, middle-aged men who drink more than two and a half drinks per day may speed their memory loss by up to six years later on. However, the study found no differences in memory and executive function in men who do not drink, former drinkers and light or moderate drinkers. Executive functions in the brain deal with attention and reasoning skills related to achieving a goal. To read more about the results of this study, click here.
Finding Pleasure in Productive Activities Key to Boosting Self-control
Monday, January 27, 2014 13:00
A recent study from the University of Toronto Scarborough found that although people have a more difficult time controlling themselves when tired, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have exhausted all of their willpower. The prevailing view in psychology has been that self-control is a limited resource that will eventually become depleted until individuals are left with little to no willpower. However, instead of losing self-control, the study found that when people become fatigued, their motivational priorities shift. People become less willing to do things they feel obligated to do, and more willing to do things they like doing. Converting the mindset of “have-to” into “want-to” is the key to staying motivated when chasing a goal. To read more about this study, click here.
Speech Means Using Both Sides of Our Brain
Monday, January 27, 2014 9:00
Findings from a recent study conducted by researchers at New York University and NYU Langone Medical Center show that humans use both sides of the brain for speech. Until now, the scientific community has theorized that we only use one side of our brains for speech — involving listening, speaking and language — which includes constructing and understanding sentences. However, an analysis of brain activity as patients engaged in speech tasks showed that both sides of the brain were used. The results offer greater insight into speech-related problems caused by stroke or brain damage, and has the potential to lay the groundwork for better rehabilitation methods. To read more about this study, click here.
Rare Neurological Syndrome Causes Loss of Reading Ability
Friday, January 24, 2014 13:00
The journal of Neurology recently reported a rare neurological syndrome in which a kindergarten teacher lost her ability to read. The woman was diagnosed with alexia without agraphia, also known as “word blindness,” a result of a stroke that was probably caused by an unusual type of blood vessel inflammation within the brain, called primary central-nervous system angitis. Determined to learn how to read again, the woman taught herself a new technique which employs the tactile skills that she still possesses, involving tracing letters of the alphabet with her fingers. To read more, click here.
Nerve Decompression Surgery Relieves Chronic Migraines
Friday, January 24, 2014 9:00
After missing two years of high school due to debilitating migraines, Meredith Messerli, a college freshman at Oklahoma State University, opted to have nerve decompression surgery — a procedure that has been gaining popularity as an alternative for chronic headache sufferers. The surgery involves first identifying the compressed nerves through a clinical history and exam. Then, the pressure causing the migraines is relieved by severing tiny muscles and other tissues pressing on or irritating the headache-trigger nerves. The surgery is an option for patients with chronic headaches, nerve-compression headaches, occipital neuralgia, new daily persistent headaches, episodic migraines and chronic migraines. To read more, click here.
Mental Disorders in Older Adulthood More Prevalent Than Previously Reported
Thursday, January 23, 2014 13:00
A new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that common methods of assessing mental or physical disorders may consistently underestimate the prevalence of mental disorders among middle-aged and older adults. The analysis revealed substantial discrepancies among mid-life and late-life adults in reporting past mental health disorders. When asked to provide retrospective evaluations in six categories, participants underreported their disorders even though they had reported them one or more times in three previous assessments. The findings are said to be the first to examine retrospective evaluations versus cumulative assessments among older adults. To read more about the results of this study, click here.
Antipsychotic Drug Exhibits Cancer-fighting Properties
Thursday, January 23, 2014 9:00
Findings in a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation show that an antipsychotic medication called perphenazine can actively combat the cells of a difficult-to-treat form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The drug works by turning on a cancer-suppressing enzyme called PP2A, which then causes malignant tumor cells to self-destruct. Results of the study suggest that medications can potentially be developed to activate PP2A — while avoiding perphenazine’s psychotropic effects — helping clinicians treat ALL in addition to other tumors as well. To find out more about this study, click here.
Postpartum Depression Develops Into a Long-term Problem for Many Women
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 13:00
According to a recent report published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, symptoms of postpartum depression decrease over time, but for 30 to 50 percent of affected women it develops into a chronic problem. Other studies suggest that chronic postpartum depression may be a result of pre-existing depression or other mood symptoms. However, the authors of this study stress the important implications for healthcare providers caring for women affected by postpartum depression because parental depression can adversely affect a child’s long-term development. To read more about this study, click here.
Teen Concussions Increase Risk for Depression
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 9:00
A new study published in the journal of Adolescent Health found that teens with a history of concussion are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression as those who have never had a concussion. Concussions are considered mild traumatic brain injuries and can have serious psychological effects. Prior research has mainly focused on adults, however many teenagers suffer concussions through sports injuries or accidents, and less is known about the long-term implications in adolescents. To read more about the results of this study, click here.