February, 2010
Childhood Stress Contributes to Depression
New research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect, in particular when combined with genetic factors, can result in structural brain changes, rendering these people more vulnerable to developing depression. The study led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin has just been published in the international scientific journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Alterations in Brain’s Reward System Related to ADHD
Until now, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was related to alterations in the brain affecting attention and cognitive processes. Researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital have now discovered anomalies in the brain’s reward system related to the neural circuits of motivation and gratification.
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Stress and Depression Trigger Obesity in Girls
Researchers have found that depression raises stress hormone levels in adolescent boys and girls but may lead to obesity only in girls. Early treatment of depression could help reduce stress and control obesity, which is a major health issue.
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Fruit Fly Tongue Could Answer Questions about Obesity in Humans
The tiny tongue of a fruit fly could provide big answers to questions about human eating habits, possibly even leading to new ways to treat obesity, according to a study from a team of Texas A&M University researchers.
Paul Hardin, who holds the rank of Distinguished Professor of Biology, along with colleagues Abhishek Chatterjee, Shintaro Tanoue, and Jerry Houl, examined the taste organs on Drosophila’s proboscis (tongue), which triggers the minute fruit fly’s desire to eat or not to eat. They found that several factors, especially the creature’s internal daily clock, determine feeding behaviors—and these same taste sensitivities very likely apply to humans. Their work is published in the new issue of the journal Current Biology.
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Husbands’ Anti-Social Behaviors Increase Wives’ Symptoms of Depression
In the United States, nearly 10 percent of the population suffers from a depressive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While the causes of depression vary, a new study at the University of Missouri reveals that marital hostility is a contributing factor. MU researcher, Christine Proulx, found that husbands’ hostile and anti-social behaviors increased their wives’ symptoms of depression over time.
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Tiger Woods Sheds Light on Sex Addiction
Tiger Woods’ admission that he is undergoing therapy after having adulterous affairs has focused attention on the issue of sex addiction, a condition some experts say is becoming much more common.
Reuters reports that sex addiction is a controversial concept not currently recognized as an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is considered the definitive word on psychological disorders.
Happy Emotions Protect Against Heart Failure
People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to be happy, according to a major new study published February 17. The authors believe that the study, published in the Europe’s leading cardiology journal, The European Heart Journal, is the first to show such an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep of Patients with Chronic Pain
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia significantly improved sleep for patients with chronic neck or back pain and also reduced the extent to which pain interfered with their daily functioning, according to a study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers. The study, published online by the journal Sleep Medicine, demonstrates that a behavioral intervention can help patients who already are taking medications for pain and might be reluctant or unable to take additional drugs to treat sleep disturbance.
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Pipe and Cigar Smoke May Be More Harmful Than Once Thought
Pipe and cigar smoke may be more harmful than once thought. While some believe pipes and cigars are healthier than cigarettes, a major known cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study directly links pipe and cigar smoking to decreased lung function.
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Depression and Cognitive Problems Not Necessarily Associated
Many clinicians believe that depression goes hand in hand with cognitive difficulties such as memory problems or difficulties concentrating and paying attention, but a recent review of nearly 20 years of literature conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center has found that depression does not always lead to such impairments.
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