Brain Size Influences Addiction Risk, Study Finds
New findings from a team of German and Chinese researchers point to a connection between a person’s drug addiction risks and the size or volume of specific structures inside the brain.
Tag Archives: brain
Digital Devices May Hinder Ability to Read Emotions
In the modern digital world, are we more connected than ever before, or more disconnected? Does this world expose us to information and ideas that we would never otherwise encounter, or does it help us to stay contentedly isolated in our comfort zones? Does social media help us to stay in touch with family and […]
Understanding Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder
Vascular neurocognitive disorder is a condition characterized by disruptions in the brain’s blood supply that lead to impairment of one or more aspects of a person’s conscious brain functions. The American Psychiatric Association includes this condition in the new fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a replacement for a […]
Fish Oil Eases Brain Impact of Alcoholism, Rodent Study Finds
People who consume excessive amounts of alcohol have increased risks for developing damaging brain inflammation, especially when they maintain a pattern of heavy intake over time. In a study published in July 2014 in the journal PLOS One, researchers from three U.S. institutions explored the usefulness of fish oil, a substance with known anti-inflammatory properties, […]
Can Caffeine Improve Memory? New Johns Hopkins Study Says Yes
More than 90 percent of the world’s population consumes caffeine in one form or another, statistics show. In the United States, about 80 percent of all adults ingest caffeine through food, drink or medicine on a daily basis. This moderately powerful stimulant generates increased activity in the central nervous system, lifting energy, improving mood and […]
Understanding Frontotemporal Neurocognitive Disorder
Frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder is a mental health condition characterized by abnormal shrinkage in two parts of the brain, called the frontal and temporal anterior lobes. This condition replaces an essentially equivalent illness, known as frontotemporal dementia, in the newly released fifth edition of the mental health reference text called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of […]
Even Casual Marijuana Use Harms Young Brain, Study Finds
Don’t say you haven’t been warned. New research has found that even casual marijuana use causes critical changes in the brains of young people from which they may never recover and should prompt President Barack Obama to rethink a view he expressed in January about marijuana being no more dangerous than alcohol, one scientist said. The first-of-its-kind study on recreational marijuana, published April 16 […]
A Brain Region for Resisting Alcohol’s Allure
When consumed in substantial amounts, alcohol produces changes in the brain and body that normally help deter additional drinking. However, some people don’t seem to react as strongly to the negative effects of alcohol and therefore have greater chances of continuing their consumption to excess. In a study published in April 2014 in the journal […]
Understanding Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury is a mental health condition that sometimes arises in the long-term aftermath of a physical injury that results in brain damage. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies this condition along with other types of neurocognitive disorder in the reference text for mental health professionals called the Diagnostic and […]
Is PTSD Culprit in Ft. Hood Tragedy? Signs Point Both Ways
Much remains unraveled about the gunman who opened fire at the Fort Hood military base, slaying three and gravely wounding 16 others before killing himself. But when officials mentioned that Army Spec. Ivan Lopez might have post-traumatic stress disorder, concern erupted about stigmatizing the complex condition suffered by millions.
Brain Scan Can Predict Risky Behavior
Risky behavior is the general term used to describe actions that increase a person’s chances of experiencing harmful or unwanted, short- or long-term life outcomes. People with a tendency toward such actions have heightened odds of getting involved in substance use. In turn, substance use is itself a risky behavior that can produce seriously damaging […]
The Link Between Concussions and Depression
Concussions were a major news topic in 2013. In August, the National Football League (NFL) came to a $795-million settlement with more than 18,000 former players seeking compensation for concussion-related brain injuries. The NFL is the most watched and most lucrative of the country’s professional sports leagues, so the lawsuit and eventual settlement shined a […]
Genetics of Addiction: Wired for Drugs
Researchers have found that about half of the variation in how likely we are to become addicted is based on our genetics. For those who have never experienced addiction first hand, it can be easy to blame it on a lack of willpower. If addicts can see the damage they are doing to themselves and […]
New Information on Sports-Related Brain Injuries in Teens and Adults
Teens and adults who participate in contact sports have substantially heightened chances of experiencing concussions and other forms of significant brain injury. In some individuals, brain injury leads to the onset of a progressively worsening form of brain degradation called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In a study published in August 2013 in the journal Neurology, […]
Why We Can’t Eat Just One: The Science Behind Junk Food Addiction
It’s no accident that Americans are addicted to salty, crunchy chips and surgery soft drinks. Scientists and “crave experts” in the processed-food industry have been working for decades to make it so.
Understanding Neuron Activity Related to Addiction
In order to successfully treat addiction problems, it is important to understand how the brain functions in response to the stimulus. For both therapy treatment and medication treatment, it is helpful to know how the brain reacts.
Amount of Gray Matter in Brain Affects Self-Control and Decision-Making
According to a new study from the U.S. Dept. of Energy Laboratory in Brookhaven, the amount of gray matter in your brain affects its thought process and the ability to assess rewards or consequences. The study was the first of its kind to show the correlation between the brains of healthy people and the brains […]
Scientists Theorize that Chronic Depression Is Linked to Brain Inflammation
A new study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that chronic depression is an error in a neurobiological process that can be adapted and repaired. The researchers theorize that chronic depression comes from deep-rooted mechanisms the body uses to deal with physical injury.
Trauma’s Effects on the Brain: Notes from a Presentation by Dr. Linda Chamberlain
When a wolf catches her foot in a trap, she experiences trauma. If she is able to get free in time to save her life, whether through her own devices or help from another being, she will have learned about the dangers of traps. But her brain will also have absorbed a pattern of responding […]
Ritalin Enhances Speed of Learning by Boosting Dopamine Levels
Doctors treat millions of children with Ritalin every year to improve their ability to focus on tasks, but scientists now report that Ritalin also directly enhances the speed of learning. In animal research, scientists showed for the first time that Ritalin boosts both of these cognitive abilities by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine […]
Critical Brain Chemical Plays Role in Severe Depression
The next advance in treating major depression may relate to a group of brain chemicals that are involved in virtually all our brain activity, according to a study published today in Biological Psychiatry. The study is co-authored by Drs. Andrea J. Levinson and Zafiris J. Daskalakis of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). […]
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.
Stimulating the Brain’s Pleasure Center to Treat Depression
Even with the best of available treatments, over a third of patients with depression may not achieve a satisfactory antidepressant response. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a form of targeted electrical stimulation in the brain via implanted electrodes, is now undergoing careful testing to determine whether it could play a role in the treatment of patients […]
Study Finds Disconnect Between Brain Regions in ADHD
New research shows that two brain areas fail to connect when children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) attempt a task that measures attention. Researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain and M.I.N.D. Institute made this discovery by analyzing the brain activity in children with ADHD, and their paper appears in the […]