Do Anti-Anxiety Meds Increase Your Alzheimer’s Risk?
A new study has shown that popular anti-anxiety and sleep medications like alprazolam (Xanax) and zolpidem (Ambien) are linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
Tag Archives: Research
Is a Genetic Test for Alcoholism Too Good to Be True?
The authors of a study published in May 2014 in the journal Translational Psychiatry are optimistic that they have identified a number of gene variations that could be used to predict who is at greatest risk for alcoholism. The researchers, led by a team at the Indiana University School of Medicine, identified a group of […]
‘Love Hormone’ May Help Those Battling Addiction
Developing close and loving bonds between family members is important to a child’s well-being and development. It seems obvious that a loving relationship between parent and child creates a healthy and happy environment, but the latest research is telling us just how important this can be for a child’s future. Being loved and shown affection […]
Addiction Is a Brain Disease, Not Moral Failing
Although addiction treatment is a relatively new field, a significant body of research shows that addiction is a chronic illness similar to asthma, hypertension and diabetes. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Consistent differences in neurophysiology between addicts and non-addicts […]
Can We Predict Who Will Crave Alcohol?
In the context of substance use, craving means a strong urge to drink more alcohol or take more drugs or medications. People affected by substance cravings are significantly at-risk for developing substance use disorder. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers from three U.S. institutions sought to determine whether […]
Mind Games: Fatty Diet Actually Decreases Dopamine Levels
Overconsumption of high-fat foods dampens the dopamine-induced reward sensation, leading to compensatory consumption of even more high-fat foods.
Can You ‘Catch’ Depression?
Empathy is the term that psychologists use to describe the ability to mentally place oneself in another person’s “world” and see life from his or her perspective. Some aspects of empathy depend on rational thought processes in the brain, while other aspects depend on the brain’s emotional processes. According to the results of a new […]
Decoding Research Claims: How Do We Know What Works?
Whether we’re talking about a new medication or a different psychotherapy technique, at some point you’ll hear the phrase “studies show” that it works. Or you may have read that “research indicates” that a particular intervention (for example, practicing yoga to help improve mood) is effective. Perhaps you’ve wondered about this: what kind of studies? […]
People Pleasers More Likely to Overindulge
Binge eating is often associated with secrecy and shame. Those who binge eat often do so in private, consuming thousands of calories in a relatively short period of time, and usually in one sitting. Binging usually occurs at home or when a person is alone.
Chronic Stress is Detrimental to Health
Stress is not just a state of mind. It can manifest itself in many physical ways as well. After all, it is stress that propels the body into the ‘fight or flight’ response. Stress can trigger migraine headaches and cause ulcers, increase heart rate, and elevate blood pressure. If the body is left in a […]
Exposure to Light at Night Could Lead to Weight Gain, Obesity
A new study has found that consistently being exposed to light at night can lead to obesity and weight gain, even if an individual isn’t eating more food or changing their physical activity. Researchers from Ohio State University found that mice exposed to dim light at night over a period of eight weeks gained about […]
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 […]
Study Finds that a Single Gene is Responsible for OCD-Like Behavior in Mice
Researchers at the Ansary Stem Cell Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College discovered that mice missing a single gene developed repetitive obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors. The genetically altered mice, which behaved much like people with a certain type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), could help scientists design new therapies for this debilitating condition. […]
Victims of Domestic Violence Have Higher Health Costs Years After Abuse Ends
Victims of domestic violence endure significantly higher health costs than other women for three years after the abuse ends, a new study finds. Abuse victims had health care costs that averaged more than $1,200 above non-abused women for the first two years after the abuse ended and about $400 above others in the third year.
New Scale Measuring Anxiety Outcomes Developed
A new questionnaire and outcomes measurement scale developed by the department of psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety. The scale can easily be incorporated into routine clinical practice when treating psychiatric disorders. The study appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
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.
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 […]
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.
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.
Researcher Develops Technique for Quick Diagnosis of Mental Conditions
Is it really as easy to detect depression and other mental conditions as it is to detect a heart problem? It may be as a diagnostic technique invented by a Monash University researcher could make diagnosis and treatment a much more simple and rapid task.
Depressed People More Likely to Feel Gray, Not Blue
People with anxiety and depression are most likely to use a shade of gray to represent their mental state. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medical Research Methodology describe the development of a color chart, The Manchester Color Wheel, which can be used to study people’s preferred pigment in relation to their state of mind.
New Compound Could Become Important Antidepressant
Chemists at Oregon State University have discovered and synthesized a new compound that in laboratory and animal tests appears to be similar to, but may have advantages over, one of the most important antidepressant medications in the world. A patent has been applied for on the compound, and findings on it published in the Journal […]
Excessive Internet Use Linked to Depression
People who spend a great deal of time browsing the Internet are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West by University of Leeds psychologists. The researchers found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive Internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction […]
Those with Schizophrenia More Likely to Encounter Criminal Justice System
A new study shows that people being treated for schizophrenia are more likely than the general population to have encounters with the criminal justice system in the US. The study, published in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry, has shown that schizophrenia patients’ involvement with the criminal justice system is primarily driven by their being victims of […]