Tag: Mental-Health
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Antidepressants use associated with birth defects
A new Université de Montréal study in the British Medical Journal reveals that antidepressants prescribed to pregnant women could increase the chance of having a baby with birth defects. The risk is 6 to 10 %, versus 3 to 5 % in women who do not take the drugs and it is high enough to…
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Researchers develop in vitro model of brain for research
Harvard University researchers have developed a multiregional brain-on-a-chip that models the connectivity between three distinct regions of the brain. The in vitro model was used to extensively characterize the differences between neurons from different regions of the brain and to mimic the system’s connectivity. The research was published in the Journal of Neurophysiology. Image of…
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Stress, cortisol and perceptual learning process
Neuroscientists of the Ruhr University Bochum found that stress has adverse impact on our learning process. Usually when we train our senses, we sharpen them and thereby improve our perceptual performance. However during stressful situations we produce a hormone called cortisol, which completely blocks this important ability. These findings are reported in Journal “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Stress…
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Research uncovers link between long-term opioid use and preexisting psychiatric and behavioral disease
A wide range of pre-existing psychiatric and behavioral conditions and the use of psychoactive drugs could be important risk factors leading to long-term use of opioid pain medications, reports a study in Journal Pain, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Using a nationwide insurance database, the researchers identified…
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Meditation helps fight major depressive disorder
A breathing-based meditation practice known as Sudarshan Kriya yoga helped alleviate severe depression in people who did not fully respond to antidepressant treatments, reports a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study bolsters the science behind the use of controlled…
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Increased brain connectivity seen in endurance runners.
University of Arizona researchers discovered that MRI scans of endurance runners’ brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals. Researchers compared brain scans of young adult cross country runners to young adults who don’t engage in regular physical activity. The runners, overall, showed greater functional connectivity or connections between distinct brain…
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Association between cataracts and depression identified in elderly population
Older adults with cataracts are more likely to have symptoms of depression, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The link between cataracts and depression is independent of other factors, and appears strongest among older adults with lower education, according to new research by Haifang Wang,…
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Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment with Individual cognitive processing therapy found effective
Individual sessions of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) – a trauma-focused treatment that teaches patients more balanced thinking about traumatic events – were better at reducing the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in active-duty military members, although group sessions also were effective, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)…
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Methylphenidate with cognitive behavioral therapy found helpful in traumatic brain injury patients
A combination of the stimulant drug methylphenidate with a process known as cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation is a promising option to help people who suffer from persistent cognitive problems following traumatic brain injury, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have reported. The study, believed to be the first to systematically compare the combination therapy to alternative…
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Research on Zebrafish show that probiotic bacteria help reduce stress and anxiety
Researchers at the University of Missouri, using a zebrafish model, determined that a common probiotic sold in supplements and yogurt can decrease stress-related behavior and anxiety. Studying how gut bacteria affect behavior in zebrafish could lead to a better understanding of how probiotics may affect the central nervous system in humans. Their results recently were…
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