A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Witnessing violence can have a traumatic effect on the brain.
Scientists at the University College of London (UCL) and the Anna Freud Center liken the impact of family violence on the brains of children to the brains of soldiers exposed to combat. Both kinds of combat result in hypersensitivity to danger and put subjects at risk for developing anxiety disorders.
Continue reading… “Brains of children from violent homes function same as combat soldiers”
Drinking that depression away.
For many women, the mood-elevating effects of a cup of coffee may be more than fleeting. A new study shows that women who regularly drink coffee – the fully caffeinated kind – have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than nondrinkers. Decaf, soft drinks, chocolate, tea and other sources of caffeine did not offer the same protection against depression, possibly because of their lower levels of caffeine…
Continue reading… “Coffee drinking linked to less depression in women”
Across 12 countries, Britons between 45 and 54 were found to be in the worst shape.
Middle-aged people are meant to be in the prime of their lives. But the middle-aged people in Britain have been found to be in the world’s worst shape.
Continue reading… “Middle-aged Britons are the unhealthiest in the world”
Foods high in sugar and fat have a similar effect on the brain as alcohol and other drugs of abuse.
Do you think you’re addicted to chocolate? It’s unlikely you cut yourself off from your friends because you’re too embarrassed to scarf down Hershey bar after Hershey bar in front of them.
Continue reading… “Addiction is the same whether it’s drugs or food: Study”
The negative effects of air pollution may have some unexpected consequences.
The effects of air pollution on the human body has turned up a grim laundry-list of associated ills in study after study. Air pollution increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and lung disease. And now, according to the latest research, it may actually be doing harm to our brains as well, ultimately leading to learning problems and even depression.
Magazine articles offering tips on how to be happy were also blamed for worsening modern day depression.
Children who are rated “highly cheerful” at school went onto die younger than their more reserved class mates according to researchers.
Some people are born to see the glass as half empty.
Some people cannot help being pessimistic, suggests a new study that found the amount of a chemical in the brain affects how we view the world. Researchers discovered that levels of a molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) directly relates to whether we have a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” attitude towards life.
The economy has added to the stress, not just because of financial pressures
on their parents but also because the students are worried
about their own college debt and job prospects.
The emotional health of college freshmen — who feel buffeted by the recession and stressed by the pressures of high school — has declined to the lowest level since an annual survey of incoming students started collecting data 25 years ago.
Continue reading… “Emotional Health of College Freshman Has Declined to Record Low”
Aggressive traits linked to parenting.
Contrary to general perception that aggression or depression lies in one’s genes, a new study has found that the traits may be linked to parenting at home.
Continue reading… “Aggression in Children Linked to Parenting”
Sleeping with a night light on could lead to depression.
Neuroscientists believe that even having a dim light on – such as a night light often used in a child’s room – adversely affects the chemical balance and structure of the brain. Sleeping in anything other than a completely dark room could lead to depression, research suggests.
You now have a Healthy excuse to fill your life with pleasure!
Whether it’s food or sex, pleasurable activity provides more than just pleasure, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say. It actually reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses in the brain.
Continue reading… “Pleasurable Behaviors Reduce Stress”
People living at an elevation of 6,500 feet above sea level appear to face a one-third higher risk for suicide than those living at sea level.
For years, researchers have observed that U.S. suicide rates appear to be highest among residents of the so-called “Intermountain West” region of the country. Now, fresh research points to a possible explanation: high altitudes.
Continue reading… “High Altitude Linked to Suicide Risk: Study”
