Researchers Pinpoint Brain Region Essential for Social Memory

 

Potential target for treating autism, schizophrenia, and other brain disorders

NEW YORK, NY; February 23, 2014—Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have determined that a small region of the hippocampus known as CA2 is essential for social memory, the ability of an animal to recognize another of the same species. A better grasp of the function of CA2 could prove useful in understanding and treating disorders characterized by altered social behaviors, such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The findings, made in mice, were published today in the online edition of Nature.
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Study in Mice Raises Question: Could PTSD Involve Immune Cell Response to Stress?

 

After chronic stress, primed immune cells in spleen lead to excessive reaction to later event

COLUMBUS, OH; February 20, 2014—Chronic stress that produces inflammation and anxiety in mice appears to prime their immune systems for a prolonged fight, causing the animals to have an excessive reaction to a single acute stressor weeks later, new research suggests. After the mice recovered from the effects of chronic stress, a single stressful event 24 days later quickly returned them to a chronically stressed state in biological and behavioral terms. Mice that had not experienced the chronic stress were unaffected by the single acute stressor.
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Couples, Pay Attention to Your Relationship Work Ethic

URBANA, IL; January 19, 2014—Is a date with your partner as important to you as a meeting at work? A University of Illinois study recommends that couples develop a relationship work ethic that rivals—or at least equal—their professional work ethic.
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Aging Men: More Uplifts, Fewer Hassles until the Age of 65-70

CORVALLIS, OR; February 19, 2014—A new study of how men approach their golden years found that how happy individuals are remains relatively stable for some 80 percent of the population, but perceptions of unhappiness—or dealing with “hassles”—tends to get worse once you are about 65-70 years old.
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High Family Stress Can Impact a Child's Immune System

February 19, 2014—High family stress can lead to the child’s immune system being affected, as a research group at the School of Health Sciences at Jönköping University and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University in Sweden shows in a study being published in the renowned American periodical Journal of Immunology.
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'Beautiful but Sad' Music Can Help People Feel Better

February 19, 2014—New research from psychologists at the universities of Kent and Limerick has found that music that is felt to be 'beautiful but sad' can help people feel better when they're feeling blue.
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Study Reveals Workings of Working Memory

PROVIDENCE, RI; February 19, 2014—Keep this in mind: Scientists say they've learned how your brain plucks information out of working memory when you decide to act.
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Prison-Based Education Declined during Economic Downturn, Study Finds

 

More work is needed to better focus spending

February 18, 2014—State-level spending on prison education programs declined sharply during the economic downturn, with the sharpest drop occurring in states that incarcerate the most prisoners, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
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Loneliness Is a Major Health Risk for Older Adults

 

February 16, 2014—Feeling extreme loneliness can increase an older person's chances of premature death by 14 percent, according to research by John Cacioppo, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago..
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Stanford Psychologist Shows Why Talking to Kids Really Matters

February 13, 2014—Fifty years of research has revealed the sad truth that the children of lower-income, less-educated parents typically enter school with poorer language skills than their more privileged counterparts. By some measures, 5-year-old children of lower socioeconomic status (SES) score two years behind on standardized language development tests by the time they enter school.
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Marriage's 'Haves' and 'Have Nots'

 

Changing expectations and rising inequality make today's best marriages better than ever, while undermining today's average marriages

EVANSTON, IL; February 14, 2014—Today Americans are looking to their marriages to fulfill different goals than in the past—and although the fulfillment of these goals requires especially large investments of time and energy in the marital relationship, on average Americans are actually making smaller investments in their marital relationship than in the past, according to new research from Northwestern University to be published in the journal Psychological Inquiry.
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Mindfulness Meditation May Improve Decision Making

February 12, 2014—One 15-minute focused-breathing meditation may help people make smarter choices, according to new research from researchers at INSEAD and The Wharton School. The findings are published in the February issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Intimate Partner Violence and Female Veterans

BOSTON; February 12, 2014—Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern for all, however women who experience IPV are more likely to sustain injury and report adverse health consequences. An expanding body of research suggests that experience of IPV is common in women veterans (WV), particularly those who access Veterans Health Administration (VA) services.
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After Committing a Crime, Guilt and Shame Predict Re-Offense

February 11, 2014—Within three years of being released from jail, two out of every three inmates in the US wind up behind bars again—a problem that contributes to the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. New research suggests that the degree to which inmates’ express guilt or shame may provide an indicator of how likely they are to re-offend.
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Understanding the Basic Biology of Bipolar Disorder

 

Scientists from UCLA, UC San Francisco, Costa Rica and Colombia take steps to identify genetic component to mental illness

February 12, 2014—Scientists know there is a strong genetic component to bipolar disorder, but they have had an extremely difficult time identifying the genes that cause it. So, in an effort to better understand the illness's genetic causes, researchers at UCLA tried a new approach.
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YOLO: Aging and the Pursuit of Happiness

February 11, 2014—As human beings, we expend a great deal of time, money, and energy in the pursuit of happiness. From exotic travel to simply spending time with our grandchildren, the things that make us happy change as we age. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research explores the role of age on the happiness we receive from both the ordinary and the extraordinary experiences in our lives.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Benefits Patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder

 

Patients reported considerable improvements in symptoms and disability

PROVIDENCE, RI; February 11, 2014—In a recent study, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital found significant benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment modality for patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
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Keep Romance Alive with Double Dates

 

And other ways perceptions influence relationships

Austin; February 10, 2014—Going on a double date may be more effective at reigniting passion in your own relationship than the classic candlelit dinner for two. According to new research, striking up a friendship with another couple in which you discuss personal details of your life will bring you closer to your own partner.
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Don't Let Rocky Past Relations with Parents Spoil Your Romance

February 6, 2014—University of Alberta relationship researcher Matt Johnson has some advice for anybody who's had rocky relations with their parents while growing up: don't let it spill over into your current romantic partnership.
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Mounting Evidence Links Lead's Toxic Effects to Criminal Behavior

February 5, 2014—When crime rates drop, politicians like to give themselves pats on the back for being "tough on crime." But a new theory explaining why violence has declined across the country since the 1990s is gaining credence, and it has nothing to do with the criminal justice system. An article in Chemical & Engineering News details the mounting data that suggests taking lead out of gas and paint has played a critical role.
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“False" Memories: the Hidden Side of Our Good Memory

February 5, 2014—Justice blindly trusts human memory. Every year throughout the world hundreds of thousands of court cases are heard based solely on the testimony of somebody who swears that they are reproducing exactly an event that they witnessed in a more or less not too distant past. Nevertheless, various recent studies in cognitive neuroscience indicate both the strengths and weaknesses in this ability of recall of the human brain.
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Gene That Influences Receptive Joint Attention in Chimpanzees Gives Insight into Autism

February 4, 2014—Following another's gaze or looking in the direction someone is pointing, two examples of receptive joint attention, is significantly heritable according to new study results from researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University. Determining such communicative cues are significantly heritable means variation in this ability has a genetic basis, which led the researchers to the vasopressin receptor gene, known for its role in social bonding. The study results, which are published in Scientific Reports, give researchers insight into the biology of disorders in which receptive joint attention is compromised, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and may ultimately lead to new diagnosis and treatment strategies.
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Speech Disrupts Facial Attention in 6-Month-Olds Who Later Develop Autism

 

Reports new study in Biological Psychiatry

Philadelphia, PA, February 4, 2014—From birth, infants naturally show a preference for human contact and interaction, including faces and voices. These basic predispositions to social stimuli are altered in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
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For Athletes, There's No Place like Home

 

But it's not all good news . . .

February 4, 2014—The pomp. The pageantry. The exciting wins and devastating losses. Unbelievable feats of athleticism and sheer determination. That's right—it's time for the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Everyone has their picks for who will take gold medals and we're likely to see some unexpected upsets. But there are certain athletes that may have a leg up on everyone else: the Russians. Unless, of course, they succumb to some of the disadvantages of being on home turf.
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Your Brain Is Fine-Tuning Its Wiring throughout Your Life

 

Researchers evaluate white matter across the life span

Philadelphia, PA, February 3, 2014—The white matter microstructure, the communication pathways of the brain, continues to develop/mature as one ages. Studies link age-related differences in white matter microstructure to specific cognitive abilities in childhood and adulthood.
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'I Know It but I Won't Say It'

 

Tie between toddlers' shyness, language abilities reflects reticence to respond

February 3, 2014—Previous research has suggested that shy children have difficulties with language. Now, a new longitudinal study paints a more nuanced picture.
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For Young African-Americans, Emotional Support Buffers the Biological Toll of Racial Discrimination

February 3, 2014—African American youth who report experiencing frequent discrimination during adolescence are at risk for developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke in later years, according to a new study. The study also found that emotional support from parents and peers can protect African American youth from stress-related damage to their bodies and health.
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Making the Brain Social

 

Failure to eliminate links between neurons produces autistic-like mice

February 2, 2014—In many people with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, different parts of the brain don't talk to each other very well. Scientists have now identified, for the first time, a way in which this decreased functional connectivity can come about. In a study published online today in Nature Neuroscience, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, and collaborators at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), in Rovereto, and La Sapienza University in Rome, demonstrate that it can be caused by cells called microglia failing to trim connections between neurons.
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Caring for Animals May Correlate with Positive Traits in Young Adults

NORTH GRAFTON, MA; January 31, 2014—Young adults who care for an animal may have stronger social relationships and connection to their communities, according to a paper published online today in Applied Developmental Science.
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Does Caregiving Cause Psychological Stress? UW Study of Female Twins Says It Depends

 

Study breaks long-held belief that caregiving directly causes distress

January 30, 2014—When it comes to life's stressors, most people would put caregiving at the top of the list. But according to Peter Vitaliano, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Washington (UW), there never have been data actually showing caregiving causes psychological distress. So he, and other researchers at the UW conducted a study of about 1,228 female twins, some were caregivers, and some were not. The results were somewhat surprising.
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Two Stressed People Equals Less Stress

 

New research shows how emotional similarity reduces stress

January 29, 2014—Does giving a speech in public stress you out? Or writing a big presentation for your boss? What about skydiving? One way to cope, according to a new study from Sarah Townsend, assistant professor of management and organization at the USC Marshall School of Business, is to share your feelings with someone who is having a similar emotional reaction to the same scenario.
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Research Finds Elevated Levels of DDT Metabolite in Alzheimer's Patients

DALLAS, TX; January 29, 2014—Exposure to DDT may increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, a study with researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests. While previous studies have linked chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes to DDT, this is the first clinical study to link the U.S.-banned pesticide to Alzheimer’s disease.
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Altruistic Acts More Common in States With High Well-Being

January 29, 2014—People are much more likely to decide to donate a kidney to a stranger—an extraordinarily altruistic act—in areas of the United States where levels of well-being are high, according to a new study.
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Intuitive Number Games Boost Children's Math Performance

CHAMPAIGN, IL; January 29, 2014—A quick glance at two, unequal groups of paper clips (or other objects) leads most people to immediately intuit which group has more. In a new study, researchers report that practicing this kind of simple, instinctive numerical exercise can improve children's ability to solve math problems.
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Don't Judge Older Drivers by Age, Study Says

January 28, 2014—Encouraging older drivers to self-regulate their driving rather than revoking their licence based on age, has the potential to improve their safety and maintain their independence, aQUT study has found.
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How Politics Divide Facebook Friendships

 

Study suggests ways social media site could bridge political divide

January 28, 2014—Those who say one should never talk about politics in mixed company have never logged on to Facebook. These days a typical newsfeed is peppered with links, opinions and jabs about the latest political topics.
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Pesticide Exposure Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Rutgers research may help to identify those at risk for condition and lead to earlier diagnosis, improved outcome

January 27, 2014—Scientists have known for more than 40 years that the synthetic pesticide DDT is harmful to bird habitats and a threat to the environment. Now researchers at Rutgers University say exposure to DDT—banned in the United States since 1972 but still used as a pesticide in other countries—may also increase the risk and severity of Alzheimer’s disease in some people, particularly those over the age of 60.
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Psychologists Document the Age Our Earliest Memories Fade

January 24, 2014—Although infants use their memories to learn new information, few adults can remember events in their lives that happened prior to the age of three. Psychologists at Emory University have now documented that age seven is when these earliest memories tend to fade into oblivion, a phenomenon known as “childhood amnesia.”
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What Last Meals Can Tell Us About Guilt and Innocence

January 23, 2014—Can last meals reveal more about individuals on death row than their taste preference? Some have argued there is significance embedded in death row last meal decisions. Famously, Ricky Ray Rector asked to save his untouched pecan pie for after his execution. This request sparked significant discussion about Rector’s competency—on the basis of his food request. Similarly, in a documentary film about last suppers, artists Bigert and Bergstrom have claimed a connection between whether or not an individual choses to have a last meal and his or her guilt.
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Practice Makes Perfect If You Have a Partner's Touch

January 23, 2014—People improve their performance more when they practice with a partner rather than on their own, according to a new study.
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Detecting Sickness by Smell

January 23, 2014—Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active within just a few hours of exposure to a toxin, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of theAssociation for Psychological Science.
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Depression Symptoms and Emotional Support Impact PTSD Treatment Progress

January 23, 2014—Many individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also experience depression. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that during PTSD treatments, rapid improvements in depression symptoms are associated with better outcomes. Often while undergoing treatment, those suffering PTSD typically count on family and friends to help them through it. But advising individuals with PTSD to “toughen up” or “just get over it” can actually negatively impact these individuals and lead to a transient increase in depression, according to a new Case Western Reserve University psychology study.
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World's Dangerous Neighborhoods Produce Aggressive Children

DURHAM, NC; January 22, 2014—Children around the world who grow up in dangerous neighborhoods exhibit more aggressive behavior, says a new Duke University-led study that is the first to examine the topic across a wide range of countries. Many U.S. studies have described a link between dangerous neighborhoods and children's aggressive behavior. Authors of the new study wanted to determine whether the pattern held true in other cultures.
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Does Anonymity Make a Difference with Online Comments?

 

Study reports most anonymous comments online are uncivil

January 21, 2014—In a study titled, "Virtuous or Vitriolic: The Effect of Anonymity on Civility in Online Newspaper Reader Comment Boards," University of Houston assistant professor Arthur D. Santana at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication found a significant correlation between anonymity and civility.
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Parents Less Likely to Spank after Learning about Links to Problems in Children

 

Studies demonstrate that brief exposure to research findings can reduce positive corporal punishment attitudes in parents and non-parents

January 21, 2014—Parents who spank their children believe it’s an effective form of discipline. But decades of research studies have found that spanking is linked to short- and long-term child behavior problems. Is there any way to get parents to change their minds and stop spanking? Child psychologist George Holden, who favors humane alternatives to corporal punishment, wanted to see if parents’ positive views toward spanking could be reversed if they were made aware of the research.
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Fast Eye Movements: A Possible Indicator Of More Impulsive Decision-Making

January 21, 2014—Using a simple study of eye movements, Johns Hopkins scientists report evidence that people who are less patient tend to move their eyes with greater speed. The findings, the researchers say, suggest that the weight people give to the passage of time may be a trait consistently used throughout their brains, affecting the speed with which they make movements, as well as the way they make certain decisions.
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Older Brains Slow Due to Greater Experience, Rather than Cognitive Decline

January 21, 2014—What happens to our cognitive abilities as we age? Traditionally it is thought that age leads to a steady deterioration of brain function, but new research in Topics in Cognitive Science argues that older brains may take longer to process ever increasing amounts of knowledge, and this has often been misidentified as declining capacity.
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People Who Enjoy Life Maintain Better Physical Function as They Age

January 20, 2014—People who enjoy life maintain better physical function in daily activities and keep up faster walking speeds as they age, compared with people who enjoy life less, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
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Study: Kids Teased in P.E. Class Exercise Less a Year Later

 

Anti-bullying efforts may boost physical fitness

January 16, 2014—A new study found that children who were bullied during P.E. class or other physical activities were less likely to participate in physical activity one year later. 
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Social Experience Drives Empathetic, Pro-Social Behavior in Rats

 

Rats will help a stranger in distress only if they have had prior social experience with the type of the unfamiliar individual

January 14, 2014—Empathy-driven behavior has been observed in rats who will free trapped companions from restrainers. This behavior also extends toward strangers, but requires prior, positive social interactions with the type (strain) of the unfamiliar individual, report scientists from the University of Chicago in the open access journal eLife, on Jan. 14.
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Study Reveals Senses of Sight and Sound Separated in Children with Autism

January 14, 2014—Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears, according to a Vanderbilt study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience.
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Illinois Study Identifies 3 Risk Factors Most Highly Correlated with Child Obesity

URBANA, IL; January 14, 2014—A University of Illinois study has identified the three most significant risk factors for child obesity among preschoolers: (1) inadequate sleep, (2) a parental BMI that classifies the mom or dad as overweight or obese, and (3) parental restriction of a child's eating in order to control his weight.
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Brain Structure Shows Who Is Most Sensitive to Pain

WINSTON-SALEM, NC; January 14, 2014—Everybody feels pain differently, and brain structure may hold the clue to these differences. In a study published in the current online issue of the journal Pain, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have shown that the brain's structure is related to how intensely people perceive pain.
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A Brief Visit to a Neighborhood Induces the Social Attitudes of That Neighborhood

January 14, 2014—Spending as little as 45 minutes in a high-crime, deprived neighbourhood can have measurable effects on people's trust in others and their feelings of paranoia. In a new study, students who visited high crime neighbourhoods quickly developed a level of trust and paranoia comparable to the residents of that neighbourhood, and significantly different from that in more low-crime neighbourhoods. As a result, urban planners should carefully consider the psychological effects of the environment.
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It's All Coming Back to Me Now: Researchers Find Caffeine Enhances Memory

January 12, 2014—For some, it's the tradition of steeping tea leaves to brew the perfect cup of tea. For others, it's the morning shuffle to a coffee maker for a hot jolt of java. Then there are those who like their wake up with the kind of snap and a fizz usually found in a carbonated beverage.
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Remission from Depression Much Slower in Adults Who Were Abused in Childhood

TORONTO, ON; January 9, 2014—Remission from depression is delayed in adults who have experienced childhood physical abuse or parental addictions, a new study by University of Toronto researchers has found. The study is published this week in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
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Infants Show Ability to Tell Friends from Foes

 

Infant cognition study offers new evidence that babies make inferences about social relationships

January 8, 2014—Even before babies have language skills or much information about social structures, they can infer whether others are likely to be friends by observing their likes and dislikes, a new UChicago study on infant cognition has found.
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Nociceptin: Nature’s Balm for the Stressed Brain

LA JOLLA, CA; January 8, 2014—Collaborating scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Camerino in Italy have published new findings on a system in the brain that naturally moderates the effects of stress. The findings confirm the importance of this stress-damping system, known as the nociceptin system, as a potential target for therapies against anxiety disorders and other stress-related conditions.
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Green Space Can Make People Happier for Years

January 8, 2014—Nearly 10 years after the term "nature deficit disorder" entered the nation's vocabulary, research is showing for the first time that green space does appear to improve mental health in a sustained way. The report, which appears in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology, gives urban park advocates another argument in support of their cause.
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The Ironic (and Surprising) Effects of Weight Stigma

 

UCSB psychology professor finds that messages designed to encourage weight loss may actually have the opposite effect

Santa Barbara, CA; January 8, 2014—If you're one of the millions of people who count losing weight among their top New Year's resolutions, you might want to pay careful attention to some new findings by UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Brenda Major.
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Some Brain Regions Retain Enhanced Ability to Make New Connections

January 7, 2014—In adults, some brain regions retain a "childlike" ability to establish new connections, potentially contributing to our ability to learn new skills and form new memories as we age, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.
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Suicide Risk Doesn't Differ in Children Taking 2 Types of Commonly Prescribed Antidepressants

January 6, 2014—A Vanderbilt University Medical Center study released today shows there is no evidence that the risk of suicide differs with two commonly prescribed antidepressants prescribed to children and adolescents.
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Loving Touch Is Critical for Premature Infants

Philadelphia, PA; January 6, 2014—The benefit that premature infants gain from skin-to-skin contact with their mothers is measurable even 10 years after birth, reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry. Physical contact with babies is essential for their physical and psychological development. This lesson has been learned the hard way, as infants neglected in hospitals and orphanages developed many problems, ranging from depression to a more global failure to thrive. But, what types of contact are necessary and what are the beneficial effects of enriching physical contact?
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Babbling Babies Responding to One-on-One ‘Baby Talk’ Master More Words

January 6, 2014—Common advice to new parents is that the more words babies hear the faster their vocabulary grows. Now new findings show that what spurs early language development isn’t so much the quantity of words as the style of speech and social context in which speech occurs.
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Blue Monday: Brutal Cold, Short Days, Post-Holiday Letdown Raise Risk of Depression

Maywood, IL; Jan. 3, 2014—The first Monday after the holidays can be a depressing time for people coping with a post-holiday letdown and a type of depression triggered by short days called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). And this year, First Monday will be especially blue, due to the added stress of the brutal cold in the forecast, said Loyola University Medical Center psychiatrist Dr. Angelos Halaris, who specializes in treating depression.
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New Social Network Study Investigates How People Use Facebook to Maintain Friendships

MACOMB, IL; January 3, 2013—New social networking research by a Western Illinois University faculty member investigates how individuals use Facebook to maintain their friendships.
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When Being Called “Incredibly Good” is Bad for Children

 

Study shows inflated praise can harm kids with low self-esteem

COLUMBUS, OH; January 2, 2014—Parents and other adults heap the highest praise on children who are most likely to be hurt by the compliments, a new study finds.
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Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug Use Far Higher in Severely Mentally Ill

St. Louis, MO; January 1, 2014—In the largest ever assessment of substance use among people with severe psychiatric illness, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Southern California have found that rates of smoking, drinking and drug use are significantly higher among those who have psychotic disorders than among those in the general population.
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Toward a Molecular Explanation for Schizophrenia

 

Researchers find inhibition of a basic cellular process may contribute to the mysterious disease

December 30, 2013—Surprisingly little is known about schizophrenia. It was only recognized as a medical condition in the past few decades, and its exact causes remain unclear. Since there is no objective test for schizophrenia, its diagnosis is based on an assortment of reported symptoms. The standard treatment, antipsychotic medication, works less than half the time and becomes increasingly ineffective over time. Now, researchers have discovered that an important cell-maintenance process called autophagy is reduced in the brains of schizophrenic patients.
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Epigenetics Enigma Resolved

 

First structure of enzyme that removes methylation

December 25, 2013—Scientists have obtained the first detailed molecular structure of a member of the Tet family of enzymes. The finding is important for the field of epigenetics because Tet enzymes chemically modify DNA, changing signposts that tell the cell's machinery "this gene is shut off" into other signs that say "ready for a change."
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Getting Excited Helps with Performance Anxiety More than Trying to Calm down, Study Finds

 

Simple statements about excitement could have big effects, research shows

WASHINGTON; December 23,2013—People who tell themselves to get excited rather than trying to relax can improve their performance during anxiety-inducing activities such as public speaking and math tests, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.
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Making Sad Sense of Child Abuse

 

Researchers decipher the unpredictable ways children respond to abuse

December 23, 2013—Researchers from Tel Aviv University's Bob Shapell School of Social Work have found that when parents are physically abusive, children tend to accommodate it. But when the abuse is sexual, they tend to fight or flee it unless it is severe. The findings, published in Child Abuse & Neglect, help explain children's behavior in response to abuse and could aid in intervention and treatment.
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Hospital-Diagnosed Maternal Infections Linked to Increased Autism Risk

December 23, 2013—Hospital-diagnosed maternal bacterial infections during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published Dec. 23 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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Brain Connections May Explain Why Girls Mature Faster

December 19, 2013—Newcastle University scientists have discovered that as the brain reorganizes connections throughout our life, the process begins earlier in girls which may explain why they mature faster during the teenage years.
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In Addiction, Meditation is Helpful When Coupled with Drug and Cognitive Therapies, Study Suggests

AMHERST, MA; December 19, 2013—Using a computational model of addiction, a literature review and an in silico experiment, theoretical computer scientist Yariv Levy and colleagues suggest in a new paper this week that rehabilitation strategies coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies are more helpful than drug-plus-talk therapy alone when helping people overcome addiction.
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Researchers Show the Power of Mirror Neuron System in Learning and Language Understanding

TEMPE, AZ; December 19, 2013—Anyone who has tried to learn a second language knows how difficult it is to absorb new words and use them to accurately express ideas in a completely new cultural format. Now, research into some of the fundamental ways the brain accepts information and tags it could lead to new, more effective ways for people to learn a second language.
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Brain Area Attacked by Alzheimer's Links Learning and Rewards

 

Crucial linkage normally helps brain step up to new challenges

DURHAM, NC; December 18, 2013—One of the first areas of the brain to be attacked by Alzheimer's disease is more active when the brain isn't working very hard, and quiets down during the brain's peak performance. The question that Duke University graduate student Sarah Heilbronner wanted to resolve was whether this brain region, called the posterior cingulate cortex, or PCC, actively dampens cognitive performance, say by allowing the mind to wander, or is instead monitoring performance and trying to improve it when needed.
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Poor Health of Irish Immigrants in England May Be Linked to Childhood Abuse, Study Finds

December 17, 2013—The generally poor health of Irish immigrants to England during most of the 20th century was not caused primarily by difficulties of assimilation or tensions between the two nations, but by the abuse Irish expatriates suffered as children in their homeland, according to a new study.
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Bullying Shown to Increase Likelihood of Psychotic Experiences in Later Life

December 17, 2013—New research has shown that being exposed to bullying during childhood will lead to an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood, regardless of whether they are victims or perpetrators.
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Are We Hard-Wired to Follow Celebrity Medical Advice?

 

Food for thought: Following celebrities' medical advice may be harmful to your health

December 17, 2013—A paper published in the Christmas edition of The BMJ asks why so many people follow medical advice from celebrities when so much of it is ill-informed and some of it is potentially harmful.
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Do Patients in a Vegetative State Recognize Loved Ones?

 

TAU researchers find unresponsive patients' brains may recognize photographs of their family and friends

December 16, 2013—Patients in a vegetative state are awake, breathe on their own, and seem to go in and out of sleep. But they do not respond to what is happening around them and exhibit no signs of conscious awareness. With communication impossible, friends and family are left wondering if the patients even know they are there.
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Bedtime for Toddlers: Timing Is Everything, Says CU-Boulder Study

December 16, 2013—The bedtime you select for your toddler may be out of sync with his or her internal body clock, which can contribute to difficulties for youngsters attempting to settle in for the night, according to a new University of Colorado-Boulder study.
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Up to 1 in 4 Female Prisoners in England and Wales Self-Harm

December 15, 2013—Led by Dr. Seena Fazel and Professor Keith Hawton from the University of Oxford in the UK, the study examined the prevalence of self-harm in all prisoners in England and Wales between 2004 and 2009—a total of 139,195 incidents of self-harm, involving 26,510 inmates. Risk factors for self-harm were assessed and compared with those of the general prison population, and associations with suicide examined. Despite reductions in suicide rates over the 6-year study period, incidents of self-harm in custody did not decrease, and ranged from about 20,000 to 25,000 per year, with women accounting for roughly half of these incidents.
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No Math Gene: Learning Mathematics Takes Practice

 

Practice, not innate skill, makes for good mathematicians

December 13, 2013—New research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim could have an effect on how math is taught.
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Newly Released Prisoners at Increased Risk of Suicide

December 13, 2013—Research on the mortality of released prisoners is sparse and what research has been conducted has mainly focused on drug-related causes of death. Researchers in the U.K. recently undertook a systematic review to investigate the risk of suicide in recently released prisoners, finding that they are almost seven times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
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Sniffing out Danger: Rutgers Scientists Say Fearful Memories Can Trigger Heightened Sense of Smell

 

Findings could provide better understanding of anxiety disorders like PTSD

December 12, 2013—Most people, including scientists, have assumed we can't just sniff out danger. But neuroscientists at Rutgers University studying the olfactory—sense of smell—system in mice have discovered that this fear reaction can occur at the sensory level, even before the brain has the opportunity to interpret that the odor could mean trouble.
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Money May Corrupt, but Thinking about Time Can Strengthen Morality

December 10, 2013—Priming people to think about money makes them more likely to cheat, but priming them to think about time seems to strengthen their moral compass, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science (APS).
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Contractors Who Worked in Conflict Zones Suffer High Rates of PTSD, Depression

December 10, 2013—Private contractors who worked in Iraq, Afghanistan or other conflict environments over the past two years report suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression more often than military personnel who served in recent conflicts, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
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No Pictures, Please: Taking Photos May Impede Memory of Museum Tour

December 9, 2013—Visit a museum these days and you'll see people using their smartphones and cameras to take pictures of works of art, archeological finds, historical artifacts, and any other object that strikes their fancy. While taking a picture might seem like a good way to preserve the moment, new research suggests that museum-goers may want to put their cameras down.
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Study Finds Parental Stress Linked to Obesity in Children

 

Effects on Hispanic children more pronounced

TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2013—Parental stress is linked to weight gain in children, according to a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, about 2 per cent higher than those whose parents have low levels of stress. Children with higher parental stress also gained weight at a 7 per cent higher rate during the study period than other children.
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Study Reveals Gene Expression Changes with Meditation

Dec. 6, 2013—With evidence growing that meditation can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body. A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of mindfulness meditation..
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Social Ties More Important than Biology When It Comes to Teen Sleep Problems

WASHINGTON, DC, December 5, 2013—Medical researchers point to developmental factors, specifically the decline of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, as an explanation for why children get less sleep as they become teenagers. But a new study suggests that social ties, including relationships with peers and parents, may be even more responsible for changing sleep patterns among adolescents.
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Probiotic Therapy Alleviates Some Autism-like Behaviors in Mice

December 5, 2013—Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed when individuals exhibit characteristic behaviors that include repetitive actions, decreased social interactions, and impaired communication. Curiously, many individuals with ASD also suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as abdominal cramps and constipation. Caltech research, published online in the December 5 issue of the journal Cell, is the first to demonstrate that changes in these gut bacteria can influence autism-like behaviors in a mouse model.
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Working Odd Shifts Can Hurt Parent-Child Relationships

December 4, 2013—Research from North Carolina State University shows that working a job that doesn’t keep 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours can hurt the relationships between parents and adolescents, increasing the likelihood that children will engage in delinquent behaviors. However, the researchers found that in some circumstances, an unconventional work schedule can be a benefit for children.
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Depression in Pregnant Mothers May Alter the Pattern of Brain Development in Their Babies

 

Reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry

Philadelphia, PA, December 4, 2013—Depression is a serious mental illness that has many negative consequences for sufferers. But depression among pregnant women may also have an impact on their developing babies, and researchers have found one pathway for this transmission.
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Talk Therapy May Reverse Biological Changes in PTSD Patients

 

A study of biological markers of PTSD in Biological Psychiatry

December 3, 2013—A new paper published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) not only reduces symptoms but also affects the underlying biology of this disorder.
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Messy Children Make Better Learners

 

Study shows toddlers learn words for nonsolids better when getting messy in a highchair

December 2, 2013—Attention, parents: The messier your child gets while playing with food in the high chair, the more he or she is learning.
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Kids Whose Bond with Mother Was Disrupted Early in Life Show Changes in Brain

December 2, 2013—Children who experience profound neglect have been found to be more prone to a behavior known as "indiscriminate friendliness," characterized by an inappropriate willingness to approach adults, including strangers.
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Head out to the Ski Slopes, for Happiness’ Sake

 

Study says even one-off skiing trips can give you a valuable boost in pleasure and well-being

December 2, 2013—Are you contemplating a skiing holiday? The all-out pleasure and enjoyment you experience on a pair of skis or a snowboard is positively priceless to enhance your overall happiness. This is true even if you only get to go out on the slopes once in a blue moon, says Hyun-Woo Lee and colleagues from Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea, in an article published in Springer’s journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.
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Follow Your Gut down the Aisle, New Study Says

 

Newlyweds know on subconscious level whether marriage will be unhappy

TALLAHASSEE, FL; November 28, 2met hi013—Although newlyweds may not be completely aware of it, they may know whether their march down the aisle will result in wedded bliss or an unhappy marriage, according to new study led by a Florida State University researcher.
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Gratitude or Guilt? People Spend More When They ‘Pay It Forward’

BERKELEY; November 26, 2013—As shoppers across the nation prepare to pounce on Black Friday sales, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are looking at what happens to commerce when there’s no set price tag. In an exhaustive study of consumer behavior, they found that shoppers spend more money when engaged in a chain of goodwill known as “Pay-it-forward” than when they can name their own price.
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Mood over Matter: The Good News in Bad News

November 25, 2013—TAU researchers say repeatedly exposing yourself to a negative event may prevent it from affecting you.
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Scientists Find Brain Region That Helps You Make up Your Mind

November 24, 2013—One of the smallest parts of the brain is getting a second look after new research suggests it plays a crucial role in decision making.
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Continued Increases in ADHD Diagnoses and Medication among US Children

 

New study led by the CDC reports that half of US children diagnosed with ADHD received that diagnosis by age 6

Washington D.C., November 22, 2013—A new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) found that an estimated two million more children in the United States (U.S.) have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between 2003-04 and 2011-12. One million more U.S. children were taking medication for ADHD between 2003-04 and 2011-12.
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School Climate Key to Preventing Bullying

 

To prevent bullying, schools need to understand positive school climate, use reliable measures to evaluate it and improve it using effective prevention and intervention programs

RIVERSIDE, CA; November 22, 2013—To effectively prevent bullying schools need to understand positive school climate, use reliable measures to evaluate school climate and use effective prevention and intervention programs to improve the climate, a recent paper co-authored by a University of California, Riverside assistant professor found.
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Different Types of Teacher-Child Interactions Support Children's Development in Different Areas

 

Study finds responsive teaching and language-rich instruction are both important for student success

November 21, 2013—Teachers' daily interactions with children are crucial to making sure they're ready for school. Many state early childhood systems and the federal Office of Head Start consider teacher-child interactions when they measure programs' quality. But research hasn't always been clear about which aspects of interactions are most important to how children do academically and socially. A new study that used a novel approach to analyzing data in this area has identified which types of teacher-child interactions support children's learning and development in which areas.
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Study Finds Brain Differences in Children with Nonverbal Learning Disability

 

Study finds an association that raises new questions about ADHD

Philadelphia, PA; November 20, 2013—A Michigan State University researcher has discovered the first anatomical evidence that the brains of children with a nonverbal learning disability—long considered a “pseudo” diagnosis—may develop differently than the brains of other children.
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Connections in the Brains of Young Children Strengthen during Sleep

November 20, 2013—While young children sleep, connections between the left and the right hemispheres of their brain strengthen, which may help brain functions mature, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.
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Higher Emotional Intelligence Leads to Better Decision-Making

Toronto; November 19, 2013—The anxiety people feel making investment decisions may have more to do with the traffic they dealt with earlier than the potential consequences they face with the investment, but not if the decision-maker has high emotional intelligence a recent study published in Psychological Science suggests. 
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Services Fail to Treat Prisoners with Schizophrenia—Increasing Risk of Violent Reoffending

 

New research shows released prisoners with schizophrenia are three times more likely to be violent than other prisoners, but only if they receive no treatment or follow-up support from mental health services.

November 19, 2013—Maintaining psychiatric treatment both during imprisonment and after release can substantially reduce the risk of violent reoffending. Better screening and treatment of prisoners is therefore essential to prevent violence.
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Depression in Pregnancy: Mothers Prefer Therapy over Medication

 

Journal of Psychiatric Practice provides guidance for clinicians on women's preferences and concerns about treating depression during and after pregnancy

Philadelphia, PA; November 18, 2013—Women with depression in the perinatal period experience a high degree of conflict in deciding whether and how to treat their depression, but strongly prefer treatments other than antidepressant medications, reports a study in the November Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
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A Decline in Creativity? It Depends on How You Look at It

November 14, 2013—Research in recent years has suggested that young Americans might be less creative now than in decades past, even while their intelligence—as measured by IQ tests—continues to rise. But new research from the University of Washington Information School and Harvard University, closely studying 20 years of student creative writing and visual artworks, hints that the dynamics of creativity may not break down as simply as that.
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Your Brain ‘Sees’ Things Even When You Don’t

November 14, 2013—The brain processes visual input to the level of understanding its meaning even if we never consciously perceive that input, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Are Probiotics a Promising Treatment Strategy for Depression?

 

New study considers concept of "psychobiotic"

Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2013—Probiotics are not new, but their status as a nutritional buzzword is. Most folks have now heard and seen the term countless times in commercials and advertisements, as yogurt, dietary supplement, natural food product, and even cosmetic companies promote their probiotic-containing products. But what are they, and why are they important?
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Back to the Future: Nostalgia Increases Optimism

November 13, 2013—New research from the University of Southampton shows that feeling nostalgic about the past will increase optimism about the future.
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Social Networks Make Us Smarter

 

Cultures become endangered without mentors and strong social networks, says new UBC research

November 13, 2013—The secret to why some cultures thrive and others disappear may lie in our social networks and our ability to imitate, rather than our individual smarts, according to a new University of British Columbia study.
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Get Off the Couch! Research Reveals Roles for Exercise and Diet in Aging, Depression

 

Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise show promise for learning, depression in teens, and more

SAN DIEGO; November 10, 2013—New studies released today underscore the potential impact of healthy lifestyle choices in treating depression, the effects of aging, and learning. The research focused on the effects of mind/body awareness, exercise, and diet, and was presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
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In Dual-Career Couples, Mothers Still Do the Most Child Care

 

Moms spend 70 percent of free time on parenting activities

COLUMBUS, OH; November 7, 2013—Even in couples most likely to believe in sharing parenting responsibilities, mothers still bear significantly more of the child care load, a new study reveals.
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Mothers’ Relationships Can Influence Adolescent Children’s Relationships, MU Study Finds

COLUMBIA, Mo; November 5, 2013—Until now, little research has been conducted on the association between parents’ friendships and the emotional well-being of their adolescent children. A new study from researchers at the University of Missouri suggests that mothers’ friendships with other adults can impact their adolescent children’s relationships with their own friends, particularly the negative aspects of these relationships such as conflict and antagonism.
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Torture Permanently Damages Normal Perception of Pain

 

TAU researchers study the long-term effects of torture on the human pain system

November 5, 2013—Israeli soldiers captured during the 1973 Yom Kippur War were subjected to brutal torture in Egypt and Syria. Forty years later, research by Prof. Ruth Defrin of the Department of Physical Therapy in the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University shows that the ex-prisoners of war (POWs), continue to suffer from dysfunctional pain perception and regulation, likely as a result of their torture.
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Bad Boys: Research Predicts Whether Boys Will Grow out of It—or Not

ANN ARBOR; November 5, 2013—Using the hi-tech tools of a new field called neurogenetics and a few simple questions for parents, a University of Michigan researcher is beginning to understand which boys are simply being boys and which may be headed for trouble.
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Calculating the Risk: Child Sexual Assault

November 5 , 2013—Affluent girls residing in two-parent homes are much less likely to be sexually assaulted than other female youth, according to a new study from the University of Iowa. The research revealed that when family income reaches 400 percent of the poverty threshold, or around $92,000 for a four-person household, the risk of sexual assault declines by more than half.
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Hypersensitivity to Pain Produced by Early Life Stress Is Worsened by Later Stress Exposure

 

Study examines link between chronic pain syndromes and PTSD

Philadelphia, PA; November 5, 2013—There is growing concern that chronic pain syndromes may be a complication of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, this link is particularly challenging to study because many stressful events that produce PTSD also produce physical trauma. In addition, much of the research conducted in animals has not accurately reflected the early-life stress experienced by humans. Inspired by a conversation with the violinist Itzhak Perlman about students whose performance plateaued for unclear reasons, researchers led by Dr. Jon Levine at the University of California San Francisco, set out to rectify these gaps in understanding.
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Brain Structure in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

November 4, 2013—Study focusing on mine disaster survivors uses brain-imaging technology to look for clues about grey matter damage in PTSD.
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Kids Who Sleep More, May Eat Less, Study Finds

November 4, 2013—It seems everyone is looking for a culprit when it comes to childhood obesity: fast food, sugary drinks, super-sized everything. But it turns out part of the blame may lie with the simple matter of turning out the lights and rolling into bed.
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Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News First?

 

UC Riverside researchers find that where positive information comes in a bad-news conversation can influence outcomes

RIVERSIDE, CA; November 4, 2013—There’s good news and there’s bad news. Which do you want to hear first? That depends on whether you are the giver or receiver of bad news, and if the news-giver wants the receiver to act on the information, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside.
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Eating Disorders More Common in Males than Realized

 

Broader diagnostic criteria could help identify illness in boys

BOSTON, MA; November 4, 2013—Parents and doctors assume eating disorders very rarely affect males. However, a study of 5,527 teenage males from across the U.S., published Nov.4 in JAMA Pediatrics, challenges this belief. Boston Children's Hospital researchers found 17.9 percent of adolescent boys were extremely concerned about their weight and physique. These boys were more likely to start engaging in risky behaviors, including drug use and frequent binge drinking.
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Childhood Play Linked to Adult Creativity

November 4, 2013—Remember as a child turning sticks into make-believe airplanes that soared and buzzed like bumblebees through the backyard? Or, did you play for hours with an imaginary friend in your own special world? Researchers have found that those early pretend play memories can resurface to inspire creativity in adulthood, according Case Western Reserve University psychologist Sandra Russ.
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In Animal Study, “Cold Turkey” Withdrawal from Drugs Triggers Mental Decline

WASHINGTON; November 3, 2013—Can quitting drugs without treatment trigger a decline in mental health? That appears to be the case in an animal model of morphine addiction. Georgetown University Medical Center researchers say their observations suggest that managing morphine withdrawal could promote a healthier mental state in people.
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Mindful Individuals Less Affected by Immediate Rewards

TORONTO, ON; November 1, 2013—A new study from the University of Toronto Scarborough shows that people who are aware of their own thoughts and emotions are less affected by positive feedback from others. The study, authored by UTSC PhD candidate Rimma Teper, finds that individuals high in trait mindfulness show less neural response to positive feedback than their less mindful peers.
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Stress Eaters May Compensate by Eating Less When Times Are Good

October 31, 2013—When faced with stress, some people seem to lose their appetite while others reach for the nearest sweet, salty, or fatty snack. Conventional wisdom tells us that stress eaters are the ones who need to regulate their bad habits, but new research suggests that stress eaters show a dynamic pattern of eating behavior that could have benefits in non-stressful situations.
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Lefties More Likely to Have Psychotic Disorders Such as Schizophrenia

October 31, 2013—Being left-handed has been linked to many mental disorders, but Yale researcher Jadon Webb and his colleagues have found that among those with mental illnesses, people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are much more likely to be left-handed than those with mood disorders like depression or bipolar syndrome.
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Exposure to Cortisol-Like Medications Before Birth May Contribute to Emotional Problems and Brain Changes

October 31, 2013—Cortisol-like drugs called glucocorticoids are administered frequently to women in preterm labor to accelerate their babies' lung maturation prior to birth. In this study, children with fetal glucocorticoid exposure showed significant cortical thinning, and a thinner cortex also predicted more emotional problems. In one particularly affected part of the brain, the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, it was 8–9 percent thinner among children exposed to glucocorticoids. Interestingly, other studies have shown that this region of the brain is affected in individuals diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders.
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Study on Incarcerated Youth Shows Mindfulness Training May Lower Anti-Social Behavior and Recidivism

October 31, 2013—Researchers at the New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), the University of Miami, and the Lionheart Foundation in Boston, found that mindfulness training, a meditation-based therapy, can improve attention skills in incarcerated youth, paving the way to greater self-control over emotions and actions.  It is the first study to show that mindfulness training can be used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy to protect attentional functioning in high-risk incarcerated youth.
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Can Putting Your Child before Yourself Make You a Happier Person?

 

Study explores the correlation between child-centric behavior and parental happiness and fulfillment

Los Angeles, CA; October 31, 2013—While popular media often depicts highly-involved parents negatively in polaristic stereotypes such as helicopter parents or tiger moms, how does placing one's children at the center of family life really affect parental well-being? New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science finds that parents who prioritize their children's well-being over their own are not only happier, but also derive more meaning in life from their child-rearing responsibilities.
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Research Finds Pain in Infancy Alters Response to Stress, Anxiety Later in Life

October 30, 2013—Early life pain alters neural circuits in the brain that regulate stress, suggesting pain experienced by infants who often do not receive analgesics while undergoing tests and treatment in neonatal intensive care may permanently alter future responses to anxiety, stress and pain in adulthood, a research team led by Dr. Anne Murphy, associate director of the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University, has discovered.
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Divorced People More Likely to Die from Preventable Accidents than Married People

HOUSTON, TX; October 30, 2013—Divorced people are more likely to die from preventable accidents than married counterparts, according to a new study from sociologists at Rice University and the University of Pennsylvania. The study also found that single people and those with low educational attainment are at greater risk for accidental death.
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How the Internet Affects Young People at Risk of Self-Harm or Suicide

 

Researchers find both positive and negative effects of the Internet, depending on vulnerability

October 30, 2013—Oxford researchers have found internet forums provide a support network for socially isolated young people. However, they also conclude that the internet is linked to an increased risk of suicide and self-harm among vulnerable adolescents. Following what is thought to be the biggest review of existing studies into internet use and young people, the researchers suggest that in future, clinical assessments of such young people should include questions about the online content they have viewed.
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Eyetrack Study Captures Men's—and Women's—Objectifying Gazes

Lincoln, NE; October 29th, 2013—Usually, women can tell when someone's eyes aren't on her face and are, well, focused elsewhere on her body. In other words, there's a reason the saying on the T-shirt is "My Eyes Are Up Here." Though the results were consistent with anecdotal expectations of men's gaze behavior, Gervais said she was surprised with some of the findings, especially how strongly women's visual patterns suggest they objectify other women.
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Surviving, Then Thriving: Trauma Effects in Children of Holocaust Survivors

 

Tel Aviv University research shows children of Holocaust survivors react differently to trauma

October 29, 2013—Modern medicine usually considers trauma, both the physical and the psychological kinds, as unequivocally damaging. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University are lending support to a more philosophical view of suffering, finding that trauma, however terrible, may have distinct psychological benefits.
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One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

 

International study documents importance of language to learning math

October 28, 2013—Talk to your toddler. And use numbers when you talk. Doing so may give a child a better head start in math than teaching her to memorize 1-2-3 counting routines.
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Keeping Emotions in Check May Not Always Benefit Psychological Health

 

Researchers say cognitive reappraisal may reduce motivation to change

APS; October 28, 2013—Being able to regulate your emotions is important for well-being, but new research suggests that a common emotion regulation strategy called “cognitive reappraisal” may actually be harmful when it comes to stressors that are under our control. The study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Your Pain, My Gain: Feeling Pleasure over the Misfortune of Those You Envy is Biological

Is competition the best way to get your employees to produce? Maybe not, study suggests.

PRINCETON, NJ; October 28, 2013—Mina Cikara found her thesis when she wore a Boston Red Sox hat to a New York Yankees baseball game. Nicknames and vulgarities were among the souvenirs she took home. And, after hearing about the name-calling and heckling her then-PhD student endured, Princeton professor Susan Fiske was compelled to join her in pursuing the phenomenon further, exploring why people fail to empathize with others based on stereotypes.
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First Ever Study of 'Moral Distress' among Nurses in Burn Unit

MAYWOOD, Il; October 28, 2013—Loyola University Medical Center researchers have published the first ever study of emotional and psychological anguish, known as "moral distress," experienced by nurses in an intensive care unit for burn patients.
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People Who Are Socially Isolated Experience More Pain after Hip Replacement

October 27, 2013—Could being socially isolated affect how well you do and the amount of pain you experience after surgery? Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) set out to test this hypothesis. They found that people who lacked good social ties were much more likely to experience serious, ongoing pain following total hip replacement surgery two or more years after the procedure.
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Parents Greatly Underestimate How Often Their Children are Cyberbullied

 

30 percent of children admit to being cyberbullied, 15 percent admit to cyberbullying

Washington, DC; October 25, 2013—Cyberbullying has become a destructive force in many children's lives. After multiple suicides by children being cyberbullied, parents, more than ever, need to be aware of their children's online activity. A recent paper published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found that parents underestimate how often their children engage in risky online behavior, like cyberbullying and viewing pornography.
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Participation in Mindfulness-Based Program Improves Teacher Well-Being

October 24, 2013—Teacher well-being, efficacy, burnout-related stress, time-related stress and mindfulness significantly improve when teachers participate in the CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) for Teachers program, according to Penn State researchers.
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Researchers Demonstrate Preventive Effect of Sterols in Alzheimer's

 

Cholesterol-reducing compound in nuts, seeds and plant oils may also be important for brain-health

October 24, 2013—It's no secret that phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables have a positive effect on our health. For instance, plant sterols help to lower cholesterol levels. According to a study by researchers at Saarland University, they also appear to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The scientific research team led by Dr. Marcus Grimm has shown that a particular sterol inhibits the production of proteins that play an important role in the development of the disease.
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How Are Children Affected by Maternal Anxiety and Depression?

October 23, 2013—Maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression increased the risk of emotional and disruptive problem behaviors in children as early as 18 months of age, according to new research findings from a longitudinal Norwegian study known as "Tracking Opportunities and Problems in Childhood and Adolescence" (TOPP). The risk persisted into adolescence and also gave an increased risk of depressive symptoms. The study is published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
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Peer Pressure Can Influence Food Choices at Restaurants

URBANA, IL; October 23, 2013—If you want to eat healthier when dining out, research recommends surrounding yourself with friends who make healthy food choices.  A University of Illinois study showed that when groups of people eat together at a restaurant at which they must state their food choice aloud, they tend to select items from the same menu categories.
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Spatial, Written Language Skills Predict Math Competence

October 22, 2013—Early math skills are emerging as important to later academic achievement. As many countries seek to strengthen their workforces in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, understanding the early contributions to math skills becomes increasingly vital. New longitudinal research from Finland has found that children's early spatial skills and knowledge of written letters, rather than oral language skills, predict competence in this area.
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Baby's Innate Number Sense Predicts Future Math Skill

 

Sense of quantity is there before the words or numbers

DURHAM, NC; October 22, 2013—Babies who are good at telling the difference between large and small groups of items even before learning how to count are more likely to do better with numbers in the future, according to new research from the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.
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For Low-Income Families, Substandard Housing Takes Toll on Children

 

Study of 2,400 children, teens and young adults sharpens focus on quality, not affordability

CHESTNUT HILL, MA; Oct. 22, 2013—A new report from researchers at Boston College and Tufts University shows the distinct emotional and educational price children pay when their families live in run down apartments and homes.
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Do Sunny Climates Reduce ADHD?

 

Study finds an association that raises new questions about ADHD

Philadelphia, PA; October 21, 2013—Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder. Scientists do not know what causes it, but genetics play a clear role. Other risk factors have also been identified, and many individuals with ADHD also report sleep-related difficulties and disorders. In fact, sleep disorder treatments and chronobiological interventions intended to restore normal circadian rhythms, including light exposure therapy, have been shown to improve ADHD symptoms.
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Growing up Poor and Stressed Impacts Brain Function as an Adult

October 21, 2013—Childhood poverty and chronic stress may lead to problems regulating emotions as an adult, according to research published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Schizophrenia Linked to Abnormal Brain Waves

CAMBRIDGE, MA; October 17, 2013—Schizophrenia patients usually suffer from a breakdown of organized thought, often accompanied by delusions or hallucinations. For the first time, neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have observed the neural activity that appears to produce this disordered thinking.
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Not All Silence is Golden: Study Compares Environments for Premature Infants

Cincinnati, OH; October 17, 2013—Medical technology has improved the survival rates of premature infants, but adverse developmental outcomes are a continuing problem. Researchers have turned their attention to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where premature infants spend their first few weeks or months, for potential answers. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers studied the relationship between different room types in the NICU and the developmental outcomes of the children at 2 years of age.
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Video Could Transform How Schools Serve Teens with Autism

October 17, 2013—Video-based teaching helps teens with autism learn important social skills, and the method eventually could be used widely by schools with limited resources, a Michigan State University researcher says.
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Babies Know When You're Faking

 

Infants can detect unjustified emotional reactions as early as 18 months, say researchers

Montreal; October 16 2013—If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! That’s easy enough for children to figure out because the emotion matches the movement. But when feelings and reactions don’t align, can kids tell there’s something wrong? New research from Concordia University proves that they can—as early as 18 months.
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Sisters Serve as Confidants, Sources of Support and Mentors During Intimate Conversations

 

Older sisters could aid prevention efforts aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors among teen girls

COLUMBIA, MO; October 15, 2013—Adolescence can be an impressionable time for girls as they begin forming ideas about dating and sexuality. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found that sisters often take on key roles of confidants, sources of support and mentors during conversations about romantic relationships. Sisters may be helpful in health education efforts to promote safe-sex practices and healthy romantic relationships.
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Increased Life Expectancy Shown Among Family Caregivers

 

Findings from John Hopkins study contradict long-standing beliefs about caregiver stress

October 15, 2013—Contradicting long-standing conventional wisdom, results of a Johns Hopkins-led analysis of data previously gathered on more than 3,000 family caregivers suggests that those who assist a chronically ill or disabled family member enjoy an 18 percent survival advantage compared to statistically matched non-caregivers.
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Psychological Interventions Halve Deaths and CV Events in Heart Disease Patients

Madrid, Spain; October 13, 2013—Psychological interventions halve deaths and cardiovascular events in heart disease patients, according to research from Athens, Greece, presented at the Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2013.
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Go to Bed! Irregular Bedtimes Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children

 

Effects build up incrementally and are reversible, say researchers

October 14, 2013—Researchers from University College London have found that children with irregular bedtimes are more likely to have behavioural difficulties.
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Psychological Interventions Halve Deaths and CV Events in Heart Disease Patients

Madrid, Spain; October 13, 2013—Psychological interventions halve deaths and cardiovascular events in heart disease patients, according to research from Athens, Greece, presented at the Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2013.
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Scientists Identify Protein Linking Exercise to Brain Health

October 11, 2013—A protein that is increased by endurance exercise has been isolated and given to non-exercising mice, in which it turned on genes that promote brain health and encourage the growth of new nerves involved in learning and memory, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
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Sticks and Stones: Brain Releases Natural Painkillers During Social Rejection

 

Study finding that the opioid system can act to ease social pain, not just physical pain, may aid understanding of depression and social anxiety

ANN ARBOR, MI; October 10, 2013—"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," goes the playground rhyme that's supposed to help children endure taunts from classmates. But a new study suggests that there's more going on inside our brains when someone snubs us—and that the brain may have its own way of easing social pain.
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Correcting Emotional Misunderstandings

 

We may make mistakes interpreting the emotions of others, but our brain can corrects us

October 10, 2013—When we are sad, the world seemingly cries with us. On the contrary, when we are happy everything shines and all around people's faces seem to rejoice with us. These mechanisms for projecting one's emotions onto others are well known to scientists, who believe they are at the core of the ability to interpret and relate to others. In some circumstances, however, this may lead to gross mistakes (called egocentricity bias in the emotional domain, or EEB). To avoid them, cerebral mechanisms are activated about which still little is known. Researchers recently identified an area in the brain involved in this process.
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Household Chaos May Be Hazardous to a Child’s Health

 

Study links crowding, noise, lack of routine to worse outcomes

COLUMBUS, OH: October 9, 2013—Kindergarten-age children have poorer health if their home life is marked by disorder, noise and a lack of routine and they have a mother who has a chaotic work life, new research suggests.
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I’m Okay, You’re Not Okay

 

The right supramarginal gyrus plays an important role in empathy

October 9, 2013—Egoism and narcissism appear to be on the rise in our society, while empathy is on the decline. And yet, the ability to put ourselves in other people’s shoes is extremely important for our coexistence. A research team headed by Tania Singer from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has discovered that our own feelings can distort our capacity for empathy. This emotionally driven egocentricity is recognised and corrected by the brain. When, however, the right supramarginal gyrus doesn’t function properly or when we have to make particularly quick decisions, our empathy is severely limited.
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Why We Can't Accurately Judge Our Friends' Behavior

October 9, 2013—There is no such thing as objectivity when it comes to your friends: According to a new study, people evaluate their friends' behavior more positively than do strangers, regardless of actual performance on a series of tasks. Researchers say that we should then think twice before allowing people who know each other to be in positions to judge each other—from job interviews to legal settings.
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Suicidal Talk on Twitter Mirrors Suicide Rates

Ocotber 9, 2013—Heart-breaking accounts of cyber bullying and suicide seem all too common, but a new study offers hope that social media can become an early warning system to help prevent such tragedies.
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Postpartum Depression Spans Generations

NORTH GRAFTON, MA; October 8, 2013—A recently published study suggests that exposure to social stress not only impairs a mother's ability to care for her children but can also negatively impact her daughter's ability to provide maternal care to future offspring.
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Empathy Helps Children Understand Sarcasm

October 8, 2013—The greater the empathy skills of children, the easier it is for them to recognize sarcasm, according to a new study in the open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology.
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People Mean Most for our Collective Happiness

 

Most people seem to realize money can't buy happiness or love, say researchers.

October 7, 2013—Swedish soccer star Zlatan is associated with happiness, but not iPhones. A new study at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Lund University suggests that our collective picture of what makes us happy is more about relationships, and less about things.
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Wedded Bliss or Blues? Scientists Link DNA to Marital Satisfaction

Berkeley, CA; October 7, 2013—What makes some people more prone to wedded bliss or sorrow than others? Researchers at UC Berkeley and Northwestern University have found a major clue in our DNA. A gene involved in the regulation of serotonin can predict how much our emotions affect our relationships, according to a new study that may be the first to link genetics, emotions, and marital satisfaction. The study was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.

“An enduring mystery is, what makes one spouse so attuned to the emotional climate in a marriage, and another so oblivious?” said UC Berkeley psychologist Robert W. Levenson, senior author of the study published online in the journal Emotion. “With these new genetic findings, we now understand much more about what determines just how important emotions are for different people.”
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On the Political Fringes, Feelings of Superiority Abound

October 7, 2013—Ideologues on both ends of the political spectrum are equally likely to believe their opinions are superior to others', but their feelings of superiority emerge for distinct political issues, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

These findings suggest that, while people with moderate attitudes tend to be more evenhanded, those on the extreme ends of the political spectrum seem especially convinced that their viewpoints are the only "correct" ones.
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Novel Algorithm Detects Early Signals of Alzheimer’s Disease in Everyday Motion Behavior

Rostock, Germany, October 5, 2013—An interdisciplinary joint study by the Medical Faculty and the Faculty for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering of Rostock University and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock has now established a novel sensing algorithm that allows detecting the effect of Alzheimer’s disease in unconstrained everyday motion behavior.
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Well-Connected Hemispheres of Einstein's Brain May Have Sparked His Brilliance

TALLAHASSEE, FL; October 4, 2013—The left and right hemispheres of Albert Einstein's brain were unusually well connected to each other and may have contributed to his brilliance, according to a new study conducted in part by Florida State University evolutionary anthropologist Dean Falk.
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How Depression Blurs Memories

October 3, 2013—To pinpoint why depression messes with memory, researchers took a page from Sesame Street’s book. The show’s popular game “One of these things is not like the others” helps young viewers learn to differentiate things that are similar—a process known as “pattern separation.” A new Brigham Young University study concludes that this same skill fades in adults in proportion to the severity of their symptoms of depression. The more depressed someone feels, the harder it is for them to distinguish similar experiences they’ve had.
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Eye Contact May Make People More Resistant to Persuasion

October 2, 2013—Making eye contact has long been considered an effective way of drawing a listener in and bringing him or her around to your point of view. But new research shows that eye contact may actually make people more resistant to persuasion, especially when they already disagree. The new findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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Oxytocin Could Make Us More Accepting of Others

New York; October 1, 2013—Oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone' because of its ability to promote mother-infant attachment and romantic bonding in adults, could also make us more accepting of other people, as found in new research carried out by Neuropsychoanalysis Foundation research grantee Valentina Colonnello Ph.D. and published online in Psychoneuroendocrinology.
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Study Provides Clues about Imitation
or "Empathy Impairments" in Autistic Children

 

 

Researchers ferret out function of autism gene; Findings in bacteria, yeast, mice show how flawed transport gene contributes to the condition

September 30, 2013—Researchers say it's clear that some cases of autism are hereditary, but have struggled to draw direct links between the condition and particular genes. Now a team at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has devised a process for connecting a suspect gene to its function in autism.
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You Say She's Just a Friend, But Your Voice Says Differently

Reading, PA; Sept. 26, 2013—Think your partner is cheating? His or her voice may be a dead giveaway. New research by Albright College associate professor of psychology Susan Hughes, Ph.D., has found that men and women alter their voices when speaking to lovers versus friends and that such variations can potentially be used to detect infidelity. “It’s not just that we change the sound of our voice, but that others can easily perceive those changes,” said Hughes, an expert in evolutionary psychology and voice perception.
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Cocaine Exposure in the Womb: The Brain Structure is Intact but Development is Off Track

 

Says a new study in Biological Psychiatry

Philadelphia, PA; September 25, 2013—Prenatal cocaine exposure affects both behavior and brain. Animal studies have shown that exposure to cocaine during in utero development causes numerous disruptions in normal brain development and negatively affects behavior from birth and into adulthood.

For ethical reasons, similar studies in humans have been more limited but some research has shown that children exposed prenatally to cocaine have impairments in attention, control, stress, emotion regulation, and memory. Research also suggests that such children may be more predisposed to initiate substance use.
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Why Won't She Leave Him? Abused Women Often Fear for Pets Left Behind

URBANA, Ill; September 25, 2013—Veterinarians and women's shelters can make it easier for abused women to decide to leave their homes, particularly when the abuser is using a beloved pet as part of a campaign to control his partner, reports a new University of Illinois study.
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Our Networked Life

 

Does research suggest social networks are making us lonely?

September 23, 2013—Whenever a new technology becomes an integral part of human life, we may naturally wonder whether it will change our nature in addition to our lifestyle. When the telephone was introduced, for instance, there were those who mused about its potential effects on social life as well as privacy. Would it make people more lazy? Create a faster-paced society? Would it interfere in family life or keep people from visiting friends face-to-face? Would it foster a sense of loneliness?

Today we debate almost identical concerns about the Internet, particularly over the past decade as a wide variety of social network services and other forms of social media have come on the scene. Are online social networks making us lazy? Uncontrollably compromising our privacy? Are they interfering in our relationships and changing the very nature of intimacy in fundamental ways? 
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Identifying Trauma Risk in Small Children Early after an Accident

September 23, 2013—Accidents also traumatize small children. Around one in ten children still suffers from a post-traumatic stress disorder a year after a road accident or burn injury, reliving aspects of the traumatic experience in the form of flashbacks or nightmares. In doing so, young children keep replaying the stressful memories while avoiding anything that might remind them of the accident in any way. As a result of this constant alertness to threatening memories, the children can develop sleeping disorders, concentration problems or aggressive behavior.
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Sibling Bullying: What's the Big Deal?

CLEMSON, SC; September 23, 2013—Sibling bullying is a type of violence that is prevalent in the lives of most children, but little is known about it, researchers say.
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Calming Fear During Sleep

 

First evidence that fear memories can be reduced during sleep

CHICAGO; September 22, 2013—A fear memory was reduced in people by exposing them to the memory over and over again while they slept. It's the first time that emotional memory has been manipulated in humans during sleep, report Northwestern Medicine® scientists.
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Some Parts of Memory Still Developing Deep into Childhood

 

Young Children Have Difficulty when Elements of Memory Overlap

COLUMBUS, OH; September 20, 2013—A new study provides evidence that one important part of memory undergoes substantial development even after the age of 7.
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Racism Linked to Depression and Anxiety in Youth

September 17, 2013—An international review led by the University of Melbourne has found children and young people experience poor mental health, depression and anxiety following experiences of racism.

The first of its kind, the review showed 461 cases of links between racism and child and youth health outcomes.
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Entitlement-Minded Workers More Likely to Claim Bosses Mistreat Them

DURHAM, NH; September 17, 2013—Employees who have a sense of unjustified entitlement are more likely to say that their bosses are abusive and mistreat them than their less entitlement-minded coworkers, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.
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Diminishing Fear Vicariously by Watching Others

APS; September 16, 2013—Phobias—whether it's fear of spiders, clowns, or small spaces—are common and can be difficult to treat. New research suggests that watching someone else safely interact with the supposedly harmful object can help to extinguish these conditioned fear responses, and prevent them from resurfacing later on.

The research, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, indicates that this type of vicarious social learning may be more effective than direct personal experience in extinguishing fear responses.

"Information about what is dangerous and safe in our environment is often transferred from other individuals through social forms of learning," says lead author Armita Golkar of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "Our findings suggest that these social means of learning promote superior down-regulation of learned fear, as compared to the sole experiences of personal safety."
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Quitting Facebook: Why Do People Leave Social Networks?

New Rochelle, NY, September 16, 2013—If you are ready to commit "virtual identity suicide," delete your Facebook account, and say good-bye to social networking sites, you are not alone. A social networking counter movement is emerging, and Facebook quitters, who remove their accounts, differ from Facebook users in several key ways [if only slightly], as described in an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
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Non-Traditional Mathematics Curriculum Results in Higher Standardized Test Scores

COLUMBIA, MO; September 16, 2013—For many years, studies have shown that American students score significantly lower than students worldwide in mathematics achievement, ranking 25th among 34 countries. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri have found high school students in the United States achieve higher scores on a standardized mathematics test if they study from a curriculum known as integrated mathematics.
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Everyday Sadists Take Pleasure In Others’ Pain

APS; September 12, 2013—Most of the time, we try to avoid inflicting pain on others—when we do hurt someone, we typically experience guilt, remorse, or other feelings of distress. But for some, cruelty can be pleasurable, even exciting. New research suggests that this kind of everyday sadism is real and more common than we might think.

Two studies led by psychological scientist Erin Buckels of the University of British Columbia revealed that people who score high on a measure of sadism seem to derive pleasure from behaviors that hurt others, and are even willing to expend extra effort to make someone else suffer.
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Are Youth More Likely to Be Bullied at Schools with Anti-Bullying Programs?

 

How do situational factors interact with individual-level characteristics to influence peer victimization?

September 12, 2013—Anti-bullying initiatives have become standard at schools across the country, but a new University of Texas at Arlington study finds that students attending those schools may be more likely to be a victim of bullying than children at schools without such programs.

[Note: The authors qualify that a limitation of their study is that it did not investigate the temporal relationship between preventive measures and peer victimization. In other words, did peer victimization exist before the implementation of preventive measures? If so, could this explain the finding that schools with anti-bullying programs showed more victimization?]
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Exposure/Ritual Prevention Therapy Boosts Antidepressant Treatment of OCD

 

Trumps antipsychotic, amending current guidelines

September 12, 2013—Grantees at the National Institute of Mental Health have demonstrated that a form of behavioral therapy can augment antidepressant treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) better than an antipsychotic. The researchers recommend that this specific form of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)—exposure and ritual prevention (ERT) —be offered to OCD patients who don't respond adequately to treatment with an antidepressant alone, which is often the case. Current guidelines favor augmentation with antipsychotics.
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International Study Provides New Genetic Clue to Anorexia

LA JOLLA, CA; September 11, 2013—The largest DNA-sequencing study of anorexia nervosa has linked the eating disorder to variants in a gene coding for an enzyme that regulates cholesterol metabolism. The finding suggests that anorexia could be caused in part by a disruption in the normal processing of cholesterol, which may disrupt mood and eating behavior.
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Study Suggests Possibility of Selectively Erasing Unwanted Memories

JUPITER, FL, September 10, 2013—The human brain is exquisitely adept at linking seemingly random details into a cohesive memory that can trigger myriad associations—some good, some not so good. For recovering addicts and individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), unwanted memories can be devastating. Former meth addicts, for instance, report intense drug cravings triggered by associations with cigarettes, money, even gum (used to relieve dry mouth), pushing them back into the addiction they so desperately want to leave.

Now, for the first time, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been able to erase dangerous drug-associated memories in mice and rats without affecting other more benign memories.

The surprising discovery, published this week online ahead of print by the journal Biological Psychiatry, points to a clear and workable method to disrupt unwanted memories while leaving the rest intact.
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Myth-Busting on World Suicide Prevention Day

 

Mayo Clinic, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Debunk Common Suicide Myths

ROCHESTER, MN; September 10, 2013—Talking to someone about suicide will increase the chances that they will act on it—true or false? False. The truth: When someone is in crisis or depressed, asking if he or she is thinking about suicide can help. Giving a person an opportunity to open up and share their troubles can help alleviate their pain and open a path to solutions. This is just one of many suicide prevention myths to debunk as we approach World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10.
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Screening for Minor Memory Changes Will Wrongly Label Many with Dementia, Warn Experts

September 10, 2013—A political drive, led by the UK and US, to screen older people for minor memory changes (often called mild cognitive impairment or pre-dementia) is leading to unnecessary investigation and potentially harmful treatment for what is arguably an inevitable consequence of ageing, warned experts today.
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