Social isolation is directly associated with later dementia
Social isolation is directly linked with changes in the brain structures associated with memory, making it a clear risk factor for dementia, scientists have found. Setting out to investigate how social isolation and loneliness were related to later dementia, researchers at the University of Warwick, University of Cambridge and Fudan University used neuroimaging data from […]
Removing barriers to opioid use disorder treatment shows success during pandemic
Pandemic-era changes to prescribing guidelines for the lifesaving drug buprenorphine led to improved treatment outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder in Philadelphia, according to a recently published study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. The authors analyzed data from medical records and […]
Human gene variant produces attention deficit disorder-like problems in mice
Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The scientists demonstrate that mice that express the variant adopt an inattentive phenotype similar to that seen in humans. […]
Persistent Brain Fog After Mild COVID Infection Tied to CSF Markers
People with persistent cognitive changes after mild COVID had elevated levels of immune activation and immunovascular markers in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 10 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a small study showed. In a late-breaking abstract presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting, Joanna Hellmuth, MD, MHS, of the University of California […]
Why Do Antipsychotics Cause Tardive Dyskinesia? Antidepressants
Antipsychotics cause certain biochemical changes in the brain and disrupt the neuronal communication of dopamine resulting in neurological symptoms, such as tardive dyskinesia. Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological condition that results in abnormal movements (movement disorder), typically affecting the face, lips, jaw, or tongue that typically occurs after long-term use of antipsychotics (neuroleptics). Antipsychotics cause […]
Amygdala changes in individuals with autism linked to anxiety: Study supports existence of autism-specific types of anxiety
A long-term study involving hundreds of brain scans finds changes in the amygdala linked to the development of anxiety in autistic children. The study by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers also provides evidence of distinct types of anxiety specific to autism. The work was published in Biological Psychiatry. “I believe this is the first study […]
New link between diet, intestinal stem cells and disease discovered
The intestine is essential for maintaining our energy balance and is a master at reacting quickly to changes in nutrition and nutrient balance. It manages to do this with the help of intestinal cells that among other things are specialized in the absorption of food components or the secretion of hormones. In adult humans, the […]
Researchers find repeated link between volcanic eruptions and dynastic collapse in China’s Imperial Era
Volcanic eruptions may have triggered abrupt climate changes contributing to the repeated collapse of Chinese dynasties over the past 2,000 years, according to new research published today [Thursday, 11 November 2021]. The study also illustrates how volcanic eruptions can profoundly impact vulnerable or unstable regions and highlights the need to prepare for future eruptions. The […]
Brain reveals the risk for developing obesity
Obesity risk factors of family background are associated with changes in the brain function, finds a study conducted at the Finnish Turku PET Centre. The results show that the function of neural networks regulating satiety and appetite is altered already before a person develops obesity. Obesity is a globally increasing health problem, and new interventions […]
Heart Transplant: A Slightly More Level Playing Field Under New UNOS System
Recent changes to U.S. donor heart allocation were followed by a narrowing of racial disparities in listing and transplant, though much more work remains to eliminate inequality, researchers warned. Black patients listed for cardiac transplantation in 2011-2020 were less likely than white peers to die while waiting (adjusted HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.98). However, they […]