A new study finds that mutations in two very different genes can have similar effects on developing brain cells, shedding light on the origins of autism. Researchers looked at neuronal stem cells with mutations in one of two genes; in humans, each of these mutations leads to a different neurodevelopmental disorder, although both disorders are […]
Tag: mental health
Need a stress-buster? Try exercise
Exercise has a proven track record for relieving stress, yet less than half of Canadians use it this way, according to a recent study. A survey of 40,000 Canadians 15 or older found that exercise ranked 8th out of 13 coping strategies, below “talking to others”, “looking on the bright side”, “ignoring stress” and even […]
World Alzheimer Report 2014 – What’s good for your heart is good for your brain
Control of diabetes and high blood pressure as well as smoking cessation have the potential to reduce the risk of dementia even in late-life, a new report says. Looking at the literature, they report for example that diabetes can increase the risk of dementia by 50%. The report also includes survey data which shows […]
Cannabis impacts on teenagers
Daily users of cannabis before age 17 are over 60% less likely to complete high school or obtain a degree compared to those who have never used the drug, a new review of literature shows. The authors reviewed 290 reports on cannabis use in teenagers published since 2004. The authors conclude that adolescent cannabis use […]
A healthy mind with a healthy heart
A new study confirms that exercise and healthy lifestyle maintains the elasticity of the arteries and is linked to preserved cognitive abilities later in life. Researchers performed MRI scans and physical tests on 31 young people (aged 18-30) and 54 older participants (aged 55-75) and while they found that age-related decline of cognitive functions and […]
Antidepressants during pregnancy may be linked to ADHD in kids
A new study finds that exposure to antidepressants in the womb may be linked to an increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the researchers caution that the risks of depressed mothers-to-be stopping their medication may be greater for the unborn child than the increased risk of developing ADHD associated with continuing […]
The missing link between ADHD, substance abuse and behaviour problems
Researchers have found that ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits, which in turn explains why they often occur together. Using personality and behavior tests coupled with fMRI brain scans on 1,778 European adolescents at age 14, they identified three neurocognitive dimensions in different part of the brains that were […]
Gene variant reduces risk of Alzheimer’s disease
A new study shows that a particular gene variation is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a delay in the onset of symptoms. The study analyzed the brains of 800 Quebecers and found that a variant of a gene carried by about a quarter of the population is associated with a 50% […]
Suicides in Canada rose 4.5% after the recession
A new study suggests that the recent economic recession is linked to a 4.5% increase in Canada’s suicide rate. The study states that Canada experienced 240 suicides more than expected between 2007 and 2009, and that worldwide at least 10,000 additional suicides could be connected to the economic hardship experienced in EU countries, Canada and […]
Can the internet improve mental health for university students?
A randomized study on 1047 university students showed that online interventions can be effective at helping them cope with mental health disorders.University is a time when many students are at risk from common mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and alcohol and drug abuse. The study showed that students at high […]
Tracing the ‘brain noise’ of schizophrenia
Using a simple eye-tracking experiment, researchers have shown that patients with schizophrenia make more errors when trying to locate visual signals than control patients. The pattern of errors can be used to make computer models of the noise in what are called ‘corollary discharge signals.’ These signals are how one part of the brain keeps […]
Men with depression spend more time on their computers
A new study tracked screen time – time spent watching TV or using a computer – among 761 Montreal-area subjects in their mid-twenties. While all the subjects spent more time in front of screens than is generally considered healthy, men who had previously self-identified symptoms of depression spent more time using computers than women with […]
