Category: Brain and Nervous System
Understanding autism: 10 things to know
A debated link between Tylenol and autism has put the neurodevelopmental condition in the spotlight. An expert answers parents’ top questions
What parents need to know about Tylenol, autism and the difference between finding a link and finding a cause in scientific research
As a father of a child with level 2 autism – meaning autism that requires substantial support – and a statistician who works with such tools as those used in the association studies cited by the White House, I find it useful to think about the nuances of association versus causation in observational studies. I hope that this explanation is helpful to parents and expecting parents who, like me, are deeply invested in the well-being of their children.
SHIELD: A simple, memorable model to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Up to one-third of Alzheimer’s disease cases could be prevented simply by avoiding certain risk factors.
How weather changes cause migraines – a neurologist explains the triggers and what you can do to ease the pain
Weather triggers can vary from person to person, but there are a few common migraine culprits.
Family and friends shoulder the real cost of dementia − $224B in unpaid care
Our first-of-its-kind estimate of dementia care costs by state also revealed dramatic cost disparities by geography. In the District of Columbia, the average annual cost for a person living with dementia – including both medical spending and the cost of unpaid care – is $37,000, while in West Virginia it is $61,000.
Dementia risk depends on more than lifestyle factors. Overstating this can cause stigma and blame
Joyce Siette, Western Sydney University and Gilbert Knaggs, University of Sydney As public awareness of dementia grows, so too does the appetite for prevention. Global headlines tout the benefits of exercise, diet, brain training and social activity in reducing dementia…
Five reasons why young-onset dementia is often missed
While most cases of dementia are diagnosed in older adults, about 7% of cases occur in people under 65.
Cutting Edge: The Cautious Optimism for Psychiatric Brain Surgery
Originally known as psychosurgery, this uncommon approach to mental health care involves operating on the brain to alter its function. After lobotomies left many vulnerable patients disabled in the mid-20th century, the practice lost momentum and acquired a stigma. But surgeons in the field continued to refine their techniques. Now, psychiatric neurosurgery, a more nimble descendent, has seen an uptick in the treatment of conditions like severe OCD, and — more rarely — treatment-resistant depression and anxiety.
Here’s a simple, science-backed way to sharpen your thinking and improve your memory
Activities such as walking or cycling can increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
Short-term dietary changes can lead to obesity, shows research
Surprisingly, even short-term consumption of highly processed, unhealthy foods can significantly reduce insulin sensitivity in the brains of healthy people. This effect persists even after returning to a normal diet.
Eating disorders don’t just affect teen girls. The risk may go up around pregnancy and menopause too
Eating disorders and body image concerns are most common in teenage girls, but their prevalence in adults, particularly in women, aged in their 30s, 40s and 50s, is actually close behind.
Smart is sexy – new study on fish doing puzzles hints intelligence partly evolved via sexual selection
A better brain might help an animal find more mates, have more sex, and eventually have more babies.
A mouse study by researchers from the Allen Institute in Seattle provides roadmap for how aging may alter brain cell genetic activity.
Light exercise can yield significant cognitive benefits, new research shows
Everyday physical activity, like going for a short walk or playing with the kids, may provide short-term benefits for cognitive health, equivalent to reversing four years of cognitive aging.
Wildfire smoke exposure linked to increased dementia risk
New research led by the University of Washington in Seattle has found that long-term to wildfire smoke exposure was associated with a significant increase in the odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia.