Brain | Page 845 | Science Codex

Mental health lags behind global health and lifespan improvements

A leading international expert on autism at the University of Leicester has been involved in contributing to a major new study of global health.

Professor Terry Brugha, of the Department of Health Sciences, is co-author of two papers in The Lancet's special issue on the Global Burden of Disease.

Because of his work on Autism Epidemiology, which was used to develop one new element of these global data syntheses, Professor Brugha was a co-author at the University of Leicester on two of the reports.

Food insecurity predicts mental health problems in adolescents

Washington D.C., December 17, 2012 – A study published in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that adolescents who experienced food insecurity in the past year have a higher prevalence of mental disorders than adolescents whose families have reliable access to food.

Brain imaging identifies bipolar disorder risk in adolescents

Researchers from the University of New South Wales and Black Dog Institute in Sydney, Australia have used brain imaging technology to show that young people with a known risk of bipolar (but as yet have no signs of the condition) have clear and quantifiable differences in brain activity when compared to controls.

"We found that the young people who had a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder had reduced brain responses to emotive faces, particularly a fearful face. This is an extremely promising breakthrough," says study leader UNSW Professor Philip Mitchell.

Greed, not generosity, more likely to be 'paid forward'

WASHINGTON — Paying it forward - a popular expression for extending generosity to others after someone has been generous to you - is a heartwarming concept, but it is less common than repaying greed with greed, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

"The idea of paying it forward is this cascade of goodwill will turn into a utopia with everyone helping everyone," said lead researcher Kurt Gray, PhD. "Unfortunately, greed or looking out for ourselves is more powerful than true acts of generosity."

Even the smallest stroke can damage brain tissue and impair cognitive function

Blocking a single tiny blood vessel in the brain can harm neural tissue and even alter behavior, a new study from the University of California, San Diego has shown. But these consequences can be mitigated by a drug already in use, suggesting treatment that could slow the progress of dementia associated with cumulative damage to miniscule blood vessels that feed brain cells. The team reports their results in the December 16 advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

Penn Study shows resistance to cocaine addiction may be passed down from father to son

PHILADELPHIA – Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that sons of male rats exposed to cocaine are resistant to the rewarding effects of the drug, suggesting that cocaine-induced changes in physiology are passed down from father to son. The findings are published in the latest edition of Nature Neuroscience.

Impaired executive function may exacerbate impulsiveness and risk of developing alcohol dependence

Executive function (EF) guides complex behavior such as planning, decision-making, and response control.
Alcohol dependence (AD) is known to impair EF.
New findings indicate that increased impulsiveness and decreased EF may comprise an inherited trait that signifies greater risk for developing AD.

Negative emotionality may make some people more prone to alcohol or other drug problems

Sensitivity to the stimulating effects of alcohol and other drugs is a risk marker for their problematic use.
Negative emotionality has also been associated with substance use.
New findings indicate that a high level of negative emotionality may lead to problem drinking when it occurs together with sensitivity to a drug-based reward.

Alcohol marketers use drinker identity and brand allegiance to entice underage youth

Underage youth are regularly exposed to alcohol marketing.
New research has examined associations between alcohol marketing and binge drinking by youth.
Results indicate these associations are mediated by drinker identity and brand allegiance, which are actively cultivated by alcohol marketers.

Alcohol and marijuana use during youth compromises brain white-matter integrity

Chronic alcohol and marijuana during youth is associated with worsened neurocognitive abilities into later adolescence and adulthood.
A new study examines fiber tract integrity affected by adolescent alcohol and marijuana use for 1.5 years.
Results support previous findings of reduced white-matter integrity in these youth.

The mu opioid receptor genotype may be a marker for those who drink for alcohol's rewarding effects

Previous research has found that individuals who become more energized, talkative, and/or social when they drink – versus sedated or sleepy – are more likely to drink heavier.
A new study examined the impact of a mutation of the mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene on the effects of drinking.
Findings indicate that the OPRM1 genotype seems to moderate the pleasant and stimulating effects to alcohol among alcohol-dependent (AD) individuals.

More casinos does not mean more gamblers

Memo to casino operators: just because you build it doesn't mean they will come.

A new study out of the University of Iowa examined how casino growth in the state has influenced gambling by residents. The survey suggests that fewer Iowans gambled overall and also that fewer people have become addicted to gambling despite a recent spurt in gaming facilities. Casino gambling was introduced in Iowa in 1991. There are currently 21 casinos in Iowa, all but three licensed by the state. (The others are owned and operated by Native American tribes.)

McLean study finds long-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use may impact visuospatial memory

Belmont, MA—The long-term use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) may severely impact the user's ability to accurately recall the shapes and spatial relationships of objects, according to a recent study conducted by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School investigators.

In the study, published today online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, McLean Hospital Research Psychiatrist Harrison Pope, MD, used a variety of tests to determine whether AAS users developed cognitive defects due to their admitted history of abuse.

Improved techniques may help recovery and prevent incidents of missing drivers with dementia

Tampa, FL (Dec. 14, 2012)— A new study focusing on how people with dementia become lost while driving, how missing drivers are found, and the role of public notification systems like Silver Alert in these discoveries suggests techniques that may help recover drivers with dementia and prevent potentially harmful incidents.

Schizophrenia linked to social inequality

Higher rates of schizophrenia in urban areas can be attributed to increased deprivation, increased population density and an increase in inequality within a neighbourhood, new research reveals. The research, led by the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London, was published today in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin.