StressedIJ Blame your genes
New research shows that chronic stress changes gene activity in immune cells before they reach the bloodstream. With these changes, the cells are primed to fight an infection or trauma that doesn't actually exist, leading to an overabundance of the inflammation that is linked to many health problems. This is not just any stress, but repeated stress that triggers the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response and stimulates the production of new blood cells. While this response is important for survival, prolonged activation over an extended period of time can have negative effects on health.
early music training makes you sharper
Older adults who took music lessons as children but haven't actively played an instrument in decades have a faster brain response to a speech sound than individuals who never played an instrument, according to a study appearing in The Journal of Neuroscience. The finding suggests early musical training has a lasting, positive effect on how the brain processes sound. As people grow older, they often experience changes in the brain that compromise hearing. For instance, the brains of older adults show a slower response to fast-changing sounds, which is important for interpreting speech. However, previous studies show such age-related declines are not inevitable: recent studies of musicians suggest lifelong musical training may offset these and other cognitive declines.
Depression likely in abused kids
A new study reveals the highest risk variables of chronic depression in the population, such as having suffered previous episodes of depression, delayed treatment, whether it is related to other physical or mental health problems, or having suffered sexual abuse during childhood. Chronic major depressive disorder, with episodes that last more than 24 months, affects almost half of patients seeking treatment for depression and carries with it significant problems in terms of disability, suffering and the cost of healthcare. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study analyses several variables related to the physical and mental health of the people.
babies learn lullabies in the womb
An infant can recognise a lullaby heard in the womb for several months after birth, potentially supporting later speech development. This is indicated in a new study at the University of Helsinki. The study focused on 24 women during the final trimester of their pregnancies. Half of the women played the melody of Twinkle Twinkle little Star to their fetuses five days a week for the final stages of their pregnancies. The brains of the babies who heard the melody in utero reacted more strongly to the familiar melody both immediately and four months after birth when compared with the control group.
eating disorders more in males
Parents and doctors assume eating disorders very rarely affect males. However, a study of 5,527 teenage males from across the US published 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. “Males and females have very different concerns about their weight and appearance,” says the study's lead author Alison Field, ScD, from Boston Children's Hospital Adolescent Medicine Division. Evaluations for eating disorders have been developed to reflect girls' concerns with thinness but not boys' concerns, which may be more focused on muscularity than thinness.