Child abuse impairs hormones
Childhood abuse or neglect can lead to long-term hormone impairment that raises the risk of developing obesity, diabetes or other metabolic disorders in adulthood, according to a new study. The study examined levels of the weight-regulating hormones leptin, adiponectin and irisin in the blood of adults who endured physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect as children. leptin is involved in regulating appetite and is linked to body-mass index (BMI) and fat mass. The hormone irisin is involved in energy metabolism. Adiponectin reduces inflammation in the body, and obese people tend to have lower levels of the hormone. The study found dysregulation of these hormones in people who had been abused or neglected as children.
Genes play a key role in parenting
Scientists have presented the most conclusive evidence yet that genes play a significant role in parenting. A study by two Michigan State University psychologists refutes the popular theory that how adults parent their children is strictly a function of the way they were themselves parented when they were children. While environmental factors do play a role in parenting, so do a person's genes, said S Alexandra Burt, associate professor of psychology and co-author of a study led by doctoral student Ashlea M Klahr. “The way we parent is not solely a function of the way we were parented as children,” Burt said. “There also appears to be genetic influences on parenting.” “What's still not clear, however, is whether genes directly influence parenting or do so indirectly, through parent personality for example,” Klahr said.
Can the love hormone stop addictionIJ
Addictive behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse could be associated with poor development of the so-called “love hormone” system in our bodies during early childhood, according to researchers at the University of Adelaide. The groundbreaking idea has resulted from a review of worldwide research into oxytocin, known as the “love hormone” or “bonding drug” because of its important role in enhancing social interactions, maternal behavior and partnership. “We know that newborn babies already have levels of oxytocin in their bodies, and this helps to create the all-important bond between a mother and her child. But our oxytocin systems aren't fully developed when we're born — they don't finish developing until the age of three, which means our systems are potentially subject to a range of influences,” says a researcher.
Fake laughter doesn't fool the brain
As the world celebrated International Day of Happiness recently, can we tell whether people are truly happy just from their laughIJ A researcher from Royal Holloway, University of london, has found that there are clear differences between how our brains respond to genuine and fake laughter. A study led by Dr Carolyn McGettigan, from the Department of Psychology, recorded the brain responses of participants as they listened to the same people produce genuine laughter, caused by watching funny YouTube videos, and forced laughter. The participants, who were unaware the study was about laughter perception, demonstrated different neurological responses when they heard false laughter. This suggested that our brains not only distinguish between the two types of laughter, but attempt to work out why the fake laughter is not genuine.
Smart people trust others
Intelligent people are more likely to trust others, while those who score lower on measures of intelligence are less likely to do so, says a new study. Oxford University researchers based their finding on an analysis of the General Social Survey, a nationally representative public opinion survey carried out in the United States every one to two years. The authors say one explanation could be that more intelligent individuals are better at judging character and so they tend to form relationships with people who are less likely to betray them. Another reason could be that smarter individuals are better at weighing up situations, recognising when there is a strong incentive for the other person not to meet their side of the deal. The study supports previous research that analysed data on trust and intelligence from European countries.