Category Archives: Brain Function

If you’re a little older and struggling with sleep, you’re not alone. As people get older, they sleep less. Older folks tend to wake up earlier and fall asleep later. But does this signal poor health? It might, according to a new study. Research published in mid-June suggests sleep troubles may play a role in ...click here to read more

In patients with mental illness, researchers have found that intervention programs can reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by nearly 13%. The new study by John Hopkins Medicine researchers found this relationship between people with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, and 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke. People ...click here to read more

A new study has found a link between depression and cardiovascular disease, which helps further the research surrounding the two ailments. The study, co-led by Simon Fraser University health sciences professor Scott Lear, adds to the compounding evidence that depressive symptoms could lead to an increased risk of heart disease and early death. The study ...click here to read more

Loneliness due to the COVID-19 quarantine has been shown to increase the risk of insomnia in older adults. According to the University of Arizona, the coronavirus has had a profound impact on mental health whether the actual disease has been contracted or not. For the study, a team of University of Arizona psychiatrists and sleep ...click here to read more

Are you a glass half full or glass half empty type of person? A new study suggests that how you answer could play a role in dementia risk. Repetitive negative thoughts (RNT) can put your brain under a lot of stress. Always assuming the worst, ruminating on past experiences you cannot change, and fearing the ...click here to read more

Having persistent negative thoughts in middle age may raise the risk of dementia, leading to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new UCL-led study. Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study outlines how people over 55 who had ‘repetitive negative thinking’ (RNT) show an increased risk of cognitive decline as well as the deposition of harmful ...click here to read more

Having a restless night’s sleep may not just leave you feeling groggy and tired—it may also be hardening your arteries and leading to inflammation. A new study from University of California, Berkeley has found that disrupted sleep and clogged arteries are pathologically intertwined. Sleep scientists at UC Berkeley have uncovered how fragmented nightly sleep can ...click here to read more

COVID-19 has likely turned your world upside down in more ways than one. If it means you’re now working from home, that could have another unintended consequence: poor sleep. Given the fact that the pandemic and self-isolation can lead to anxiety and sleepless nights, suddenly having your professional life thrust into your home can make ...click here to read more

The type of fat you eat can almost immediately influence how your brain functions. New research shows that just one high-saturated fat meal can make an instant impact on concentration and potentially worsen the effects of other mental health ailments. The study looked at how 51 women performed on an attention test after eating a ...click here to read more

As protests condemning police violence are taking place across the country, COVID-19 has not really slowed down and fears of illness, violence, job loss, and what will surely be an unstable reopening to the economy are of grave concern. How are people supposed to cope? A lot of people, including you, are probably feeling uneasy. ...click here to read more

Catching COVID-19 or safely dealing with existing physical health problems is likely top of mind these days. But they aren’t the only conditions affected by the pandemic. Mental health is another major area of concern during these trying times. Research is now emerging about the pandemic’s effect on mental health in China, where the first ...click here to read more

The COVID-19 virus has made fundamental changes to the way people live their lives. Folks are spending more time indoors; existing anxieties are heightened, and everyone is trying to find information about when we may regain some semblance of a normal life. To help, many have been turning to screens more than they normally would. ...click here to read more

Depression among the aging population is on the rise. But a new study from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing shows how adopting a new hobby may help keep depressive symptoms at bay. Previous studies have shown the importance of non-medical sources of support for overall health, but this study is showing a direct relationship ...click here to read more

After weeks of being in quarantine, many people may be struggling with chronic stress and mental health issues, but a new study has found that exercise may be able to help. Just six weeks of chronic stress can lead to depression, even in people who have never experienced depressive symptoms before. As we have passed ...click here to read more