by Jonah Mandel Nachum Pachenick says he lived a nightmare for nearly two decades after being sexually abused and developing post-traumatic stress disorder—until MDMA therapy came to his rescue. “It’s a life full of stress, pressure, nerves, anxiety, fatigue,” the 46-year-old Israeli said from his home in Sde Boaz, a wildcat settlement in the occupied...
Tag: <span>Mental Health</span>
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Abnormal blood pressure in middle and late life influences dementia risk
JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE In a study that spanned two and a half decades and looked at data from more than 4,700 participants, Johns Hopkins researchers have added to evidence that abnormal blood pressure in midlife persisting into late life increases the likelihood of developing dementia. Although not designed to show cause and effect, the study...
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AHA news: Here’s why stroke survivors need to pay attention to bone health
People who have had a stroke, and the doctors who treat them, have a lot to be concerned about: regaining mobility and function, controlling risk factors for a second stroke, guarding against depression that can result from a newly limited life. There’s another potential consequence not on everyone’s list: osteoporosis. “We don’t know as much...
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Virtual reality experiences may help treat severe pain
by Public Library of Science Therapeutic virtual reality can be used to reduce severe pain in hospitalized patients, according to a study published August 14, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Brennan Spiegel of Cedars-Sinai Health System, USA, and colleagues. Therapeutic virtual reality (VR) is emerging as an effective, non-pharmacological treatment modality for...
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Beyond finding a gene: Same repeated stretch of DNA found in three neurodegenerative diseases
by University of Tokyo Four rare diseases are characterized by similar symptoms of neurodegeneration. Patients with three of the diseases — fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) and oculopharyngeal myopathy with leukoencephalopathy (OPML) — have similar MRI brain scan images. Patients with a fourth disease, oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM), have normal brain scans, but their muscle tissue has a...
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Exploring genetic “dark matter,” researchers gain new insights into autism and stroke
Posted Today With its elegant double helix and voluminous genetic script, DNA has become the of darling of nucleic acids. Yet, it is not all powerful. In order for DNA to realize its potential—for genes to become proteins—it must first be transcribed into RNA, a delicate molecule that requires intense care and guidance. “Gene expression is a lot more complicated...
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8 Questions to Ask Someone Other Than “What Do You Do?”
If the conversation starts with work, it will likely end with work. And there’s so much more to learn about a person. We’ve all been in the awkward situation of meeting someone new and having to build rapport quickly — at networking events, industry conferences, charity events, dinner parties, and other social-professional situations. If you’re...
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How a unique gene mutation may drive autism
Published Today | By Maria Cohut | Fact checked by Paula Field Which factors drive autism? This is a question to which researchers still have no answer. Now, a new study conducted in mice and assessing data from humans suggests that a unique genetic mutation may play a key role in early brain development, contributing to...
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Important results for brain machine interfaces
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Data from Mental Work project, conducted as an experimental artwork at EPFL’s Artlab, indicates that BMI is robust and accessible to the general public, spurring new research collaborations in Switzerland on user experience. Brain-machine interfaces are rarely found outside of medical clinics, where the disabled receive hours or days of training in...
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Quitting alcohol may improve mental well-being, health-related quality of life
by Canadian Medical Association Journal Quitting alcohol may improve health-related quality of life for women, especially their mental well-being, according to a study from Hong Kong published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “More evidence suggests caution in recommending moderate drinking as part of a healthy diet,” says Dr. Michael Ni, School of Public Health and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, University of Hong Kong...