affects Archives - Family Medicine News

The reward system in the brain affects our judgments

23.10.2018 Health Problems

We make judgements quite rationally or “by the gut.” Not only experience and relevant information play an important role, but also our preferences. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne shows how the reward system in the brain conveys judgements affected by one’s own desires. “In complex, confusing situations, we run the risk of making […]

Scientists uncover how rare gene mutation affects brain development and memory

19.10.2018 Health Problems

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, have found that a rare gene mutation alters brain development in mice, impairing memory and disrupting the communication between nerve cells. They also show memory problems could be improved by transplanting a specific type of nerve cell into the brain. The findings were published today in Neuron. “Mutations in hundreds […]

Four questions—chronic pain and how it affects the brain

18.05.2018 Health Problems

Chronic pain affects an estimated 100 million Americans, and its impact goes beyond physical discomfort. New research, led by University of Arizona psychologist Stephen Cowen, illustrates how chronic pain may impact cognitive abilities, such as decision making, as well. Cowen and UA professor of pharmacology Frank Porreca, along with their collaborators at Eli Lilly, investigated how pain impacts cognitive flexibility, […]

Schizophrenia affects your body, not just your brain – new study

11.05.2018 Health Problems

Schizophrenia is considered a disorder of the mind, influencing the way a person thinks, feels and behaves. But our latest research shows that organs, other than the brain, also change at the onset of the disease. Scientists have known for a long time that people with schizophrenia have much higher rates of physical illness compared with the general population, and […]

Psoriasis negatively affects patient sleep quality

08.05.2018 Health Problems

(HealthDay)—Patients with psoriasis commonly report poor sleep, with itch being the main predictor, according to a study published online April 28 in the British Journal of Dermatology. Peter Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues examined the prevalence of sleep disturbance in 179 patients with plaque psoriasis compared to 105 controls. The researchers found that […]

Study examines how social support affects mental health after a natural disaster

05.04.2018 Health Problems

A new Journal of Traumatic Stress study found that social support may have helped alleviate depressive symptoms for displaced and nondisplaced residents who survived Hurricane Katrina. Also, social support appeared to only moderate the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for nondisplaced residents, indicating that displaced individuals may require more formal supports for reducing PTSD symptoms following a natural […]