FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·August 27, 2019·5 min readWomen with chronic physical conditions more likely to experience mental illness in pregnancyWomen who suffer from a chronic physical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, are at increased risk of developing mental health problems both during pregnancy and up to one-year postpartum.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeurosciencePsychology·August 25, 2019·4 min readNight owls may have 10 percent higher risk of early deathA study that spanned 6.5 years reveals night owls have a 10% increased risk of death over those who sleep and rise early. Keeping late hours is also associated with numerous health risks, social isolation, and increased risk of depression.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·August 6, 2019·6 min readGuns and mental illness – The facts and consequences of using a blanket term so vaguelyDespite widespread propaganda, people with mental illnesses only commit 3-4% of all violent acts within the U.S in any given year. Mental health conditions are more strongly associated with suicide, not homicide. Restricting access to guns for those with mental health issues does not take into account those who already own guns and develop mental health conditions over their lifetime. Researchers say, given the climate of blame, people with severe mental health disorders may be dissuaded from seeking treatment.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 29, 2019·2 min readImpaired brain activity in rats with family history of alcohol abuseNeural patterns of activity in the medial prefrontal cortex associated with the intention to drink alcohol are influenced by the genetic risk for alcohol use disorder.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 23, 2019·5 min readStudy Advances Understanding of How Brains Remember DecisionsThe medial prefrontal cortex persistently encodes value based decision variables.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·July 18, 2019·4 min readRomantic partnerships mitigate influence of genetic predisposition to alcohol consumptionFor those with a genetic predisposition for alcohol use disorder (AUD), being in a romantic relationship appears to reduce the high risk to succumbing to alcohol abuse. This protective effect is limited to males only, suggesting males with a genetic risk for AUD may benefit more from romantic relationships.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 17, 2019·1 min readLegalized recreational marijuana a substitute for alcohol, but not tobaccoLegalized recreational marijuana may spell bad news for the alcohol industry, but not tobacco. A new study reports in states where the recreational use of marijuana is legal, internet searchers for alcohol-related products dropped by 11%, but tobacco-related searchers increased by 8%.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·July 15, 2019·5 min readCannabis treatment counters addictionNabiximols, a cannabis-based medication, can effectively be used as a cannabis replacement therapy for those addicted to the substance.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 12, 2019·3 min readSeeing greenery linked to less intense and frequent cravingsSpending time in nature can help reduce the strength and frequency of cravings.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·July 9, 2019·3 min readKratom herbal supplement used to treat addiction and pain found unsafe by researchersKratom, a herbal supplement used to manage pain and treat opioid addiction, is unsafe to use, researchers report. The supplement has been linked to an increased risk of tachycardia, hallucinations, coma, and cardiac arrest.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·July 8, 2019·3 min readWhy marijuana affects different people differentlyBy looking at THC’s effect on a rat brain, the researchers showed that THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, can produce highly rewarding effects in the front-most part of a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The image is in the public domain.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 5, 2019·5 min readIgnoring cues for alcohol and fast food is hard – but is it out of our control?Stress and tiredness make it harder for you to ignore environmental cues that signal something rewarding.Read More