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stress

·May 13, 2023·3 min read

Stress Hormone in Pregnancy Bolsters Child’s Early Language Skills

Higher cortisol levels, a stress hormone, during the third trimester of pregnancy may boost speech and language skills in early childhood. A new study analyzed data from over 1,000 Danish women and children, finding that boys exposed to high prenatal cortisol levels could say more words, while girls understood more words at an earlier age.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 8, 2023·5 min read

New Antidepressant Reduces Stress and Depression With Low Side Effects

Scientists developed a potential anti-depressant drug that exhibits anti-stressing and anti-depressant effects with minimal side effects. The drug is KNT-127quickly acts on the patient without inducing resistance. Researchers found that KNT-127 administration during and after extreme psychological stress significantly improved social interaction and reduced inflammation in the hippocampus.

Featured Neurology Psychology

·May 2, 2023·5 min read

Women are More Prone to Alzheimer’s Disease and Stress May Be the Culprit

Stress may be a factor in why women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid beta rose sharply in the brains of female mice but not males during stressful situations. A molecular pathway that is active in brain cells from female mice but not males accounted for the divergent responses to stress. Reducing stress may be more beneficial for women than men, in terms of lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 26, 2023·5 min read

Pandemic Pet Pals: Exploring the Complex Relationship Between Pet Ownership, Stress, and Loneliness During Lockdown

During the COVID-19 pandemic, US dog and cat owners became closer to their pets, though pet ownership did not consistently alleviate stress and loneliness. The relationship between mental health and pet ownership was complex, with dog owners experiencing a greater reduction in stress and loneliness compared to cat owners and non-pet owners.

This shows a stressed looking woman at a desk

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 24, 2023·4 min read

Deadlines Don’t Cut It: Stress Levels Remain Unchanged, Regardless of Timelines

Researchers have discovered that deadlines may not be as stressful as previously believed. The study found that high sympathetic activation, which indicates how much people are "on the tips of their toes" and leads to stress, remains about the same with or without deadlines. The study also discovered that factors such as extensive smartphone use and prolific reading and writing can exacerbate sympathetic activation.

This shows a stressed man and drawings of clocks

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 21, 2023·6 min read

Stress Rapidly Increases Biological Age, but Recovery Turns Back the Clock

Stress can cause rapid and transient increases in biological age, which can be reversed upon recovery, according to a new study. Using DNA methylation clocks, researchers found that stress triggers short-term fluctuations in biological age in humans and mice. The findings challenge the idea that biological age has a unidirectional upward trajectory over the life course, and highlights the importance of reducing biological age to improve longevity.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 13, 2023·5 min read

Time Out: We All Need a Three-Day Weekend

A three-day weekend is good for our health, a new study reports. An extra day of rest improves sleep duration, increases physical activity and was associated with overall healthier behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 4, 2023·5 min read

Overwhelmed? Your Astrocytes Can Help With That

New research reveals a newly discovered brain circuit that involves astrocytes, a type of brain cell that tunes into and moderates the chatter between overactive neurons. This discovery could hold the key to treating attention disorders like ADHD, and sheds new light on how the brain processes information when overwhelmed.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 28, 2023·6 min read

The Relationship Between Humans and Stress? It’s Complicated

Emotional response to stress changes and reduces as we age. However, stress can accelerate body aging and negatively impact our overall health.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·March 24, 2023·5 min read

New Discovery Reveals Sex-Specific Causes of Depression Triggered by Stress Hormones Dysfunction

Men are more likely to have a dysregulated HPA axis that is associated with depressive symptoms, while women have higher levels of binding proteins for stress hormones that may prevent dysregulation of the HPA axis. The findings shed new light on how stress hormones impact dopamine transmission and how this impacts depression on a sex-specific basis.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 20, 2023·5 min read

Immune System Cells in the Gut Linked to Stress-Induced Depression

Study identifies an intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, affecting brain functions linked to depression and stress.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 1, 2023·3 min read

Stress Gene Dysregulation Found in Kids After Injury From Abuse vs. Accident

Study reports on epigenetic changes to the FKBP5 gene, a key gene associated with the regulation of stress response in the body, in babies and young children who were injured as a result of abuse, but not accidental injury.