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stress

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·July 7, 2023·7 min read

Birth Control Pills Affect Women’s Stress Hormone Levels

Social activity reduces the levels of stress hormone ACTH in women not on birth control pills, but not in women who are. The study, involving women of an average age of 20.5 years, discovered the stress response in women off birth control depends on their menstrual cycle phase.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 24, 2023·6 min read

Adolescent Stress Shapes Motherly Behavior

Stress during adolescence alters brain functions, influencing postpartum social behavior in mammals. The research utilizes optogenetics and calcium imaging techniques to understand neuronal communication in mice that experienced psychosocial stress during adolescence.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 23, 2023·5 min read

Stress Neurons Mapped the Brain, Exposing Estrogen Link

Researchers pinpointed a specific group of nerve cells in the mouse brain that play a role in negative emotional states and chronic stress. The neurons, which were mapped using a variety of advanced techniques, were found to possess estrogen receptors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 13, 2023·3 min read

Positive Parenting Shields Youth from Stress Impact

Positive parenting, as reported by children and teenagers, can safeguard young individuals from the damaging effects of stressors like financial hardship or serious illness. The research team used MRI data and survey responses from 482 participants aged 10–17.

This shows a woman surrounded by junk food.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 8, 2023·5 min read

Stressed Brains Amplify Comfort Food Cravings

Researchers uncovered how chronic stress in combination with high-calorie diets can amplify our brain's reward system, driving overeating and weight gain. They found that stress inhibits the lateral habenula, a brain area typically curbing such reward signals.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·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.

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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.