Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder Comorbidities

Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), also known as delayed sleep phase syndrome and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, is the delay of a person’s circadian rhythm in comparison to societal norms. Elliot D. Weitzman and coworkers from Montefiore Medical Center initially formally identified it in 1981. It is responsible for 7-13% of persistent insomnia complaints. Among…

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Suicide Risk Linked to Brain Inflammation, Loss of Protective Mechanisms

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that lost brain protection systems and overactive inflammation may contribute to the risk of suicide. The results provide additional justification for investigating the potential of anti-inflammatory drugs as a preventive measure, particularly in scenarios of early suicidal ideation detection. “As suicide rates continue to rise, we must develop additional evidence-based strategies…

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Pharmacogenomic Testing Could Improve Depression Treatment

According to new research from the University of British Columbia, a particular type of genetic test that helps determine the best antidepressant for patients with moderate-to-severe depression could generate significant healthcare savings and greatly improve patient outcomes. The study found that pharmacogenomic testing might save the provincial public health system $956 million over the course…

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Embodied Learning Improves Children’s Literacy Skills

Children who form letter sounds with their bodies outperform those who learn spelling in a traditional classroom, according to new research. Children who are at risk of having reading difficulties can benefit from the learning strategy just as much as those with normal literacy development. Literacy skills development is a crucial element of a child’s…

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More Brain Genes are Altered by Early-life Stress Than by a Head Injury

When researchers began investigating whether early-life stress compounded the consequences of a childhood head injury on health and behavior later in life, they discovered something unexpected. Stress changed the activation level of many more genes in the brain than a head injury did in an animal research model. Head injuries are known to be prevalent…

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The Benefits of Keeping Good News to Yourself

Though people often want to share good news as soon as they learn it, a new study has found that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make people feel more energized and alive. “Decades of research on secrecy suggest it is bad for our well-being, but this work has only examined…

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How Your Brain Assigns Blame for Mistakes

The human mind dislikes making mistakes and works hard to avoid doing them again. A new study from the University of Iowa researchers illustrates how the human brain can discern between outcomes caused by human error and those that are not directly to blame in just one second. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that in cases…

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Depersonalization vs. Dissociation Disorder: Key Differences

Depersonalization and dissociation are both complex psychological phenomena, but they manifest differently and involve distinct features. Understanding the key differences between them is important for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Depersonalization is a specific type of dissociative experience characterized by feelings of unreality and detachment from one’s own thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. People with…

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Key to Infantile Amnesia Could Be Autism Brain States

Researchers in the field of neuroscience have found an interesting link between being able to remember things from your childhood and the way brains develop in people with autism. Most of us have little recollection of our lives prior to the age of two. The term infantile amnesia refers to this seeming complete loss of episodic…

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