Psychiatry / Psychology

Major depression more than doubles risk of dementia among adults with diabetes

Adults who have both diabetes and major depression are more than twice as likely to develop dementia, compared to adults with diabetes only, according…    

Childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect can result in structural brain changes

New research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect, in particular when combined with genetic factors,…    

Anti-Drinking Ads Can Increase Alcohol Use

Public service advertising campaigns that use guilt or shame to warn against alcohol abuse can actually have the reverse effect, spurring increased drinking among…    

Are non-smokers smarter than smokers?

Cigarette smokers have lower IQs than non-smokers, and the more a person smokes, the lower their IQ, a study in over 20,000 Israeli military…    

Vision problems linked to higher dementia risk

Elderly adults with poor vision, particularly untreated vision problems, may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with better vision, a new…    

“Love” hormone may help autism symptoms - study

A hormone thought to encourage bonding between mothers and their babies may foster social behavior in some adults with autism, French researchers said on…    

Quitting smoking especially difficult for select groups

With the national trend toward quitting smoking flat, psychologists are finding some success with treatments aimed at helping smokers from underserved groups, including racial…    

Marijuana ineffective as an Alzheimer’s treatment: UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health research

The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease have been challenged in a new study by researchers at the…    

Alterations in the brain’s reward system related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Until now, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was related to alterations in the brain affecting attention and cognitive processes. Researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and…    

Many children ‘hear voices’; most aren’t bothered

Nearly 1 in 10 seven- to eight-year-olds hears voices that aren’t really there, according to a new study.

But most children who…    

Gene linked to schizophrenia may reduce cancer risk

People who inherit a specific form of a gene that puts them on a road to schizophrenia may be protected against some forms of…    

USF studies show link among Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome and atherosclerosis

Nearly 20 years ago Huntington Potter kicked up a storm of controversy with the idea that Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s were the same disease.…    

Five Reasons People Start and Continue to Smoke

It’s the advice we hear from cradle to grave these days, from teachers, parents, the media, and everyone in between. So why is it…    

Movies for kids still depict unsafe behaviors

While movie makers have gotten better at portraying appropriate injury-prevention tactics in movies made for kids, many scenes still show characters riding bikes…    

One in Four Girls Aged 12-17 Were Involved in Serious Fights or Attacks in the Past Year

A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that, in the past year, one quarter (26.7 percent) of adolescent…    

A new ally in the battle against cocaine addiction

A recent study shows that a bacterial protein may help cocaine addicts break the habit.

Cocaine esterase (CocE) is a naturally-occurring bacterial…    

Researchers find clues to why some continue to eat when full

The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief – just ask those who cruise grocery store aisles on…    

Autism Expert Available to Speak on CDC’s New Autism Rates

Drexel University’s Dr. Craig Newschaffer, a renowned autism expert and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Drexel University School of…    

Premature birth tied to later behavioral problems

Children who were born prematurely and at a very low weight may have an increased risk of certain behavior problems and symptoms of depression…    

Study Confirms Association between Tobacco Smoke and Behavioral Problems in Children

Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke during their early development can develop abnormal behavioral symptoms by the age of ten years. This association…    

People affected by autism believe increase is ‘real,’ not diagnostic

There has been a major increase in the number of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders over the last two decades - the question…    

Hormone replacement therapy tied to mental benefits

Older women who use certain forms of hormone replacement therapy seem to perform better on tests of memory and mental speed than other women…    

As moms age, more babies born with Down syndrome

The percentage of children born with Down syndrome has increased by about one percent per year since 1979, according to new findings from the…    

Parents’ age tied to child’s autism risk

Children born to relatively older mothers or fathers may have a higher risk of autism than those with younger parents, a new study finds.…    

Exposure to smoke, lead ups risk of ADHD

If you need another reason to stop smoking while pregnant, or to rid your home of lead, a new study suggests that children whose…