Brain Size Influences Addiction Risk, Study Finds News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 22, 2015New findings from a team of German and Chinese researchers point to a connection between a person’s drug addiction risks and the size or volume of specific structures inside the brain.
Digital Devices May Hinder Ability to Read Emotions Mental HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 7, 2014In the modern digital world, are we more connected than ever before, or more disconnected? Does this world expose us to information and ideas that we would never otherwise encounter, or does it help us to stay contentedly isolated in our comfort zones? Does social media help us to stay in touch with family and…
Understanding Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 22, 2014Vascular neurocognitive disorder is a condition characterized by disruptions in the brain’s blood supply that lead to impairment of one or more aspects of a person’s conscious brain functions. The American Psychiatric Association includes this condition in the new fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a replacement for a…
Fish Oil Eases Brain Impact of Alcoholism, Rodent Study Finds AlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 5, 2014People who consume excessive amounts of alcohol have increased risks for developing damaging brain inflammation, especially when they maintain a pattern of heavy intake over time. In a study published in July 2014 in the journal PLOS One, researchers from three U.S. institutions explored the usefulness of fish oil, a substance with known anti-inflammatory properties,…
Can Caffeine Improve Memory? New Johns Hopkins Study Says Yes HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthJuly 10, 2014More than 90 percent of the world’s population consumes caffeine in one form or another, statistics show. In the United States, about 80 percent of all adults ingest caffeine through food, drink or medicine on a daily basis. This moderately powerful stimulant generates increased activity in the central nervous system, lifting energy, improving mood and…
Understanding Frontotemporal Neurocognitive Disorder Mental HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 11, 2014Frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder is a mental health condition characterized by abnormal shrinkage in two parts of the brain, called the frontal and temporal anterior lobes. This condition replaces an essentially equivalent illness, known as frontotemporal dementia, in the newly released fifth edition of the mental health reference text called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of…
Even Casual Marijuana Use Harms Young Brain, Study Finds Drug AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 18, 2014Don’t say you haven’t been warned. New research has found that even casual marijuana use causes critical changes in the brains of young people from which they may never recover and should prompt President Barack Obama to rethink a view he expressed in January about marijuana being no more dangerous than alcohol, one scientist said. The first-of-its-kind study on recreational marijuana, published April 16…
A Brain Region for Resisting Alcohol’s Allure AlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 15, 2014When consumed in substantial amounts, alcohol produces changes in the brain and body that normally help deter additional drinking. However, some people don’t seem to react as strongly to the negative effects of alcohol and therefore have greater chances of continuing their consumption to excess. In a study published in April 2014 in the journal…
Understanding Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Traumatic Brain Injury Mental HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 13, 2014Neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury is a mental health condition that sometimes arises in the long-term aftermath of a physical injury that results in brain damage. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies this condition along with other types of neurocognitive disorder in the reference text for mental health professionals called the Diagnostic and…
Is PTSD Culprit in Ft. Hood Tragedy? Signs Point Both Ways Trauma & PTSDBy Promises Behavioral HealthApril 4, 2014Much remains unraveled about the gunman who opened fire at the Fort Hood military base, slaying three and gravely wounding 16 others before killing himself. But when officials mentioned that Army Spec. Ivan Lopez might have post-traumatic stress disorder, concern erupted about stigmatizing the complex condition suffered by millions.
