A popular treatment for the seasonal depression that strikes during dark winter months may also benefit veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, a small pilot study suggests. Results from 16 older veterans found that bright light therapy alongside traditional treatments for these problems improved physical and mental symptoms. The therapy, in which… read on > read on >
Good sleep might be the best prescription for sexual satisfaction among older women, a new study suggests. Women who did not routinely get restful slumber were nearly twice as likely to report sexual problems, such as lack of desire or arousal, researchers found. “Sexual dysfunction…is defined as the presence of sexual problems associated with distress,… read on > read on >
Could your genes be to blame for your hot flashes? New research suggests that’s so, with genetics playing a role in both the severity and frequency of those hallmarks of menopause. While hot flashes are common, they don’t affect all women to the same degree and the reasons for those differences are unclear. Genetics have… read on > read on >
Most young people do want to protect others from COVID-19, according to polls of 14- to 24-year-olds that suggest focusing on this message may be effective. “Public health campaigns should leverage youths’ desire to protect others and not be the cause of spread,” said Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University… read on > read on >
Bullied and mistreated teens are much more likely to fantasize about hurting or killing others, a new study warns. “One way to think about fantasies is as our brain rehearsing future scenarios,” said lead author Manuel Eisner, director of the University of Cambridge Violence Research Center in the U.K. His research included more than 1,400… read on > read on >
A U.S. hospital has seen a surge in the number of kids with a life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes. The trend at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic may be affecting kids’ health in unexpected ways, according to a new study led by Dr. Lily Chao, interim medical diabetes director. Her… read on > read on >
Fully vaccinated Americans can now go without masks when walking, jogging or biking outdoors, or when dining with small groups at outdoor restaurants, U.S. health officials announced Tuesday. The latest guidance, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, followed growing calls from infectious disease experts to drop mask mandates outside because breezes rapidly… read on > read on >
That college degree may be useful in many ways, but new research suggests it probably won’t keep your brain from shrinking with age. Over the years, a number of studies have suggested that education might buffer people against age-related declines in memory and thinking. But those findings did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. In the… read on > read on >
Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury appear to affect the brain in similar ways, according to a study that may point to new ways to identify people at high risk for Alzheimer’s. “These findings are the first to suggest that cognitive impairment following a traumatic brain injury is useful for predicting the magnitude of Alzheimer’s-like… read on > read on >
Loss of the sense of smell and taste is often an early and enduring symptom of COVID-19. Now, research suggests that for many COVID survivors with long-term sensory loss, it’s also depressing. In a web-based survey completed by 322 adults with COVID and a sudden change in smell or taste, 56% reported decreased enjoyment in… read on > read on >
