“Magic” mushrooms achieve their psychedelic effects by temporarily scrambling a brain network involved in introspective thinking like daydreaming and remembering, a new study reports. Brain scans of people who took psilocybin — the psychedelic drug in ‘shrooms — revealed that the substance causes profound and widespread temporary changes to the brain’s default mode network. These… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Is Your Child With Type 1 Diabetes Facing ‘Diabetes Distress’?
Children born with type 1 diabetes are much more likely to develop certain mental health issues than those without the condition, a new study warns. Kids with type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop a mood disorder and 50% more likely to suffer from anxiety than other children, researchers reported June… read on > read on >
Two Years Later, 988 Crisis Line Has Answered 10 Million Requests
Just two years after the launch of the nation’s three-digit crisis hotline, more than 10 million calls, texts and chat messages have been fielded by counselors, U.S. health officials announced Tuesday. Introduced in July 2022 to simplify emergency calls and help counter a burgeoning mental health crisis in the United States, 988 was touted as… read on > read on >
What Is ‘Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome’ and Can It Be Treated?
It’s a little known health condition that can become a nightmare: Regular and sudden episodes of intense nausea and vomiting. Now, new clinical guidance urges people to take notes and speak up if they think they have the condition, known as cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). About 2% of people experience CVS, but it can take… read on > read on >
Could Contact Sports Raise Risks for a Parkinson’s-like Disorder?
Autopsies of deceased boxers and pro football players have long confirmed that repeat head injuries can lead to a devastating brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Now, research supports the notion that contact sports can also raise the odds for a Parkinson’s-like disease, called parkinsonism, in athletes already affected by CTE. In the… read on > read on >
Brain Changes Seen in Kids With Conduct Disorder
Defiance, tantrums, aggression: All signs of a condition called conduct disorder, which Mental Health America says affects up to 16% of boys and 9% of girls. Now, research is revealing real differences in the brain structure of children and youths with conduct disorder, compared to those without the condition. Specifically, the study of the brains… read on > read on >
Starving Pre-Performance Won’t Bring Medals: Study
Dropping weight prior to competition is a common practice among athletes. But starving oneself prior to an intense athletic event is likely a wrongheaded, self-defeating practice, a new study warns. Triathletes who ate less prior to competition lost more muscle mass and performed poorly, compared to their function after they followed a sensible diet, researchers… read on > read on >
Science Helps Make ‘Space Food’ More Appealing
Food tends to taste bland in space, astronauts have reported, making it tough for them to eat enough to stay healthy. Focusing on foods’ smell might help overcome this problem, a new study says. Aroma plays a big role in the flavor of food, and researchers found that certain scents might be more powerful in… read on > read on >
Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer May Lower Dementia Risk
Hormone therapy for breast cancer might reduce a woman’s later risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds. Overall, hormone therapy is associated with a 7% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s or a related dementia later in life, according to findings published July 16 in the journal JAMA Network Open. However, this link… read on > read on >
U.S. Stroke Survival Is Improving, But Race Still Plays Role
There’s good news and bad for stroke survival in the United States: New research shows that Americans are now more likely to survive long-term, but that’s more true for whites than for Black Americans. At least for a sample of people living in the greater Cincinnati area, “we saw that there clearly has been an… read on > read on >