An insightful new study found that people who are extremely active are happier than those who sit and do nothing. The finding may explain why people admit to being very busy in our current society. “The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are so busy doing what they are doing in […]
Those ubiquitous wires connecting listeners to you-name-the-sounds from invisible MP3 players — whether of Bach, Miles Davis or, more likely today, Lady Gaga — only hint at music’s effect on the soul throughout the ages. Now a data-driven review by Northwestern University researchers that will be published July 20 in Nature Reviews Neuroscience pulls […]
How many hours of sleep do you need? Most adults on the average need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to feel completely rested and function optimally. Unfortunately, many Americans are sleeping less than they did in the past. A 2005 National Sleep Foundation survey found Americans sleep an average of 6.9 hours […]
A recent study conducted in Italy has determined that applying magnets to the brains of Alzheimer’s disease sufferers helps them to improve their understanding of what is said to them. The finding Italian scientists conducted a randomised controlled trial of the treatment, suggests that magnets may change the brain’s “cortical activity,” and readjust unhealthy patterns […]
Acupuncture has spread around the world since originating in China but conventional western medicine has remained steadfastly skeptical. Although there is now good evidence that acupuncture can relieve pain, many of the other health benefits acupuncturists claim are on shakier ground. Despite acupuncture’s 4,000-year history, little is known about the biological pathways that enable […]
Almost a third of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who participated in a behavior treatment developed by a University at Buffalo behavioral scientist experienced significant relief within four weeks of beginning treatment. The study is published in the current issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. These patients, called “rapid responders” […]
Two recent studies have determined the detrimental impact child abuse has on adult disease susceptibility and development, particularly those with pain. The first study sought to determine if “alleged” childhood abuse causes any changes in the release of daily cortisol, as major stress hormone in women experiencing chronic pain, either fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. […]
Children with exposure to significant amounts of organophosphate pesticides have an increased risk of developing Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a study conducted at the University of Montreal and Report in the June, 2010 issue of Pediatrics. According to Dr. Maryse Bouchard, the lead researcher, a ten-fold increase in the concentration of the most […]
I’ve heard many people suggest with a few episodes of memory lapse or loss that they are developing Alzheimer’s Disease. That usually isn’t the case, and I understand the concern, since the disease has virtually exploded in epidemic numbers over the last 25 years, with no identifiable environmental causes. According to psychiatrist Dr. Sameer […]
A report suggests the phrase “working overtime is killing me” may be as factual as it is figurative. According to a long-term study of more than 10,000 civil servants in London, working overtime is bad for the heart. The research, published online in the European Heart Journal, found compared with people who did not […]