InvitoHealth: Health News Headlines

Depressed People May Make Choices That Help Reinforce Their Depression

By Rick Naurert PhD
August 8th, 2022

New research suggests that even when depressed people have the opportunity to decrease their sadness, they don’t necessarily try to do so. The finding is somewhat perplexing given that depression is characterized by intense and frequent negative feelings, like sadness. Consequently, it might seem logical to develop interventions that target those negative feelings. But the new findings, published in the journal Psychological Science, suggests this may not always be an appropriate plan of action. “Our findings show that, contrary to what we might expect, depressed people sometimes choose to behave in a manner that increases rather than decreases their sadness,” [More]

Risky Teen Behavior May Be Exploration, Not Underdeveloped Brain

By Traci Pedersen
August 8th, 2022

A new review published in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience argues that teenagers’ risky behaviors may be a matter of exploration rather than the result of an under-developed brain, which is the current popular theory. In recent years, neuroscientists have proposed the theory that teenagers’ seemingly impulsive and risky behaviors may be linked to low development of the prefrontal cortex and its weak connectivity with brain reward regions. In the new review, however, the researchers challenge that conclusion. They examined the evidence behind this popular notion and found that much of it misinterpreted adolescent exploratory behavior as impulsive and lacking [More]

Electrical Brain Stimulation Can Improve Working Memory

By Rick Naurert PhD
August 8th, 2022

Emerging research suggests the application of a low voltage current to the brain synchronizes brain waves and improves short-term working memory. Investigators at Imperial College London found that applying a low voltage current can bring different areas of the brain in sync with one another, enabling people to perform better on tasks involving working memory. The hope is that the approach could one day be used to bypass damaged areas of the brain and relay signals in people with traumatic brain injury, stroke, or epilepsy. The brain is in constant state of chatter, with this activity seen as brainwaves oscillating [More]

Study Finds High Brain Integration in Top Performers

By Janice Wood
August 8th, 2022

Why do some people excel in sports, music and managing companies? New research points to uniquely high mind-brain development in those who excel. “What we have found is an astonishing integration of brain functioning in high performers compared to average-performing controls,” said Fred Travis, Ph.D., director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. He claims this research is the “first in the world to show that there is a brain measure of effective leadership.” In the study, published in the journal Cognitive Processing, researchers found that 20 top-level managers scored higher [More]

Study: Too Many Barriers to Opioid Use Treatment, Especially for Pregnant Women

By Traci Pedersen
August 7th, 2022

A new study suggests it is very difficult for women, particularly those who are pregnant, to be accepted into many treatment centers for opioid use disorder. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center study used a “secret shopper” approach with trained actors attempting to get into treatment centers in 10 U.S. states. The treatment providers were randomly selected from government lists of persons providing either buprenorphine or methadone treatment for opioid addiction. A total of 10,871 unique patient profiles of pregnant vs. nonpregnant women and private vs. public insurance were randomly assigned to 6,324 clinicians or clinics. The results revealed numerous challenges [More]

Low-Income Youth Less Likely to Participate in Sports

By Traci Pedersen
August 7th, 2022

A new study finds that lower-income parents are less likely than their higher-income counterparts to involve their children in school- or community-based sports due to barriers such as rising costs for these extracurricular activities. For the study, researchers from RAND Corporation surveyed approximately 2,800 parents, public school administrators and community sports program leaders and discovered that financial costs and time commitments were obstacles to sports participation for middle and high school students. Of those surveyed, 52 percent of parents from lower-income families reported that their children in grades 6 to 12 participated in sports, compared to 66 percent of middle- [More]

British Study: Male Postnatal Depression Under-recognized, Under-appreciated

By Rick Naurert PhD
August 7th, 2022

A new study from the UK shows that signs of postnatal depression in men is frequently not recognized. Researchers found that observers generally believed males were suffering from stress or tiredness. Moreover, even when depression was recognized, most believed a male’s condition would be easier to treat. Observers expressed less sympathy for the male and were less likely to suggest that the male seek help. The research, led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University, appears in the Journal of Mental Health. Swami studied 406 British adults between 18 and 70 years old. The participants were presented with case [More]

Leading Researchers Find Media Violence Ups Risk of Teen Aggression

By Rick Naurert PhD
August 7th, 2022

A new research report provides convincing evidence that media violence can increase the risk of aggression among children and teens. The report was authored by the Media Violence Commission, a collection of 12 researchers from the International Society for Research on Aggression (IRSA), reports Craig Anderson, Ph.D., former president of the IRSA. The commission was charged to prepare a public statement on the known effects of media violence exposure, based on the current state of scientific knowledge. The report, as published in the journal Aggressive Behavior, clearly shows that media violence consumption increases the relative risk of aggression, defined as [More]

Impulsivity Found in a Wide Range of Psychiatric Disorders

By Traci Pedersen
August 6th, 2022

The tendency to choose smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards can be found in a broad range of psychiatric disorders, according to a new Canadian study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Previous research has linked a greater preference for immediate rewards and impulsivity to negative health outcomes, such as addiction, obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The new study reinforces this association, finding that this type of impulsive decision-making, called delay discounting, is consistently observed across an even broader range of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. “The revelation that delay discounting is one of [More]

Study Finds Scientific Basis for ‘Chemo Brain’ in Breast Cancer Patients

By Janice Wood
August 6th, 2022

While breast cancer patients often report difficulties with memory, concentration and other cognitive functions following treatment, there’s been a debate in the medical community as to whether this mental fogginess is psychosomatic or a symptom of changes in brain function. Now, a new study has shown a correlation between poorer performance on neuropsychological tests and memory complaints in post-treatment, early-stage breast cancer patients, particularly those who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation. “The study is one of the first to show that such patient-reported cognitive difficulties — often referred to as ‘chemo brain’ in those who have had chemotherapy — can [More]