Author: Nick

  • None of the most common blood pressure medications increased the risk of depression, some lowered the risk

    None of the 41 most common high blood pressure medications increased the risk of depression, while nine medications appeared to lower it, according to a study from Denmark, published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

  • Study finds that sleep restriction amplifies anger

    Feeling angry these days? New research suggests that a good night of sleep may be just what you need. This program of research comprised an analysis of diaries and lab experiments. The researchers analyzed daily diary entries from 202 college students, who tracked their sleep, daily stressors, and anger over one month. Preliminary results show […]

  • Hope for 500 000 insomniacs in Norway

    Approximately 500 000 Norwegians suffer from chronic sleep disorders, also called insomnia. Researchers have long known that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is the best documented treatment, but few people have access to such therapy. A fully automated digital version of this treatment has proven effective for many patients and can reduce the use of […]

  • Circadian Rhythms Help Guide Waste from Brain

    New research details how the complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system – the brain’s unique process of waste removal – are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. These findings suggest that people who rely on sleeping during daytime hours are at greater risk for […]

  • Atheists are more likely to sleep better than Catholics and Baptists

    A new study of sleep, religious affiliation, and perceptions of heaven found that atheists and agnostics are significantly more likely to be better sleepers than Catholics and Baptists. Preliminary results show that 73% of atheists and agnostics reported getting seven or more hours of nightly sleep, which is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep […]

  • Genetic background may affect adaptions to aging

    How we adapt to aging late in life may be genetically influenced, according to a study led by a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside. The research, published in Aging Cell, has implications for how epigenetic factors relate to aging. Epigenesis is a process in which chemicals attached to DNA control its activity. Epigenetic […]

  • Mechanisms identified to restore myelin sheaths after injury or in multiple sclerosis

    A research team led by neurobiologist Professor Claire Jacob has identified an important mechanism that can be used to control the restoration of myelin sheaths following traumatic injury and in degenerative diseases. With the insights gained, the researchers were able to regenerate damaged myelin sheaths in mice by treating them with the active substance theophylline, […]

  • Can a Healthy Diet Reduce Risk of Parkinson’s?

    While movement problems are the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, people with the disease often have non-motor symptoms such as constipation, daytime sleepiness and depression 10 or more years before the movement problems start. A new study suggests that eating a healthy diet in middle age may be linked to having fewer of these preceding […]

  • Dementia Kills Nearly Three Times More People Than Previously Thought

    Dementia may be an underlying cause of nearly three times more deaths in the US than official records show, according to a new School of Public Health study. Published in the journal JAMA Neurology, the study estimates that 13.6 percent of deaths are attributable to dementia, 2.7 times more than the 5.0 percent of death […]

  • Newly discovered ‘support system’ for axons suggests a novel therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases

    Axons are long, finger-like projections of neurons that transmit critical signals throughout the nervous system. But because they are fragile, they are often among the first casualties of certain neurodegenerative diseases, causing symptoms such as muscle weakness or numbness of limbs. New research from the University at Buffalo reveals that despite the fragility of axons, […]