Follow my Google+ posts on Brain and Mind, Resilience, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and quotations of interest.
Here is a sampling of stories from the last few weeks.
Exercise reorganizes the brain to be more resilient to stress
These findings potentially resolve a discrepancy in research related to the effect of exercise on the brain -- namely that exercise reduces anxiety while also promoting the growth of new neurons in the ventral hippocampus. Because these young neurons are typically more excitable than their more mature counterparts, exercise should result in more anxiety, not less. The Princeton-led researchers, however, found that exercise also strengthens the mechanisms that prevent these brain cells from firing."
"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Why do we enjoy listening to sad music?
"Music that is perceived as sad actually induces romantic emotion as well as sad emotion. And people, regardless of their musical training, experience this ambivalent emotion to listen to the sad music,"
Non-invasive brain stimulation helps stroke patients gain prolonged language recovery
A new study details a technique developed by researchers to improve language function in stroke patients with chronic speech-language impairment.
Inner-city women's health issues traced to childhood traumas
Researchers have traced chronic health problems of adult inner-city women to traumas from childhood abuse and neglect.
Brain differences seen in depressed preschoolers
A key brain structure that regulates emotions works differently in preschoolers with depression compared with their healthy peers, according to new research.
Pre-existing insomnia linked to PTSD and other mental disorders after military deployment
New research found military service members who have trouble sleeping prior to deployments may be at greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety once they return home. The study found that pre-existing insomnia symptoms conferred almost as a large of a risk for those mental disorders as combat exposure.
FOR KIDS: Fuzzy future -- Kids may suffer impaired vision from spending too little time outdoors, studies suggest
Many researchers were stunned when they first saw these rates. And they were just as surprised to hear some scientists blame the problem on spending too much time indoors. The notion that recess might promote better vision seemed almost magical.