Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, researchers report that sleeping fewer than four hours or more than ten hours a night is associated with a faster progression of cognitive … [Read more...]
Mental Attitude
Lack of Sleep Can Take a Toll on the Brain
Otherwise healthy volunteers who slept two fewer hours a night for three nights in a row not only became less effective at performing tasks but according to researcher Dr. Ingvild Saksvik-Lehouillier, “[Participants also] experienced a flattening of … [Read more...]
Gum Disease Linked to Dementia?
Researchers reviewed data from twelve studies and concluded that individuals with a history of periodontal disease have a 38% increased risk for dementia. European Journal of Epidemiology, June 2020 … [Read more...]
Can ADHD Predict Adult Car Crash Risk?
In the study, researchers analyzed data on 642 young adults and found that those who had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as children were 45% more likely to have been involved in automobile collision than those … [Read more...]
Declining Physical and Mental Health Increases Fall Risk
Seniors with co-occurring physical frailty and cognitive impairment are 3.5 times more likely to experience two or more falls over a three-year period than their more physically and mentally robust peers. European Journal of Neurology, October 2020 … [Read more...]
PTSD May Increase Dementia Risk
Following a review of findings from eight studies that included long-term data concerning nearly 1.7 million adults, researchers report that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may increase the risk for dementia by 55%. British Journal of … [Read more...]
Another Reason Not to Smoke During Pregnancy
A review of data from ten studies found that maternal prenatal tobacco use may increase the risk for bipolar and depressive disorders in their offspring by up to 44%. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, September 2020 … [Read more...]
Poor Kidney Health May Affect the Brain
Researchers tested the kidney function of over 2,600 young adults every five years for two decades and found that those who received treatment for serious kidney-related issues on at least one occasion scored lower on cognitive assessments at midlife … [Read more...]
Is It Sleep Trouble or ADHD?
The result of a recent experiment found that children with a sleep disorder may experience trouble with impulse control at levels that could suggest the presence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The researchers conclude, “This … [Read more...]
Concussions Increase Risk of Several Brain Conditions
Using 25 years of data concerning over 186,000 adults, researchers report that a history of concussion is associated with an elevated risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia. Family … [Read more...]
Visual Memory and Alzheimer’s
New research suggests that declines in visual memory may become apparent in seniors at risk for Alzheimer’s disease before the onset of clinical symptoms. This finding may help in the creation of assessments for identifying future cases of … [Read more...]
Factors for Midlife Mental Decline Risk
New research suggests that smoking, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes are both significant risk factors for mental decline in middle age. Neurology, July 2020 … [Read more...]
Intervention Can Reduce Heart Risks for Those with Mental Illness
Past research has shown that individuals with serious mental illness have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. In a recent study that involved 132 adults with serious mental illness, researchers found that when a counselor and nurse guided … [Read more...]
A Third of Dementia Cases Are Preventable?
The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care report that up to 35% of dementia cases could be prevented by staying mentally engaged; maintaining a healthy weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose reading; addressing midlife … [Read more...]