Mindfully Healing

Simple techniques taught to parents are the key to an effective new therapy for autism. Very early treatment of infants with the first signs of autism can substantially reduce the symptoms such that, by age 3, most have no developmental delays, a new study finds. ‘Infant Start’ is the name of the new behavioural therapy, mostly delivered by the children’s parents, developed by autism experts at the University of California – Davis and Duke University in North Carolina. The results of a pilot study of the therapy have just been

The common drug could treat schizophrenia, ADHD, bipolar disorder, addiction and other mental health problems. Nicotine can normalise brain connections that are disrupted in schizophrenia, new research finds. It could help to explain why those with schizophrenia frequently smoke so heavily. Around 90% of those suffering from schizophrenia are smokers. This compares to a rate of around 20% of the general population and around 50% for those with mental health problems. Many speculated that they could be self-medicating. The research could eventually lead to a new treatment for schizophrenia that

During slow-wave or deep sleep, the brain is cleared of waste products. A single night of disrupted sleep is enough to increase a brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s, new research shows. A full week of poor sleep causes increases in another brain protein that is also linked to Alzheimer’s. The findings may help to explain why poor sleep has been linked to Alzheimer’s. Professor David M. Holtzman, who led the study, said: “We showed that poor sleep is associated with higher levels of two Alzheimer’s-associated proteins. We think that perhaps

This simple test can help to predict Alzheimer’s disease. Being unaware of memory loss is actually an important warning sign for developing Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. People who were unaware of their own memory problems — known as anosognosia — were 64% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s within 5 years. On the other hand, if you are worried about memory loss, but your partner isn’t, then it’s probably not Alzheimer’s. Dr. Philip Gerretsen, the study’s lead author, said: “If patients complain of memory problems, but their partner or caregiver

How to strengthen brainwaves related to cognition, learning, memory and even healing. Eating nuts regularly strengthens brainwaves related to cognition, learning, memory and even healing, new research finds. Pistachios were particularly good at boosting the brain’s gamma wave response. Gamma waves are critical for faster cognitive process, learning, memory and even sleep. Peanuts, meanwhile, enhanced the brain’s delta response. The delta response is important for deep sleep, healing and healthy immunity. Because of their antioxidant content, nuts have already been shown to benefit the heart, reduce inflammation and slow the

Poor parenting still resonating with people now in their 60s as much as the death of a loved one. Children of parents who are warmer and less controlling grow up happier, a new study finds. In contrast, parents who are overly controlling tend to bring up children with worse mental well-being. Dr Mai Stafford, one of the study’s authors, said: “We found that people whose parents showed warmth and responsiveness had higher life satisfaction and better mental wellbeing throughout early, middle and late adulthood.” The study tracked 5,362 people from

Why sleep deprivation feels like being drunk without drinking anything. Sleep deprivation disrupts communication between brain cells, new research finds. These disruptions can lead to temporary lapses in memory and even hallucinations. This helps to explain why sleep deprivation leaves people feeling so spaced out. Professor Itzhak Fried, who led the study, said: “We discovered that starving the body of sleep also robs neurons of the ability to function properly. This paves the way for cognitive lapses in how we perceive and react to the world around us.” The study

The longer people follow this diet, the more depressed they are. Vegetarians are twice as likely to experience depression as those eating a regular balanced diet, a new study finds. The longer people followed a vegetarian diet, the higher their depression scores, the researchers found. It is possible that the link is down to poor nutrition. Vegetarians typically have low levels of vitamin B12 in their diet. Indeed, around 50% of vegans have a vitamin B12 deficiency, while 7% of vegetarians have the deficiency. Vitamin B12 is found in red

Both creativity and intelligence could be linked to this relaxing activity. Being a daydreamer is a sign that you are intelligent and creative, new research concludes. The result comes from a study in which over 100 people had their brains scanned while they stared at a fixed point for five minutes. The researchers wanted to see how their brains worked in unison when they were given nothing in particular to do. People whose brains worked more efficiently had greater intellectual abilities and also reported more daydreaming in their everyday lives.

Study tests if western diet contributes to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Poor diet and inactivity probably account for around one-quarter of cases of Alzheimer’s disease, recent research finds. Now, a new study suggests that a ‘western diet’ may well be a contributing factor to Alzheimer’s. The study’s authors describe the typical western diet: “A western diet tends to include highly processed, less expensive fast food, that has a high fat content and simple carbohydrates while lacking essential nutrients from complex grains, fruits and vegetables.” Scientists at Tufts University