Mindfully Healing

One-third of people experiencing major depression could be of this new type. Inflammation in the brain could explain episodes of major depression in some people, new studies suggest. Around one-third of people experiencing major depression have high-levels of inflammation markers in their blood. This persistent inflammation could explain some of the worst symptoms of depression. The inability to feel pleasure — called anhedonia — is a particularly stubborn symptom. Depressed people often find it hard to experience pleasure from everyday activities like eating or spending time with friends and family.

Cognitive control helps people resist temptations and make decisions that benefit them in the long-term. Pictures of cold temperatures help people to control their thoughts, new research finds. Imagining yourself in that cold environment helps to ‘cool down’ any quick emotional responses. Dr Idit Shalev, who led the study, said: “Metaphorical phrases like ‘coldly calculating,’ ‘heated response,’ and ‘cool-headed’ actually have some scientific validity, which we demonstrate in our study.” Studies have already shown that people who are actually colder, exhibit more cognitive control, Dr Shalev said: “Previous research focused

The herb is central to the traditional home medicine of India called Ayurveda. Ashwagandha is a herb central to the traditional home medicine of India called Ayurveda. Its Latin name is W. somnifera, meaning sleep-inducing, and it has been used for that purpose for centuries. It is sometimes known as “Indian ginseng”. Modern scientific studies have shown that crude powder of Ashwagandha helps to promote sleep. Now, new research has revealed the active ingredient. The Ashwagandha leaf is rich in triethylene glycol (TEG), which scientists have now found helps improve

Nine years before memory changes, this can signal problems. Changes in sense of humour could be an early sign of dementia, a new study finds. A shift to preferring slapstick humour — like Mr Bean — over satirical or absurdist comedy, such as Monty Python, could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. Friends and relatives of those with dementia reported seeing changes around nine years before the more typical memory problems. Dr Camilla Clark, who led the study, said: “As sense of humour defines us and is used to build

Sleeping at the right time is linked to lower levels of anxiety. People who go to sleep later tend to experience more repetitive negative thinking, research finds. Those who go to bed later also get more overwhelmed with negative thoughts than those who keep more regular sleeping hours. People who experience repetitive negative thinking typically feel they have little control over it. They worry too much about both the future and the past, and the thoughts tend to intrude into everyday life. These intrusive thoughts are linked to depression, anxiety

Autism research finds link between this vitamin and serotonin production. Many scientists have speculated that the problematic social behaviour of people with autism is related to low vitamin D and serotonin levels. Now a new study has found a causal link between vitamin D and three hormones which are important in social behaviour: serotonin, oxytocin and vasopressin. Genetic research has shown that vitamin D hormone activates a gene which produces an enzyme leading to higher levels of serotonin (Patrick & Ames, 2014). In the brain, serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter,

New blood tests could take the guessing out of antidepressant prescriptions. Up until now doctors have essentially been guessing which antidepressant medication might work for patients. But now researchers have identified a blood test that could help. Dr Madhukar Trivedi, who led the research, said: “Currently, our selection of depression medications is not any more superior than flipping a coin, and yet that is what we do. Now we have a biological explanation to guide treatment of depression.” The blood test measures the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). They tested