Depression linked to brain inflammation

Years of depression can cause brain inflammation that has been linked to degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, an analysis of brain-changes among people whose depression lasted more than 10 years, done by the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, suggested doctors may need to treat both depression and inflammation in these patients.

The average, untreated bout of depression typically lasts a few months, according to Harvard University. Everyone's symptoms vary in type, severity, and duration. Depression may look like irritability or simply a 'low mood.' But the staying power of depression may make it even more difficult to diagnose, as years of the disorder come to be seen as 'normal' for the person suffering the symptoms.

This may be why the average age of diagnosis for persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is relatively late, at 31 years old. The condition is also known to affect eating habits and experiences. Some tend to overeat when they are depressed, others lose their appetites, and still others will experience upset stomachs.

A high number of physical complaints may also be, in some cases, a warning sign that someone is depressed or in the throes of another mental health issue. Depression typically involves a shortage of serotonin, a neurochemical that nerve cells use to communicate a command for blood vessels to constrict. This is particularly important to the way that the digestive tract functions, as well as to the experience of pain.

Depression is a physical illness that could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, an overactive immune system may trigger the mental health condition by causing widespread inflammation that leads to feelings of hopelessness and unhappiness. The immune system may fail to 'switch off' after an illness or traumatic event. Previous research has shown people who suffer severe emotional trauma have signs of inflammation, which suggests their immune system is constantly 'fired-up'.

Researchers from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found evidence that longer bouts of depression increased brain inflammation. To determine whether or not the duration of depression made a difference for its inflammatory effects, the research team, led by senior study author Dr Jeff Meyer of CAMH's Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute recruited three groups of 25 people.

The first group had experienced more than a decade of depression, the second had experienced less than a decade, and the third had never experienced any depression, by their own reports. The difference between the PDD sufferers and the other two groups was dramatic. Those who had been depressed for more than 10 years had 30 percent more of a protein marker of brain-inflammation than those who had experienced depression, but for shorter amounts of time.

Their inflammation levels were also higher than the control group that had never been depressed. Greater inflammation in the brain is a common response with degenerative brain diseases as they progress, such as with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson´s diseases.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Anxiety can help memory

According to  a study from the University of Waterloo, anxiety can help people to remember things. The study of undergraduate students found that manageable levels of anxiety actually aided people in being able to recall the details of events. It also found that when anxiety levels got too high or descended into fear, it could lead to the colouring of memories where people begin to associate otherwise neutral elements of an experience to the negative context.

There is an optimal level of anxiety that is going to benefit memory, high levels of anxiety can cause people to reach a tipping point, which impacts their memories and performance. The study saw 80 undergraduate students from the University of Waterloo (64 females) complete the experiment. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to a deep encoding instruction group while the other half were randomly assigned to a shallow encoding group. All participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales.

It was discovered that individuals high in anxiety showed a heightened sensitivity to the influences of emotional context on their memory, with neutral information becoming tainted, or coloured by the emotion with which it was associated during encoding. Thinking about emotional events or about negative events might put the mind in a negative mindset that can change way of perceiving the environment.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between depression and arginine levels

People suffering from major depressive disorder, MDD, have reduced arginine levels, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Arginine is an amino acid which the body uses to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a nervous system and immune defence mediator, and it also plays a role in vascular regulation.

The global arginine bioavailability ratio, GABR, is an indicator of the body's arginine levels, and the ratio has previously been used to measure the body's capacity to produce nitric oxide. Reduced arginine bioavailability is also known to be an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. The study shows that people suffering from MDD have reduced arginine bioavailability.

"It is possible that depression-induced inflammatory responses lead to reduced arginine levels. This may result in insufficient production of nitric oxide for the needs of the nervous system and circulation. However, we don't know yet what exactly causes reduced arginine bioavailability in people with depression," says Doctoral Student Toni Ali-Sisto, the lead author of the study.

The research carried out by the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital involved 99 adults with diagnosed major depressive disorder and 253 non-depressed controls. The concentrations of three amino acids, namely arginine, citrulline and ornithine, were analysed from their fasting glucose samples, and this data was used to calculate their GABRs. Symmetric and asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations were also measured, as they both play a role in the production of nitric oxide.

The findings were then compared between the depressed and the non-depressed controls. The study also analysed whether these concentrations changed in people with depression during a follow-up of eight months, and whether remission of depression had an effect on the concentrations. The study shows that people with depression have reduced arginine bioavailability, this doesn't mean that taking an arginine supplement would protect against depression.

People with depression had weaker arginine bioavailability than their non-depressed controls. The study did not find significant differences in the symmetric and asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations. The use of anti-depressants or anti-psychotics did not affect the concentrations, either. Contrary to the researchers' expectations, there were no clear differences in the concentrations measured from people who had recovered from depression and people who remained depressed. Arginine bioavailability was slightly higher in people who had recovered from depression than in people who remained depressed.
         haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Amantadine for treating Parkinson's disease

FDA Approves Osmolex ER (amantadine) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and drug-Induced extrapyramidal reactions. Amantadine is an antiviral medicine that blocks the actions of viruses in the body. It is used to treat or prevent influenza A in adults and children. It may not be effective during every flu season because certain strains of the virus may be resistant to this medicine. It should not be used in place of getting a yearly flu shot.

Amantadine is also used to treat "Parkinson-like" symptoms such as stiffness or tremors, shaking, and repetitive uncontrolled muscle movements that may be caused by the use of certain drugs.

Amantadine side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives ; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have: extreme drowsiness, falling asleep suddenly even after feeling alert; a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling in your hands or feet;
painful or difficult urination; depression, agitation, aggression, behavior changes, hallucinations, thoughts of hurting yourself; a seizure; or severe nervous system reaction-very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats and tremors.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

How alcohol causes dementia

Alcohol use disorders are the most important preventable risk factors for the onset of all types of dementia, especially early-onset dementia. This according to a nationwide observational study of over one million adults diagnosed with dementia in France.

This study looked specifically at the effect of alcohol use disorders and included people who had been diagnosed with mental and behavioural disorders or chronic diseases that were attributable to chronic harmful use of alcohol. Of the 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia (before the age of 65), the majority (57%) were related to chronic heavy drinking.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines chronic heavy drinking as consuming more than 60 grams pure alcohol on average per day for men and 40 grams per day for women. Heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders are the most important risk factors for dementia, and especially important for those types of dementia which start before age 65, and which lead to premature deaths," says study co-author and Director of the CAMH Institute for Mental Health Policy Research Dr. Jürgen Rehm.

Alcohol-induced brain damage and dementia are preventable, and known-effective preventive and policy measures can make a dent into premature dementia deaths. Alcohol use disorders shorten life expectancy by more than 20 years, and dementia is one of the leading causes of death. For early-onset dementia, there was a significant gender split.

Alcohol use disorders were also associated with all other independent risk factors for dementia onset, such as tobacco smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, lower education, depression, and hearing loss, among modifiable risk factors. It suggests that alcohol use disorders may contribute in many ways to the risk of dementia.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Effects of stress on sperm

Children of stressed fathers are at greater risk of developing PTSD and depression, according to a new study. Researchers found life's pressures can change the DNA of a man's sperm - leading to brain development changes in his yet unborn baby. It's widely known that a mother's environment during pregnancy, including factors such as poor diet, stress and infection, can negatively impact the offspring.

Learning how a father's behavior and environment can impact his child's development could lead to the detection and prevention of many mental health disorders. Researchers have known for years that stress can increase the risk of mental disorders,' Dr Tracy Bale, professor of neuroscience at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told Daily Mail Online. 'What’s interesting here is that we are finding intergenerational effects.'

Researchers, led by Dr Bale, conducted a mice experiment to examine how a father's lifestyle impacts his children. Previously, the team has found male mice experiencing chronic periods of mild stress passed down genetic coding for a less effective hormonal response to stress in children. Three major hormones are released by the nervous system when the body is under stress. These are adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. Collectively, these hormones send human bodies into ''fight''mode, which is important to the body's ability to cope with the effects of stress.

Stress resulted in changes in sperms genetic material known as microRNA, which plays a key role in which genes become functional proteins. These changes in stress reactivity have been linked to some mental disorders, including depression and PTSD.

In the new study, presented at the 2018 AAAS annual meeting in Austin, Texas, Dr Bale and her colleagues unraveled new details about the microRNA changes in the sperm. The caput epididymis, the structure where sperm matures, release vesicles which contain microRNA that can fuse with sperm to change its cargo delivered to the egg. When males mice were stressed, the caput epididymis responded by altering the content of these vesicles.

This suggests even mild environmental stress, such as workplace stress, can have a significant impact on the development and potentially the health of future offspring. This is through a process known as epigenetics where DNA is changed through lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise - or even stress. Scientists have known a mother's environment during pregnancy can damage a fetus by diet, stress or infection affecting the expression of certain genes in the same way.

Father's stress can affect offspring development by altering important aspects of his sperm. Her previous studies on the placenta have revealed novel sex differences during pregnancy that may predict increased pre-natal risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in males. Historically, most research on how a parent's lifestyle, behavior and environment can affect their children has focused on the mother. But scientists have recently been paying increasing attention to how a father's health impacts his children.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between acne and depression

In an analysis of one of the largest electronic medical records databases in the world, researchers found that patients with acne had a significantly increased risk of developing major depression, but only in the first 5 years after being diagnosed with acne. The British Journal of Dermatology analysis included data from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) (1986-2012), a large primary care database in the United Kingdom.

The investigators found that the risk for major depression was highest within 1 year of acne diagnosis a-63% higher risk compared with individuals without acne and decreased thereafter. The results indicate that it is critical that physicians monitor mood symptoms in patients with acne and initiate prompt treatment for depression or seek consultation from a psychiatrist when needed.

This study highlights an important link between skin disease and mental illness. Given the risk of depression was highest after the first time a patient presented to a physician for acne concerns, it shows how impactful human skin can be towards overall mental health.

          haleplushearty.blogspot.com 

Grape-derived compounds may promote resilience against depression

Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai describe an extensive analysis of novel grape-derived compounds, dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3'-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc), which might be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression. The study results indicate that these natural compounds may attenuate depression by targeting newly discovered underlying mechanisms of the disease.

Conventional pharmacological treatments are estimated to produce temporary remission in less than 50 percent of patients, and they are often associated with severe adverse effects. Thus, there is an urgent need for a wider spectrum of novel therapeutics.

Depression is associated with a multitude of pathological processes, including inflammation of the peripheral immune system, a set of biological structures and processes in the lymph nodes and other tissues that protect against disease and abnormalities involving synapses, the structures that permit neurons to pass an electrical or chemical signal to other neurons.

However, currently available antidepressants are largely restricted to targeting the systems that regulate serotonin, dopamine, and other related neurotransmitters, and these treatments do not specifically address inflammation and synaptic maladaptations that are now known to be associated with MDD.

Previous research has found that grape-derived polyphenols have some efficacy in modulating aspects of depression, yet the mechanisms of action had largely remained unknown until now. The new study, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, PhD, Saunders Professor of Neurology, and a team of investigators from the Center for Integrative Molecular Neuroresilience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, found that a bioactive dietary polyphenol preparation-a combination of three grape-derived polyphenol products, including a select Concord grape juice, a select grape seed extract, and trans-resveratrol was effective in promoting resilience against stress-induced depression in mice.

Specifically, researchers found that DHCA and Mal-gluc can promote resilience in mouse models of depression by modulating inflammation and synaptic plasticity, respectively. DHCA reduces interleukin 6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory substance secreted by T cells and macrophages to stimulate immune response, by epigenetically modulating the non-coding sequence of the IL-6 gene. Mal-gluc modulates histone acetylation of the Rac1 gene and allows transcription activators to access the DNA for increased transcription in the brain, which influences the expression of genes responsible for synaptic plasticity.

Researchers also demonstrated that DHCA/Mal-gluc treatment was effective in attenuating depression-like phenotypes in a mouse model of increased systemic inflammation induced by transplantation of cells from the bone marrow of stress-susceptible mice. The research shows that combination treatment with the two compounds can promote resilience against stress-mediated depression-like phenotypes by modulating systemic inflammatory responses and brain synaptic plasticity in a mouse model of depression.

The Mount Sinai study provides novel preclinical evidence supporting the targeting of multiple key disease mechanisms through DNA epigenetic modification for the treatment of depression. This study strongly supports the need to test and identify novel compounds that target alternative pathologic mechanisms, such as inflammation and synaptic maladaptation, for individuals who are resistant to currently available treatment.

Using combination treatment of DHCA and Mal-gluc to simultaneously inhibit peripheral inflammation and modulate synaptic plasticity in the brain works synergistically to optimize resilience against chronic stress-induced depression-like phenotypes. The discovery of these new, natural grape-derived polyphenol compounds targeting cellular and molecular pathways associated with inflammation may provide an effective way to treat a subset of people with depression and anxiety, a condition that affects so many people.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between personality trait and depression

Scientists analysed the DNA of over 300,000 people and found many genes linked to neuroticism- characterised by feelings of anxiety, worry and guilt. The genes are also linked to depression. The findings shed light on the causes of depression-which affects one in five people and could provide information to help better diagnosis and treatment for individuals.

Researchers analysed genetic information from a group of people aged from 39 to 73, whose levels of neuroticism had been measured by a personality questionnaire. DNA analysis combined with the personality data uncovered 116 gene variations linked to neuroticism.

Researchers from the University found that genes associated with neuroticism had some overlap with genes linked to a susceptibility to depression and some other psychiatric conditions. More than half of the genetic variations associated with neuroticism are expressed in the brain.
         haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Anti-stress compound reduces obesity and diabetes

Stress protein found in muscle has a diabetes promoting effect. For some time, researchers have known that the protein FKBP51 is associated with depression and anxiety disorders. It is involved in the regulation of the stress system – when the system does not function properly; mental disorders may develop. Now, researchers have discovered a new, surprising role for this protein: It acts as a molecular link between the stress regulatory system and metabolic processes in the body.

FKBP51 influences a signaling cascade in muscle tissue, which with excessive calorie intake leads to the development of glucose intolerance- the key indicator of diabetes type 2. An unhealthy diet, rich in fat means stress for the body. If FKBP51 is increasingly produced in the muscle it leads to reduced absorption of glucose – as a result, diabetes and obesity may develop.

If FKBP51 is blocked, diabetes will not develop, even if too many calories are consumed or the body is still stressed. Less FKBP51 in the muscle tissue means reduced glucose intolerance and thus maintenance of normal metabolism. The protein FKBP51 can be pharmacologically blocked by antagonist compounds
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Smartphone addiction creates imbalance in brain

Researchers have found an imbalance in the brain chemistry of young people addicted to smartphones and the internet. More people are becoming increasingly dependent on smartphones and other portable electronic devices for news, information, games, and phone call.

Along with a growing concern that young people, in particular, may be spending too much time staring into their phones instead of interacting with others, come questions as to the immediate effects on the brain and the possible long-term consequences of such habits.

Researchers used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to gain unique insight into the brains of smartphone - and internet-addicted teenagers. MRS is a type of MRI that measures the brain's chemical composition. The study involved young people diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction and gender- and age-matched healthy controls.

Twelve of the addicted youth received nine weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, modified from a cognitive therapy program for gaming addiction, as part of the study. Researchers used standardized internet and smartphone addiction tests to measure the severity of internet addiction.

Questions focused on the extent to which internet and smartphone use affects daily routines, social life, productivity, sleeping patterns and feelings. The higher the score, the more severe the addiction. Smartphone addiction creates an imbalance in brain. Addicted teenagers had significantly higher scores in depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and impulsivity.

The researchers performed MRS exams on the addicted youth prior to and following behavioral therapy and a single MRS study on the control patients to measure levels of gamma aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits or slows down brain signals, and glutamate-glutamine (Glx), a neurotransmitter that causes neurons to become more electrically excited.

Previous studies have found GABA to be involved in vision and motor control and the regulation of various brain functions, including anxiety. The results of the MRS revealed that, compared to the healthy controls, the ratio of GABA to Glx was significantly increased in the anterior cingulate cortex of smartphone- and internet-addicted youth prior to therapy.

The ratios of GABA to creatine and GABA to glutamate were significantly correlated to clinical scales of internet and smartphone addictions, depression and anxiety. Having too much GABA can result in a number of side effects, including drowsiness and anxiety.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Effects of maternal stress on fetus

Maternal stress during the second trimester of pregnancy may influence the nervous system of the developing child, both before and after birth, and may have subtle effects on temperament, resulting in less smiling and engagement, as well as diminished ability to regulate emotions. Researchers looked at the stress levels of many low-to-middle-income women who were between 12 and 24 weeks pregnant. The researchers followed the women throughout pregnancy and after delivery, and conducted a test to compare their reported stress levels during pregnancy with objective levels of stress in their 6-month-old offspring.

In the test, the infants' cardiac function was monitored while the mothers were instructed to look at the infant's face but not interact with or touch them for two minutes following a brief play session. The mothers reported the number of stressful life events they had experienced during pregnancy, which included illness, relationship problems, housing difficulties and legal issues. The babies of mothers with the highest number of these stressful life events who completed the testing were 22 percent more reactive than the infants of mothers reporting the lowest number of stressful life events. They also recovered less quickly from the stressor, demonstrating lower resilience.

High reactivity, which is assessed by measuring the variability in the heart rate in conjunction with breathing, is indicative of a stronger decrease in parasympathetic nervous system activity in response to challenge, The parasympathetic nervous system enables the body to rest and digest food, by slowing the heart rate and increasing intestinal and glandular activity. Being highly reactive places children at risk for a range of psychopathological problems, particularly anxiety and depression, as well as externalizing problems, such as disruptive behavior, especially if they experience adverse family and school environments.

However, in an optimal environment with few adversities, children with higher stress reactivity don't have their stress response triggered too often and may exhibit better-than-average social skills and emotional and behavioral well-being, because greater reactivity can make them more sensitive to the benefits of positive relationships and experiences in their environments. Those who had higher levels of perceived stress in pregnancy and post-delivery, had babies with temperamental surgency levels that were 8 percent lower than those babies of mothers in the lower third, who reported less perceived stress in pregnancy and post-delivery.

Surgency includes traits such as willingness to approach and engage with the outside world, as well as laughter and smiles. These same babies born to the highly-stressed mothers were also found to have eight percent lower levels of self-regulation, the ability to manage emotions – such as soothing themselves in periods of high stress  compared with the babies of mothers with less perceived stress during pregnancy and post-delivery. This combination of lower surgency and lower self-regulation can place individuals at added risk for depression, anxiety and difficulties with their social relationships.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Exercise maintains brain size

Aerobic exercise can improve memory function and maintain brain health as we are getting older. Researchers examined the effects of aerobic exercise on a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is critical for memory and other brain functions. Brain health decreases with age, with the average brain shrinking by approximately five per cent per decade after the age of 40.

Studies in mice and rats have consistently shown that physical exercise increases the size of the hippocampus but until now evidence in humans has been inconsistent. The researchers systematically reviewed clinical trials which examined the brain scans of different people before and after aerobic exercise programs or in control conditions.

The participants included a mix of healthy adults, people with mild cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's and people with a clinical diagnosis of mental illness including depression and schizophrenia. Ages ranged from 24 to 76 years with an average age of 66. They examined effects of aerobic exercise, including stationary cycling, walking, and treadmill running. The length of the interventions ranged from three to 24 months with a range of 2-5 sessions per week.

Result showed that while exercise had no effect on total hippocampal volume, it increases the size of the left region of the hippocampus in humans. When you exercise you produce a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, which may prevent age-related decline by reducing the deterioration of the brain. Exercise maintains the program for the brain, prevents ageing-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Lupus increases the risk of dementia

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own healthy cells. It is thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors. Environmental factors can trigger attacks or 'flare ups. 'Flare ups vary from person to person and are not the same each time. They can be marked by fatigue that can be mild or debilitating. Fatigue is often an early indicator that an attack is about to set in.

Attacks can cause joint and muscle pain and swelling, particularly at the wrists, hands, elbows, knees and ankles. Many people with lupus experience skin problems. The most distinctive marker of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash on the face. Lupus may also cause light sensitivity, fever, changes in weight and swollen glands. People with lupus sometimes complain of a 'fog,' that can feel like depression or anxiety and sometimes causes them to have difficulty focusing and expressing themselves.

It causes the body’s immune system to break cells in parts of the body including the kidneys, lungs, skin and blood vessels. Lupus may impair memory and cognitive functions. Researchers analyzed data from more than 7,000 people and found that dementia was far more common among people with dementia than those without the disease. Lupus is best known for the damage it does to the kidneys, but its symptoms can be extremely varied, making it very difficult to diagnose.

Experts have identified numerous forms of the disease, including nineteen variations of neuropsychiatric lupus, which affects the central nervous system, including cognitive and memory functions and can even cause psychological and psychiatric symptoms. Some patients refer to a ‘lupus fog,’ a catchall description of the experience of difficulty concentrating, remembering facts, and expressing oneself.

The fog can also come with depression and anxiety, all of which may signal a lupus flare up. Patients who do not have a neuropsychiatric form of lupus are at a greater risk of dementia. Steroids are also associated with memory loss and cognitive impairment in lupus patients.
            haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Spanking children increases the risk of depression

Spanking is using physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, to correct their behavior. Parents have long argued it is their prerogative if they wish to smack their child to keep them in line and teach them right from wrong. However, thousands of campaigners have dismissed their claims and state it is wrong to cause any degree of pain to children.

Spanking naughty children increases their risk of depression and becoming hooked on illegal drugs, researchers also found the violent practice leaves a lasting impact on youngsters and makes them more likely to become suicidal. The findings, based on data from different adults, has prompted calls for spanking to be considered as bad for children taken through a divorce.

Scientists now stress the importance of cracking down on harsh parenting in order to prevent children from becoming depressed. Researchers asked volunteers to complete questionnaires about how often they were spanked as a child. They were also quizzed about their household background and if an adult inflicted either physical or emotional abuse upon them.

Those reporting exposure to spanking had increased odds of depression and other mental health problems, spanking should be considered an adverse childhood experience because it involves the use of force and infliction of pain, and is linked to poor mental health outcomes.This would put spanking into the same bracket as abuse, neglect and household dysfunction, which includes divorce and an incarcerated relative.
        haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Environmental toxins disrupt the biological clock

Exposure to environmental toxins may be depressing the function of human circadian clock, the disruption of which is linked to increased rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Plankton are key consumers of algae and a food source for many fish, may be making a monumental tradeoff to tolerate increased road salt, The circadian rhythm guides these animals through a daily migration, to deep waters during the day to hide from predators and shallow waters at night to feed.

Disrupting that rhythm could affect the entire lake ecosystem. Adaptation to salt is likely affecting Daphnia at the epigenetic level, a heritable change in gene levels rather than genetic code. The research has wide applicability in multiple fields beyond human health and is a demonstration of cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research.

To explore whether salt affects the circadian rhythm of Daphnia, researchers first established that the plankton is governed by a core set of clock-control genes that anticipates the day and night cycle. Clock control genes promote and suppress gene transcription, creating daily oscillations in the levels of enzymes and hormones to affect cell function, division, and growth, as well as physiological parameters such as body temperature and immune responses.

The Daphnia genome includes the PERIOD gene, a set of genes nearly identical to the well-established core clock of the fruit fly. Researchers tracked the expression of the mRNA of PER in Daphnia exposed to naturally low salt levels and constant dark conditions. Despite these constant environmental conditions, Daphnia PER mRNA levels oscillated with a 24-hour rhythm, a clear indication of a functional circadian clock.

 This shows that PER "clock genes" are active in Daphnia. To test whether adaptation to high-salt environments affects this functional circadian clock, Researchers performed experiment with the five populations of Daphnia. The result showed that PER mRNA rhythms deteriorated with the adaptation to increasing salt concentrations.

The higher the level of salt to which the Daphnia are adapted, the more it suppresses the expression of its circadian clock. The population adapted to naturally low salt levels exhibits a beautiful, healthy oscillation in PER mRNA expression, but the population adapted to high salt levels have completely lost their ability to oscillate this mRNA expression.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Mental health condition surpreses the immune system

According to new research, depression increases the risk of an early death.
Men's risk of a premature death increases three-fold when suffering from the mental health condition, while women's risk is heightened by up to 50 percent.

Depression causes the release of stress hormones that suppress the immune system, putting sufferers at an increased risk of conditions such as cancer. People with the mental health condition may have unhealthy lifestyle habits, including a poor diet, inactivity and excessive alcohol intake.

Researchers analyzed more than 3000 adults between 1952 and 1967, 1968 and 1990, and 1991 and 2011. The study's participants' had an average age of 50 when the trial started. Results reveal depression increases the risk of an early death by up to three times. Men's risk increases three-fold, while women's peaks at 51 percent.

Depression is linked to the release of stress hormones that suppress the immune system, putting sufferers at increased risk of disorders including multiple sclerosis, arthritis and some. cancers. People with depression may also neglect their physical health through lifestyle habits such as a poor diet, inactivity, smoking and excessive alcohol intake. The mental health condition is more prevalent in women, however, past findings suggest men suffer the effects of it more as they are often less inclined to seek help.

       haleplushearty.blogspot.com

E-cigarette leads to craving for tobacco cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes with higher levels of nicotine can be a gateway to tobacco use, researchers compared the nicotine concentration in e-cigarettes to smoking behavior in e-cigarette smokers.

They discovered that half of e-cigarettes smokers with high levels of nicotine will smoke tobacco cigarettes six months later. The study warns about the difficulty in distinguishing levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes due to mislabeling, which can lead to dependency on tobacco products.

Nicotine has mood-elevating and addictive effects, smoking e-cigarettes with stronger nicotine concentrations may be less willing to stop vaping and be more inclined to use other nicotine products, like conventional cigarettes.

The nicotine amounts in e-cigarettes can be divided into four categories: none, low (1-5mg/ml of nicotine), medium (6-17mg/ml of nicotine) and high (18mg/ml or more of nicotine).
Smoking e-cigarette can leads to smoking of tobacco cigarettes after six months.

Nicotine is addictive and may affect the brain development by increasing the risk of attention problems and depression. Smoking-related diseases caused by tobacco use are heart problems and cancers.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Dangers of sitting for twelve hours

Those who sit for one to two hours at a time without moving have a higher mortality rate than those who remain on the same position for less hour.
Short or long sedentary lifestyle have negative impact on health.

The researchers used hip-mounted activity monitors to measure inactivity during working hours over a period of seven days in some participants for the research.

They discovered that sedentary lifestyle is responsible for increased mortality risk. Being sedentary for more than 13 hours in a day increases the risk of untimely death. The researchers also discovered that participants who sit for less than 30 minutes had the lowest risk of death.

Active lifestyle can reduce the risk of untimely death, keep moving. Avoid sitting for long hours or minutes, physical activity can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression and some cancers.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Treating insomnia may reduce the risk of mental health problems

Treating insomnia with online cognitive behavioural therapy CBT could reduce mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Sleep disruption is a driving factor in the occurrence of paranoia, hallucinatory experiences, and other mental health problems in so many people.

One group received online cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for insomnia; the other group did not but had access to standard treatments. Those who received the CBT sleep treatment showed large reductions in insomnia, paranoia and hallucinatory experiences. The treatment also led to improvements in depression, anxiety, nightmares and psychological well-being.

The programme was interactive, with participants' daily sleep diaries used to tailor the advice. Researchers monitored participants' mental health through a series of online questionnaires. Those who received CBT may not experience anxiety disorder. Treating disrupted sleep could provide a key route for improving mental health.

Sleep problems are common in people with mental health disorders, insomnia is the cause of psychological difficulties. The results showed that insomnia may be a cause of mental health problems. A good night's sleep can make a difference to people's psychological health.

The cognitive-behavioural therapy was delivered through an online programme. It included behavioural, cognitive and educational components, such as learning to associate bed with sleep, encouraging people to put time aside to reflect on their day before going to bed, and facilitating a pro-sleep environment.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com