Hypertension and Obesity in Adolescence
Razi Berry Arterial stiffness is a novel risk factor to be targeted for preventing and treating hypertension and obesity from a young age, a new study published in Hypertension suggests. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Exeter, and the University of Bristol carried out the study using data from one of […]
Bullying From Siblings Still Causes Mental Health Issues Later in Life
Razi Berry Young people who are repeatedly bullied by siblings are more likely to suffer from poor mental health and wellbeing issues later in adolescence, a new study has suggested. The new research, which analyzed data from over 17,000 participants, found that as the frequency of bullying increased in early-to-middle adolescence, so did the severity […]
The Three Most Impactful Ages of Alcohol Use on Brain Health
Razi Berry The evidence for the harmful effects of alcohol on brain health is compelling, but now experts have pin-pointed three key time periods in life when the effects of alcohol are likely to be at their greatest. Writing in The BMJ today, researchers in Australia and the UK say evidence suggests three periods of […]
Teens Using Very Potent Form of Marijuana
Razi Berry Nearly one in four Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study by Arizona State University researchers. Teens consuming highly potent form of marijuana Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of […]
Mysterious Group of Neurons Responsible for Mood Develop During Teen Years
Razi Berry Researchers have discovered a mysterious group of neurons in the amygdala — a key center for emotional processing in the brain — that stay in an immature, prenatal developmental state throughout childhood. Most of these cells mature rapidly during adolescence, suggesting a key role in the brain’s emotional development, but some stay immature […]
Ability to Describe Negative Emotions Could Protect Against Depression in Teens
Razi Berry Teenagers who can describe their negative emotions in precise and nuanced ways are better protected against depression than their peers who can’t. That’s the conclusion of a new study about negative emotion differentiation, or NED–the ability to make fine-grained distinctions between negative emotions and apply precise labels– published in the journal Emotion. Adolescents […]
Sexuality Not as Static as Previously Thought, Changes Well into Adulthood
Razi Berry A new study has shown that traditional labels of ‘gay’, ‘bisexual’ and ‘straight’ do not capture the full range of human sexuality, and whether a person is attracted to the same, or opposite sex can change over time. Fluidity of Sexuality The study, published in the Journal of Sex Research, analysed surveys from […]
Emotional Issues and Obesity Grow Hand-in-Hand from Early Childhood
Razi Berry Obesity and emotional problems, such as feelings of low mood and anxiety, tend to develop hand-in-hand from as young as age 7 years, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, UK (28 April-1 May). Analysis finds regardless of socioeconomic status, girls & boys with […]
New Studies on MDMA Show Possibility for Improving PTSD
Razi Berry Recent research into MDMA (ecstasy) has shown that the drug can induce a neural response that allows the brain to become more sensitive to the reward and value learning process of social behaviors. This “critical period” of learning is typically seen in adolescence when people and animals are most sensitive to the social […]
It May Not be Hormones that Make Teenagers so Difficult
Node Smith, ND Adolescence is a difficult time. It is a time of incredible change, as the brain develops higher level cognitive abilities, muscles grow, hair grows, and speech changes. Social behavior also undergoes a radical shift, as we learn how to involve our peer group into our social sphere in addition to our nuclear […]