Yearly Archive for 2009
When the Drugs Don’t Work, or Just Make it Worse
When we are given a new prescription, most of us happily go away and take our medicine just like the doctor ordered. We may not study the patient information particularly carefully, and we may not follow the given advice to the letter, but we cheerfully assume that, unless we do something particularly stupid, the medication will do us no harm. But... we could be wrong.
Is a Slim Santa Claus Coming to Town?
Once upon a time, a lively old man named Santa Claus worked very hard -- all by himself, not exploiting animals or short people -- to make safe, educational toys to deliver to children all over the world on Christmas Eve. Santa exercised regularly, and ate a balanced diet of whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy body mass index. He never drank alcohol or smoked a pipe. And, while a sleigh would make his job of delivering presents easier, he donned his running shoes and globe-trotted on foot. Santa left the toys for the boys and girls outside their front doors, as to not endanger himself by climbing on an icy, snowy roof or creating a fire hazard by plunging down a chimney. Plus, he would never want to be accused of breaking and entering.
Stimulants May Offer Protection in ADHD
As many as 10% of children suffer from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neuropsychiatric behavioral disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD can cause significant functional, social, and psychological impairment in children and adults. ADHD treatment in children has been controversial, since the mainstay of treatment is stimulant medications, including methylphenidate and amphetamines. Parents are appropriately concerned about giving their children powerful medications that can lead to liver damage, addiction to stimulants, or abuse of stimulants or illicit drugs. But, untreated ADHD can have dangerous repercussions, including the development of psychiatric disorders. Now, the benefits might outweigh the risks of stimulant medications as a new study reports that stimulants are actually protective against the development of significant psychiatric disorders associated with ADHD.
Sex, Violence and The Male Warrior Hypothesis
Throughout the history of human civilization, wars have a common feature of being practiced primarily by males. This group aggression by males is a persistent trait of human behavior, seen across different continents among civilizations that have developed independent of each other.Also, experimental evidence suggests that compared to females, male behavior and psychology is more inclined to aggression. Men are relatively more aggressive in inter-group games and display stronger ingroup loyalty in the presence of an inter-group threat. This idea is referred to by anthropologists as the male-warrior hypothesis.
Popular Posts
- The Love Drug
- Women After Sex
- Fatty Acids and Suicide Risk
- Mind Games - Science's Attempts at Thought Control
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- Mental Health Disorders Prevalent Among Youth Worldwide
- Is Giftedness Nothing More than Good Genes?
- Behind the Masks - The Mysteries of Dissociative Identity Disorder
- The NeuroSocial Network
- Inside Your Brain on Holiday
Future Posts
- The Brain’s Buying Power
- Aging Intelligently
Latest Posts
- A Nicotine Patch a Day Keeps the Cognitive Impairment Away
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
- Diabetes Impairs Cognition
- Media Violence Leads to Real Violence
- Intelligence – Are You Holding Back Your Brain?
- Childhood Aggression Predicts Health Care Use Later in Life
- The Brain’s Border Patrol – Blood Brain Barrier
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- BED-head and Obesity – Food for Thought
- Salvia Divinorum – DEA Control over Magic in the Mint
Comments
- Scapadas Amorosas: Lets patent it, package, marke
- sumeshmavungal: Advice on buying a car?
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments, Matt
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments and s
- Alex: While we have our eyes glued t
- Richard Kensinger, MSW: Carla,You are absolutely c
- Soraya L. Valles: I'm interested in astrocytes.
- Raymond Tallis: Dear Kitty, I have come to you
- Steven: After smoking for 17 years dai
- Matt: I'm just interested in hearing
- Carla Easley: If everyone adopted the "Growt
- Isabel (retired RN): I second that query for resear
