Depression gene may weaken mood-regulating circuit
A brain scan study suggests that a suspect gene may increase susceptibility to anxiety and depression* by weakening a circuit for processing negative emotion. People with the depression-linked gene variant showed less gray matter and weaker connections in the mood-regulating circuit. How well the circuit was connected accounted for nearly 30 percent of their anxious temperament, researchers at th...Good news for the medical marijuana movement: pot proliferates brain cells and boosts mood
Most drugs of abuse decrease the generation of new neurons in the brain, but the effects of marijuana on this process, called neurogenesis, had not been clear. In a paper appearing online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Xia Zhang and colleagues from University of Saskatchewan show that a potent and synthetic cann...Melatonin improves mood in winter depression
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University(OHSU) have found that melatonin, a naturally occurring brain substance, can relieve the doldrums of winter depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. The study is publishing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The study was led by Alfred Lewy, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally recogn...Scientists find hormone activity explains adolescent mood swings
The "raging hormones" of puberty are known to produce mood swings and stress for most teenagers, making it difficult to cope with this period of life. Until now, the specific causes of pubertal anxiety have not been identified, making it harder to understand and treat adolescent angst. In the current edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers led by Sheryl S. Smith, PhD, prof...For better mood and energy!! Work-up in short span
As little as 10 minutes of moderate exercise daily can improve mood and reduce fatigue, study reports. It is a well known fact that exercise has its benefit towars the physical asset. But as far as mental fatigue is concerned, there was a debate as to how much exercise will benefit. This is based on the preliminary findings which included 14 women who did ride stationary bicycle for long...Methamphetamine Users Found To Suffer From Mood Disorders
Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain.// The drug is often used to treat obesity and is often addictive. According to the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, about 8.8 million people in the United States have tried methamphetamine at least once in their lives. Researchers from UCLA studied 17 methamphetamine users and 18 health...Stress and mood fatigue may affect the diet in pregnancy
The diet pregnant women take is affected by factors like stress, mood, //anxiety and other psychosocial factors, says a study in Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Diet in pregnancy is very important to the growth of the fetus and needs to contain the food elements like folic acid and other vitamins amongst other things. The study points out that women who are mo...