New research investigating current antidepressant tapering trends finds that strategies for reducing doses over time can lead to varying results in different individuals. The review, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicineadvocates for a “one-size-fits-all” taper approach to ensure that withdrawal prevention is taken into consideration while simultaneously allowing for a … Read more
Find some light in the dark with these positive news stories Social enterprise cooks up tasty support for kinship families According to the charity Family Rights Group, more than 180,000 children across the UK are being cared for by their kin – a grandparent, other relative, or family friend – due to their parents being … Read more
What if your appetite for sweet treats is actually a sign of something more? We share the signs and symptoms of sugar addiction, and how to break the cycle When is being ‘too sweet’ a bad thing? Well, despite conjuring up imagery of kind and loving people, or a nostalgic treat for yourself to enjoy, … Read more
Adhering to six healthy lifestyle behaviors is linked to slower memory decline in older adults, a large, population-based study suggests. Investigators found that a healthy diet, cognitive activity, regular physical exercise, not smoking, and abstaining from alcohol were significantly linked to slowed cognitive decline irrespective of APOE4 status. After adjusting for health and socioeconomic factors, … Read more
A specific lipid profile can identify patients with schizophrenia, possibly paving the way for the development of the first clinically useful diagnostic test for a severe psychiatric illness, new research suggests. Although such a test remains a long way off, the investigators said, the identification of the unique lipid signature is a critical first step. … Read more
When an elderly woman with advanced Alzheimer’s disease entered Laura Mosqueda’s examination room for the first time, the patient sat slumped in her wheelchair. Mosqueda, a professor of family medicine and geriatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, asked the woman’s son, who was also her … Read more
In a 2022 article I made the case that, contrary to the consensus view, there exists no valid evidence that genes play a role in causing schizophrenia (psychosis). I made the complete case in the 2023 Routledge English-language Edition of Schizophrenia and Genetics: The End of An Illusion (a greatly revised version of a previously … Read more
Do some people really have a better shot at achieving their dreams than others? Can anyone be successful, or is it all down to luck? We’re exploring the truth about what it really takes to triumph When you stop thinking about success, what comes to mind? High-earning entrepreneurs, tech innovators, influential activists, bestselling authors? Success … Read more
A network of neural connections is linked to six psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety, new research shows. Investigators used coordinate and lesion network mapping to assess whether there was a shared brain network common to multiple psychiatric disorders. In a meta-analysis of almost 200 studies encompassing more … Read more
Middle-aged adults who spend just 9 additional minutes a day participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) experience improved cognition in new findings that underscore the critical role risk exercise, such as running and cycling, plays in brain health. “Even minor differences in daily behavior appeared meaningful for cognition in this study,” researcher John … Read more