Light affects our brain's performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses
March 10, 2014
Science Daily/University of Liège
It has long been known that light exerts powerful effects on the brain and on our well-being. Light is not only required for vision but is also essential for a wide range of “non-visual” functions including synchronization of our biological clock to the 24h day-night cycle. A novel photoreceptor has now been shown to be an essential component for relaying light information to a set of so-called non-visual centers in the brain. Continuous changes in light throughout the day also change us, new research suggests.
The phenomenon of prior light effects on a subsequent response to light is typical of melonopsin as well as certain photopigments of invertebrate and plant, and has been referred to as a "photic memory." Humans may therefore have an invertebrate or plant-like machinery within the eyes that participates to regulate cognition. It may also explain what human chronobiologists have described as "previous light history effects," a form of long term adaptation to previous lighting conditions.
These findings emphasize the importance of light for human cognitive brain functions and constitute compelling evidence in favor of a cognitive role for melanopsin. More generally, the continuous change of light throughout the day also changes us. Ultimately, these findings argue for the use and design of lighting systems to optimize cognitive performance.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140310152023.htm
Chronic sleep disturbance could trigger onset of Alzheimer's
March 17, 2014
Science Daily/Temple University
People who experience chronic sleep disturbance could face an earlier onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s, results from a new pre-clinical study indicate. "We can conclude from this study that chronic sleep disturbance is an environmental risk factor for Alzheimer's disease," a co-author said. "But the good news is that sleep disturbances can be easily treated, which would hopefully reduce the Alzheimer's risk."
"We can conclude from this study that chronic sleep disturbance is an environmental risk factor for Alzheimer's disease," he said. "But the good news is that sleep disturbances can be easily treated, which would hopefully reduce the Alzheimer's risk."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140317155205.htm
Health-care professionals should prescribe sleep to prevent metabolic disorders
March 24, 2014
Science Daily/The Lancet
Evidence increasingly suggests that insufficient or disturbed sleep is associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, and addressing poor quality sleep should be a target for the prevention -- and even treatment -- of these disorders. Addressing some types of sleep disturbance -- such as sleep apnea -- may have a directly beneficial effect on patients' metabolic health, say the authors. But a far more common problem is people simply not getting enough sleep, particularly due to the increased use of devices such as tablets and portable gaming devices.
Although a number of epidemiological studies point to a clear association between poor quality sleep and metabolic disorders, until recently, the reason for this association was not clear. However, experimental studies are starting to provide evidence that there is a direct causal link between loss of sleep and the body's ability to metabolize glucose, control food intake, and maintain its energy balance.
According to the study authors, "These findings open up new strategies for targeted interventions aimed at the present epidemic of the metabolic syndrome and related diseases. Ongoing and future studies will show whether interventions to improve sleep duration and quality can prevent or even reverse adverse metabolic traits. Meanwhile, on the basis of existing evidence, health care professionals can be safely recommended to motivate their patients to enjoy sufficient sleep at the right time of day."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140324200507.htm
Migraine attacks increase following stress 'let-down'
March 26, 2014
Science Daily/Montefiore Medical Center
Migraine sufferers who experienced reduced stress from one day to the next are at significantly increased risk of migraine onset on the subsequent day. "This study highlights the importance of stress management and healthy lifestyle habits for people who live with migraine," said a study co-author. "It is important for people to be aware of rising stress levels and attempt to relax during periods of stress rather than allowing a major build up to occur. This could include exercising or attending a yoga class or may be as simple as taking a walk or focusing on one's breath for a few minutes."
"This study highlights the importance of stress management and healthy lifestyle habits for people who live with migraine," said Dawn C. Buse, Ph.D., director, Behavioral Medicine, Montefiore Headache Center, associate professor, Clinical Neurology, Einstein, and study co-author. "It is important for people to be aware of rising stress levels and attempt to relax during periods of stress rather than allowing a major build up to occur. This could include exercising or attending a yoga class or may be as simple as taking a walk or focusing on one's breath for a few minutes."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140326181915.htm
Sleep may stop chronic pain sufferers from becoming zombies
March 27, 2014
Science Daily/University of Warwick
Chronic pain sufferers could be kept physically active by improving the quality of their sleep, new research suggests. The study found that sleep was a worthy target for treating chronic pain and not only as an answer to pain-related insomnia.
Considering the implications of the study Dr Tang said that "the prospect of promoting physical activity by regulating sleep may offer a novel solution to an old problem."
"The current study identified sleep quality, rather than pain and low mood, as a key driver of physical activity the next day. The finding challenges the conventional target of treatment being primarily focused on changing what patients do during the day. Sleep has a naturally recuperative power that is often overlooked in pain management. A greater treatment emphasis on sleep may help patients improve their daytime functioning and hence their quality of life" argued Dr Tang.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327101401.htm
Chronic stress in early life causes anxiety, aggression in adulthood
March 27, 2014
Science Daily/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
In experiments to assess the impacts of social stress upon adolescent mice, both at the time they are experienced and during adulthood, a laboratory team conducted many different kinds of stress tests and means of measuring their impacts. The research indicates that a 'hostile environment in adolescence disturbs psychoemotional state and social behaviors of animals in adult life,' the team says.
"The tests assessed levels of anxiety, depression, and capacity to socialize and communicate with an unfamiliar partner," explains Enikolopov. These experiments showed that in young mice chronic social defeat induced high levels of anxiety helplessness, diminished social interaction, and diminished ability to communicate with other young animals. Stressed mice also had less new nerve-cell growth (neurogenesis) in a portion of the hippocampus known to be affected in depression: the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327123654.htm
Circadian clock like an orchestra with many conductors
March 27, 2014
Science Daily/University of Michigan
You've switched to the night shift and your weight skyrockets, or you wake at 7 a.m. on weekdays but sleep until noon on weekends -- a social jet lag can fog your Saturday and Sunday. Life runs on rhythms driven by circadian clocks, and disruption of these cycles is associated with serious physical and emotional problems.
"The finding shows that instead of the entire orchestra following a single conductor, part of the orchestra is following a different conductor or not listening at all," Shafer said. The findings suggest that instead of a group of master pacemaker neurons, the clock network consists of many independent clocks, each of which drives rhythms in activity. Shafer and Yao suspect that a similar organization will be found in mammals, as well.
"A better understanding of the circadian clock mechanisms will be critical for attempts to alleviate the adverse effects associated with circadian disorders," Yao said.
Disrupting the circadian clock through shift work is associated with diabetes, obesity, stress, heart disease, mood disorders and cancer, among other disorders, Yao says. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified shift work that disrupts circadian rhythms as a human carcinogen equal to cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327142443.htm
Want spring allergy relief? Avoid stress
April 1, 2014
Science Daily/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)
Stress doesn’t cause allergies, but easing your mind might mean less allergy flare-ups this spring. According to a study, allergy sufferers with persistent stress experience more allergy flares. "Stress can cause several negative effects on the body, including causing more symptoms for allergy sufferers," said an allergist.
While there were no significant findings between allergy flares and stress on the same day, a number of sufferers reported allergy flares within days of increased daily stress. "Symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes can cause added stress for allergy sufferers, and may even be the root of stress for some," said Dr. Patterson. "While alleviating stress won't cure allergies, it may help decrease episodes of intense symptoms."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140401101420.htm
Controlling brain waves to improve vision
April 24, 2014
Science Daily/Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
A novel technique to test brain waves is being used to see how the brain processes external stimuli that do and don't reach our awareness. "When we have different things competing for our attention, we can only be aware of so much of what we see," said a researcher on the study. "For example, when you're driving, you might really be concentrating on obeying traffic signals." But say there's an unexpected event: an emergency vehicle, a pedestrian -- will you actually see the unexpected, or will you be so focused on your initial task that you don't notice?
By focusing your attention and concentrating more fully on what you are experiencing, however, the executive function of the brain can come into play and provide "top-down" control -- putting a brake on the alpha waves, thus allowing you to see things that you might have missed in a more relaxed state.
"We found that the same brain regions known to control our attention are involved in suppressing the alpha waves and improving our ability to detect hard-to-see targets," said Diane Beck, a member of the Beckman's Cognitive Neuroscience Group, and one of the study's authors.
"Knowing where the waves originate means we can target that area specifically with electrical stimulation" said Mathewson. "Or we can also give people moment-to-moment feedback, which could be used to alert drivers that they are not paying attention and should increase their focus on the road ahead, or in other situations alert students in a classroom that they need to focus more, or athletes, or pilots and equipment operators."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424170552.htm
How does stress increase risk for stroke, heart attack?
May 5, 2014
Science Daily/Elsevier
Scientists have shown that anger, anxiety, and depression not only affect the functioning of the heart, but also increase the risk for heart disease. Stroke and heart attacks are the end products of progressive damage to blood vessels supplying the heart and brain, a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis progresses when there are high levels of chemicals in the body called pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is thought that persisting stress increases the risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease by evoking negative emotions that, in turn, raise the levels of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body.
"These new findings agree with the popular belief that emotions are connected to heart health," said Gianaros. "We think that the mechanistic basis for this connection may lie in the functioning of brain regions important for regulating both emotion and inflammation."
These findings may have implications for brain-based prevention and intervention efforts to improve heart health and protect against heart disease."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140505104403.htm
Stress degrades sperm quality
May 29, 2014
Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Psychological stress is harmful to sperm and semen quality, affecting its concentration, appearance, and ability to fertilize an egg, according to a study. It is not fully understood how stress affects semen quality. It may trigger the release of steroid hormones called glucocorticoids, which in turn could blunt levels of testosterone and sperm production. Another possibility is oxidative stress, which has been shown to affect semen quality and fertility.
"Stress has long been identified as having an influence on health. Our research suggests that men's reproductive health may also be affected by their social environment," says Teresa Janevic, PhD, the study's first author and an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529100719.htm
Sleep after learning strengthens connections between brain cells and memory
June 5, 2014
Science Daily/NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
Researchers show for the first time that sleep after learning encourages the growth of dendritic spines, the tiny protrusions from brain cells that connect to other brain cells and facilitate the passage of information across synapses, the junctions at which brain cells meet.
The findings, in mice, provide important physical evidence in support of the hypothesis that sleep helps consolidate and strengthen new memories, and show for the first time how learning and sleep cause physical changes in the motor cortex, a brain region responsible for voluntary movements.
"We've known for a long time that sleep plays an important role in learning and memory. If you don't sleep well you won't learn well," says senior investigator Wen-Biao Gan, PhD, professor of neuroscience and physiology and a member of the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. "But what's the underlying physical mechanism responsible for this phenomenon? Here we've shown how sleep helps neurons form very specific connections on dendritic branches that may facilitate long-term memory. We also show how different types of learning form synapses on different branches of the same neurons, suggesting that learning causes very specific structural changes in the brain."
On the cellular level, sleep is anything but restful: Brain cells that spark as we digest new information during waking hours replay during deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, when brain waves slow down and rapid-eye movement, as well as dreaming, stops. Scientists have long believed that this nocturnal replay helps us form and recall new memories, yet the structural changes underpinning this process have remained poorly understood.
To shed light on this process, Dr. Gan and colleagues employed mice genetically engineered to express a fluorescent protein in neurons. Using a special laser-scanning microscope that illuminates the glowing fluorescent proteins in the motor cortex, the scientists were then able to track and image the growth of dendritic spines along individual branches of dendrites before and after mice learned to balance on a spin rod. Over time mice learned how to balance on the rod as it gradually spun faster. "It's like learning to ride a bike," says Dr. Gan. "Once you learn it, you never forget."
After documenting that mice, in fact, sprout new spines along dendritic branches, within six hours after training on the spinning rod, the researchers set out to understand how sleep would impact this physical growth. They trained two sets of mice: one trained on the spinning rod for an hour and then slept for 7 hours; the second trained for the same period of time on the rod but stayed awake for 7 hours. The scientists found that the sleep-deprived mice experienced significantly less dendritic spine growth than the well-rested mice. Furthermore, they found that the type of task learned determined which dendritic branches spines would grow.
Running forward on the spinning rod, for instance, produced spine growth on different dendritic branches than running backward on the rod, suggesting that learning specific tasks causes specific structural changes in the brain.
"Now we know that when we learn something new, a neuron will grow new connections on a specific branch," says Dr. Gan. "Imagine a tree that grows leaves (spines) on one branch but not another branch. When we learn something new, it's like we're sprouting leaves on a specific branch."
Finally, the scientists showed that brain cells in the motor cortex that activate when mice learn a task reactivate during slow-wave deep sleep. Disrupting this process, they found, prevents dendritic spine growth. Their findings offer an important insight into the functional role of neuronal replay -- the process by which the sleeping brain rehearses tasks learned during the day -- observed in the motor cortex.
"Our data suggest that neuronal reactivation during sleep is quite important for growing specific connections within the motor cortex," Dr. Gan adds.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140605141849.htm
Couples sleep in sync when wife is satisfied with their marriage
June 5, 2014
Science Daily/American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Couples are more likely to sleep in sync when the wife is more satisfied with their marriage. Results show that overall synchrony in sleep-wake schedules among couples was high, as those who slept in the same bed were awake or asleep at the same time about 75 percent of the time. When the wife reported higher marital satisfaction, the percent of time the couple was awake or asleep at the same time was greater.
"The sleep of married couples is more in sync on a minute-by-minute basis than the sleep of random individuals," said Gunn. "This suggests that our sleep patterns are regulated not only by when we sleep, but also by with whom we sleep."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140605141857.htm
Insomnia: Sleep loss causes brain vulnerability to toxic elements
June 10, 2014
Science Daily/Investigación y Desarrollo
In search of the answer to why do we sleep, researcher have now revealed that chronic sleep loss can cause certain neurotoxic molecules, which normally circulate in the blood, to be transported to the central nervous system and interfere with the function of neurons. The longer the insomnia, the more junctions of cerebral blood vessels begin to degrade.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140610101316.htm
Poor cardiovascular health linked to memory, learning deficits
June 11, 2014
Science Daily/American Heart Association
People with poor cardiovascular health have a substantially higher incidence of cognitive impairment. Better cardiovascular health was more common in men and among people with higher education and higher income. The incidence of mental impairment was found more commonly in those with a lower income, who lived in the 'stroke belt' or had cardiovascular disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611170956.htm
Hand shiatsu treatment explored as sleep aid
June 17, 2014
Science Daily/University of Alberta
Self-administered shiatsu is being explored as sleep treatment for patients with chronic pain. Researchers are exploring the traditional Japanese massage practice called shiatsu as a potential treatment to help patients with chronic pain find slumber -- and stay asleep. A small pilot study followed nine people living with chronic pain as they self-administered shiatsu pressure techniques on their hands at bedtime.
"One of the barriers to falling asleep for people who have pain is they worry about what's going to happen and while you're laying there you're thinking about all these negative things, it occupies your attention," Brown says. "This relates to research on attention in cognitive theory."
The pilot was an attempt to explore low-cost, unintimidating alternatives to drugs to help people with chronic pain fall asleep, noting medication is seldom recommended for long-term use. Brown collaborated on the project with shiatsu therapist Leisa Bellmore of the Artists' Health Centre at Toronto Western Hospital and U of A colleague Geoff Bostick.
For patients suffering from chronic pain due to low-back and other musculoskeletal injuries, the only thing that matters is finding results that work, Brown says. Not only does sleep deprivation lower a person's pain threshold, it also affects their health, from increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and traffic accidents.
More research is needed in foundational areas to break the cycle, she adds. "If you have insomnia, you face a higher risk of experiencing chronic pain. If you have chronic pain, you're not going to get as much sleep."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140617121952.htm
How you cope with stress may increase your risk for insomnia
July 3, 2014
Science Daily/American Academy of Sleep Medicine
A new study is the first to identify specific coping behaviors through which stress exposure leads to the development of insomnia. Results show that coping with a stressful event through behavioral disengagement -- giving up on dealing with the stress -- or by using alcohol or drugs each significantly mediated the relationship between stress exposure and insomnia development.
"Our study is among the first to show that it's not the number of stressors, but your reaction to them that determines the likelihood of experiencing insomnia," said lead author Vivek Pillai, PhD, research fellow at the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. "While a stressful event can lead to a bad night of sleep, it's what you do in response to stress that can be the difference between a few bad nights and chronic insomnia."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140703103001.htm
Traffic noise is dangerous for your health
July 1, 2014
Science Daily/Chalmers University of Technology
Traffic noise is the second biggest environmental problem in the EU, according to WHO. After air pollution, noise is affecting health the most. But legislation regarding noise pollution is insufficient. A new report shows how negative health effects of noise can be reduced. Several means are easiest to apply in dense cities.
The number of people exposed to noise pollution in our cities remains high. Traffic noise is today linked to stress-related health problems such as stroke and heart disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140701085328.htm
Health most common major stressful event in Americans' lives last year
July 8, 2014
Science Daily/Harvard School of Public Health
A new poll released today that examines the role of stress in Americans' lives finds that about half of the public (49 percent) reported that they had a major stressful event or experience in the past year. Nearly half (43 percent) reported that the most stressful experiences related to health.
Bad effects on emotional well-being (63%) are the most common health effect reported by those with a great deal of stress in the last month, followed by problems with sleep (56%) and difficulty in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions (50%). About half of those with a great deal of stress as well as a chronic illness or disability say stress made the symptoms worse (53%) or made it harder for them to manage their chronic illness or disability (52%).
In addition, many report significant impacts from stress in other spheres of their lives. More than four in ten of those under a great deal of stress in the last month report that this stress made it harder to get along with family members (45%) and prevented them from spending time with family members (44%). Half of those who experienced a great deal of stress in the last month and are employed say stress made it harder to concentrate at work (51%), and 41% say it made it harder to take on extra responsibilities that could help advance their career.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140708140910.htm
Men's hot flashes: Hypnotic relaxation therapy may ease the discomfort
July 10, 2014
Science Daily/Baylor University
Men who experience hot flashes are unlikely to talk much about it, but they may find relief from their silent suffering if they are willing to try an unusual treatment, according to new research. After seven weeks of hypnotic relaxation therapy, a 69-year-old man who had uncontrolled hot flashes following prostate cancer surgery showed a drastic decrease not only in hot flashes but also an impressive improvement in sleep quality, according to the study.
The new research follows previous published studies by Elkins that found a marked decrease in hot flashes among postmenopausal women and also among breast cancer survivors who have undergone hypnotic relaxation therapy. It reduced hot flashes by as much as 80 percent, and research findings by clinically trained therapists show it also improved participants' quality of life and lessened anxiety and depression. (Quality of life included such issues as work, sexuality, social and leisure activities, mood and concentration.) "And that's all without the increased risk of breast cancer or heart disease associated with hormone treatments such as estrogen or progestin," Elkins said.
The weekly sessions of hypnosis of 187 women over a five-week period involved hypnosis by clinically trained therapists. The women also practiced self-hypnosis using audio recordings to visualize a snowy path or cool mountain creek. During the treatments, the women wore skin monitors with electrodes and kept diaries of when they had hot flashes, how often, how severe they were, and what might have triggered flashes, such as stress, spicy foods or being in a hot room.
Women also were encouraged to individualize their therapy. An example: One woman's imagery was walking to a lake from her porch to sit on lawn chairs with her family at sunset. Previous research has shown that people vary when it comes to being "hypnotizable" -- responsive to hypnosis -- but the consensus is that most people are at least moderately so. Besides having few or no side effects, hypnotic relaxation therapy is cost-saving and allows patients to be involved in their own healing.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140710081045.htm