Unifying matter, energy and consciousness

Understanding the interplay between consciousness, energy and matter could bring important insights to our fundamental understanding of reality

October 10, 2023

Science Daily/University of Technology Sydney

With the rise of brain-interface technology and artificial intelligence that can imitate brain functions, understanding the nature of consciousness and how it interacts with reality is not just an age-old philosophical question but also a salient challenge for humanity.

Can AI become conscious, and how would we know? Should we incorporate human or animal cells, such as neurons, into machines and robots? Would they be conscious and have subjective experiences? Does consciousness reduce to physicalism, or is it fundamental? And if machine-brain interaction influenced you to commit a crime, or caused a crime, would you be responsible beyond a reasonable doubt? Do we have a free will?

AI and computer science specialist Dr Mahendra Samarawickrama, winner of the Australian Computer Society's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Professional of the year, has applied his knowledge of physics and artificial neural networks to this thorny topic.

He presented a peer-reviewed paper on fundamental physics and consciousness at the 11th International Conference on Mathematical Modelling in Physical Sciences, Unifying Matter, Energy and Consciousness, which has just been published in the AIP (the American Institute of Physics) Conference Proceedings.

"Consciousness is an evolving topic connected to physics, engineering, neuroscience and many other fields. Understanding the interplay between consciousness, energy and matter could bring important insights to our fundamental understanding of reality," said Dr Samarawickrama.

"Einstein's dream of a unified theory is a quest that occupies the minds of many theoretical physicists and engineers. Some solutions completely change existing frameworks, which increases complexity and creates more problems than it solves.

"My theory brings the notion of consciousness to fundamental physics such that it complements the current physics models and explains the time, causality, and interplay of consciousness, energy and matter.

"I propose that consciousness is a high-speed sequential flow of awareness subjected to relativity. The quantised energy of consciousness can interplay with matter creating reality while adhering to laws of physics, including quantum physics and relativity.

"Awareness can be seen in life, AI and even physical realities like entangled particles. Studying consciousness helps us be aware of and differentiate realities that exist in nature," he said.

Dr Samarawickrama is an honorary Visiting Scholar in the School of Computer Science at the University of Technology Sydney, where he has contributed to UTS research on data science and AI, focusing on social impact.

"Research in this field could pave the way towards the development of conscious AI, with robots that are aware and have the ability to think becoming a reality. We want to ensure that artificial intelligence is ethical and responsible in emerging solutions," Dr Samarawickrama said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231010105350.htm

Young children who are close to their parents are more likely to grow up kind, helpful and 'prosocial'

October 9, 2023

Science Daily/University of Cambridge

A loving bond between parents and their children early in life significantly increases the child's tendency to be 'prosocial', and act with kindness and empathy towards others, research indicates.

The University of Cambridge study used data from more than 10,000 people born between 2000 and 2002 to understand the long-term interplay between our early relationships with our parents, prosociality and mental health. It is one of the first studies to look at how these characteristics interact over a long period spanning childhood and adolescence.

The researchers found that people who experienced warm and loving relationships with their parents at age three not only tended to have fewer mental health problems during early childhood and adolescence, but also displayed heightened 'prosocial' tendencies. This refers to socially-desirable behaviours intended to benefit others, such as kindness, empathy, helpfulness, generosity and volunteering.

Although the correlation between parent-child relationships and later prosociality needs to be verified through further research, the study points to a sizeable association. On average, it found that for every standard unit above 'normal' levels that a child's closeness with their parents was higher at age three, their prosociality increased by 0.24 of a standard unit by adolescence.

Conversely, children whose early parental relationships were emotionally strained or abusive were less likely to develop prosocial habits over time. The researchers suggest this strengthens the case for developing targeted policies and support for young families within which establishing close parent-child relationships may not always be straightforward; for example, if parents are struggling with financial and work pressures and do not have much time.

The study also explored how far mental health and prosocial behaviour are fixed 'traits' in young people, and how far they fluctuate according to circumstances like changes at school or in personal relationships. It measured both mental health and prosociality at ages five, seven, 11, 14 and 17 in order to develop a comprehensive picture of the dynamics shaping these characteristics and how they interact.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231009191705.htm

Fathers' parental leave might protect men against alcohol-related morbidity

October 6, 2023

Science Daily/Stockholm University

Men who have been on parental leave have a significantly reduced risk of being hospitalized due to alcohol consumption. This is shown by a study published in Addiction from researchers at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University.

The aim of the study was to assess whether fathers' parental leave influences alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. In order to try to find out if that is the case, the researchers have investigated the effects of parental leave policy that was implemented in Sweden in 1995. The policy encouraged fathers to use parental leave by reserving 30 days of leave for their use alone and resulted in the proportion of fathers using parental leave increasing from 43 percent to 75 percent.

"Our findings were pretty remarkable considering the severity of the studied outcome. Although alcohol-related hospitalizations were rather uncommon, we found that after the policy was implemented there was a 34% decrease in these hospitalizations among fathers in the two years after birth, as well as smaller decreases up to 8 and 18 years after birth," says Helena Honkaniemi, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University.

"Most changes were found among hospitalizations for alcohol intoxication and alcohol-related mental and behavioral disorders. Additional analyses evaluating actual changes in parental leave use from before to after the policy suggest that these health consequences could be explained by the increase in fathers' parental leave use, rather than other underlying trends," says Helena Honkaniemi.

However, no changes were found for alcohol-related mortality.

Co-author Associate Professor Sol Juárez believes that the results of the study could be useful for policymakers.

"Policymakers should consider that fathers' parental leave not only promotes more gender-equal participation in childcare, but can also reduce alcohol-related harms," Juárez says.

The study "Alcohol-related morbidity and mortality by fathers' parental leave: A quasi-experimental study in Sweden" draws on Swedish register data of all fathers of singleton children born from January 1992 to December 1997, three years before and after the policy was implemented.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231006104552.htm

Protein that could help defeat Alzheimer's and increase productive lifespan

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/Temple University Health System

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, a disorder of progressively worsening memory and other thinking abilities. It rose up in the ranks of leading causes of death over the past several decades. It can also limit the duration of a working career, create uncertainty in the financial planning for retirement and rob patients of enjoyment and happiness in the final years. An effective treatment against this disease could give back to the patient the decision when to retire and improve quality of life in advanced age.

Now, scientists at the Alzheimer's Center at Temple at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University are on the trail of a promising new therapeutic target -- ABCA7, a protein known to protect from Alzheimer's disease. The study, published online in the journal Cells, uncovers new information about the relationship between ABCA7, cholesterol, and inflammation in human brain cells.

The importance of ABCA7 in the development of Alzheimer's disease first emerged in genome-wide association studies, which are large investigations of the human genome that involve thousands of participants. "But genome studies only point to a protein and do not tell us anything about how it functions or how it affects a disease," said Joel Wiener, an investigator with the Alzheimer's Center at Temple and first author on the new report. "Our goal is to reveal ABCA7's functions and to use what we learn about its role in pathology to turn it into an effective therapy against Alzheimer's disease."

Previous work led by Nicholas Lyssenko, PhD, an investigator at the Alzheimer's Center at Temple and corresponding author on the new study, suggested that individuals between ages 63 and 78 who have low ABCA7 protein levels in the brain are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This finding corroborated the conclusions of earlier genome studies and further indicated that the protein protects the human brain.

In the new study, Dr. Lyssenko's team addressed how cholesterol metabolism and inflammation may manipulate ABCA7 levels in human brain cells and thus affect Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. In one set of experiments, the researchers depleted cholesterol in different neural cell lines, such as microglia, astrocytes and neurons, and then treated the cells with rosuvastatin, a medication that suppresses cholesterol synthesis. To determine the effect of inflammation on ABCA7, the team carried out another set of experiments in which the same cell lines were treated with one of three major proinflammatory cytokines: IL-1β, IL-6, or TNFα. Cytokines are small molecules that can trigger inflammation following their secretion from certain types of immune cells.

The researchers found that ABCA7 levels dropped by about 40 percent in microglia cell lines and about 20 percent in an astrocyte cell line after the cells were depleted of more than half their usual amount of cholesterol. Meanwhile, no changes were observed in ABCA7 levels in a neuronal cell line following cholesterol loss. In addition, IL-1β and TNFα suppressed ABCA7 expression only in microglial cells. The third cytokine, IL-6, had no impact on ABCA7 in microglia, and none of the three cytokines induced changes in ABCA7 levels in either astrocytes or neurons.

These observations advance understanding of how ABCA7 is regulated in the brain. "Our findings suggest that cholesterol loss downregulates ABCA7 in many cells in the human brain. Previous work in mice showed that cholesterol loss upregulates ABCA7," said Mr. Wiener. "In addition, other investigators found that inflammation suppresses ABCA7 in astrocytes, and we show now that this can also happen in microglia. Overall, cholesterol depletion and inflammation may reduce ABCA7 levels in the brain and cause the onset of Alzheimer's disease."

The Temple team is taking multiple approaches to studying ABCA7, using not only human cells but also carrying out experiments in animal models and in postmortem human brain tissue. "The greatest challenge now is to figure out how to measure ABCA7 levels in the brain of living humans," Dr. Lyssenko added. "If we achieve this, we could verify whether inflammation suppresses ABCA7 in the human body. Effective testing for ABCA7 levels in the brain will also identify individuals who are at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease and spur the development of new ABCA7-based therapies."

Other researchers who contributed to the study include Sindy Desire, Viktor Garliyev, Nicholas Lyssenko III, and Domenico Praticò, Alzheimer's Center at Temple, Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

The research was supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005173755.htm

Brain is 'rewired' during pregnancy to prepare for motherhood

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/The Francis Crick Institute

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have shown that pregnancy hormones 'rewire' the brain to prepare mice for motherhood.

Their findings, published today in Science, show that both estrogen and progesterone act on a small population of neurons in the brain to switch on parental behaviour even before offspring arrive. These adaptations resulted in stronger and more selective responses to pups.

It is well known that while virgin female rodents do not show much interaction with pups, mothers spend most of their time looking after young. It was thought that hormones released when giving birth are most crucial for this onset of maternal behaviour.

But earlier research also showed that rats who have given birth by Caesarean section, and virgin mice exposed to pregnancy hormones, still display this maternal behaviour, suggesting that hormone changes already during pregnancy may be more important.

In the current study, the researchers found that female mice indeed showed increased parental behaviour during late pregnancy, and that exposure to pups wasn't necessary for this change in behaviour.

They found that a population of nerve cells (galanin-expressing neurons) in an area of the brain called the medial preoptic area (MPOA) in the hypothalamus, associated with parenting, was impacted by estrogen and progesterone.

Brain recordings showed that estrogen simultaneously reduced the baseline activity of these neurons and made them more excitable, whereas progesterone rewired their inputs, by recruiting more synapses (sites of communication between neurons).

Making these neurons insensitive to hormones completely removed the onset of parental behaviour during pregnancy. Mice failed to show parental behaviour even after giving birth, suggesting there is a critical period during pregnancy when these hormones take effect.

While some of these changes lasted for at least a month after giving birth, others seem to be permanent, suggesting pregnancy can lead to long-term rewiring of the female brain.

Jonny Kohl, Group Leader of the State-Dependent Neural Processing Laboratory at the Crick, said: "We know that the female body changes during pregnancy to prepare for bringing up young. One example is the production of milk, which starts long before giving birth. Our research shows that such preparations are taking place in the brain, too.

"We think that these changes, often referred to as 'baby brain', cause a change in priority -- virgin mice focus on mating, so don't need to respond to other females' pups, whereas mothers need to perform robust parental behaviour to ensure pup survival. What's fascinating is that this switch doesn't happen at birth -- the brain is preparing much earlier for this big life change."

Rachida Ammari, postdoctoral fellow at the Crick, and first author along with PhD student Francesco Monaca, said: "We've demonstrated that there's a window of plasticity in the brain to prepare for future behavioural challenges. These neurons receive a large number of inputs from elsewhere in the brain, so now we're hoping to understand where this new information comes from."

The researchers believe the brain may also be rewired in a similar way during pregnancy in humans, as the same hormonal changes are expected to impact the same areas of the brain. This could influence parental behaviour alongside environmental and social cues.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005161752.htm

Don't feel appreciated by your partner? Relationship interventions can help

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

When we're married or in a long-term romantic relationship, we may eventually come to take each other for granted and forget to show appreciation. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds that it doesn't have to stay this way.

The study examined why perceived gratitude from a spouse or romantic partner changes over time, and whether it can be improved through relationship intervention programs.

"Gratitude almost seems to be a secret sauce to relationships, and an important piece to the puzzle of romantic relationships that hasn't gotten much attention in research studies until recently. And in couple relationships, it's not just about being appreciative for your partner but also about feeling appreciated by your partner. Gratitude for couples is very interpersonal and something that is exchanged between partners," said Allen Barton, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at U. of I. and an Illinois Extension specialist. Barton is lead author on the paper.

The study analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial with 615 low-income, help-seeking couples who signed up for an online relationship intervention program. Both partners had to participate in order to qualify for the study.

Couples assigned to the treatment group in the study participated in one of two online relationship education interventions, OurRelationship and ePREP, both of which provide couples with principles and practices to better communicate, understand conflict, and address problems in their relationship. Each program ran for 6 weeks and included online lessons and activities, as well as periodic meetings with a relationship coach.

A control group was assigned to a waitlist and did not receive intervention until after the study was completed. The researchers collected data through surveys before program participation began and at two-, four-, and six-month follow-ups.

Barton and his colleagues first looked at factors that predicted lower levels of perceived gratitude among the control group. They found that individuals who felt less appreciated by their partner were more likely to be female, married, and have children. Older age was also associated with a decline in perceived gratitude over time.

"These findings make sense. When we first meet somebody, we're very mindful to show our appreciation. Over time, this tends to get lost, and people may not realize that neither partner feels as appreciated as they would like to be. From other research we have done, we know that ensuring partners feel acknowledged and valued will go a long way in promoting the quality of their relationship," Barton stated.

The researchers also found that, for those assigned to the control group, perceived gratitude remained at the same level throughout the duration of the study despite improvements in communication, satisfaction, and other relationship variables. Thus, while other aspects of the relationship may be more likely to fluctuate or increase, gratitude is not something that seems to improve by itself over time, Barton said.

But can it get better with some outside assistance?

To answer that question, the authors examined whether perceived gratitude increased by participating in either of the two online relationship interventions.

Results indicated couples in the intervention group did, in fact, report improvement in partner gratitude relative to individuals in the control group.

"We found that levels of perceived gratitude improved as a result of participating in these online relationship interventions, which have been shown to improve overall couple relationship quality across several dimensions. The effect on gratitude was not as large as program effects on some of the other aspects, which isn't surprising because the program wasn't focusing on gratitude, but there was still a measurable effect," Baron explained.

Some relationship programs have been directed solely towards improving gratitude, but those have shown mixed results, Barton noted. When people express gratitude because they've been asked to do so as part of a program, it may come across as insincere and be less effective.

"Gratitude is a unique construct that seems to be lower in more established relationships, but it can be improved through efficacious relationship intervention programming. It has been an overlooked dimension that makes for healthy, supportive relationships. Our findings indicate we should develop programming that aims to improve levels of perceived gratitude, but it shouldn't be the sole focus; it should be one component of the intervention," he said.

Barton's advice to couples is to be mindful of the power of saying "thank you."

"If you're married or in a romantic relationship, as simple as it may seem, make sure to regularly give specific, sincere compliments to your spouse or romantic partner. I also encourage couples to ask each other if there are areas where one person doesn't feel appreciated and then work to remedy that," he said.

"It takes a lot of work to make a family happen, and that work becomes all the more challenging when your efforts aren't acknowledged. So just ensuring there's a regular rhythm in a relationship where both partners are expressing appreciation and both partners feel valued is important."

The study focused on low-income couples, who were at or below 200% of the federal poverty line for a family.

"Financial strain can be a stressor for couples, and lower-income individuals tend to have higher relationship instability," Barton noted. "Decades of social science research indicate that having strong marriages and couple relationships matters for individuals, for children, and for communities. A lot of factors influencing couple relationships are difficult to change but this-feeling appreciated by your partner-is one important factor that, as we show in this study, can be changed by effective interventions."

Couples seeking help with their relationship can participate in the Strong Couples Project that is currently disseminating the ePREP program tested in this study. This project, offered through Illinois Extension and directed by Barton, is available free of charge to qualifying participants nationwide.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005161729.htm

Increased deep sleep benefits your heart

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/ETH Zurich

Researchers play ultra-brief tones to stimulate the brain during deep sleep. This stimulation improves cardiac output and relaxation of the left ventricle. Such technology to improve cardiovascular function could be relevant both in disease treatment and competitive sports.

Sleep is a vital aspect of human life, with deep sleep being particularly crucial for overall health. The brain recovers during this sleep stage, and the rest of the body seems to regenerate then as well.

Recently, researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich have shown that increased deep sleep is of particular benefit to the cardiovascular system: targeted stimulation with brief tones during deep sleep causes the heart -- in particular the left ventricle -- to contract and relax more vigorously. As a result, it pumps blood into the circulatory system and draws it out again more efficiently. The left ventricle supplies most organs, the extremities, and the brain with oxygen-rich arterial blood.

When the heart contracts, the left ventricle is squeezed and wrung out like a wet sponge. The more immediate and more powerful this wringing action, the more blood enters the circulation and the less remains in the heart. This increases blood flow, which has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

An interdisciplinary team of heart specialists led by Christian Schmied, Senior Consultant for Cardiology at the University Hospital Zurich, used echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound examinations) to demonstrate that the left ventricle undergoes more intense deformation after nocturnal stimulation. This is the first time anyone has shown that an increase in brain waves during deep sleep (slow waves) improves cardiac function. The corresponding study was recently published in the European Heart Journal.

"We were expecting that stimulation with tones during deep sleep would impact the cardiovascular system. But the fact that this effect was so clearly measurable after just one night of stimulation surprised us," explains project leader and sleep expert Caroline Lustenberger, SNSF Ambizione Fellow at the Neural Control of Movement Lab at ETH Zurich.

Heart specialist Schmied is also delighted: "We clearly saw that both the heart's pumping force and its relaxation were greater after nights with stimulation compared to nights without stimulation." Both factors are an excellent measure of cardiovascular system function.

Stimulation with pink noise

The study involved 18 healthy men aged 30 to 57, who spent three non-consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory. On two nights, the researchers stimulated the subjects with sounds; on one night, they did not.

While the subjects slept, the scientists continuously measured their brain activity, blood pressure and heart activity. They coupled their measurements to a computer system that analysed the incoming data.

As soon as the readings indicated that the subject had fallen into deep sleep, the computer played a series of very brief tones at certain frequencies, called pink noise, which sound like static. Ten seconds of such tones were followed by 10 seconds of silence, and then the same procedure could be repeated. A feedback mechanism ensured that the noise was played at the right time and -- depending on the brain wave pattern -- stopped again.

This experimental setup allowed the researchers to directly monitor whether the sound simulation enhanced deep sleep and whether it influenced the subjects' heart rate and blood pressure. "During stimulation, we clearly see an increase in slow waves, as well as a response from the cardiovascular system that is reminiscent of cardiovascular pulsation," says lead author Stephanie Huwiler, describing the direct effects during sleep.

The next morning, the heart specialists examined the subjects' cardiac function using echocardiography (ultrasound).

Significant results despite small group

"Despite the relatively small group of subjects, the results are significant. We were also able to reproduce the results on two separate nights, which in statistical terms makes them very strong," Lustenberger says.

A small group size is typical for laboratory sleep studies, she adds, because they require a lot of resources. In addition, the researchers deliberately selected only men. This is because they are more homogeneous as a group of subjects than women in a comparable age bracket, whose menstrual cycle or menopause has a major effect on their sleep. "When all you've got to work with is one night a week for three weeks, the effects of the menstrual cycle will play a role in women. These effects might have masked the stimulation effect in this sort of initial study," Lustenberger explains.

She emphasizes, however, that future studies should definitely include women, as gender differences in sleep and cardiovascular health are becoming increasingly apparent and have profound implications for primary healthcare.

Practical future benefits

This study is of great interest not only to cardiologists but to athletes as well. "Especially in preventive medicine, but also in competitive sport, this kind of deep sleep stimulation system might enable improved cardiac function in the future -- and possibly ensure faster and better recovery after intense workouts," says Huwiler, who presented the initial results of the study at the Zurich Symposium for Sports Cardiology in March 2023. Lustenberger adds: "The treatment of cardiovascular diseases may be enhanced with this or similar stimulation methods. However, it's crucial to first investigate whether patients can benefit from this kind of deep sleep stimulation method as well."

The researchers are now looking for further, more powerful stimulation methods to positively impact the cardiovascular system. To this end, Huwiler is applying to Innosuisse for a Bridge Proof of Concept grant and for an ETH Pioneer Fellowship grant. In addition, she is in the process of setting up a start-up called EARDREAM together with Lustenberger, Simon Baur, and Rafael Polanía to further develop the findings and transfer them into practice.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005110805.htm

Awe-inspiring science can have a positive effect on mental wellbeing

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/University of Warwick

Research led by psychologists at the University of Warwick has revealed a profound connection between the spirituality of science and positive wellbeing, much like the benefits traditionally associated with religion.

The research explored how people use science as a source of spirituality and its connection with their sense of wellbeing.

Dr Jesse Preston, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick and lead author of the study said: "Spirituality is most often associated with religion, but science can be a powerful source of awe and wonder for many. It can provide a meaningful source of understanding oneself and the universe, and it can foster a sense of connection to others and our place in the world."

Science parallels positive wellbeing observed in religious people

In three studies, Dr. Preston and her research team surveyed 1197 people (602 men, 589 women, and 6 others) on their attitudes towards religious beliefs, spirituality and their interest and belief in science.

The first study established the concept of "Spirituality of Science," and asked people about feelings of transcendence, connection and meaning when engaging with science. Participants' responses were compared with other attitudes towards science, including an interest in science and belief in science, feelings of awe, meaning in their lives and religious beliefs.

Spirituality of Science was related to belief in science, but unlike other attitudes including interest in science and belief in science, Spirituality of Science was also associated with feelings of awe and general spirituality. This showed that scientific sources of spirituality may be psychologically similar to religious spirituality.

In the second study, the researchers focused specifically on a group of 526 atheists and agnostics, and found that Spirituality of Science was correlated with measures of psychological wellbeing, such as happiness, and meaning in life.

Preston explained: "Previous research has found that religious belief generally predicts positive mental wellbeing, but it has also implied that non-religious people may be subject to poorer psychological wellbeing. This research has found that in fact, sources of spirituality outside of religion, like science, can have similar positive effects."

Meaningful experiences could improve educational outcomes in science

The third study investigated links between Spirituality of Science and engagement and learning in science, and found that spiritual experiences in science predicted stronger engagement and recall of scientific information.

Dr Preston says the findings of the research could improve the teaching and learning of science in schools and predict better educational outcomes:

"Although science and religion differ in many ways, they share a capacity for spirituality through feelings of awe, coherence, and meaning in life. This capacity for spirituality has some important benefits and implications, as this research has found.

"People with greater feelings of Spirituality of Science were more positively engaged with science material, which predicted better science performance. And in a group of atheists and agnostics, Spirituality of Science predicted measures of well-being and meaning in life, paralleling the positive effects of religion that is frequently observed in religious people.

Dr Preston added: "This work contributes not only to our current understanding of science attitudes but also to our general understanding of spirituality."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005110757.htm

Psychedelics improve mental health, cognition in special ops veterans

Chart review reports effects of 2-drug treatment at Mexico clinic

October 5, 2023

Science Daily/Ohio State University

One treatment each of two psychedelic drugs lowered depression and anxiety and improved cognitive functioning in a sample of U.S. special operations forces veterans who sought care at a clinic in Mexico, according to a new analysis of the participants' charts.

The treatment included a combination of ibogaine hydrochloride, derived from the West African shrub iboga, and 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic substance secreted by the Colorado River toad. Both are designated as Schedule I drugs under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.

In addition to relieving symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the combined treatment also alleviated cognitive impairment linked to traumatic brain injury -- which stood out to researchers from The Ohio State University who led the chart-review analysis. Many special operations forces veterans seeking treatment for complex psychiatric symptoms do not respond to more traditional therapies.

"What sets this group apart from some other veterans and civilians is that often, they are exposed to repeated traumatic events as a routine part of their jobs. This build-up of exposure to these difficulties seems to produce a cluster of challenges that include traumatic brain injury, which we know in and of itself predisposes people to mental health problems," said lead author Alan Davis, associate professor and director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) in Ohio State's College of Social Work.

"So the fact that we saw that there were improvements in cognitive functioning linked to brain injury were probably the most striking results, because that's something we didn't predict and it's very new and novel in terms of how psychedelics might help in so many different domains."

The study is published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Most of the veterans attending the clinic retreat program had been on active duty after 9/11 and reported seeking care for memory problems, brain injury, depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep problems, anger and fatigue. Head injuries were reported by 86% of attendees, most of whom attributed memory problems, irritability, disordered sleep and ringing in the ears to those long-ago head traumas.

Eighty-six veterans completed pre-treatment questionnaires assessing a range of mental health symptoms as well as satisfaction with life, anger levels and suicidality. Each attendee received a single oral ibogaine hydrochloride dose and, on a separate day, at least three incremental inhalation doses adding up to 50 milligrams of 5-MeO-DMT, also commonly called Five or Bufo. Preparation and reflection sessions preceded and followed each treatment.

Overall, participants reported large improvements in self-reported PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and anger, as well as a significant increase in satisfaction with life, from pre-treatment to the one-month follow-up, and sustained benefits at the three- and six-month follow-ups. Additional reported improvements that continued for six months included reductions in disability and post-concussive symptoms, and very large increases in psychological flexibility and cognitive functioning.

Davis said the improved cognitive functioning warrants more research into whether better thinking results from lowered mental health symptoms or biological changes to signaling in the brain, or a mixture of both types of effects. And they noted that changes to psychological flexibility -- one's capacity to act in ways that are consistent with their values regardless of whatever internal or external experience they might have -- have been found in previous research to be connected to insightful and mystical psychedelic experiences.

"I think we're seeing a similar picture emerging here where the more one is psychologically flexible, the more likely it is that one's mental health symptoms will be reduced or ameliorated," Davis said.

Most attendees also reported moderate to strong desirable changes across a range of attitudes, behaviors and relationships. One month after treatment, almost half reported the psychedelic experience was the most spiritually significant (48.6%) or psychologically insightful (42.9%) of their lives, and 17.1% called it the most difficult or challenging experience in their life.

Davis and colleagues took a conservative approach to analyzing outcome data, building in an assumption that attendees who didn't complete all of the follow-up surveys may not have gotten the relief they had hoped for from the treatment. But they said finding that a population of veterans with complicated trauma histories can benefit from psychedelic therapy supports the importance of continuing to test psychedelic-assisted therapies in U.S. clinical trials.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy is currently being studied at Ohio State for the treatment of PTSD among military veterans.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005110741.htm

Being a vegetarian may be partly in your genes

Large study found three genes strongly linked to vegetarianism

October 4, 2023

Science Daily/Northwestern University

From Impossible Burger to "Meatless Mondays," going meat-free is certainly in vogue. But a person's genetic makeup plays a role in determining whether they can stick to a strict vegetarian diet, a new Northwestern Medicine study has found.

The findings open the door to further studies that could have important implications regarding dietary recommendations and the production of meat substitutes.

"Are all humans capable of subsisting long term on a strict vegetarian diet? This is a question that has not been seriously studied,"said corresponding study author Dr. Nabeel Yaseen, professor emeritus of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

A large proportion (about 48 to 64%) of self-identified "vegetarians" report eating fish, poultry and/or red meat, which Yaseen said suggests environmental or biological constraints override the desire to adhere to a vegetarian diet.

"It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than actually are, and we think it's because there is something hard-wired here that people may be missing."

Several genes involved in lipid metabolism, brain function

To determine whether genetics contribute to one's ability to adhere to a vegetarian diet, the scientists compared UK Biobank genetic data from 5,324 strict vegetarians (consuming no fish, poultry or red meat) to 329,455 controls. All study participants were white Caucasian to attain a homogeneous sample and avoid confounding by ethnicity.

The study identified three genes that are significantly associated with vegetarianism and another 31 genes that are potentially associated. Several of these genes, including two of the top three (NPC1 and RMC1), are involved in lipid (fat) metabolism and/or brain function, the study found.

"One area in which plant products differ from meat is complex lipids," Yaseen said. "My speculation is there may be lipid component(s) present in meat that some people need. And maybe people whose genetics favor vegetarianism are able to synthesize these components endogenously. However, at this time, this is mere speculation and much more work needs to be done to understand the physiology of vegetarianism."

The study will be published Oct. 4 in the journal PLOS ONE. It is the first fully peer-reviewed and indexed study to look at the association between genetics and strict vegetarianism.

Why do most people eat meat?

Religious and moral considerations have been major motivations behind adopting a vegetarian diet, and recent research has provided evidence for its health benefits. And although vegetarianism is increasing in popularity, vegetarians remain a small minority of people worldwide. For example, in the U.S., vegetarians comprise approximately 3 to 4% of the population. In the U.K., 2.3% of adults and 1.9% of children are vegetarian.

This raises the question of why most people still prefer to eat meat products. The driving factor for food and drink preference is not just taste, but also how an individual's body metabolizes it, Yaseen said. For example, when trying alcohol or coffee for the first time, most people would not find them pleasurable, but over time, one develops a taste because of how alcohol or caffeine makes them feel.

"I think with meat, there's something similar," Yaseen said. "Perhaps you have a certain component -- I'm speculating a lipid component -- that makes you need it and crave it."

If genetics influence whether someone chooses to be a vegetarian, what does that mean for those who don't eat meat for religious or moral reasons?

"While religious and moral considerations certainly play a major role in the motivation to adopt a vegetarian diet, our data suggest that the ability to adhere to such a diet is constrained by genetics," Yaseen said. "We hope that future studies will lead to a better understanding of the physiologic differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, thus enabling us to provide personalized dietary recommendations and to produce better meat substitutes."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231004150529.htm

Coaching program reduces burnout in medical residents

A pilot program aimed at female physicians was expanded to a national level with significant results in all aspects of burnout

October 4, 2023

Science Daily/University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

A pilot program that successfully reduced burnout among female medical residents has shown even greater results on a national level, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

The study was published today in the journal JAMA Network Open.

"We did a pilot program in 2021to see if it would work and it did," said study co-author Tyra Fainstad, MD, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "Then we expanded it to 26 graduate medical institutions in 19 states. There were 1,017 participants. We saw significant improvement in every wellbeing outcome we assessed including all three subscales involved in burnout."

Burnout within the health care community is a national epidemic disproportionally affecting women. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General declared it a `crisis' deserving 'bold, fundamental change' though little was known about scalable, effective solutions to the problem.

Women are hit harder by burnout for reasons that include bias and sexism at work, pay disparities as well as a disproportionate burden of home management and child/elder care, the researchers said.

Fainstad and co-author Adrienne Mann, MD, both faculty in the CU Department of Medicine, created the web-based Better Together Physician Coaching Program at CU Anschutz with the goal of reducing that burnout. Then they replicated it to a national level and published their findings.

While the pilot program saw improvements in `imposter syndrome' (feeling as if you don't really belong in the job') and self-compassion, the expanded national study also showed significant improvements in outcomes across the board including moral injury and flourishing, offering actual evidence that the program works.

"Physician trainees who received online group coaching over four months had substantial reductions in multiple dimensions of professional distress (burnout, moral injury and imposter syndrome) and improvements in well-being (self-compassion and flourishing)," said Mann.

Mann and Fainstad are both certified life coaches. Better Together is owned and operated by the University of Colorado. It's not a business, they said, and they don't personally profit financially from it. The program is available to any heath care institution, school of medicine, department, or residency program wishing to meaningfully support the wellbeing of their clinicians and trainees.

Better Together is web-based. Participants take part in two videoconferencing coaching calls per week where up to five people can be coached live on any topic with an unlimited audience. Calls are recorded for later listening on a private podcast.

Participants can also access unlimited, anonymous written coaching in a forum by submitting a narrative reflection and receive a coach's response published to Better Together's secure, members-only website. There are also weekly self-study sessions using videos and worksheets. They focus on topics pertinent to the physician lifestyle such as goal setting, cultivating a growth mindset, receiving critical feedback, imposter syndrome and perfectionism.

The researchers use the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to measure their work. The MBI has three subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE) or feeling emotionally exhausted from work; Depersonalization (DP), detached and impersonal treatment of patients; Professional accomplishment (PA), beliefs around competence and success at work.

The EE score is a key construct in health care related burnout. A one point increase in the EE scale has been associated with a 7% increase in suicidal ideation and a 5-6% increase in major medical errors.

The researchers said a reduced mean EE score among those that took part in the training and an increased EE score in those that did not.

"From what we see in this study, coaching helps in every aspect of burnout," Fainstad said. "The multi-modal nature of our program is unique. You can interact in many ways. That partially explains the powerful impact -that and the group nature of our coaching."

Mann said the majority are watching others being coached and share in the experience.

"That is deeply connecting. They try to see themselves in someone else's story," she said. "When someone is on a view screen you have compassion and empathy for them and, by extension, learn to practice compassion and empathy for yourself."

While few strategies to address burnout have shown much overall effect, Fainstad said this study demonstrates that group coaching works.

"We're now showing that we have an actual evidence-based answer to burnout," she said.

Fainstad and Mann said burnout is a product of the current, often toxic, medical culture pervading every aspect of the profession.

"Culture is a belief system," Fainstad said. "And while structural changes are absolutely necessary to fix our medical system, working with individuals who have been harmed along the way will be imperative to healing."

Mann suggested a step towards healing the culture would be making coaching programs like Better Together accessible to everyone -- not necessarily mandatory but at least made available by institutions.

"There are other coaching programs in this space but this one is rigorously evidence-based. We studied it," Mann said. "There are no downsides. It helps in all aspects of burnout."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231004132427.htm

Should fathers be screened for postpartum depression?

October 4, 2023

Science Daily/University of Illinois Chicago

Dads can suffer from postpartum depression, and a new pilot study at the University of Illinois Chicago suggests they can and should be screened for the condition. Given the intertwined effects of mothers' and fathers' physical and mental health, addressing the health of fathers may be a powerful untapped tool in improving the nation's ongoing maternal health crisis.

The researchers got mothers' permission to interview and screen 24 dads, 30% of whom screened positive for postpartum depression on the same tool that is commonly used to screen moms. Lead author Dr. Sam Wainwright said this points to the importance of asking new dads how they're doing.

"A lot of dads are stressed. They're scared. They're struggling with balancing work and parental and partner responsibilities," he said. "Men are often not doing well, but no one is asking them about it."

Talking to new dads about their mental health takes on additional importance when considering how it can impact their partners' health.

"A woman at risk for postpartum depression is much more likely to get postpartum depression if she has a depressed partner," said Wainwright, assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics.

Other studies have estimated that 8% to 13% of new fathers have postpartum depression. Wainwright suspects this study's rate was higher because nearly 90% of the participants identified as being from a racial or ethnic group that faces issues of structural racism and social determinants that can worsen mental health.

The study, published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, was conducted at UI Health's Two-Generation Clinic. Opened in 2020, the clinic grew out of the understanding that new mothers, especially low-resource mothers of color who are taking on parenthood alongside a host of structural challenges often do not prioritize their own health care. However, they are often very diligent in bringing their children to the doctor, Wainwright explained. The Two-Generation Clinic capitalizes on children's visits by offering moms primary care at the same time.

Yet, dads were often left out of this process. Members of the clinic team began chatting with dads to see how they were doing. Wainwright said they'd often hear comments such as, "I'm really stressed, but I don't want my partner to know because I'm here to support her." This study grew out of those conversations.

Those conversations also spurred a larger research project that Wainwright has begun to learn more about the experiences of dads, especially as related to their mental and physical health. Perhaps well-baby visits aren't the only place to reach dads, he said, so he's started talking to fathers-to-be in the obstetrics waiting area, too. He's also asking to screen dads for conditions like high blood pressure during these conversations.

The medical world struggles to connect with young men, who often aren't eager to see a doctor, Wainwright said, so reaching them as they enter fatherhood presents an important opportunity. In fact, some of the men in the postpartum depression study who did not have a primary care physician are now seeing Wainwright for medical care, and others requested mental health services.

The overarching goal of this line of research is to better understand how to help men stay healthy so that their relationships and families are healthy, too, Wainwright explained.

"How can we show them that it's important to take care of yourself for the sake of your baby, for the sake of your partner and for your own sake?" he said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231004105219.htm

Women living in more walkable neighborhoods have lower rates of obesity-related cancers

October 4, 2023

Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Residing in a more walkable neighborhood protects against the risk of overall obesity-related cancers in women, specifically postmenopausal breast cancer, but also ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and multiple myeloma, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Obesity has been linked to increased risk for 13 types of cancer in women, and physical activity, independent of body size, lowers risk for some of these cancers. Neighborhood walkability is a set of urban design features that promotes pedestrian activity, supports overall physical activity and is associated with lower body mass index. However, until now long-term studies of neighborhood walkability and risk for obesity-related cancer were limited. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Women who resided in neighborhoods with higher walkability levels, as measured by average destination accessibility and population density over approximately 24 years of follow-up, had lower risk of obesity-related cancers, particularly postmenopausal breast cancer. However, moderate protective associations were also found for endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and multiple myeloma. Women in who had lived in areas with the highest levels of neighborhood walkability (the top 25 percent of walkability) had a 26 percent lower risk of obesity-related cancers compared to those who lived in neighborhoods in the lowest 25th percent of walkability.

"These results contribute to the growing evidence of how urban design affects the health and wellbeing in aging populations," said Andrew Rundle, DrPH, professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School. Individual-level interventions to increase physical activity and reduce obesity are costly and often have only short-term effects, according to Rundle and colleagues. "However, urban design can create a context that promotes walking, increases overall physical activity, and reduce car-dependency, which could lead to subsequent improvements in preventing diseases attributed to unhealthy weight," Rundle observed.

"We further observed that the association between high neighborhood walkability and lower risk of overall obesity-related cancers was stronger for women living in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty" said Sandra India-Aldana, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and lead author. "These findings suggest that neighborhood social and economic environments are also relevant to risk of developing obesity-related cancers."

The researchers studied 14,274 women between the ages of 34 and 65 and recruited at a mammography screening center in NYC between 1985 and 1991 and followed them over nearly three decades. They measured neighborhood walkability in the participant's residential Census-tract throughout follow-up and assessed the association between neighborhood walkability and risk of overall and site-specific obesity-related cancers including postmenopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and multiple myeloma. Of the total number of women studied, 18% had a first obesity-related cancer by the end of 2016.The most common cancer was postmenopausal breast cancer at 53%, followed by colorectal cancer at 14%, and endometrial cancer at 12%.

"Our study is unique in that the long-term follow-up allowed us to study effects of walkability with potential long latency periods of cancer and we were able to measure neighborhood walkability as the participants moved residences around the country during follow-up" said co-author Yu Chen Ph.D., NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231004105202.htm

Strong link between ADHD and car crashes in older adult drivers

October 4, 2023

Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

In a study on the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its association with crash risk among older adult drivers, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that older adult drivers with ADHD are at a significantly elevated crash risk compared with their counterparts without ADHD. Outcomes included hard- braking events, and self-reported traffic ticket events, and vehicular crashes. Until now research on ADHD and driving safety was largely limited to children and young adults, and few studies assessed the association of ADHD with crash risk among older adults. The results are published online in JAMA Network Open.

Older adult drivers were more than twice as likely as their counterparts without ADHD to report being involved in traffic ticket events (22 versus 10 per million miles driven), and vehicular crashes (27 versus 13.5 per million miles driven).

"Our findings suggest that effective interventions to improve the diagnosis and clinical management of ADHD among older adults are warranted to promote safe mobility and healthy aging," observed Yuxin Liu, MPH, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and first author.

ADHD is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition with symptoms such as inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Although ADHD is commonly considered a childhood disorder, it can persist into adulthood and affect daily life performances of older adults. In the U.S., the reported prevalence of ADHD is 9% to 13% in children younger than 17 years and 8% in adults 18 to 44 years of age. The reported prevalence of ADHD in adults has increased in recent years due to improved diagnosis. In general, the prevalence of ADHD decreases with advancing age.

Study participants were active drivers aged 65 to 79 years of age enrolled during 2015 and 2017 in the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project who were followed for up to 44 months through in-vehicle data recording devices and annual assessments. The data analysis was performed between July 2022 and August 2023.

Of the 2832 drivers studied, 75 (2.6 %) had ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD was 7.2% among older adults with anxiety or depression. With adjustment for demographic characteristics and comorbidities, ADHD was associated with a 7% increased risk of hard-braking events, a 102% increased risk of self-reported traffic ticket events, and a 74% increased risk of self-reported vehicular crashes.

The researchers collected data from primary care clinics and residential communities in five U.S. sites in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Cooperstown, New York; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, California between July 2015 and March 2019. Participants were active drivers aged 65 to 79 years enrolled in the LongROAD project who were followed through in-vehicle data recording devices and annual assessments.

"Our study makes two notable contributions to research on healthy and safe aging, "said Guohua Li, M.D., DrPH, professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author. "The research fills a gap in epidemiologic data on ADHD among older adults and provides compelling evidence that older adult drivers with ADHD have a much higher crash risk than their counterparts without ADHD."

Dr. Li and colleagues launched the LongROAD Project in 2014 to understand and meet the safe mobility needs of older adult drivers.A 2016 study by Li and colleagues in theJournal of the American Geriatrics Societyshowed that health worsens when older adults stop driving. Early this year, the research team reported in a study published in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine that driving data captured by in-vehicle recording devices are valid and reliable digital markers for predicting mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

"There are 48 million older adult drivers in the United States. As population aging continues, this number is expected to reach 63 million in 2030. Data from the landmark LongROAD project will enable us to examine the role of medical, behavioral, environmental, and technological factors in driving safety during the process of aging." said Li, who is also professor of anesthesiology at Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and founding director of the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231004132403.htm

Losing sleep? It might be time to check your blood pressure

October 2, 2023

Science Daily/Brigham and Women's Hospital

New study from Brigham researchers highlights a correlation between symptoms of insomnia and hypertension in women.

Getting enough sleep has never been more difficult in today's fast-paced environment. Yet new research from investigators in the Channing Division of Network Medicine of Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, highlights why getting a good night's sleep is critical to staying healthy. Their research unveils that women who struggled with getting enough sleep were at greater risk of developing hypertension, or high blood pressure. Results are published in the journal Hypertension.

"These findings suggest that individuals who struggle with symptoms of insomnia may be at risk of hypertension and could benefit from preemptive screening," explained Shahab Haghayegh, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Brigham and Harvard Medical School. "Hypertension is associated with many other physical and mental health complications. The sooner we can identify individuals with high blood pressure and treat them for it, the better we can mitigate future health issues."

Both hypertension and sleep disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among adults in the United States. In fact, more than 35% of US adults do not get enough sleep at night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that 30% of Americans experience symptoms of insomnia. Strikingly, 45% of U.S. adults live with high blood pressure.

Haghayegh and colleagues followed 66,122 participants between 25 and 42 years of age in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2) cohort, all without hypertension at the study's onset, over sixteen years (from 2001 until 2017). Investigators collected information on participants' age, race, body mass index (BMI), diet, lifestyle, physical activity, history of sleep apnea, and family history of hypertension and assessed the incidence of hypertension among the group every two years. They first began measuring sleep duration in 2001, then did so again in 2009, recording the average number of hours slept over a 24-hour period. They also tracked sleeping difficulties, such as having trouble falling or staying asleep or waking up early in the morning, collecting responses at several time points throughout the study.

Data analyses revealed that women with sleeping difficulties had higher BMIs, lower physical activity, and poorer diets, on average. Researcher also found that those who struggled with sleep were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol and have previously gone through menopause.

Among the 25,987 cases of hypertension documented over the follow-up, women who slept less than seven to eight hours a night had a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, according to the data collected. Similarly, women who had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep were also more likely to develop hypertension. Waking up early in the morning was not associated with this increased risk. Notably, these associations, remained significant after controlling for participant shift work schedules (night versus day shifts) and chronotype (morningness versus eveningness).

While the exact nature of the relationship between sleep and risk of hypertension is unknown, Haghayegh said that sleep difficulties can lead to a chain of events that can increase sodium retention, arterial stiffness, and cardiac output, potentially leading to hypertension. Disruptions to the sleep/wake cycle can also influence blood vessel constriction/relaxation activity and the function of cells that regulate the vascular tone.

While this study only looked at the association between sleep and hypertension in women, researchers hope to expand their work to include men and non-binary participants. A second limitation is that researchers could only collect data on sleep quality at select time points throughout the study. Some of the study's strengths include the larger number of participants and length of follow-up duration.

Haghayegh emphasizes that these findings do not indicate causality. He wants to understand why this association exists and how treating one condition may also treat the other. In future clinical studies, he aims to investigate if sleep medications could have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

"I hope these findings further underscore the crucial role of quality sleep in our overall well-being. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends sleeping seven or more hours a night, and if you cannot fall or stay asleep, it might be worth exploring why that is," said Haghayegh. "This study highlights yet another reason why getting a good night's sleep is so important."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231002170907.htm

Brain biometrics help identify sports concussions

October 2, 2023

Science Daily/University of South Australia

Novel brain biometrics could help inform whether an athlete is ready to return to play following a concussion, according to new research from the University of South Australia.

Conducted in partnership with the University of California San Francisco (UCFC), researchers found that changes in micromovements of the brain -- termed 'headpulses' -- could detect the lasting impacts of a concussion.

Using a custom-designed headset* to evaluate headpulse biometrics among 101 amateur male and female Australian Rules Football players in South Australia, researchers identified brain abnormalities in 81% of players inflicted by concussion, signalling sustained injury beyond expected recovery times.

These headpulse alterations lasted 14 days beyond concussion symptoms and were exacerbated by return-to-play or unsupervised physical activity.

UniSA Professor of Exercise Science Kevin Norton says that headpulse measures could complement current return-to-play protocols.

"Traumatic brain injury inflicts more than 60 million people every year, with a third of these being sports-related," Prof Norton says.

"While we know that Australia's sports sector takes concussions seriously -- via considered return-to-play protocols -- we also know that objective measures of concussion recovery are not fully established.

"In this research, we used headpulses -- a normal measure of brain 'wobble' aligned with each heartbeat -- to assess any changes in frequency resulting from a concussion.

"We discovered that almost all players who received a concussion had a 'disconnect' between their symptoms and the headpulse, such that even when the players said they felt good, the headpulse still showed evidence of brain injury."

While most players felt that they'd recovered 10-14 days after their injury, the research showed that some players took up to four weeks to recover and return to normal headpulse patterns.

Australian Football concussion recovery protocols require 24 to 48 hours of strict physical and cognitive rest, followed by graded individual then team training, provided there is no symptom exacerbation; the earliest allowed return-to-play after protocol completion and medical clearance is 12 days after a concussion.

The Australian Senate Committee's report Concussions and repeated head trauma in contact sports released this month, recommends that national sporting associations should explore further rule modifications for sports to prevent and reduce the impact of concussions and repeated head traumas.

This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge that informs concussion protocols.

Notes

• *The headset is patented by UCSF and licensed by medical technology company MindRhythm.

• Data for sport-related concussions and repeated head trauma is under-reported in Australia, however the most recent AIHW data shows that 2305 sports-related concussions occurred between 2019-20. Men incurred 70% of concussions and more than a third of those hospitalised were young sportspeople aged 15-24 years.

• About 730 of concussions occurred while playing some form of football; and approximately 440 occurred while cycling

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231002211341.htm

Calls for verbal abuse of children by adults to be formally recognized as form of child maltreatment

October 2, 2023

Science Daily/University College London

A new systematic review by researchers at UCL and Wingate University has highlighted the importance of identifying childhood verbal abuse by adults as a standalone subtype of child maltreatment, to ensure targeted prevention and address the lasting harm it can inflict.

Child maltreatment is currently classified into four subtypes: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. These classifications guide the creation of interventions and the monitoring of affected populations.

The study, published in Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal and commissioned by charity, Words Matter, examines a total of 149 quantitative and 17 qualitative studies to assess how child verbal abuse is currently defined and measured.

Researchers found that there needs to be a more consistent way of defining childhood verbal abuse, as it currently varies between parents and other authorities, with it being normalised in some cultures as a form of discipline.

The nature of childhood verbal abuse involves behaviours that can be detrimental to a child's wellbeing, such as belittling, shouting, and threatening language.

It was found that these actions could have a lasting impact throughout the child's life, creating underlying emotional and psychological repercussions, including increased risks of anger, depression, substance abuse, self-harm and obesity.

However, the team noted that there was a noticeable void in acknowledging childhood verbal abuse by adults as a distinct maltreatment subtype and that doing so would be a starting point for its identification and prevention.

Co-author, Professor Peter Fonagy (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences), said: "This systematic review is timely and of significant clinical value. Preventing the maltreatment of children is the most effective way we can reduce the prevalence of child metal health problems. A sharp focus on childhood verbal abuse by adults around them by the new charity Words Matter, and this review will help make significant change, and support and direct our efforts to identify and respond to this risk in an effective and timely manner."

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that emotional abuse is now the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, ahead of physical or sexual abuse.

However, researchers found that the term "emotional abuse" was ambiguous and focused on the victim.

Whereas the term "childhood verbal abuse" zeroes in on the adult's actions and this onus could be a starting point for prevention, were it to be made a subtype in its own right.

There was also a range of varying terminology associated with "verbal abuse" across the studies, with terms such as "verbal aggression," "verbal hostility" and "verbal abuse" being used -- highlighting the need for standardised terminology in this area.

The review found that the main perpetrators of childhood verbal abuse by adults were parents (76.5%), other adult caregivers in the home (2.4%), and teachers (12.71%). Other adults noted were coaches (0.6%) and police (0.6%).

Shouting and screaming were the most documented characteristics of verbal abuse. However, the research emphasises that definitions of childhood verbal abuse should not only consider the words used but also the intent, delivery, and the immediate impact on children.

More research would need to be carried out on specific age groups to further understand the effects of this behaviour.

Lead author, Professor Shanta Dube (Wingate University, US), said: "Childhood verbal abuse desperately needs to be acknowledged as an abuse subtype, because of the lifelong negative consequences.

"We've seen tremendous strides in increased awareness and interventions targeting physical and sexual abuse perpetrators leading to the reduction in these forms of maltreatment. If we focus on 'verbal abuse' by perpetrators rather than just 'emotional abuse' among victims, we may develop similar actions to prevent childhood verbal abuse and its consequences.

"Breaking the intergenerational cycles starts with the adults."

Jessica Bondy, Founder of Words Matter, a newly established charity with the mission of enhancing children's overall health and wellbeing by curtailing verbal abuse by adults in their lives, said: "It's paramount to grasp the true scale and impact of childhood verbal abuse. All adults get overloaded sometimes and say things unintentionally. We have to work collectively to devise ways to recognise these actions and end childhood verbal abuse by adults so children can flourish.

"Words have weight, they can uplift or destroy. Let's build children up, not knock them down."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231002124354.htm

Possible link between chronic stress and Alzheimer's disease

October 2, 2023

Science Daily/Karolinska Institutet

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have published a study in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy that addresses possible associations between chronic stress, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. The study shows how people aged between 18 and 65 with a previous diagnosis of chronic stress and depression were more likely than other people to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.

Some 160,000 people have some form of dementia in Sweden, Alzheimer's disease being the most common, a figure that is rising with our life expectancy. At the same time, many new diagnostic methods and early-intervention therapies have been developed in recent years, which foregrounds the need to identify more risk factors for the disease.

Previous studies have demonstrated a possible association between chronic stress, depression and dementia. This present study now shows that people who have been diagnosed with chronic stress or depression are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The study shows that the risk of Alzheimer's disease was more than twice as high in patients with chronic stress and in patients with depression as it was in patients without either condition; in patients with both chronic stress and depression it was up to four times as high.

The risk of developing cognitive impairment was elevated about as much. A patient is deemed to be suffering chronic stress when he or she has been under stress with no opportunity for recuperation for at least six months.

"The risk is still very small and the causality is unknown," says the study's last author Axel C. Carlsson, docent at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. "That said, the finding is important in that it enables us to improve preventative efforts and understand links with the other risk factors for dementia."

The study was conducted using Region Stockholm's administrative healthcare database, which contains all healthcare contacts compensated by the region. The researchers focused on patients between the ages of 18 and 65 and between 2012 and 2013. They identified 44,447 people with a diagnosis of chronic stress and/or depression and followed them for eight years to see how many of them were later diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.

A comparison with all other 1,362,548 individuals in the age bracket showed that more people with chronic stress or depression had also been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.

"It's very uncommon for people in this age group to develop dementia, so we need to identify all possible risk factors for the disease," says Dr Carlsson. "We show here that the diagnosis is more common in people who have suffered chronic stress or depression, but more studies will be required if we're to demonstrate any causality there."

The researchers will now be continuing their work and developing questionnaires and cognitive tests to aid the early identification of people at risk of dementia.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231002124415.htm

Increased risk of depression and anxiety when in higher education

September 29, 2023

Science Daily/University College London

Young people who are in higher education in England face a small increased risk of depression and anxiety, compared to their peers who are not attending higher education, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The research paper, published in The Lancet Public Health, is the first to find evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety among higher education students compared with their peers.

The authors found that by age 25, the difference had disappeared between graduates and non-graduates.

Lead author Dr Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said: "In recent years in the UK we have seen an increase in mental health problems among young people, so there has been an increased focus on how to support students. Here we have found concerning evidence that students may have a higher risk of depression and anxiety than their peers of the same age who are not in higher education.

"The first couple of years of higher education are a crucial time for development, so if we could improve the mental health of young people during this time it could have long term benefits for their health and wellbeing, as well as for their educational achievement and longer-term success."

The researchers used data from the Longitudinal Studies of Young People in England (LSYPE1 and LSYPE2). The first study included 4,832 young people born in 1989-90, who were aged 18-19 in the years 2007-9. The second study included 6,128 participants born in 1998-99, who were aged 18-19 in the years 2016-18 (i.e., prior to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic). In both studies, just over half attended higher education.

Participants in the studies have completed surveys about their general mental health, to investigate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction, at multiple time points over the years.

The researchers found a small difference in symptoms of depression and anxiety at age 18-19 between students (including those at university and other higher education institutions) and non-students.

This association persisted after adjustment for potentially confounding factors including, among others, socioeconomic status, parents' education, and alcohol use.

The analysis suggests that if the potential mental health risks of attending higher education were eliminated, the incidence of depression and anxiety could potentially be reduced by 6% among people aged 18-19.

First author Dr Tayla McCloud (UCL Psychiatry) said: "Based on our findings, we cannot say why students might be more at risk of depression and anxiety than their peers, but it could be related to academic or financial pressure. This increased risk among students has not been found in studies in the past, so if the association has only recently emerged, it may be related to increased financial pressures and worries about achieving high results in the wider economic and social context.

"We would have expected higher education students to have better mental health than their non-student peers as they tend to be from more privileged backgrounds on average, so these results are particularly concerning. More research is needed to clarify the mental health risks facing students.

"Improving our understanding of modifiable risk factors for depression and anxiety is a global health priority, and it is clear that supporting the mental health of our young people is vitally important."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230929131322.htm

Life satisfaction may not enhance cognitive functioning among some older adults

Feeling satisfied in life is generally thought to be a boost to physical and mental health, but a new study suggests that life satisfaction provides little benefit to older adults who also experience health or socioeconomic challenges.

September 29, 2023

Science Daily/Boston University School of Public Health

Numerous studies have shown that leading a fulfilling and satisfying life may improve cognitive function by encouraging health-protective behaviors such as physical activity and reduced stress. Many of these studies assess this relationship from a population level, rather than among individuals.

But a closer look within the general population suggests that life satisfaction may not have a positive effect on all people, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers.

Published in the journal SSM -- Mental Health, the study examined psychological well-being among older individuals in the United States and United Kingdom. High life satisfaction was associated with increased cognitive functioning among most individuals, but it was less beneficial for people of low socioeconomic status, in poor health, or experiencing adverse psychological conditions.

The study is the first to examine the effects of psychological well-being on cognitive functioning among older adults. It is important to note that the researchers observed no association of average cognitive effects from psychological well-being at a population level, so without this more granular analysis, the potentially adverse effects of life satisfaction would have been overlooked.

"It was impressive to observe how a relationship with no associations on population average showed underlying differences based on sociodemographic factors, physical health, and psychosocial elements," says study lead author Toshiaki Komura, a master of public health student at BUSPH.

This new insight emphasizes the importance of considering heterogeneities in public health research to understand who benefits from life satisfaction and who does not.

"Our results indicate that the health benefit of experiencing high life satisfaction may be smaller among socially marginalized groups, so further research is needed to ensure potential interventions have equitable health impacts," says study senior author Dr.Koichiro Shiba, assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH.

For the study, the team used a novel machine-learning method to analyze nationally representative survey data on life satisfaction and cognitive functioning among more than 15,000 adults ages 50 and older in the US and UK, for four-year periods between 2010 and 2016.

The health-promoting effect of life satisfaction in older adults was only evident among participants with higher SES, fewer pre-existing health problems, and better psychological functioning, which was about half of the survey participants.

The researchers surmise that the physical, mental, or socioeconomic challenges that low-SES individuals or adults in poorer health experience may have outweighed any possible cognitive benefits from life satisfaction. For example, life satisfaction could boost cognitive functioning by promoting physical activity, but exercise is not achievable if an individual is not in basic good health or does not have access to resources to exercise, such as residential green space or a gym.

This counterintuitive finding of the adverse effects of life satisfaction may also be explained by a concept called"response shift," which involves changing internal standards, values and the conceptualization of quality of life.

"Response shift is the adjustment of one's internal view of their quality of life when facing challenging circumstances in which their health status is severely deteriorated," Komura explains. "In such situations, their standard of quality of life may shift to maintain a favorable psychological environment."

According to this theory, individuals with disadvantaged socioeconomic, health, and psychosocial conditions might have reported life satisfaction that had been "adjusted" to their circumstances. "Our findings suggest such adjusted subjective feelings might have limited health-promoting effects on cognitive functioning," he says.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230929131440.htm