All Articles Tagged As: stress

Traumatic response to bad memories can be minimized (8/4/2008)

Scientists identify the brain-cell mechanisms involved with adverse memories and point way to panic disorder treatments ...> Full Article

Decisions under pressure: it's all in the heart beat (7/18/2008)

A person's heart rate can reveal a lot about how they make decisions when feeling stressed ...> Full Article

The brain of the pregnant woman releases a hormone related to confidence, and deactivates a stress-related hormone (6/15/2008)

The natural biological process of pregnancy reduces stress in the mother, due to the deactivation of cortisol, and increases confidence, due to the release of oxytocin. ...> Full Article

Scenes of nature trump technology in reducing low-level stress (6/13/2008)

Technology can send a man to the moon, help unlock the secrets of DNA and let people around the world easily communicate through the Internet. But can it substitute for nature? ...> Full Article

Rutgers researchers show how the brain can protect against cancer (6/11/2008)

Research could lead to therapeutic applications ...> Full Article

Exposure Therapy May Help Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (6/7/2008)

Exposure-based therapy, in which recent trauma survivors are instructed to relive the troubling event, may be effective in preventing the progression from acute stress disorder to post-traumatic stress disorder ...> Full Article

More On The Humor-Health Connection: New Study Finds Anticipating A Laugh Reduces Stress Hormones (4/8/2008)

By seeking out positive experiences that make us laugh we can do a lot on our own to stay wel ...> Full Article

Changing stress levels can make brain flip from 'desire' to 'dread' (3/24/2008)

A single brain circuit mediates desire and dread according to a new study ...> Full Article

Research with squirrels provides clues on hormone's role in human learning (3/18/2008)

Correct levels of stress hormones boost learning ...> Full Article

Meditation Impacts Blood Pressure, Study Shows (3/15/2008)

Transcendental Meditation is an effective treatment for controlling high blood pressure with the added benefit of bypassing possible side effects and hazards of anti-hypertension drugs, according to a new meta-analysis conducted at the University of Kentucky. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Hypertension. ...> Full Article

Short-term stress can affect learning and memory (3/14/2008)

Study provides first evidence that acute stress impacts brain-cell communication involved with memory formation ...> Full Article

The myth of runner's high revisited with brain imaging (3/4/2008)

For the first time scientists demonstrate in long-distance runners the release of endorphins in the brain ...> Full Article

Brain Stress System Presents Possible Treatment Target for Alcohol Dependence (3/1/2008)

A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism, according to new studies by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ...> Full Article

Yes, dear: Romantic relationships can make you defensive, 'avoidant' (2/16/2008)

Some people in relationships tend to be defensive and avoid prickly discussions and even words like "divorce"-something that can lead to anxiety later, a University of Michigan researcher says. ...> Full Article

Biologists link locust comas with human migraine (2/10/2008)

Studying the lowly locust could lead to improved migraine drugs for people. ...> Full Article

Severe Stressful Events Early In Pregnancy May Be Associated With Schizophrenia Among Offspring (2/9/2008)

Children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event-such as the death of a close relative-during the first trimester of pregnancy appear more likely to develop schizophrenia ...> Full Article

Very Young Found To Process Fear Memories In Unique Way (2/8/2008)

Very young brains process memories of fear differently than more mature ones, new research indicates. The findings appear in the Feb. 6 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The work significantly advances scientific understanding of when and how fear is stored and unlearned, and introduces new thinking on the implications of fear experience early in life. ...> Full Article

Key Factor In Stress Effects On The Brain Identified (1/28/2008)

Acute and chronic stress can have devastating effects on the brain, and Yale School of Medicine researchers have pinpointed one receptor that plays a key role in that harmful cycle. ...> Full Article

Laughter Is The Best Medicine (1/28/2008)

Laughter is the best medicine. We've heard the expression time and again. For decades, researchers have explored how humor helps patients relieve stress and heal. Melissa B. Wanzer, EdD, professor of communication studies at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, has taken it one step further, with her research on how humor helps medical professionals cope with their difficult jobs. She also looked at how humor affects the elderly and how it can increase communication in the workplace and in the classroom. ...> Full Article

Team Identifies Key Factor in Stress Effects on the Brain (1/23/2008)

Acute and chronic stress can have devastating effects on the brain, and Yale School of Medicine researchers have pinpointed one receptor that plays a key role in that harmful cycle, it was reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...> Full Article

For women, marital distress means less relief from stress (1/2/2008)

That's the suggestion from a new UCLA study that tracked levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, among 30 Los Angeles married couples involved in one of our age's trickiest juggling acts - raising kids when both parents work full time. ...> Full Article

Predictors of Teen Suicide Focus of Research Effort (12/30/2007)

Researchers investigate suicide trigger mechanisms ...> Full Article

Study suggests some brain injuries reduce the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder (12/25/2007)

A new study of combat-exposed Vietnam War veterans shows that those with injuries to certain parts of the brain were less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Naval Medical Center, suggest that drugs or pacemaker-like devices aimed at dampening activity in these brain regions might be effective treatments for PTSD. ...> Full Article

Meditation can change brain function, psychology study says (12/17/2007)

Feeling stressed or depressed? You may one day be prescribed meditation rather than medication, thanks to a study conducted by researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Addiction andMental Health (CAMH) at St. Joseph's Hospital. ...> Full Article

Research Reveals Secrets of Alcohol's Effect on Brain Cells (12/11/2007)

Activates a Stress-Linked Pathway in Neurons to Release Key Genes, Weill Cornell Team Reports ...> Full Article

Researchers Investigate Effect of PTSD on Brain Function (12/11/2007)

Researchers use MRI to watch stress of PTSD on the brain. ...> Full Article

Study finds smaller babies prone to mood disorder later in life (12/9/2007)

It turns out there might be some truth to the popular wisdom that plump babies are happy babies. A landmark public health study has found that people who had a low birth weight are more likely to experience depression and anxiety later in life. ...> Full Article

Stress response in the brain relies on a blood-thinning protein (11/24/2007)

A stressed-out mouse tends to be a bit timid, tentative, even fearful. For that matter, so does a stressed-out human. Our ability to learn from frightening situations is part of what helps us avoid them in the future. When that learning process goes awry, it can lead to depression and a decreased ability to recognize dangerous situations. Now, research by Rockefeller scientists has pinned down a protein in the hippocampus - a part of the brain that controls memory, learning and fear - that's essential for maintaining this stress response. ...> Full Article

Effects of Social Isolation Traced to Brain Hormone (11/15/2007)

The anxiety and aggression that result from social isolation have been traced to altered levels of an enzyme that controls production of a brain hormone. ...> Full Article

Fears Can Be Treated Successfully With Combination of Drugs and Behavior Therapy (11/14/2007)

Medication combined with behavioral therapy can be effective in helping individuals fight their fears ...> Full Article

Blood Pressure Drug Curbs Brain Damage From PTSD (11/10/2007)

A drug used to treat high blood pressure and enlargement of the prostate may protect the brain from damage caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, depression and schizophrenia. ...> Full Article

Unhealthy weight perceptions more unhealthy than unhealthy weight (11/5/2007)

Individuals with weight perceptions that deviate from the societal ideal ('overweight' and 'underweight') are at increased risk of psychological distress. ...> Full Article

Memory-sustaining Enzyme May Help Treat PTSD, Cognitive Decline (11/3/2007)

Rat Memory Eraser Study Challenges Prevailing Theories ...> Full Article

Behavioral Intervention Normalizes Stress-related Hormone in High-Risk Kids (10/30/2007)

Family Intervention that Improves Behavior, Social Skills Also Improves Cortisol Patterns ...> Full Article

Dealing with Stress as a Treatment for Alcohol Abuse (10/28/2007)

A researcher is initiating a study of 'mindfulness-based stress reduction,' a technique often used in behavioral medicine for stress reduction but not before as an adjunct in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. ...> Full Article

Stress a major problem in the U.S. (10/27/2007)

New Poll Shows Stress on the Rise, Affecting Health, Relationships and Work Americans Say Housing Costs an Added Stressor in 2007 ...> Full Article

Stress: Brain Yields Clues About Why Some Succumb While Others Prevail (10/23/2007)

Discovery Of Resistance Mechanisms In Mouse Brain May Lead To Help For Stress-Related Mental Illness In Humans ...> Full Article

Scientists To Study Psychosocial Stress (10/21/2007)

Researchers are studying the effectiveness of a wrist-mounted instrument for measuring psychosocial stress exposure during the course of daily life. ...> Full Article

Stress Contributes to Range of Chronic Diseases (10/11/2007)

In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease a psychologist has found that stress is a contributing factor in human disease, and in particular depression, cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS. ...> Full Article

How Stress Supercharges Learning (10/6/2007)

Whether it's a hot stove or a snarling dog, an emotional encounter supercharges learning in a way that indelibly imprints those experiences in memory. Now researchers have pinpointed a molecular pathway in the brain that underlies stress-induced learning enhancement. Their studies establish how the stress hormone norepinephrine boosts learning by strengthening connections between neurons. ...> Full Article

Controversy Builds About the Prevalence of PTSD in Vietnam Veterans (8/29/2007)

Controversy continues to swirl concerning the findings of a landmark study that estimated the percentage of Vietnam veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ...> Full Article

Depression May Play A Bigger Role In Readjustment Than Previously Thought In Troubled Vets (8/24/2007)

Depression may be an unrecognized readjustment problem for recently returning veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a study released today at the American Psychological Association 115th Annual Convention. Researchers working with veterans referred for psychiatric evaluation from a primary care service found that major or minor depression was associated with domestic abuse and other family problems. ...> Full Article

Loneliness Is Bad For Your Health (8/21/2007)

Two University of Chicago psychologists, Louise Hawkley and John Cacioppo, have been trying to disentangle social isolation, loneliness, and the physical deterioration and diseases of aging, right down to the cellular level. ...> Full Article

When 'Don't Worry' Leads to Worrying (8/14/2007)

An employer's commitment to prevent layoffs can leave African American workers feeling less secure, University of Arkansas research shows. ...> Full Article

High Pressure Jobs Linked to Depression and Anxiety (8/6/2007)

New research has shown that work-related stress is a cause of clinical depression and anxiety among young adults. In a study of almost 900 32-year olds, 14 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men experiencing stress at work - and with no prior mental health problems - had a first episode of depression or anxiety at age 32. ...> Full Article