Laughter is contagious. Research published in the Journal of Neuroscience last December has shown that positive sounds such as laughter triggers a response in the listener’s brain. This response occurs in the area of the brain that is activated when we smile, as though preparing our facial muscles to laugh. The research team played a series sounds to volunteers as they measured their brain’s response using an fMRI scanner. Sounds were positive, such as laughter or triumph, whilst others were unpleasant, such as screaming or retching. All of the sounds triggered a response in the volunteer’s brain in the pre-motor cortical region, which prepares the muscles in the face to respond accordingly, though the response was greater for positive sounds, suggesting that these were more contagious than negative sounds. The researchers believe this explains why we respond to laughter or cheering with an involuntary smile.

As most parents know, their children’s bedtime problems are a parent’s bedtime problem! However, recent research found in the current issue of the journal of Pediatrics gives us more information on the impact of parents and mothers in particular. This study had more than 10,000 families participating and results clearly indicate that both parent’s emotional well-being and physical health are significantly impacted by their child’s lack of sleep. Overall, mothers appeared to be particularly affected, the study found. Whereas only infant sleep problems were linked to poorer health among fathers, sleep difficulties at any age seemed to affect mothers’ physical and psychological well-being. 

Gravity machines have found a niche at the YMCA.  Gravity machines are essentially slanted glideboards. The $17.6 billion health club industry is always open to something new. The YMCA is one of roughly 30 health clubs in the United States to add Gravity machines since the start of the year. It’s not clear if this relatively new device will lead to a hot new trend like Spinning, a popular indoor cycling program, but so far it offers a glimpse into an industry always looking to entice exercisers with new ways to stay tone and trim. Gyms are always looking for ways to make exercise more effective and fun and have come a long way since the low-tech days of Indian clubs and medicine balls. Rudimentary machines like the motorized belts that jiggled users’ bellies have given way to sophisticated machines that keep tabs on cardiovascular activity and simulated distance.

There is more and more evidence that ADHD is in the genes. The Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group at Trinity College in Dublin is studying how people inherit genes from their parents that predict development for ADHD, autism, depression and schizophrenia. These are real illnessess, with real biology. The hope is that genetic research findings will help people understand that mental health and medical health are one in the same, and remove the stigma associated with neurobehavioral conditions such as ADHD. The more we understand differences in the underlying causes of ADHD, the better we will be at treating it. Genes are not the whole picture, but it is clear they are a large component in our mental health as well as our physical.  

http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/articles.asp?Category=news&ArticleID=18654

A recent survey conducted by The Pew Internet and American Life Project reported that teens may be more cautious with sharing demographic information than we think. The survey reported that although teens are putting their first name and a photo, most do not include a full name or make their profile public. They are using these sites to connect with friends and people they already know. The most popular sites that teens with ADHD discuss in our offices are MySpace and Facebook. Another safety mechanism is that most social-networking sites have restricted access to their profiles in some fashion, such as by requiring passwords or making them available only to friends on an approved list. However, even with these safeguards, I continue to recommend that parents monitor their teens profile and general internet activity. Remembering that developmentally most teens believe they are immune to most problems in society.

Did you know that ADD is almost as heritable as height? Join us and the Rehman family (Kelly, Ben, and Ali) in our Channel 5 Evening News interview on Adult ADD. ADD affects so many families and the genetics are strong. If your child has ADD, the chance of you (a parent) having the condition is 31 – 40%. If you the parent have ADD, your child’s risk for having ADD is over 50%. And if one child in your family has ADD, the risk for their sibling having ADD is 20 – 25%. It’s not surprising there is significant impact on families! In response, we are proud that the community is taking such an interest in our integrated model for diagnosing and treating ADHD for both children and adults. We commonly work with several members in a household to support their needs around counseling, testing, coaching, medication management, academic supports, parent skills training, and nutrition. Here is the Rehman family to share their experience with you.

Can you really train your brain? There are many companies now promoting “brain training” technologies, particularly for the treatment of attention deficit disorder or ADD. Not surprisingly, most of them have little or no research publications to support their spectacular claims. Is brain training technology really a legitimate alternative to medication? Buyer beware, these high tech tools for improving brain function are often just high tech marketing.

But Cogmed Working Memory Training caught my attention – no pun intended. The Cogmed program, originally developed in Sweden by a team of neuroscience researchers at the Karolinska Institute, is research-validated with more than 1,400 children and adults treated in Europe to date. Their program, showing 80% of patients have measurable improvements in brain function after treatment, is now coming to the U.S.

What is working memory training? (more…)

Learning to play an instrument is a lot like learning a foreign language; the earlier you begin studying the easier it is to learn. However, as challenging as it may be, learning to play an instrument is a wonderful opportunity as we age to address the “use it or lose it” principle. Reseach has clearly indicated that new learning is good for our brain, it can delay the onset of dementia in some case and contribute to over all well-being.

Here are a few of the details from a recent study out of Northwestern University published in April’s Natural Neuroscience. (more…)