Brain Imaging Bipolar Disorder in High-Risk Children

Brain Imaging Bipolar Disorder in High-Risk Children

Researchers report a potential neural marker of individual risk in those with a family history of bipolar disorder. The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, points to particular patterns of brain connectivity as future potential targets for early intervention. Patterns in connectivity in a portion of the frontal lobe called the inferior frontal gyrus appears to be an early biomarker in children of parents with bipolar disorder.

Read more about the study here: Can Brain Imaging Help Predict Bipolar Disorder in High Risk Children?

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Emotional Mirror Neurons in Rats

Emotional Mirror Neurons in Rats

Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have demonstrated that specific neurons in the rat brain are active both when a rat experiences pain itself and when it observes another rat in pain. The results, published today in Current Biology, suggest that sharing the emotions of others is a common mammalian trait.

Read my article on the study here: Rats Feel One Another's Pain.

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Natural Disasters and Public Health

2018 brought multiple, unprecedented natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and in the United States, the deadliest wildfire in California’s history. After the immediate emergency is over and the media attention wanes, communities must deal with the long process of recovering and rebuilding. Yet some of the greatest challenges that disaster victims face come not from the disaster itself but from long-term health problems stemming from the event. In the immediate aftermath, physical injuries and infections must be treated and controlled. Longer-term needs include mental and psychological assistance and reinstatement of the infrastructure of the health services system. While immediate casualty numbers are often cited following a natural disaster, it’s the insidious and long-lasting health effects that can hurt communities for years.

Read more at IEEE Pulse: Natural Disasters and Public Health.

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