Air Pollution and Parkinson’s Disease. Taiwanese researchers reviewed data concerning over a million patients and found a link between regular exposure to particulate matter pollution and an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. PLOS ONE, August 2017

Does a Higher IQ Equal a Longer Life? Scottish researchers analyzed data on nearly 66,000 people who were born in 1936 and discovered that those with a higher IQ test score in childhood had a 28% reduced risk of death from respiratory disease, a 25% lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 24%…

Slower Walking Speed May Be Harbinger of Mental Decline… In this study, researchers followed 175 seniors with normal brain function for 14 years and found that those whose walking speed slowed during the course of the study also experienced shrinkage of the right hippocampus. This area of the brain not only affects spatial orientation, which…

Radon Exposure May Increase Alzheimer’s Disease Risk. A new study that compared data concerning radon exposure and deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) appears to indicate a correlation between ionizing radiation exposure and the development of this neurodegenerative condition. The authors of the study conclude, “Our findings, like other studies, suggest that ionizing radiation is…

Making Amends. Surveys completed by more than 200 adults reveal that when couples have a disagreement, men and women want different things from their partner before they make up. The data show that women prefer heart-felt apologies and quality time while men prefer a kind gesture. These findings may allow couples to better understand how…

Researchers analyzed how 128 fathers interacted with their infants at three months of age and then followed up with the children at two years of age. They found that babies whose fathers were more engaged and active when playing with them in their early months of life performed better on thinking skill assessments than those…

Overweight Kids Often Suffer Socially. A new study has found that overweight kids are excluded and ostracized by classmates more often than their thinner peers. Researchers examined the friendship dynamics of over 500 preteens and found that those who were overweight or obese were 1.7 times more likely to be disliked by their peers and…

Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 young adults and found that between 25% and 30% of the participants felt lonely sometimes, while another 5% reported they frequently felt lonely. Furthermore, they observed that the lonelier people were 24% more likely to feel tired and have difficulty concentrating during the day. Study author Dr. Louise Arseneault adds,…

A special type of imaging known as functional connectivity MRI (FcMRI) may help doctors predict which high-risk babies may develop autism as toddlers. In this study, researchers used FcMRI to scan different regions of the brain of 59 babies believed to be at high risk for autism spectrum disorder and with this data, they accurately…

Screen Time Tied to Speech Delay. An analysis of data concerning nearly 900 young children revealed that for each 30-minute increase in time a child spends on a smartphone, tablet, or electronic device at 18 months of age, they have a 49% elevated risk for expressive speech delay. According the American Academy of Pediatrics, expressive…