Dementia Risk Rises with Traumatic Brain Injury. A review of data on 188,774 veterans (ages 55 and up) found that 1,229 had been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). During the study’s nine-year follow-up period, 16% of veterans with a TBI developed dementia compared with only 10% of veterans without a TBI. Neurology, June…

Tinnitus Affects How Sufferers Process Emotions. Tinnitus is a condition in which patients hear noises that aren’t really there such as ringing, whooshing, whistles, and whines. According to experts, individuals with persistent tinnitus are more likely to experience increased stress, anxiety, irritability, and depression. To investigate how tinnitus affects the brain, researchers evaluated brain responses…

Two Explanations for the Link Between Stress & Heart Attack. Scientists may have a better understanding of why ongoing stress raises an individual’s risk of having a heart attack. They believe stress triggers the body to make extra disease-fighting white blood cells, and this can cause inflammation in the arteries of people with a condition…

Brain Abnormalities in Youths Who Commit Homicide. A new study suggests that adolescents who have committed one or more homicides have significantly different brain structures than those who have not. The results were gathered using MRI findings on 20 brains of youths who committed at least one homicide and 135 youth offenders (criminals) who had…

Learning A Second Language Slows Cognitive Decline. New research suggests that speaking more than one language may slow down age-related cognitive decline, even if the second language is learned during adulthood. Research leader Dr. Thomas Bak writes, “These findings are of considerable practical relevance. Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later…

Cynics at Higher Risk for Dementia. Cynical, distrustful people may be at a higher risk of dementia, according to a new Finnish study. Researchers found that people with high levels of cynical distrust were three times more likely to develop dementia compared to people with low levels of cynicism. One possible explanation could be that…

Stress Reduces Male Fertility. Past studies have linked stress to a number of health problems including heart disease, asthma, obesity, and depression. A new study suggests that stress can also reduce male fertility. Researchers found that men who experienced two or more stressful life events over the previous year had lower sperm quality compared with…

Bullied Teens Carry Weapons to School. Bullied teens are 31 times more likely to bring weapons, such as guns and knives, to school compared with teens who have not been bullied, according to a new study. Lead investigator Dr. Lana Schapiro warns, “With estimates of more than 200,000 victims of bullying carrying a weapon to…

ADHD Kids Often Suffer from Family Issues. A new report reveals that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to come from a family background of poverty, divorce, community violence, and substance abuse. Study author Dr. Nicole Brown adds, “Knowledge about the prevalence and types of adverse experiences among children diagnosed with…

Does Yawning Cool Down the Brain? Australian researchers suggest that yawning might cool an overheated brain. Investigators found that contagious yawning was most prominent in the summer compared to the winter and most likely to occur when the temperature was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (about 20 degrees Celsius). They suggest that cooling the brain boosts…