Premature Menopause Can Lead to Mental Decline. According to a new study, premature menopause can increase a woman’s risk of mental decline in her later years. Menopause usually begins after age 50; however, premature menopause begins at or around age 40. In the study, the premature group was more likely to do poorly on verbal…

Horses Ease Alzheimer’s Symptoms. A new study suggests that caring for horses is an activity that can ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Investigators observed 16 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and found that equine therapy elevated the participants’ mood and reduced negative behaviors. Besides the interaction with the horses, the researchers noted that the peaceful…

The Gambler’s Fallacy. The gambler’s fallacy is described as a situation when one outcome may seem more likely based on previous results in a game of chance, such as thinking a coin-flip has a greater than 50/50 chance of landing “heads” if the previous four flips landed tail side up. An experiment involving patients with…

Working Memory Boosted by Green Tea. Consuming green tea may enhance cognitive function, especially a person’s working memory. Researchers found that study participants who consumed a beverage that included green tea extract showed increased connectivity between the right superior parietal lobule and the frontal cortex of the brain. This action correlated with enhanced performance on…

Depression Common After Surviving Intensive Care. A new report reveals that one-third of patients experience depression after leaving intensive care. Researchers note that this depression typically expressed itself as physical rather than psychological symptoms such as weakness, appetite change, and fatigue. Study leader Dr. James Jackson explains, “The physical symptoms of depression are often resistant…

Good News if You are Obsessive-Compulsive. Research that involved questioning nearly 800 university students from sixteen countries shows that 94% of people experience unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, and/or impulses. These findings confirm that these thoughts are extremely common, which can reassure obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients that they are not that different from everyone else in…

Facebook Photos Cause Anxiety and Eating Disorders. A new report reveals that college women who spend more time on Facebook than their peers exhibit a higher frequency of appearance-focused behaviors and report more eating pathologies. The study’s authors explain, “Facebook merges powerful peer influences with broader societal messages that focus on the importance of women’s…

Angry Outbursts Increase Heart Attack Risks! Researchers at Harvard University report that heart attack risk increases nearly five times and stroke risk increases nearly three times in the two hours following at outburst of anger. Author Dr. Elizabeth Mostofsky adds, “Although the risk of experiencing an acute cardiovascular event with any single outburst of anger…

Alzheimer’s Deaths Larger Than Reported. A new report suggests that Alzheimer’s disease contributes to an estimated 500,000 deaths per year in the United States. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 83,494 Alzheimer’s deaths were reported in 2010, pointing to incorrect identification of the underlying cause of death. Study author Dr.…

Mentally Ill More Often Victims of Violence. According to a new report, mentally ill adults 50% more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence. Study author Dr. Sarah Desmarais writes, “We hear about the link between violence and mental illness in the news, and we wanted to look not only at the…