Health The brain that defied Alzheimer’s Genetic mutation found that could shed light on mechanism for disease resistance, lead to new therapies Neil Osterweil MGH News and Public Affairs August 1, 2022 5 min read Illustration by Roy Scott Aliria Rosa Piedrahita de Villegas should have developed Alzheimer’s disease in her 40s and died from the disease in her 60s because of a rare genetic mutation. Instead, she lived dementia-free into her 70s, and now...
Health Study reveals fentanyl’s effects on the brain The EEG tests reveal that fentanyl begins to impair breathing about four minutes before there is any change in alertness. Tests show why opioid is so deadly: ‘It stops people’s breathing before they even realize it’ Fentanyl is used to supplement sedation and relieve severe pain during and after surgery, but it’s also one of the deadliest drugs of the opioid epidemic. In research conducted by investigators...
Individuals with symptoms of anxiety or depression … were most vulnerable to developing cannabis use disorder, according to the study. iStock by Getty Images Health Medical marijuana may trigger substance abuse Tracy Hampton MGH News and Public Affairs March 18, 2022 4 min read The hype over medical marijuana for treating health problems may be exaggerated, researchers find Obtaining a medical marijuana card may pose a risk for those who use cannabis products to treat...
Health Excessive napping and Alzheimer’s linked in study Daytime naps may put cognitively normal older adults at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s Manisha Vadali BWH Communications March 17, 2022 4 min read iStock A new cohort study of older adults finds excessive daytime napping may signal an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital report a bidirectional link between daytime napping and cognitive aging: excessive daytime napping predicted an increased future...
This illustration shows the two main forms of disruptive protein clumps found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease: beta-amyloid plaques (seen in brown) that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function, and tau protein tangles (seen in blue) that build up within neurons, harming synaptic activity. Credit: National Institute on Aging, NIH Health Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s found well before diagnosis MGH News and Public Affairs May 2, 2022 4 min read Accumulation of...
Short-term study finds fries and almonds almost equal, but over the long haul, one takes the lead. iStock by Getty Images Health Sorry, fries are no match for almonds Maureen Salamon Harvard Health Blog Contributor May 10, 2022 2 min read Harvard expert challenges potato industry-funded study that finds little difference between the two foods In a perfect world, indulging in a daily portion of french fries instead of almonds would be a simple choice,...
iStock Health What’s behind post-COVID brain fog? Tamara Fong Harvard Health Blog Contributor March 17, 2022 3 min read Experts find no clear answers, but recognize it’s real As a neurologist working in the COVID Survivorship Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, I find that my patients all have similar issues. It’s hard to concentrate, they say. They can’t think of a specific word they want to use, and they are uncharacteristically forgetful. Those...
A new study finds that support groups alone are not always effective for managing the negative emotions associated with caring for a loved one with dementia. iStock by Getty Images Health Novel therapy reduces depression in family caregivers MGH News and Public Affairs March 15, 2022 4 min read Provides skills to better understand the mind of loved ones with dementia Family caregivers of loved ones with dementia often have high rates of depression and...
Learning to play an instrument engages the cognitive brain and creates the most potential for distraction and pain reduction. iStock by Getty Images Health Can music improve our health and quality of life? Lorrie Kubicek Harvard Health Blog Contributor July 26, 2022 3 min read New analysis finds music boosts our mood and well-being, may help during treatments for certain health conditions Recently, researchers looked at the impact of music interventions on health-related quality of...
The body naturally produces the hormone melatonin, but among older people levels of the hormone are on the decline. Iryna Imago/iStock Health Researchers find sleep benefit in higher dose of melatonin BWH Communications May 18, 2022 4 min read Supplements show promise in small study of older adults In a small study of healthy adults aged 55 and older, 5 mg of melatonin increased total sleep time compared to a placebo. Researchers from Brigham and...
