Jul 2022
Research on food’s impact on cognitive decline is mired in complexity.
How scientists are shifting their search for links between diet and dementia
Feb 2020
A study hints that a hallucinogen could reshape how people cope with hard diagnoses
Psilocybin may help cancer patients with depression and anxiety for years
Jan 2018
The World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to recognize gaming disorder as a mental health disease in 2018. The 11th revision of the WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is a major worldwide reference for epidemiological, clinical, and health-management issues, will include a new listing for a mental health condition termed "gaming disorder," which is related to an individual's overuse of video-game playing. Specifically, this newly classified mental health disorder is characterized by recurrent or persistent gaming behavior in an individual, resulting in the individual's significant impairment in real-life activities and functions, including the deterioration of familial, social, and professional relationships. According to WHO, the condition is manifested particularly by "impaired control over gaming," "increasing priority given to gaming," and "escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences." In many ways, gaming disorder will be diagnosed similarly to other addictive disorders. See also: Addiction and addictive disorders; Brain; Computer peripheral devices; Human-computer interaction; Mental disorders; Psychology; Video disk; Video games; Virtual reality
Gaming disorder is recognized as a mental health disease
Mar 2019
The bacteria that live in the gut (gastrointestinal tract) constitute a large part of an individual's microbiome (also known as microbiota). In general, gut bacteria, also referred to as the microbial flora of the gut, are harbored by normal, healthy humans. Intriguingly, researchers have discovered interactions between the microbiome and the organ systems of the human body. In other words, the gut can be viewed as an ecosystem that may affect the functionality of these various organ systems. In particular, abnormalities within or damage to the bacterial ecosystem of the gut may affect human health and lead to disease states, including those pertaining to the central nervous system and mental health. In fact, the ability of gut bacteria to affect the brain, and thus affect psychological function and behavior, is being studied in a number of investigations. See also: Brain; Central nervous system; Digestive system; Gastrointestinal tract disorders; Human microbiota; Microbial ecology; Microbiome; Psychology
Possible association between depression and gut bacteria
Sep 2018
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the way that a person relates to and communicates with other people. In addition, autism is characterized by restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped behavior. One unusual aspect of this condition is that many autistic individuals also experience problematic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, although the underlying mechanisms have yet to be determined. Therefore, researchers have sought to ascertain whether the gut's microbiome influences behavior. See also: Autism; Gastrointestinal tract disorders; Microbiology; Microbiome
Possible connection between autism and the gut microbiome
Aug 2019
Psychedelic drugs, also termed hallucinogenic or psychotomimetic drugs, induce transient states of altered perception resembling or mimicking the symptoms of psychosis and are characterized by profound alterations in mood. Because psychedelic drugs have been poorly studied since the 1970s (when research investigating these drugs fell out of favor) and can have extreme effects on individuals, they are highly regulated, prohibited, or illegal in many countries around the world. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for clinical trials involving the use of psychedelic drugs to treat a number of psychiatric or mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia, alcoholism, opioid dependence, and other affective (mood) or addictive disorders. In addition, clinical trials are being conducted in other countries besides the United States, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom. See also: Addiction and addictive disorders; Affective disorders; Alcoholism; Anorexia nervosa; Anxiety disorders; Brain; Depression; Hallucination; Mental disorders; Perception; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychopharmacology; Psychosis; Psychotomimetic drugs
Potential use of psychedelic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders