Summary: Researchers have developed a blood test that analyzes gene activity to identify newborns who, after oxygen deprivation at birth, are at heightened risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Source: Imperial College London New early blood test may predict which infants affected by birth oxygen deprivation will develop serious neurodisabilities such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy. A … Read more

Summary: Low-level lead exposure during development does not by itself cause alcohol use disorder, but it changes brain circuits so that if addiction develops, it increases the likelihood of relapse and makes it harder to resist returning to alcohol use. Source: Indiana University New Indiana University research explains how low-level developmental lead exposure can reshape … Read more

School counselors are central to students’ wellbeing and to the smooth functioning of schools. Their work combines professional expertise in counseling theory, practical techniques, and tools with the trust they build with students and families (Coleman & Yeh, 2011). Although counselors work within job descriptions, guidelines, and school policies, they shape their practice around professional … Read more

Researchers have for the first time linked the brains of pairs of rats electronically, allowing the animals to communicate directly and solve simple behavioral tasks. In a follow-up test, the team successfully connected two rats located thousands of miles apart—one in Durham, North Carolina, and the other in Natal, Brazil. The experiments point to the … Read more

Working in mental health means regularly supporting people who are emotionally stressed or distressed, and that emotional labor can create a taxing environment for therapists themselves. Which naturally raises the question: who cares for the caregivers? Claire Dunne (2015) revisits Carl Jung’s idea of the “wounded healer”: therapists and analysts often draw on their own … Read more

Summary: Increasing fish consumption may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, according to researchers. The study identifies the fish protein parvalbumin as capable of preventing formation of harmful alpha‑synuclein amyloids. Source: Chalmers University of Technology. New research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden highlights a possible biological link between eating … Read more

New analysis casts doubt on the reliability of many neuroscience studies, pointing to small sample sizes and low statistical power as key problems. Researchers led by the University of Bristol examined 48 neuroscience meta-analyses published in 2011 and found that the average statistical power of the studies included was roughly 20 percent. In practical terms, … Read more

School is a formative environment that helps shape who children and young people become. The experiences students have in school influence their future growth, choices, and wellbeing. Positive experiences at school are linked to lasting benefits, including lower risk-taking behaviors and a stronger sense of preparedness for future goals (Furlong, Gilman, & Huebner, 2014). Positive … Read more

The central nervous system’s primary role is to coordinate movement. Skilled actions depend on multiple processes—planning, initiation, execution, and refinement—and new experiments at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus show that the sensorimotor cortex is essential for initiating and carrying out a complex learned movement. When researchers temporarily switched off this cortical region … Read more

Summary: A small clinical study finds that short-term exposure to moderate cold activates brown adipose tissue (brown fat) and increases energy expenditure, enabling people with active brown fat to burn roughly 15% more calories—approximately an extra 20 kilocalories—compared with those who lack detectable brown fat. Source: The Endocrine Society Short-term cold exposure and brown fat: … Read more