Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

Although the interaction between our brain and gut has been studied for years, its complexities run deeper than initially thought. It seems that our minds are, in some part, controlled by the bacteria in our bowels.

The gut has defenses against pathogens, but, at the same time, it encourages the survival and growth of "healthy" gut bacteria.

The vast majority of these single-celled visitors are based in the colon, where no less than 1 trillion reside in each gram of intestinal content.

Estimating the number of bacterial guests in our gut is challenging; to date, the best guess is that 40 trillion bacteria call our intestines home - partially dependent on the size of your last bowel movement (poop's major ingredient is bacteria).

Read more: Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

How much sway can a microbe hold? Bacterial influence over human psychology is slowly coming
into focus.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Language Learning Boosts Brain Plasticity And Ability To Code New Information

By studying brain electrical activity of volunteers, researchers found that language acquisition enhances brain plasticity and capacity for learning. In particular, they note that early language learning plays a significant role in the rapid formation of memory circuits for coding new information.

In a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the Higher School of Economics (HSE), in Moscow, Russia, and the University of Helsinki, in Finland, describe how they used EEG (electroencephalography) to probe the brain mechanisms involved in language learning in human volunteers.

Previous research has established that understanding the brain mechanisms involved in acquiring language helps enormously in the diagnosis and treatment of people with impaired speech following accidents, strokes, and other related conditions.

Read more: Language Learning Boosts Brain Plasticity And Ability To Code New Information

The researchers found that the more languages a volunteer had mastered, the faster the brain circuits
coding new information reacted.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Could Altered Gut Bacteria be a Cause?

What causes chronic fatigue syndrome? The answer to this question continues to baffle researchers, so much so that some have even questioned whether the condition exists. Now, a new study by researchers from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, may have shed light on a biological cause, after finding that patients with chronic fatigue have an altered gut microbiome.

Senior author Maureen Hanson, of the Departments of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Microbiology at Cornell, and colleagues publish their findings in the journal Microbiome.

Also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition characterized by extreme fatigue that does not improve with rest.

Read more: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Could Altered Gut Bacteria be a Cause?

Researchers found that people with CFS have abnormalities in their gut microbiome.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Diabetes and Stress: What's the Connection?

Diabetes is a complex disease, with varying risk factors and causes. Stress, especially long-term stress, interferes with the body's ability to manage blood sugar levels. As managing sugar levels becomes more difficult, the risk of long-term problems increases.

In this article, we will examine what stress is, how it is caused, and how it affects people living with diabetes. Since stress is a natural part of life, we will also discuss tips for managing and preventing stress.

Contents of this article:

1. What is stress?
2. How does stress affect people with diabetes?
3. Signs and symptoms of stress in people with diabetes
4. How can stress be managed and prevented?
5. Tips for reducing stress

Read more: Diabetes and Stress: What's the Connection?

Stress can cause blood sugar levels to rise in people with diabetes.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Your Lifespan can be Reduced by Mood and Stress.

A study, published this week in Molecular Psychiatry, finds the genetic basis of a poorly understood phenomenon. Mood and stress are known to contribute to shortened lifespans, and researchers may now have identified the genes that are involved.

A team from Indiana University School of Medicine and the Scripps Research Institute, CA, conducted a multifaceted project investigating the genetic basis of premature aging in response to stress and psychiatric illness.

Using human participants and Caenorhabditis elegans, one of planet Earth's most-studied worms, the researchers delved into this intractable question.

They managed to identify a raft of genes that seem to control the impact of mood and stress responses on the longevity of an organism.

Read more: Your Lifespan can be Reduced by Mood and Stress.

An in-depth study charts the genetics involved in the shortening of life in

response to mood and stress.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Bipolar, autism, and schizophrenia might share genetic origin

A new, in-depth genetic study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, finds a potential link between bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism. Although the findings are tentative, they open the door to new avenues of investigation.

Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depression, causes dramatic shifts in mood, along with swings in activity and energy levels.

Thought to affect almost 1 to 3 percent of Americans, bipolar disorder can be an incredibly disruptive condition.

Bipolar disorder is thought to share a common genetic origin with a number of other psychiatric conditions. Although evidence of this connection is growing, the search is still in its infancy.

New research, led by Dr. James Potash, puts another gene-shaped piece in the jigsaw. The study was a joint venture, conducted at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY.

Read more: Bipolar, autism, and schizophrenia might share genetic origin

The genetics behind psychiatric disorders are slowly revealed.

Source: medicalnewstoday