ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News

Oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone that acts as a chemical messenger in the brain, showed no evidence of helping children with autism gain social skills, according to a large national study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, addiction treatment providers rapidly pivoted to providing services via telehealth. New research highlights the potential for telehealth delivery to increase patient engagement by improving access and convenience. However, it also finds limited evidence that telehealth results in better retention or other outcomes relative to in-person treatment.

Biologists have found that mother roundworms can pass stress signals to future generations. The biologists report a mother roundworm exposed to a stressor can even under certain conditions pass the memory of that exposure to their grandchildren.

Converting advances in scientific knowledge and innovations in cardiac care into improvements in patient outcomes requires comprehensive cardiac systems of care optimize cardiac care delivery. New recommendations support policies that standardize the delivery of cardiac care, lower barriers to emergency care for STEMI heart attacks, ensure patients receive care at appropriate hospitals in a timely manner and improve access to secondary prevention and rehabilitation and recovery resources after a heart attack.

Researchers have developed a completely new stimulation method, using ultra-thin microelectrodes, to combat severe pain. This provides effective and personalized pain relief without the common side effects from pain relief drugs.

According to time-honored advice, drinking a glass of warm milk at bedtime will encourage a good night's rest. Milk's sleep-enhancing properties are commonly ascribed to tryptophan, but scientists have also discovered a mixture of milk peptides, called casein tryptic hydrolysate (CTH), that relieves stress and enhances sleep. Now, researchers have identified specific peptides in CTH that might someday be used in new, natural sleep remedies.

The incredible stress parents experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the eating habits of their children, according to a new study.

The findings of a new study suggest that childhood adversity is a major contributor to early and preventable causes of mortality and a powerful determinant of long term physical and mental health. Researchers found that childhood adversity is associated with elevated risk for chronic disease including heart disease and cancer.