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Regular exercise may reduce the risk of depression , even in people who are genetically prone to the condition, according to a new study. "Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, genes are not destiny and that being physically active has the potential to neutralize the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically vulnerable," study lead author Karmel Choi, postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement. The study discovered that certain genes boost risk of depression of a person while increased levels of exercise essentially cancelled out that genetic risk, Live Science reported. According to the study, for every four hours of exercise per week, participants saw a reduction of 17 per cent in their chances of experiencing bouts of depression over the next two years. The study was published on Tuesday in the journal Depression and Anxiety. Readmore

Individuals with tattoos are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health issue and report sleep problems, a recent study suggests. In a survey-based study published in the International Journal of Dermatology, the researchers also pointed out that people who had tattoos were more likely to be smokers, to have spent time in jail, and to have a higher number of sex partners. The survey was conducted in July of 2016 and resulted in a sample of 2,008 adults residing in the United States. "Previous research has established an association between having a tattoo and engaging in risky behaviours. In an era of the increasing popularity of tattoos, even among women and working professionals, we find these relationships persist but are not associated with lower health status," said Karoline Mortensen, lead author of the study. Interim Budget 2019

Budget 2019 : People with autism can recognise complex emotions such as regret and relief in fellow humans, shows a research that breaks a persistent stereotype that people with mental, emotional and behavioural disorders lack empathy and cannot understand emotion. Psychologists from the University of Kent in Britain used eye-tracking technology to monitor the adults as they read stories in which a character made a decision and then experienced a positive or negative outcome. They found that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were quickly able to think about how things might have turned out differently (either better or worse than reality) and then judge whether the story character would regret or get relief which is known as counterfactual emotions. The findings, published in the journal Autism Research, demonstrated that they were just as good at recognizing regret emotions in the character as adults without the condition and even better at computing relief....

Budget 2019 : While scrolling through Facebook or Instagram , did you ever feel that everyone else is living their life better than you? Such social media behaviours are linked with major depressive disorder (MDD), said researchers. In a study of over 500 millennials who actively use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat, the team from the Texas State University identified five key social media factors associated with MDD. Individuals who were more likely to compare themselves to others better off than they were, those who indicated that they would be more bothered by being tagged in unflattering pictures and those less likely to post pictures of themselves along with other people were more likely to meet the criteria for MDD . The study, reported in the Journal of Applied Biobehavioural Research, also found that participants following over 300 Twitter accounts were less likely to have MDD. Participating in negative social media behaviours is also associated wi...

Budget 2019 : A recent study has linked post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience Research. In the study of 84 individuals diagnosed with PTSD (39 victims of terrorist attacks and 45 victims of other traumatic events), males were more likely to have circulatory and metabolic complications, whereas females had a higher prevalence of benign and malignant cancers . A longer duration of PTSD was associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, while PTSD following terrorist attacks was associated with a higher cancer prevalence. "An explanation of why victims of terrorism may have a higher cancer prevalence than victims of other traumatic events, such as accidents, may be the intentional infliction of harm on the victim causing a more dysregulated stress response. A challenge for the future is monitoring the physical health of victims over time and understanding psycholog...

Budget 2019 : Physical exercise can help counter the loss of memory caused by Alzheimer 's as well as delay the onset of the most common type of dementia, according to a study. Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), established a link between levels of irisin, a hormone produced by the body during exercise, and the development of the progressive disease, Xinhua news agency reported. The tests, carried out on rats with Alzheimer's, showed low levels of irisin in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers, and a reversal in memory loss when irisin levels were boosted through physical exercise. The study showed that "the levels of this hormone are in fact decreased in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's", said Sergio Ferreira, Professor at the UFRJ. In addition, the team showed that by boosting the levels of the hormone, " memory improves ". By showing that "irisin is an important mediator of the benefi...

Business Standard : A recent study has found a link between age-related hearing loss and depression. The findings suggest the greater the hearing loss in elderly individuals, the greater the risk of having depressive symptoms. Thus, the treatment of age-related hearing loss could be one way to head off late-life depression. The study was published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. "Most people over age 70 have at least mild hearing loss, yet relatively few are diagnosed, much less treated, for this condition," said lead author Justin S. Golub. "Hearing loss is easy to diagnose and treat, and treatment may be even more important if it can help ease or prevent depression." Age-related hearing loss is the third-most common chronic condition in older adults . The condition is known to raise the risk of other conditions, such as cognitive impairment and dementia. But there are few large studies asking whether hearing loss may lead to dep...

Business Standard : The risk of developing depression and anxiety is higher among adults with cerebral palsy as compared to their peers without the condition, according to a study. The findings have appeared in the journal JAMA Neurology . A team of researchers led by Dr Kimberley Smith from the University of Surrey and Dr Jennifer Ryan from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland investigated the mental health of those with cerebral palsy and compared it with peers of a similar age, sex, and socioeconomic status, who were not sufferers. Intellectual difficulties, which can affect many with the condition, were also examined to determine if they have an impact on the development of depression and anxiety. Researchers examined up to 28 years of UK primary care data of 1,700 adults aged 18 or older with cerebral palsy, and 5,115 adults who did not have the condition. Researchers found that the risk of depression was 28 per cent higher and the risk of anxiety was 40 per...

Google Glass -- an eye-wearable device that made headlines in 2015 but failed in the consumer technology space -- has now rekindled the hopes of millions of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally, including in India. Although no official numbers are available, at least 70 million people have autism worldwide, including over 10 million in India. According to Dr Ned Sahin, Founder and CEO of Brain Power, a US-based science-driven company, Augmented Reality (AR)-powered wearable computers can help those with ASD gain confidence, clarity, understanding, social integration and self-sufficiency. There is no cure for autism but early diagnosis and intervention with therapies does improve the long-term outcome. "We need help. We need families and schools to support the first wave of technology for autism and special school communities. "I am open to collaboration if there is an interest from schools, organisations and families from India. We can custo...

Using Facebook in moderation can boost happiness in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a study has found. The finding could not be generalised to overall use of social media, however, because the same was not true of those who used Twitter, researchers said. Researchers from Fielding Graduate University and University of Virginia in the US found that while happiness and Facebook use increased together up to a certain point, the beneficial effect of social media use then waned. The researchers propose that that ability to interact with others on Facebook, instead of in more challenging face-to-face interactions may help protect these individuals against mental health issues associated with ASD such as depression. "Some studies report that up to 50 per cent of adults with ASD have co-occurring social anxiety disorder. Facebook may provide a safe starting point for training and refinement of conversational skills," said Brenda K Wiederhold, Editor-i...