Psychological Medicine

Poverty is linked to poorer brain development – but reading can help counteract it

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Cognition, Association, Exercise, Poverty, Life, Observational study, Education, London, Parent, Policy, COVID-19, Intelligence, IQ, Brain, Research, Language, Computer, Mother, Economics, ABCD, Self-control, Data, Developed country, Income, Reading, Pleasure, Environment, Family, Mental health, Memory, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics, Adolescence, Toy, Medical imaging, Tutoring, Psychological Medicine

Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is important for boosting cognition and mental wellbeing.

Key Points: 
  • Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is important for boosting cognition and mental wellbeing.
  • Good brain health at this age is directly linked to better mental heath, cognition and educational attainment in adolescence and adulthood.
  • It is also associated with differences in brain structure, poorer cognition, behavioural problems and mental health symptoms.

Wealth and brain health

    • Being wealthy has also been linked with having more grey matter (tissue in the outer layers of the brain) in the frontal and temporal regions (situated just behind the ears) of the brain.
    • The association between wealth and cognition is greatest in the most economically disadvantaged families.
    • Importantly, the results from one study found that when mothers with low socioeconomic status were given monthly cash gifts, their children’s brain health improved.
    • But what are the reasons for these effects of poverty on the brain and academic achievement?

Reading for pleasure

    • The dataset contained measures of young adolescents ages nine to 13 and how many years they had spent reading for pleasure during their early childhood.
    • About half of the group of adolescents starting reading early in childhood, whereas the other, approximately half, had never read in early childhood, or had begun reading late on.
    • We discovered that reading for pleasure in early childhood was linked with better scores on comprehensive cognition assessments and better educational attainment in young adolescence.
    • Our results showed that reading for pleasure in early childhood can be beneficial regardless of socioeconomic status.
    • Our findings also have important implications for parents, educators and policy makers in facilitating reading for pleasure in young children.

Korea University Medicine Study Highlights a New Biomarker for Major Depressive Disorder

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Electricity, Neuroimaging, DSM-IV codes, Prefrontal cortex, Brain, Research, Associate, MRI, Professor, MDD, Patient, Risk, Recurrence, LGI, Regulation, Medical device, Medical imaging, Psychological Medicine

SEOUL, South Korea, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The human brain, specifically its outermost cortex, is riddled with folds or 'gyri' essential for its proper functioning. Unsurprisingly, therefore, abnormal gyrification i.e., the development of gyri, can manifest as serious neurological disorders, including the highly disabling and widespread mental illness­—major depressive disorder (MDD). Although the link between abnormal gyrification and MDD is well established, a reliable indicator or biomarker has so far remained out of reach.

Key Points: 
  • Unsurprisingly, therefore, abnormal gyrification i.e., the development of gyri, can manifest as serious neurological disorders, including the highly disabling and widespread mental illness­—major depressive disorder (MDD).
  • Although the link between abnormal gyrification and MDD is well established, a reliable indicator or biomarker has so far remained out of reach.
  • Now, researchers led by Professor Byung-Joo Ham and Associate Professor Kyu-Man Han from Korea University Medicine have successfully identified a neuroimaging-based biomarker for MDD in a recent study published on 8 May 2023 in Psychological Medicine .
  • Their findings attest to the suitability of using LGI as a biomarker of MDD.

NIH STUDY INVESTIGATES LINK BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND PREGNANCY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Birth weight, Depression, University, Pregnancy, ECHO, Biophysical environment, Bangladesh Technical Education Board, Research, Infant, Maternal health, Social support, Sympathy, Lifestyle (social sciences), California State University, Dominguez Hills, California State University, Hipwell, COVID-19, Doctor of Philosophy, Birth control, Nursing, Psychological Medicine

Pregnant women who reported receiving more emotional support and engaging in more physical activity before and during the pandemic had lower stress and fewer symptoms of depression.

Key Points: 
  • Pregnant women who reported receiving more emotional support and engaging in more physical activity before and during the pandemic had lower stress and fewer symptoms of depression.
  • The results also showed that the duration of pregnancies during the pandemic were slightly shorter on average, but there was no impact on infant birth weight.
  • "Providing access to emotional support and mental health care during pregnancy and encouraging more physical activity may help to improve maternal health," said Alison Hipwell, PhD, ClinPsyD, an ECHO Program investigator at the University of Pittsburgh.
  • Impact of Sedentary Behavior and Emotional Support on Prenatal Psychological Distress and Birth Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

MYND Diagnostics Inc. Announces Participation in Approved Monash University (Australia) Government Funded $3 Million Clinical Trial

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Depression, Doctor of Philosophy, CSO, Biomarker, Medical Research Future Fund, OTC, Psychological Medicine, CSE, Research, RSU, Company, Health Canada, Local government in Australia, Neuro, Clinical trial, FDA, Technology, Patient, Government, NBE, NCE, Psychiatry, Safety, University, Master, CEO, Monash University, MRFF, Regulation of food and dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Psilocybin, Vaccine, Australian Government, Deakin University, Food, TRD, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical device, BC

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - MYND Diagnostics Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MYND Life Sciences (CSE: MYND) (OTC: MYNDF),is pleased to announce that the Company's proprietary biomarker testing technology will be a pivotal component of a $3 million, Government of Australia funded clinical trial.

Key Points: 
  • VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - MYND Diagnostics Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MYND Life Sciences (CSE: MYND) (OTC: MYNDF),is pleased to announce that the Company's proprietary biomarker testing technology will be a pivotal component of a $3 million, Government of Australia funded clinical trial.
  • The study titled Evaluating the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treatment-resistant depression led by Dr. Paul Fitzgerald of Monash University has received approval for $3 million of the allocated government funds.
  • The study will utilize MYND Diagnostics' proprietary biomarkers to assess and then monitor blood indicators of a trial subject's response, progress and any relapsing to the psilocybin treatments administered in the trials.
  • Monash University professor Dr. Paul Fitzgerald will lead the project team with 7 other scientific collaborators from Monash University, Deakin University, and the University of Sydney.

MYND Diagnostics Inc. Announces Participation in a Monash University (Australia) Proposal for $3 Million Clinical Trial

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Psilocybin, Leadership, Government, Deakin University, Technology, Solution, Master, Lists of diseases, CSE, Monash University, Depression, Vaccine, OTC, Doctor of Philosophy, Population, Disease, Psychological Medicine, Clinical trial, Patient, Motivation, Food, Mental health, Health Canada, MDD, Neuro, Company, Plague, University, US Food Sovereignty Alliance, Psychiatry, Biomarker, Safety, Research, NDAS, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical device

The project team will be led by Professor Paul Fitzgerald, of Monash University with 7 scientific collaborators from Monash University, Deakin University and the University of Sydney.

Key Points: 
  • The project team will be led by Professor Paul Fitzgerald, of Monash University with 7 scientific collaborators from Monash University, Deakin University and the University of Sydney.
  • The proposed study is titled Evaluating the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treatment resistant depression and MYND Diagnostics' will play an integral role in the "evaluate" component.
  • MYND Life Sciences, the parent company of MYND Diagnostics INC., is a medical biotech drug research and development company focused on neuro-pharmaceutical and novel psilocybin drug development, diagnostics and vaccines.
  • The Company is advancing pharmaceuticals through rigorous science and clinical trials, while diligently patenting and safeguarding its intellectual property.