StevenSaus

Brain enlargement may be linked to symptom severity in kids with autism spectrum disorder

Specifically, social and communication symptoms appear to be more severe in children who display brain overgrowth on MRI scans. Experts believe this overgrowth may be associated with alterations in the activity of the Ndel1 enzyme, which is related to embryonic neuron differentiation and migration.

Study: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-024-00602-8

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15700734

The mental health of adolescents and young adults has been on the decline and it’s partly because of “harmful megatrends” like financial inequality, according to a new report published on Tuesday in the scientific journal The Lancet Psychiatry. The global trends affecting younger generations also include wage theft, unregulated social media, job insecurity and climate change, all of which are creating “a bleak present and future for young people in many countries,” according to the authors.

Full text link: https://dnyuz.com/2024/08/13/are-we-thinking-about-the-youth-mental-health-crisis-all-wrong/

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15454358

A new study suggests virtual reality pain relief interventions may be effective at reducing pain in hospitalized populations with cancer.

As Texas adults struggle to access mental health care, people in San Antonio are turning to faith leaders, new data shows.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15413291

Perceptive announced it performed the world's first fully automated dental procedure using a robot. The system integrates AI, 3D imaging, and robotics, enabling tasks like crown placements in just 15 minutes. Perceptive claims their robotic dentist can diagnose and plan treatments using a 3D volumetric data procedure and an optical coherence technology (OCT) scan. Perceptive's CEO, Chris Ciriello, mentioned that FDA approval could take up to five years.

A direct quote from the finance minister of Israel today: "Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral, until our hostages are returned."

Calls to Oklahoma's 988 Mental Health Lifeline increased by 44% in its second full year, with 36,493 calls received. Officials attribute the rise to growing awareness, ongoing mental health challenges, and reduced stigma. Calls are typically answered within 12 to 14.5 seconds, with 72% resolved over the phone. Mobile crisis teams are dispatched for 12% of calls, with 20% of those requiring further mental healthcare.

As if people with anxiety don’t have enough to worry about, a new study is adding to that list — suggesting the disorder may nearly triple the risk of developing dementia years later.

“We have known for a long time that stress increases risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the study, via email. “This study agrees with earlier studies that therapy aimed at alleviating anxiety can help reduce risk for (Alzheimer’s disease). But, it’s the size of this study that is particularly compelling.”

Around a quarter of adolescent girls who have been in relationships have endured physical or sexual violence, a World Health Organization study said on Tuesday, calling for more prevention actions. The WHO analysis published in the Lancet medical journal was based on surveys from thousands of adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 from 154 countries and areas. It showed that 24% of them had been subjected to intimate partner violence at least once, with 16% reporting it in the past year.

Mental health inequities are projected to cost the U.S. $14 trillion between now and 2040, according to a new study from the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College and the Deloitte Health Equity Institute.

The analysis concluded that unaddressed mental health conditions create a significant economic burden for the country and that eliminating inequities in treatment could lead to significant savings on health care.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/14951340

Dementia patients at Kaiser Permanente and UCSF Health have increasingly utilized telehealth services. A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine revealed a significant rise in telehealth usage among these patients, who often face travel difficulties due to complex medical issues. The study compared data from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022, showing a drop in in-person visits and an increase in hybrid and telehealth-only care. Kaiser Permanente primarily used phone visits and offered "virtual rooming," while UCSF favored video visits and provided tech support in patients' preferred languages.

Toxic “forever chemicals” are increasingly appearing in U.S. pesticides — contaminating waterways and posing a possible threat to human health, a new study has found.

Pesticides containing these compounds, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are used widely nationwide on staple foods, such as corn, wheat, kale, spinach, apples and strawberries, according to the study, published Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives.