Lake forest health and fitness: November 2015

Monday, 30 November 2015

UK must curb 2-for-1 food promotions to crack obesity epidemic

A committee of MPs has urged the UK government to impose a tax on sugary drinks, but limiting discounts on both food and drink may have more impact

via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..

Cancer’s genetic tipping point reveals who’d benefit from chemo

To grow and spread, a tumour needs an unstable and mutating genome, but if these mutations go too far, the cancer becomes less deadly

via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..

Dogs May Ease a Child's Fears

Kids with pets in the home were less likely to test positive for anxiety than those without, study found

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Anxiety, Child Mental Health via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Could Your 'Holiday Blues' Be Seasonal Affective Disorder?

This form of depression runs in families, expert says

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Page: Seasonal Affective Disorder via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Why You Need Flexibility Exercises

Some joints lose up to half their motion with age, expert says

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Page: Exercise and Physical Fitness via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Celery-Onion Blend Is Cause of E.Coli Outbreak Tied to Costco Chicken Salad: CDC

Agency says samples of the salad ingredient tested positive for the bacteria and product has been recalled

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Pages: E. Coli Infections, Foodborne Illness via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Bullies May Face Higher Odds of Eating Disorders

Risk of anorexia or bulimia significantly higher than for kids not involved in bullying

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Bullying, Eating Disorders via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Buckle Up in The Backseat, Experts Advise

About 400 deaths a year might be prevented if more people wore rear seatbelts

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Page: Motor Vehicle Safety via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Sweat to Help Reduce Your Risk for Prostate Cancer

Vigorous exercise, nutritious diet lower odds for deadly forms of the disease, research suggests

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Diets, Exercise and Physical Fitness, Prostate Cancer via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Why You Need Flexibility Exercises

Some joints lose up to half their motion with age, expert says

Source: HealthDay via Exercise and Physical Fitness New Links: MedlinePlus RSS Feed Read More Here..

Sweat to Help Reduce Your Risk for Prostate Cancer

Vigorous exercise, nutritious diet lower odds for deadly forms of the disease, research suggests

Source: HealthDay via Exercise and Physical Fitness New Links: MedlinePlus RSS Feed Read More Here..

Pressure grows for 20% sugary drink tax

MPs, health organisations and charities call for tough action to combat child obesity

Related items from OnMedica

Parents urged to cut sugary drinks from children’s diets
GPs back campaign for sugar tax
BMA calls on government to support sugar tax
Impose 20% tax on sugary drinks, doctors urge government
GPs demand release of Hunt’s report on sugar tax

via OnMedica News Read More Here..

NI abortion law 'breaches human rights'

The High Court in Belfast rules abortion legislation in Northern Ireland is in breach of human rights laws. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

GP access plans ‘based on flawed information’

Report says changes occurring without full understanding of demand or capacity

Related items from OnMedica

BMA calls on PM to explain how a seven-day NHS will work
GPs angry at PM’s seven-day GP service pledge
Sunday GP services ‘not in demand’
Most patients happy with GPs – and opening hours
Public wants NHS to prioritise 7-day GP access

via OnMedica News Read More Here..

Accelerate expansion of antiretroviral therapy to all people living with HIV: WHO

On World AIDS Day WHO emphasizes that expanding antiretroviral therapy to all people living with HIV is key to ending the AIDS epidemic within a generation.

“The Millennium Development Goal of reversing the HIV epidemic was reached ahead of the 2015 deadline - an incredible achievement that testifies to the power of national action and international solidarity," declared WHO Director General, Margaret Chan. via WHO news Read More Here..

Maternity medics threaten mass exodus

New contract would lead to loss of two-thirds of junior obstetrics and gynaecology doctors

Related items from OnMedica

Neonatal staff shortage warning
Junior doctors may stage full walk out
Junior doctors say yes to industrial action
Junior doctor dispute to go to talks at Acas
Failure to resolve juniors’ contract ‘will destabilise NHS’

via OnMedica News Read More Here..

Many parents never talk to their children about mental health

New TV, radio and online campaign hopes to get children and parents talking

Related items from OnMedica

Child mental health services boost
Friendships, sport and reading books linked to teen mental health
Survey reveals 'fragile' state of girls’ wellbeing
Fifth of all children referred to specialist mental health services rejected for treatment
GPs to lead on improving children’s access to mental health

via OnMedica News Read More Here..

New pledge to end TB by 2035

But experts warn massive investment is required to meet the target

Related items from OnMedica

Tackling tuberculosis
Most TB in Europe confined to big cities
TB rates in London ‘worse than Rwanda’
Action plan launched to wipe out TB in England
Multidrug-resistant TB spreads less easily than ‘normal’ TB

via OnMedica News Read More Here..

Tax on sugary drinks backed by MPs

A tax on sugary drinks should be introduced as part of a "bold and urgent" set of measures to tackle child obesity in England, MPs say. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Parents 'avoid mental health talks'

More than half of parents in England have never spoken to their children about stress, anxiety and depression, a survey suggests. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Sunday, 29 November 2015

Brazil links fever to birth defects

The Brazilian health ministry confirms a link between a mosquito-borne virus from Africa, Zika Fever, and a high incidence of birth defects. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Saturday, 28 November 2015

Sex – Is It All In the Brain?

There is no doubt that our sexual behavior is controlled by our brain. The brains of males and females are different and work differently when it comes to sex. But what exactly determines the difference in sexual behavior and traits between the genders?

Sigmund Freud believed that sex drive is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. Freud theorized that procreation of the species is an overriding priority for any organism. Human beings are driven to higher levels of growth and development due to sensual and sexual development. But where does our sex drive, which is such a powerful motivator of behavior, actually come from?

Sexual drive and desire is the result of an orchestration between our sensory systems (vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch), the endocrine/hormonal system, and the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two branches. The sympathetic system increases our physiological activity in response to an emergency and the parasympathetic system restores our physiological activity to normal level after an emergency has passed. Executive decision making processes are regulated by the right frontal lobe, the part of the brain behind the right side of the forehead.

Sex in regions of the brain

Sexual behavior is regulated in various part of the brain, including the hypothalamus. This structure is in our emotional control center which also regulates hunger, appetite, thirst, and body temperature. Basically, the hypothalamus is responsible for the short-term and long-term survival of our bodies, and thus the viability of the species. Without food or water, or without the ability to regulate our body temperature, we would not survive long. Without sex, there would be no procreation of our species. This area of the brain is associated with sexual desire.

The amygdala is near the hypothalamus, and is responsible for alerting us to changes in our environment detected by our senses. This part of the brain is also associated with sexual arousal. During sexual arousal, our bodies show the same signs as they would in a life-threatening emergency: muscle tension, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, perspiring, pupillary dilation, and tunnel vision.

The nucleus accumbens is the pleasure center of the brain. Anything that is pleasurable will activate the nucleus accumbens. Dopamine, a neurochemical messenger associated with pleasure, reward, and reinforcement, flows into this area, and gives this message: that was fun/ felt good/tasted good/smelled good, don’t forget, do it again. A similar mechanism has been found even in organisms as simple as nematodes, which will choose food over sex, and demonstrate the ability to remember past sexual encounters.

An individual can be sexually aroused by a variety of sensory input, such as seeing a beautiful member of opposite sex, the taste of their lover’s skin, the sound of their lover’s voice, a light touch, the smell of perfume, or experiencing these stimuli in one’s own imagination.

The sexual response cycle

The sexual response cycle is divided into four phases which correspond to various neurological processes:

Desire starts with sensory input or cognitive processes.
Excitement ensues, increasing activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.
Orgasm involves a peak activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system
Resolution is activation of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.

In the desire phase, the amygdala has selected incoming sensory information as very critical and worth noticing. This leads to sympathetic nervous system activation, which peaks during orgasm. After orgasm, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, and slows us down to normal again. Throughout this process, the nucleus accumbens is receiving dopamine, and sending the message that this is great, keep going, and don’t forget how much fun this was. This provides reinforcement to repeat the behavior. If sex was not so reinforcing, we would not be so motivated to do it, and again, there would be no procreation, and also less bonding and attachment between couples.

Differences between the genders

It is apparent, sometimes painfully so, that men and women perceive the world differently, process information differently, and have very different emotional responses to the same stimuli. Part of the reason for this is the difference in the male brain and female brain, particularly in the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus is composed of dense neural centers, or nuclei. Several hypothalamic nuclei are sexually dimorphic, meaning there are apparent differences in their structure and function between genders. Most of the differences are in the neural connections, and neurotransmitter and hormonal sensitivity in particular areas. These structural and functional differences are manifested behaviorally by differences in sexual behaviors in men and women.

Men prefer the scent and appearance of women over other men, which is the start of male desire and initiating sexual behavior. If the sexually dimorphic nucleus is damaged, this sexual preference for females by men is reduced.

Researchers found an association between sexual orientation in males and a part of the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The suprachiasmatic nucleus in homosexual men is larger than in heterosexual men. Hypertrophied or enlarged SCN resulted in bisexual behavior in male rats as well. The part of the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) known as the Third Interstitial Nucleus of the Anterior Hypothalamus (INAH 3) is nearly two times larger in heterosexual men than in homosexual men and heterosexual women.

Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), scientists observed how hypothalamus responds to the scent of the hormone testosterone in male sweat, and the scent of the hormone estrogen in female urine. These studies showed that the hypothalamus of heterosexual men and homosexual women both activated in response to estrogen, while the hypothalamus of both homosexual men and heterosexual women activate in response to testosterone.

Sexual behaviors do not originate in the genitals or other erogenous parts. The signals that lead to arousal start there, but their destination is the brain.The male and female brains have small but critical differences in structure and function, which determine our individual sexuality.

References

Sammut, M., Cook, S., Nguyen, K., Felton, T., Hall, D., Emmons, S., Poole, R., & Barrios, A. (2015). Glia-derived neurons are required for sex-specific learning in C. elegans Nature, 526 (7573), 385-390 DOI: 10.1038/nature15700

Savic, I., Berglund, H., & Lindstrom, P. (2005). Brain response to putative pheromones in homosexual men Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102 (20), 7356-7361 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0407998102

Stahl, S. (2010). Circuits of Sexual Desire in Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 71 (05), 518-519 DOI: 10.4088/JCP.10bs06115whi

Swaab DF, & Hofman MA (1990). An enlarged suprachiasmatic nucleus in homosexual men. Brain research, 537 (1-2), 141-8 PMID: 2085769

Swaab DF, Slob AK, Houtsmuller EJ, Brand T, & Zhou JN (1995). Increased number of vasopressin neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of ‘bisexual’ adult male rats following perinatal treatment with the aromatase blocker ATD. Brain research. Developmental brain research, 85 (2), 273-9 PMID: 7600674

Image via LuckyKeeper / Shutterstock.

via Brain Blogger Read More Here..

Monday, 30 November 2015

Sunday, 29 November 2015

Saturday, 28 November 2015

Friday, 27 November 2015