Monthly Archives: December 2015

Neuroscientists are investigating whether growing up poor affects children’s brains in ways that might also shape their lives. Katsnelson summarizes some of the recent research and current thinking on social policy development in this area. The full article is available … Continue reading →

Neurotrophins and glucocorticoids are strong synaptic modifiers, and deregulation of their activities is considered to be a risk factor for developing stress-related disorders. Low levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increase the desensitization of glucocorticoid receptors and vulnerability to stress, … Continue reading →

Stress is considered to be a predisposing factor to psychiatric disorders and has been associated with decreased neurogenesis and reduced hippocampal volume especially in depression. In white blood cells, chronic psychological stress has been associated with telomere shortening. The authors … Continue reading →

Sedentary behaviors and physical inactivity are increasing globally and are widely regarded as critical risk factors for adverse health outcomes. In this report, Hoang and colleagues examined the effects of 25-year patterns of sedentary behavior and television viewing on midlife … Continue reading →

“Epigenetic changes are associated with depression. Some depressed patients have increased DNA methylation and decreased expression of the gene encoding BDNF, a secreted factor important for synaptic plasticity. Rein et al. found that some antidepressants inhibit epigenetic changes by causing … Continue reading →