Exposure to Chemical from Babies Linked to Aggression

Eva Mishor, a study coauthor and neuroscientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel tells New Scientist, “Our study gives more power to the notion that humans communicate from the chemical volatiles they emit, and that we get lots of information from them.”Pheromones famously trigger the olfactory system in animals, and have been linked to mating and aggressive behavior. For example, compounds in mouse urine can induce male mice to fight each other, and a rabbit mother will attack her own offspring if she smells a different female rabbit, according to Science. However, the presence of pheromones in humans has not been confirmed. In a study published in Science Advances on November 19, scientists identified a compound known as hexadecanal that seems to increase aggression in women who smell it but suppress aggression in men.

See “Do Human Pheromones Exist?”

Hexadecanal, abbreviated HEX, is a chemical that humans emit from their skin, saliva, and feces, and is particularly abundant on babies’ heads, reports Science. Previous research found that smelling HEX has a relaxing effect on mice. In the new study, Mishor and her colleagues investigated whether HEX might affect human behavior—and, by extension, what role scent might play in human social interactions

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Science Says Your Brain Isn't Fully Developed Until You're This Age

While the age at which you legally become an adult is 18, your brain isn't fully developed yet. According to Insider, the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps with impulse control and that's still not completely done growing even when 18-year-olds are graduating high school and heading off to college, the military, working full-time, or backpacking across Europe. 

The Society for Neuroscience claims that the white matter in your brain doesn't peak until you are about 40 years of age. White matter is found deeper in the brain, while the gray matter is on the outside. White matter is made up of nerve fibers covered by myelin that serves to protect those neurons (via MedlinePlus). Maturity is connected to the prefrontal cortex, located at the front part of the frontal lobe. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for cognitive abilities and control, decision making, planning, problem-solving, and impulse control.

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Brain Cells that Trigger Sugar Cravings and Consumption Identified

Most people enjoy a sweet treat every now and then. But an unchecked "sweet tooth" can lead to overconsumption of sugary foods and chronic health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Understanding the biological mechanisms that control sugar intake and preference for sweet taste could have important implications for managing and preventing these health problems.

The new study, led by Matthew Potthoff, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience and pharmacology in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and Matthew Gillum, PhD, at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, focuses on actions of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). This hormone is known to play a role in energy balance, body weight control, and insulin sensitivity.

"This is the first study that's really identified where this hormone is acting in the brain and that has provided some very cool insights to how it's regulating sugar intake," says Potthoff, who also is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the UI and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute.

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Lockdown surge in domestic violence

A national helpline set up for perpetrators of domestic abuse has reported a surge in calls by 25%.

The Respect phone line, which provides confidential advice to perpetrators about violence and domestic abuse, had a 26.86% increase in calls in the week starting March 30, compared with the week before.

The Respect phone line website recorded an increase in hits of 125% in the same period.

South Cheshire based My CWA (formerly known as Cheshire Without Abuse) wants local people from across the county to know that during the coronavirus pandemic they are not alone, and that there is still support for people struggling with conflict during lockdown.

CEO Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie explained: "This lockdown has exacerbated so many things for so many families and whilst there is a lot of help and assistance highlighted for victims of abuse, there has been less media surrounding any help for the perpetrators domestic abuse.

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Have you ever said, 'I know exactly how you’re feeling'? Quit it.

transform Through Therapy specializes in online group therapy, with a special focus on grief and caregiving. In this series, they will be talking about COVID-19 and the impact it is having on mental health.

It's a common reaction. Someone is going through a hard situation — loss, hardship, for all of us in one way or another, COVID-19 — and deep down, it's an uncomfortable thing to talk about. So a natural reaction is for us to try and empathize by saying, "I know what you mean."

We all do it. We feel like conversationally, we're giving them a big hug.

But it's not often taken that way.

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Mind Reading and Mind Control Technologies Are Coming

The ability to detect electrical activity in the brain through the scalp, and to control it, will soon transform medicine and change society in profound ways. Patterns of electrical activity in the brain can reveal a person's cognition—normal and abnormal. New methods to stimulate specific brain circuits can treat neurological and mental illnesses and control behavior. In crossing this threshold of great promise, difficult ethical quandaries confront us.

MIND READING

The ability to interrogate and manipulate electrical activity in the human brain promises to do for the brain what biochemistry did for the body. When you go to the doctor, a chemical analysis of your blood is used to detect your body's health and potential disease. Forewarned that your cholesterol level is high, and you are at risk of having a stroke, you can take action to avoid suffering one. 

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Studying 'Split-Brain' Patients Taught Scientists Strange Things About the Brain

Some of the most amazing discoveries in neuroscience have come out of unusual brain conditions. For instance, Phineas Gage's devastating railway accident showed 19th-century scientists that the brain …

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Psychology Around the Net: December 7, 2019

This week's Psychology Around the Net takes a look at what to do if you think your child is at risk for mental illness, why self-regulation is so important for people with ADHD, the symptoms of problematic smartphone use, and the mental and physical fatigue that often accompanies chronic illness, and more. 

 Does Mental Illness Run in Families?: What should you do if you suspect your child is at risk of developing a mental disorder — especially when mental illness runs in your family? According to psychologist Scott Bea PsyD, an important first step is helping your child build resilience, a personality trait that helps children deal with the emotions caused by their thoughts. He goes on to suggest simple steps parents can do to help their child be emotionally strong before any real symptoms emerge. 

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A Mental Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Up to one-in-eight people may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 is crucial to the production of red blood cells and the healthy functioning of brain cells.

Its effect on mental processes is likely down to its involvement in the production of myelin.

Myelin is a material that surrounds neurons (brain cells) and also the connections between them, known as axons.

Fortunately, vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to correct either with supplementation or a change in diet.

Foods high in vitamin B12 include dairy, beef, salmon, eggs and low-fat milk.

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How to Expand Your Possibilities

"Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today." – Tim Fargo

If you feel a bit stagnated in life at this point and want to do something proactive to expand your possibilities, what can you realistically do? Here are some suggestions to consider:

Start with an open mindset.

You'll never know what you don't know if you automatically close yourself off to possibilities. Telling yourself that you lack the experience or education or background, or that you're from the wrong neighborhood, aren't outgoing enough, or possess various and sundry supposed character flaws is more an excuse than legitimate. Even if some of the negatives are true, a little resistance didn't stop many successful individuals, so why characterize yourself as incompetent, unlikely to succeed or undeserving of achievement.

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