Childhood Depression May Increase the Risk of Addiction Later in Life

Depression is not just a bad phase, but a serious mental disorder that needs to be treated like any other ailments. Due to the social stigma attached to mental illnesses, there has been a general lack of awareness and understanding about them. Researchers and health experts are making great efforts to help us learn more about depression and how it affects the way we think and act. A recent study, conducted by researchers from the University Medical Center Groninge in Netherlands, particularly focuses on childhood depression. According to it, children who suffer from depression or attention-deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD)…

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Smartphone Addiction May Up Obesity Risk in Adolescents

  Is your child spending more than five hours on digital devices such as tablets and smartphones? A new study warns that he or she may be 43 per cent more likely to be at risk of obesity. The study found that adolescents who spent more than five hours a day on screen devices were twice as likely to have a sugary drink every day and not get enough sleep or indulge in any kind of physical activity. Such children were nearly 43 per cent more likely to have obesity…

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Aussie Scientists Discover Brain Pathway for Salt Addiction

Australian scientists have identified the part of the brain responsible for salt addiction, considered one of the main causes of heart disease. Researchers from the University of Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute are hopeful that the discovery of the pathway could help develop a drug to suppress salt cravings and promote healthy eating, Xinhua news agency reported. The team is even hopeful that the discovery could lead to treatments for other addictions that use the same pathways in the brain such as heroin, morphine and other opiate-based painkillers. Craig Smith, a…

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Cocaine addiction vaccine a step closer

Brazilian researchers working to develop a vaccine against cocaine addiction have begun test trials on animals. The vaccine has been under development for more than two years, one of the lead researchers, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday citing local media. “We are developing a molecule to stimulate the production of antibodies by the immune system against cocaine,” said Professor Angelo de Fatima, of the Organic Chemistry department at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, at Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. “These antibodies bind to…

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