Research into how the brain makes decisions found that in people who say they are undecided on an issue, the unconscious part of the brain often makes a decision before the conscious mind is aware of it.
Siblings of children with autism are at higher risk of developing the disorder. A study suggests that these at-risk children should be screened around their first and second birthdays to increase the chance of detecting warning signs.
Pregnant and nursing women concerned about consuming too much mercury from seafood can safely eat fish if they follow certain guidelines regarding the quantity and kinds of fish they eat.
Medicare now pays doctors less to give hormone injections to treat prostate cancer. The hormones stop testosterone from being made. This helps keep the cancer in check. After Medicare reduced these payments, fewer men got the shots. More men started getting surgery to stop testosterone instead. A study found that doctors gave fewer shots after Medicare cut payments in half. The study appears in the April 7 online version of the journal Cancer. The Associated Press wrote about the study the same day it was published online.
Caring for a child with a mental health problem causes a greater financial burden on the family than caring for a child with some other type of medical problem.
A test that measures readiness to change as an indicator of success in substance abuse treatment finds that those who are most prepared to change tend to be those with the most serious problems, but this does not mean they will be most likely to succeed.
A study found that people taking antipsychotic medications, which can cause weight gain, were able to lower their body mass index and improve their overall health by taking metformin, which lowers blood sugar.
Researchers are exploring a potential link between thyroid deficiency and mental health problems. Though the findings are inconsistent, there is evidence that thyroid medication can help those with depression, even if their thyroid function is normal.
Medications under study may be able to treat Alzheimer’s disease, by targeting the abnormalities that develop in the brain long before the disease manifests.