This Week’s Top 5 Psychology News

This week I read different news articles, all of which were interesting. It was hard to pick my top 5 researches, but I chose these based on the medical advances in the psychology area and cool facts that I previously did not know. These are my top 5:

Impaired Kidney Function Link to Dementia

A team led by M. Arfan Ikram and Sanaz Sedaghat conducted a study at the Erasmus University Medical Center that linked poor kidney function to dementia. The team examined information from 2645 participants. They focused on the participants kidney function and blood flow to the brain. The findings were that poor kidney function, decreased blood flow to the brain linking it to dementia. This research suggests that by improving certain medical conditions, it may reduce the risk of developing future brain diseases.

Voters Prefer Politicians with Deep Voices

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Miami and Duke University suggested that people prefer leaders with deep voices because of their “caveman instincts”. We have this instinct because leadership back then was most likely due to physical power. The study had 800 adult participants complete a survey based on hypothetical candidates, and listened to the voice recordings of each candidate. The voices were manipulated by using a computer software. The results were that candidates with deep voices won by 60 to 76% of the votes.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease May Cause Anxiety Disorders

A team led by Esme Fuller-Thomson at the University of Toronto, conducted a study that suggests people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis have a higher risk of developing anxiety disorders. The research team looked at 269 adults that have inflammatory bowel disease. Those who had moderate to severe pain were twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder compared to those with mild or no pain. This study was not designed to prove a cause and effect, but it suggests that physical and mental health go hand in hand and that this should be worked together to help patients in the future.

Eating Disorder: Excess Use of Body Building Supplements

A study conducted by Richard Achiro and his team at Alliant International University in LA suggests that men who excessively use over the counter body building supplements in order to achieve their ideal body image have an eating disorder. It is believed that the misuse is due to the advertising of this products. It is sold as the solution to attain the perfect masculine image. The study asked 195 men between the ages of 18 to 65 to complete an online survey about their use of enhancing supplements. The results were that 40% increased the use of supplements, while 22% switched their regular meals with supplements that are not intended to replace meals. This study shows that it is important to asses and treat the psychological effects of overusing body building supplements.

New discovery: Immune System Connected via Vessel Previously Unknown

Research led by professor Jonathan Kipnis and his team discovered the brain is connected to the immune system by vessels that were thought didn’t exist. The vessels are located in the meninges and the reason it was not discovered before is because the vessels run near major blood vessels making it difficult to see. This means that all textbooks have to be rewritten and that this may revolutionize the study and treatment of neurological diseases.

I hope you enjoyed my top picks for the week. My personal favorite was the discovery of new vessels in the meninges that are directly connected to the immune system. I believe this discover will revolutionize our knowledge and treatment of brain immune disorders. I also thought the study of deep voices was cool, who would of thought voters prefer candidates with deep voices! Which was your favorite research news? Did you enjoy my top 5? Let me know by commenting on the bottom.

References

Medical News Today. (2015). Bodybuilding supplement overuse ‘an eating disorder’. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297895.php

PsyBlog. (2015). Missing Link Found From Brain To The Immune System. http://www.spring.org.uk/2015/08/missing-link-found-from-brain-to-the-immune-system.php

Robert Preidt. (2015). Crohn’s Disease, Colitis Tied to Anxiety in Study. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/08/04/crohns-disease-colitis-tied-to-anxiety-in-study

Robert Preidt. (2015). Deep-Voiced Politicians May Have Advantage: Study. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/08/07/deep-voiced-politicians-may-have-advantage-study

ScienceDaily. (2015). Kidney impairment decreases blood flow to the brain, boosting risk of brain disorders. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150806171242.htm