Anxiety tagged posts

Scientists discover brain mechanism that helps overcome fear

Brain slice showing projections in yellow, pink and blue
Coronal brain slice showing projections from different visual areas in the cerebral cortex to the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN). These pathways are part of the circuit identified as mediating the suppression of instinctive fear responses.

Researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Center (SWC) at UCL have unveiled the precise brain mechanisms that enable animals to overcome instinctive fears. Published in Science, the study in mice could have implications for developing therapeutics for fear-related disorders such as phobias, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The research team, led by Dr. Sara Mederos and Professor Sonja Hofer, mapped out how the brain learns to suppress responses to perceived threats that prove harmless over time.

“Humans are born with inst...

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Brief Anger may Impair Blood Vessel Function

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Heart disease is the Number 1 killer in the United States.
Brain, right lung, left lung, heart, right kidney, left kidney.
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copyright American Heart Association

A brief episode of anger triggered by remembering past experiences may negatively impact the blood vessels’ ability to relax, which is essential for proper blood flow, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Previous research has found that impairment of blood vessels’ ability to relax may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which may, in turn, increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

“Impaired vascular functi...

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Long COVID can impact Fatigue and Quality of Life worse than some Cancers, finds new study

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Fatigue is the symptom that most significantly impacts the daily lives of long COVID patients, and can affect quality of life more than some cancers, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Exeter.

The research, published in BMJ Open , examines the impact of long COVID on the lives of over 3,750 patients who were referred to a long COVID clinic and used a digital app as part of their NHS treatment for the condition.

Patients were asked to complete questionnaires on the app about how long COVID was affecting them—considering the impact of long COVID on their day-to-day activities, levels of fatigue, depression, anxiety, breathlessness, brain fog, and their quality of life.

The researchers found that many long COVID p...

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How many people get ‘Long COVID’? More than Half, researchers find

More than half of the millions of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms up to six months after recovering, according to a study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. 
 IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES | ECLIPSE_IMAGES

Half of COVID survivors experience lingering symptoms six months after recovery. More than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms — more commonly known as “long COVID” — up to six months after recovering, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers...

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