Behavioral Medicine News and Research

RSS

Behavioral medicine (BM) is a newly developing field of study which integrates behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical concepts and practices to prevent, diagnose, and treat patients with psychosomatic disorders. The practice of BM targets the relation between how both thought and behavior can affect mental and physical health.

Scientists identify link between gut microbiota and mood, behavior

Researchers have identified gut microbiota that interact with brain regions associated with mood and behavior. This may be the first time that behavioral and neurobiological differences associated with microbial composition in healthy humans have been identified.

29 Jun 2017

Lack of sleep increases risk for stress-related inflammation among married couples

A lack of sleep doesn't just leave you cranky and spoiling for a fight. Researchers at The Ohio State University Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research say it also puts you at risk for stress-related inflammation.

27 Jun 2017

Pregnant women’s financial strain linked to low-birth-weight infants

A financially strapped pregnant woman's worries about the arrival and care of her little one could contribute to birth of a smaller, medically vulnerable infant, a new study suggests.

24 Apr 2017

Drinking beetroot juice before working out makes aging brain look younger

Drinking a beetroot juice supplement before working out makes the brain of older adults perform more efficiently, mirroring the operations of a younger brain, according to a new study by scientists at Wake Forest University.

19 Apr 2017

Study highlights need for weight-appropriate dosing of healthy fat supplements

Body weight plays a significant role in how much benefit children may get from consuming "good" fats, new research suggests.

5 Apr 2017

Study finds Mediterranean foods as key to reduce pain linked to obesity

Eating a Mediterranean diet could decrease the chances an overweight person will experience regular pain, new research suggests.

21 Feb 2017

Baby’s sex linked to pregnant women's immune responses, study shows

Women have claimed for years that their bodies react differently whether they're pregnant with a male or female baby. Some studies suggest that a baby's sex could play a role in why some women report differences with morning sickness, cravings and other symptoms based on the sex of their baby.

10 Feb 2017

Biomarker linked to depression during pregnancy and low birth weight in baby

Depression is very common during pregnancy, with as many as one in seven women suffering from the illness and more than a half million women impacted by postpartum depression in the U.S. alone.

12 Jan 2017

Prenatal exposure to mother's stress causes microbial changes that persist into adulthood

Prenatal exposure to a mother's stress contributes to anxiety and cognitive problems that persist into adulthood, a phenomenon that could be explained by lasting - and potentially damaging - changes in the microbiome, according to new research in mice.

15 Nov 2016

New research uncovers role of spleen in long-term anxiety following psychological stress

Scientists are uncovering clues to what might be unfolding in the relationship between the brain and immune system in those who suffer from long-term repercussions of stress.

14 Nov 2016

Seattle Children’s Hospital opens new clinic to provide gender care for children, teens and young adults

Seattle Children's Hospital has opened a new Gender Clinic for children, adolescents and young adults up to 21 years of age.

5 Oct 2016

Psychological support may be crucial for physical recovery of breast cancer patients

The words no one wants to hear: "You have breast cancer." Unfortunately, close to 300,000 American women are expected to receive that diagnosis each year.

27 Sep 2016

Stressful event appears to erase benefits linked to healthy fat choices

The type of fat you eat matters, but a new study suggests that the benefits of good fats vanish when stress enters the picture.

20 Sep 2016

Study examines effectiveness of spiritual meditation plus medication intervention for migraines

"Effect of Different Meditation Types on Migraine Headache Medication Use," an article recently published in Behavioral Medicine, examines whether or not, and to what extent, a combination of spiritual meditation and migraine medication affects analgesic medication usage.

2 Sep 2016

New article examines why some individuals exhibit stress-resilient characteristics

Adapting to Stress: Understanding the Neurobiology of Resilience, an article recently published in Behavioral Medicine, examines the way our bodies, specifically our brains, become "stress-resilient."

2 Sep 2016

Young adult women support stricter regulations, but against total ban of indoor tanning

Most young adult women who regularly visit indoor tanning salons support the introduction of policies to make it safer, but are against a total ban. This is according to a study led by Darren Mays of Georgetown University Medical Center in the US, in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, Research, published by Springer.

17 Aug 2016

New research examines link between alcohol use and unprotected sex among young women

It may come as little surprise that alcohol use is widespread among young adults. In the U.S., 70 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 drink alcohol, with 40 percent of women imbibing over the recommended daily limit of 3 drinks per day.

11 Aug 2016

New report offers PCPs implementable strategies to encourage patients' physical activity

Exercise plays a crucial role in being healthy and preventing disease. Because of their close relationship to patients, primary care physicians (PCPs) can act as a catalyst to help people be more active through physical activity counseling; however, doctors often encounter barriers to being able to properly address inactivity.

22 Jun 2016

Study highlights significant burden of migraine on family activities

The debilitating pain and disability of migraine also attacks the emotional, social and financial fabric of a family, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, affiliated with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Vedanta Research, the Mayo Clinic and Allergan plc. The findings were published today in Volume 91, Issue 5 of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

28 Apr 2016

Study links duration, timing of sleep to cardiovascular health

No one is telling you what time to go to bed with this, but researchers are making a strong case that the duration and timing of your sleep are closely associated with whether your behavior is heart-healthy.

22 Apr 2016