The AP (8/2, Neergaard) reports research indicates that “even a simple exercise routine just might help older Americans with mild memory problems.” For the study, investigators “recruited about 300 sedentary older adults with…mild cognitive impairment or MCI.” Half of the participants “were assigned aerobic exercises and the rest stretching-and-balance moves that only modestly raised their heart rate.” The study revealed that after one “year, cognitive testing showed overall neither group had worsened,” and brain scans did not “show the shrinkage that accompanies worsening memory problems.”

Medscape (8/2, Brooks, Subscription Publication) also covers the study, mentioning that “the topline results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.”

Related Links:

— “Even simple exercise may help aging brain, study hints “Lauran Neergaard, AP, August 2, 2022

The New York Times (8/2, Jacobs, Chiarito) reports that in June, the FDA “said that it would move toward slashing nicotine levels in cigarettes in an effort to reduce the health effects of an addiction that claims 480,000 lives a year.” The FDA “set next May as its timetable for introducing a fully developed proposal.” However, “many experts hope regulators will champion an immediate 95 percent reduction in nicotine levels – the amount federally funded studies have determined is most effective for helping smokers kick the habit.”

Related Links:

— “Breaking Nicotine’s Powerful Draw ” Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times, August 2, 2022

Psychiatric News (8/2) reports, “Switching stable” patients with schizophrenia “to a different antipsychotic as a maintenance strategy (for example, to reduce side effects) does not increase the risk of relapse,” investigators concluded in a 98-study systematic review and network meta-analysis, the findings of which were published in the August issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Switching Antipsychotics During Maintenance Treatment May Not Increase Relapse Risk, Psychiatric News , August 2, 2022

HealthDay (8/2, Thompson) reports, “More young children may struggle with eating disorders than previously thought, a…study reveals.” The article adds, “Data on nearly 12,000 U.S. children between the ages of 9 and 10 that was collected as part of a federally funded study found that 5% had engaged in binge eating,” and “another 2.5% had taken measures to avoid gaining weight.” Also, the researchers “found that boys are just as at risk for disordered eating as girls, based on the results” published online in a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Eating Disorders Can Begin as Early as Age 9 “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, August 2, 2022

Psychiatric News (8/1) reports, “Smoking throughout pregnancy appears to have lasting effects on the brain development of the offspring,” investigators concluded in a study that “focused on the MRI data from 2,704 children (average age, 10 years) and the information on tobacco use during pregnancy provided by children’s parents.” The study revealed that “continued exposure to maternal tobacco use in utero was associated with lower brain volume.” The findings were published online Aug. 1 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Smoking Throughout Pregnancy May Have Long-Term Effects on Offspring’s Brain Development, Psychiatric News , August 1, 2022

Healio (8/1, Herpen) reports that “cognitive reserve acted as a protective factor that preserved executive function in older adults with benefits mitigated by depression level, according to” researchers who “sought to examine the relationship between cognitive reserve, depression and executive function in older adults over a 10-year period.” The findings of the “longitudinal study” were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Related Links:

— “Cognitive reserve protects executive function in older adults “Robert Herpen, Healio , August 1, 2022

Kaiser Health News (8/1, Finn) reports, “Some California lawmakers want to help…parents protect their children’s mental health by targeting website elements they say were designed to hook kids – such as personalized posts that grab and hold viewers on a specific page, frequent push notifications that pull users back to their devices, and autoplay functions that provide a continuous stream of video content.” To that end, state legislators have proposed “two complementary bills” that “would require websites, social media platforms, or online products that children use – or could use – to eliminate features that can addict them, harvest their personal information, and promote harmful content.” The bills are AB 2273 and AB 2408.

Related Links:

— “Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media “Zinnia Finn, Kaiser Health News, August 1, 2022

Medscape (7/31, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports, “Older adults who have spent time in the intensive care unit (ICU) have double the risk of developing dementia in later years compared with older adults who have never stayed in the ICU,” investigators concluded after assessing “the impact of an ICU stay on dementia risk in 3822 older adults (mean age, 77 years) without known dementia at baseline participating in five diverse epidemiologic cohorts.” The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

According to HealthDay (7/29, Norton), youngsters with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “may have less flexibility in the brain circuitry that allows for seamless ‘multitasking,’” investigators concluded in a study that “recruited 180 children and teenagers diagnosed with” AD/HD “and 180 without the disorder.” Each participant underwent “functional MRI.” The findings were published online July 22 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Kids With ADHD Have Differences in ‘Neural Flexibility,’ Brain Study Shows “Amy Norton, HealthDay, July 29, 2022

Psychiatric News (7/29) reported, “People with schizophrenia who take long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) have a lower risk of disease relapse, healthcare use, and adverse events such as suicide attempts compared with those who take oral antipsychotics,” researchers concluded after examining “data from the electronic health records of 70,396 adults with schizophrenia who were prescribed at least one LAI and at least one oral antipsychotic between 2004 and 2019,” then comparing “the rates of different health outcomes during periods when patients were taking only LAIs with the periods when patients were taking only oral antipsychotics.” The findings were published online July 28 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicide, Relapse Risk Lower When Schizophrenia Patients Take Long-Acting Injectables, Psychiatric News, July 29, 2022