MedPage Today (8/7) reports, “Methylphenidate (Ritalin) may be a first-choice attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (AD/HD) “medication for kids, while amphetamines may be preferred for adults,” researchers concluded. The findings of the 133-trial meta-analysis were published online Aug. 7 in The Lancet Psychiatry. The authors of an accompanying comment observed, “The results support a moderating effect of age on first-line medication choice, consistent with current use patterns in the USA, with greatest support for methylphenidate in children and adolescents and amphetamine formulations in adults.”

Related Links:

— “The Best ADHD Medication? Meta-Analysis Offers Some Answers, “Kristen Monaco, MedPage Today, August 07, 2018.

Healio (8/6, Demko) reported, “Combined results of a meta-analysis and Swedish population-based study supported a significant link between” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “and asthma, which remained after controlling for possible confounders,” research indicated. The findings were published online July 24 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “The Best ADHD Medication? Meta-Analysis Offers Some Answers, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 06, 2018.

Medscape (8/2, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “antihypertensive therapy to lower elevated blood pressure (BP) decreases the risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in older adults, and the benefits may be gained by several different drug classes.” The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

APA is supporting an initiative by Research! America and the National Science Policy Network to offer grants to scientists to increase engagement between scientists and candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. The Bipartisan Candidate Engagement Initiative supports science graduate students and trainees in working to elevate the importance of scientific research, innovation, and public health—including mental health—in the national conversation among candidates. Science policy groups managed by graduate students and postdocs are eligible to apply; awards range from $1,000 to $3,000, with the potential for up to $5,000 for high-impact proposals. Proposals are due by August 10. Learn more and apply.

TIME (8/1, Park) reports on a study including data on “more than 9,000 middle-aged people ages 35 to 55, who were followed for about 23 years,” which found that “those with drinking habits at the two extremes – people who abstained from drinking, as well as those who drank more than around 14 glasses of wine a week – showed higher risk of dementia than those who drank one to eight glasses of wine a week.” Specifically, people “who drank more than 14 units of alcohol a week on average from midlife to older age had a 40% increased risk of developing dementia compared to people who drank less.”

Related Links:

— “Drinking Too Much Alcohol (And Too Little) Is Linked to Dementia, “Alicia Park, TIME Health, August 01, 2018.

Reuters (8/1, Rapaport) reports, “When parents are depressed, kids are 41 percent more likely to visit the emergency” department, “47 percent more likely to be admitted to the hospital and 67 percent more likely to have outpatient clinic visits than when parents aren’t depressed,” researchers concluded after reviewing “one year of electronic health records for more than 25,000 patients registered with a multisite medical practice in London.” The findings were published online July 30 in BMJ Pediatrics Open.

Related Links:

— “, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, August 01, 2018.

Reuters (7/31, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “the volume of damaged white matter in” female soccer players who frequently headed the ball “was five times greater than it was for” their male counterparts. The researchers used diffusion tensor imaging to examine the brains of “49 male and 49 female amateur soccer players who reported a similar number of headings during the previous year.” The findings were published in Radiology.

NPR (7/31, Watson) reports lead author Michael Lipton, a neuroradiologist and neuroscientist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said, “The most important finding here is that we see that in women’s brains, actually looking at brain tissue, there seems to be a greater sensitivity to repetitive, very low-level injury relative to men.”

Related Links:

— “Soccer headings may damage women’s brains more, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, July 31, 2018.

Healio (7/31, Demko) reports, “Using substance abuse and anxiety assessments at the enrollment of collaborative care treatment for depression can help identify teenagers with depression at risk for treatment failure,” researchers concluded in a study involving “182 teens aged 12 years to 17 years with depressive disorder.” The findings were published online July 17 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Teens with depression may benefit from collaborative care treatment, “Savannah Demko, Healio, July 31, 2018.

The NBC News (7/31, Fox) website reports, “At least 90 percent of teens and young adults with symptoms of depression said they had gone online for information about mental health issues, compared with 48 percent of those without any symptoms, according to the survey [pdf]” conducted “by Hopelab, a foundation set up to help young people with chronic illnesses, and the Well Being Trust, which is focused on mental, social and spiritual health.” Included in the “national survey” were “more than 1,300 people aged 14 to 22 in all 50 states.”

Related Links:

— “Depressed teens turn to social media to cope, survey finds, “Maggie Fox, The NBC News, July 31, 2018.

The NPR (7/30, Aubrey) “Shots” blog reports that researchers found in a 33-study review that being mildly dehydrated may cause “a range of subtle effects – from mood changes to muddled thinking.” The findingswere published online July 10 in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.

Related Links:

— “Off Your Mental Game? You Could Be Mildly Dehydrated, “Allison Aubrey, NPR, July 30, 2018.