PsychBriefs: September 23-29, 2007

Could Alzheimer's Be "Type III" Diabetes?
New research from Northwestern University researchers shows that Amyloid beta oglimers in the brain of Alzheimer's patients remove insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering neurons insulin resistent, thereby disrupting learning and memory functions.
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Upset Children Benefit When Only One Parent Comforts
Two studies on preschoolers and kindergarteners suggest young children may better learn to solve problems and understand their emotions if one parent comforts and actively helps a child problem solve while the other steps back and provides more distant support. This was found to be especially true when the father played the supportive role. Researchers believe this method allows children to observe different ways of looking at problems and gives them a more active role in problem-solving.
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Fear of Crime Linked to Doubled Risk for Depression
Worrying about crime can have a drastic effect on your quality of life, shows a British study on 6500 people age 50 to 75. Those who had a high fear of crime were 1.93 times as likely to suffer symptoms of depression and 1.75 times as likely to exhibit symptoms of anxiety. Such individuals reported socializing and exercising less. They also showed decreased physical functioning, likely due to the lack of exercise.
[ABSTRACT]