Reading Room

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The reading room includes articles and videos of potential interest to consumers and medical professionals. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NC Medical Board, its members, and staff. Note: Some links may require registration or subscription.

9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024

NPR
December 31, 2024
“Brain rot” is the Oxford word of the year for 2024, and it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media. If just reading that definition has you worried about your gray matter, never fear! Researchers are finding promising — and surprising — ways to boost our brain health and de-stress our minds. Here are nine stories on the topic that engaged our readers this year.

Exercise and deep sleep give the brain a 24-hour boost

Medical News Today
December 12, 2024
Evidence points to the fact that regular exercise is good for overall health, including brain health. Past studies show that physical activity can possibly help lower a person’s risk for dementia — including Alzheimer’s disease — and cognitive decline, more broadly. Previous research shows that the “boost” the brain receives from exercise typically peaks within the first 10 to 20 minutes. Now, researchers from University College London, in the United Kingdom, have found that the exercise-related improvement to cognitive performance may actually last for 24 hours.

Could cats become a carrier of bird flu?

NY Times
December 11, 2024
Domestic cats could provide an unexpected new route for the bird flu virus H5N1 to evolve into a more dangerous form, according to a new study published on Monday. In the year since the virus began circulating in dairy cattle, it has killed many cats, primarily on farms with affected herds. It has also sickened at least 60 people, most of whom had close contact with infected dairy cows or poultry. So far, H5N1 does not spread easily among people, although studies have suggested that just one or two key mutations could allow the virus to make that leap.

The number of food recalls has been rising. Here’s what you need to know

NPR
December 9, 2024
It’s been a year of high-profile food recalls. A deadly listeria outbreak led to a massive recall of Boar’s Head deli meat. Contaminated onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders and organic carrots were linked to E. coli outbreaks. And in late November, federal authorities launched an investigation into cucumbers contaminated with salmonella.

There’s an effective treatment for menopause symptoms. Why do so few women use it?

STATNews
December 3, 2024
At the annual meeting of the Menopause Society earlier this fall, researchers presented new evidence that hormone therapy can be beneficial to menopausal women’s heart health, reducing insulin resistance and other cardiovascular biomarkers. It was the latest in a long line of research showing the benefits of hormone therapy for women in menopause. But despite this evidence, hormone therapy’s use has plummeted over the past few decades. In 1999, almost 27% of menopausal women in the U.S. used estrogen. By 2020, less than 5% did.

What’s so special about the human brain?

Nature
Our brains allow us to do all sorts of things unique to humans: use sarcasm, solve crossword puzzles, envision our future. Their complexity also leaves us susceptible to conditions we don’t see in animals, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. An avalanche of data has started to reveal key differences between human and animal brains, but exactly what gives rise to our unique cognitive skills still isn’t totally clear.