Re-published from TechnologyNetworks. Original story from the University of Houston

​People often talk about their “gut instincts” or how they just “felt it in my guts” or that stress can give you “butterflies in the stomach” or make you nauseous to the point of vomiting.

Are these just figures of speech?

It turns out that the gut – the digestive system – has its own nervous system that is often referred to as our “second brain”. This “second brain” is called the enteric nervous system (ENS) and research is revealing that the ENS is in direct communication with the brain and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (part of the central nervous system or CNS), the gut microbiota, the hormonal and the immune systems.

These are two-way communications systems, so that, for example, the microbiota – the combined pattern of microbes in the gut – can affect the stress response, the immune response, hormonal control of digestion and the predisposition to various conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety. In turn, the ENS – and likely the CNS – can affect the pattern of bacteria in the microbiome as well as the digestive processes of the gut. However, it is becoming clearer that this is only the tip of the iceberg – the ENS, CNS and the microbiota can interact to produce dysfunction in the digestive, neurological, immune and hormonal systems, and to affect mental health.

Exercise might not be fun, but it’s good for your body. Over the years, science has well established that exercise can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. But the ways that exercise affects the brain are still under investigation, although new research suggests it may be essential for the growth of new neurons. 

Research conducted at the Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan) examined the effect of restricting mice from using their hind, but not their front legs, for a period of 28 days. The paper detailing the research was published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Whilst the mice were able to eat and groom themselves as normal, and didn’t show signs of being stressed, subsequent analysis showed significant changes in the mice’s brains, including impairment of the mice’s neural stem cells. The researchers noted that the number of neural stem cells – which produce all neurons and glia during development and persist in certain areas into adulthood – that were actively producing new neurons was reduced by 70% in the restricted mice as compared to mice that hadn’t had their movement restricted.   ​

At work, it’s healthier and more productive just to be yourself, according to a new study from Rice University, Texas A&M University, the University of Memphis, Xavier University, Portland State University and the University of California, Berkeley.

The study, “Stigma Expression Outcomes and Boundary Conditions: A Meta-Analysis” will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Business and Psychology. It examines 65 studies focusing on what happens after people in a workplace disclose a stigmatized identity, such as sexual orientation, mental illness, physical disability or pregnancy.

Eden King, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of psychology at Rice, said the decision to express a stigmatized identity is highly complicated.

“It has the potential for both positive and negative consequences,” she said.

However, the research overwhelmingly indicates that people with non-visible stigmas (such as sexual orientation or health problems) who live openly at work are happier with their overall lives and more productive in the workplace. King said self-disclosure is typically a positive experience because it allows people to improve connections, form relationships with others and free their minds of unwanted thoughts.

An international team of researchers has identified, for the first time, the cell types, areas and biological processes in the brain that mediate the genetic risk of insomnia. This was made possible by assessing DNA and sleep features in no less than 1.3 million people. The findings are a major step towards getting a grip on the biological mechanisms that cause insomnia.

Insomnia is one of the most common disorders. Many people occasionally have a bad night of sleep. One out of ten people chronically experience poor sleep and suffer severely from the daytime consequences. Worldwide, 770 million people have chronic insomnia.

Many professions - paramedics, police, firefighters - involve helping people in traumatic circumstances but witnessing trauma has its own effects that can haunt people for life.

When we think about workplace safety, we often think about introducing or improving initiatives to ensure the physical safety of workers.

In recent years, there’s also been a growing awareness around ensuring not just the physical but also the psychological wellbeing of employees, with more organisations now working to manage the impact of vicarious trauma in the workplace.
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While vicarious trauma will never be eliminated from trauma-exposed workplaces, it is possible for organisations to effectively manage it, which has been shown to reduce attrition rates and unplanned absences, and boost the workplace culture.

Anti-social behaviour online – trolling, cyberbullying – is a growing concerning phenomenon but research shows ignoring these mostly faceless angry attention-seekers could be the best response.

Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media. But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual environment has offered new avenues for antisocial behaviour.
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The problem of cyberbullying has received considerable research attention. However, other online antisocial behaviours with similarly harmful outcomes have received far less consideration – one example being anonymous online trolling.

Natural disasters, like floods and bush fires, are a frequent occurrence in Australia. Research has shown they have deep emotional and psychological impacts on people and communities involved.

DR SUSIE BURKE FAPS is a Senior Psychologist with the AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
In this video, she talks about how to care for people's needs after such traumatic events and help them on the road of recovery after a natural disaster.

BY THE PSYCHLOPAEDIA TEAM - THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Complaining to friends about flabby arms or big thighs can incite comparison with other women and cultivate body dissatisfaction.

“My arms are so flabby.”
“I hate my thighs.”
“My stomach is too big.”

How often do you or women you know engage in this sort of ‘fat talk’? According to one recent Australian study, it happens much more often than you might think.
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The research reveals that during an average week four out of five young women experience ‘fat talk’ about their appearance or another person’s. And even though it might seem like a harmless way to alleviate body dissatisfaction, the opposite is true – fat talk can have a negative effect on body image.

Welcome to winter and the middle of the year! I hope the first half of the year has been filled with experiences that have been enjoyable and/or experiences that we can learn and grow from.

I've recently attended the first International Conference of Neuropsychotherapy and pre-conference workshops, held at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Brisbane from 23 to 26 May 2017. The conference was brought about from an ever increasing global interest of professionals working from a brain-based perspective. The main theme of the conference was "Neuroscience Research to Applied Practice" and focused on scientific evidence-based research and its practical application in various domains including: psychopathology, resilience, pain, grief and loss, sport and performance maximisation, attachment and development through the lifespan, education and wellness. Leading world renowned experts from Australia, Canada, USA, South Africa, United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand addressed the attendees in their specialist field.

Recent Neuroscience research has given us an understanding into the many factors that improve mental health and well-being. Neuropsychotherapy focuses on the neural processes that underpin human responses including memory, thoughts, sensations, behaviors, emotions, and social interactions and it gives guidelines and strategies to address unhelpful functioning in these areas and improve overall wellbeing based on current neuroscience research findings.