Does Christmas us depressed more?

Neither carols nor the Christmas lights manage to avoid it. Christmas is the time of the year in which most us depressed, as confirms Erik Nelson, psychiatrist from the University of Cincinnati (USA) and expert on mood disorders. "It is the moment in which the days are shorter, and the absence of light in the last hours of the afternoon affects many people," says Erik Nelson,

co-author of the work. "In addition, in some subjects are acute painful memories associated with the loss of loved ones or a stressful childhood", added the researcher.

Sleep over the account, as well as experiencing changes in appetite and weight, difficulty concentrating and loss of interest in activities which were previously fun are just some of the symptoms of this unrest, according to Nelson's own. Spend more time outdoors and exercise can help relieve it, added the researcher.

Anti-drug caresses!!

The maternal caresses during childhood can help the children of today to "resist" the temptation to consume drugs and other addictive substances when they reach adulthood. This is what emerges from a study conducted by Duke University (USA) and the University of Adelaide (Australia) and published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Staci Bilbo says neuroscientist and co-author of the work, in experiments with rats have found that much physical contact with the mother increases the production of an immune system molecule called interleukin-10 (IL-10) which is capable of modifying the response of the brain to substances that create addiction.

Bilbo and his colleagues have found that the brains of animals that had received more caresses maternal after birth were more active genes to produce this substance. After consuming a drug as morphine in the brain of mammals are activated GLIA cells that produce inflammatory molecules that send signals to a reward centre called the nucleus accumbens. However, when it comes into play the IL-10 molecule counteracts this inflammation and reduces the reward signal, thereby avoiding the creation of an addiction. Surprisingly, the more maternal Cuddles have received at an early age, major is the capability of producing this substance.