Category: Department of Brain Sciences

Could gut hormones help make Dry January last all year?

Dr Tony Goldstone

In this post, Dr Tony Goldstone looks at the role of gut hormones in controlling alcohol addiction and how they may provide a basis for future treatment. 

After the excesses of Christmas and New Year, it has become fashionable for January to be promoted as a time for reassessment and resolutions. There are promises and attempts at living a healthier lifestyle, including stopping drinking alcohol (‘Dry January’), joining that gym, stopping smoking, and eating better. However, we know how difficult it is to maintain behaviour change over the longer term. People start drinking excessively again, put back on the weight they lose, start smoking again, and their attendance at the gym wanes. For people who have hazardous levels of drinking, and those who are dependent on alcohol, this is particularly problematic. (more…)

Alcohol Awareness Week: seeking a responsible alternative

For Alcohol Awareness Week, Professor David Nutt explains how his latest research venture, an alcohol-free beverage, could address the dangers associated with alcohol consumption. 

Most of us are aware that chronic, heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking leads to a plethora of health issues including liver damage and addiction. However, many of us are still unaware of the dangers associated with even moderate alcohol consumption or the cumulative effects that alcohol can have on our health. So just what are those regular trips to the pub, or the frequent cocktails after work really costing us? (more…)

How teaching life skills can help children with ADHD

Dr Susan Young, a clinical psychologist and author, is turning conventional ADHD treatment on its head with a series of programmes for children and adults.

I started working with young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 25 years ago. Over the years, our knowledge and understanding of ADHD has come a long way – mostly down to scientific research – taking the condition from a relatively unheard one to a household one. Too often, we associate ADHD with children, however it’s now recognised to be a lifetime condition with many undiagnosed adults continuing to experience symptoms throughout their lives, despite the abundance of international guidelines on the assessment, treatment and management of ADHD. With many young people reaching adulthood with undiagnosed ADHD, or even misdiagnosed, they will not receive the optimal treatment for their symptoms and associated problems. Unfortunately, many will not reach their potential, and for some, they feel their future is bleak. (more…)