Written by Suzannah Moss - FamilyHealthGuide

A high-fat diet may involve injury to neurons, or nerve cells, in a key part of the brain that controls body weight. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

"The possibility that brain injury may be a consequence of the overconsumption of a typical American diet offers a new explanation for why sustained weight loss is so difficult for most obese individuals to achieve," said presenting author Joshua Thaler, MD, PhD, a faculty member with the Diabetes and Obesity Center of Excellence at the University of Washington in Seattle.

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Written by Ann Pietrangelo - FamilyHealthGuide - Senior Writer

Hurt your hand? Simply crossing your arms may provide some relief, according to a new study published in the journal Pain.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) found that crossing the hands over to the opposite side ‘muddles’ the brain and makes it more difficult to perceive pain.

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Last Updated on Sunday, 29 May 2011 12:44

Students who struggle to learn mathematics may have a neurocognitive disorder that inhibits the acquisition of basic numerical and arithmetic concepts, according to a new paper by University of Minnesota and British researchers.

Called developmental dyscalculia, the disorder affects roughly the same number of people as dyslexia but has received much less attention (and research funding).

The paper by University of Minnesota Educational Psychology assistant professor Sashank Varma and his British colleagues will be published Thursday, May 27 in the journal Science¹.

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Written by Ann Petriangelo - FamilyHealthGuide - Staff Writer

Don't be too concerned if your baby is sleeping more these days – it may be part of a natural growth spurt, according to a new study.

The research, published in the journal Sleep, is the first to assess the relationship between daily growth and sleep patterns. Researchers found a direct link between the number and duration of sleep periods, and a daily gain in overall length.

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