According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, a new therapy that could successfully treat two-thirds of children with chronic fatigue syndrome is undergoing clinical trials. Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), CFS affects about one in 50 children and teens in the UK. Chronic fatigue can lead to mental health problems and missed school days—some studies show that one child in 100 misses at least one day of school each week because of CFS.

Approximately 50 percent of adolescents are “tired,” but chronic fatigue is different. Young people with the disease are often unable to do the things they want to do—the things their peers are able to do. The new treatment involves behavioral therapy and changes in sleep and activity patterns. In trials conducted in the Netherlands, 63 percent of study participants had no symptoms of CFS after six months.

This therapy is somewhat controversial. Some argue that it treats chronic fatigue syndrome—a biological condition—as a psychological issue. Others contend that changing sleep habits can affect biology—hormone levels, for example—and reduce CFS symptoms.

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Sourced from: BBC

It seems people are always looking for explanations for why they are who they are. Always with a group of friends? You’re an extrovert. Prefer to spend a quiet night at home? You’re an introvert.

Glimpses of what will become our temperament can be seen when we are infants. According to psychologist, Rebecca Shiner, co-author of the Handbook of Temperament, temperamental traits in young children become personality traits as we get older.

But there are many aspects of positive emotionality—the tendency to experience positive emotions, engage in social situations, be high-energy, etc.—and negative emotionality—anxiety, irritability, insecurity, vulnerability, etc.—and these traits exist in varying degrees and independent of each other to make up personality. Personality is also influenced by our experiences and by the goals we set for ourselves.

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Sourced from: CNN

The most widely accepted theory about how we first develop math skills is that we are born with an ability to recognize different quantities—a “sense of numbers”—and that ability improves as we age. Now, a new study challenges that theory.

By developing a better understanding of how we understand numbers and learn math, researchers hope to establish new, more effective ways to teach math skills. One idea that challenges the “sense of numbers” theory is the “sense of magnitude” theory, which is the ability to understand density and size—area and perimeter.

According to researchers, language development and cognitive thinking also play an important role in math concepts. More research is needed, but the hope is that we’ll soon be able to diagnose dyscalculia—severe difficulty in math—in young children, even before they begin school, ultimately preventing them from falling behind.

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Sourced from: ScienceDaily