Scientists from St. Louis University say they may have found a way to control the body’s circadian biological clock, also known as our internal clock.

Previous research has shown that the internal clock plays an important role in physical and mental health and that disruptions can cause sleep disorders and other health problems.

In a new animal study, scientists focused on a protein called REV-ERB, which is known to help regulate the internal clock of mammals. Using mice with dysfunctional circadian rhythms, the researchers tested the effects of a synthetic drug-like molecule (SR9011) when it targeted the REV-ERB protein.

The researchers found that the synthetic molecule increased wakefulness in the mice and also reduced symptoms of anxiety. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that targeting the body’s internal clock through the drug may be an effective treatment for both sleep and anxiety disorders.

Further studies, however, are needed to determine how this approach could affect humans.

NEXT: Playing music boosts kids’ brains

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Scientists uncover potential to control the body’s internal clock

Daily consumption of probiotics may help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a new study.

Scientists from the University of Oxford in England recruited 45 healthy adults between ages 18 and 45. The participants were split into two groups, who either took what are known as prebiotics–supplements that boost good bacteria in the gut–or a placebo every day for three weeks. The participants were then asked to take a series of computer tests that analyzed their processing of emotions.

The researchers found that the participants who took the prebiotic had reduced levels of cortisol in their saliva than did those who took the placebo. That’s noteworthy because research has shown high cortisol levels to be linked with stress, anxiety and depression. The researchers also found that in one computer test, the prebiotic group paid more attention to positive emotions and seemed less anxious about negative emotions, when compared with the placebo group.

Researchers were unable to conclude whether taking prebiotics directly reduces anxiety and depression. However, they said that the study’s findings, published in the journal Psychoparmacology, do suggest that gut bacteria appears to play a role in easing certain psychiatric disorders.

NEXT: Scientists find way to control body clock

Sourced from: LiveScience, Gut Feeling? Probiotics May Ease Anxiety and Depression

Learning to play a musical instrument may have several benefits for children, including reduced feelings of anxiety, greater emotional control and better attention, according to a new study.

Scientists analyzed data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on 232 children between ages six and 18. It cluded results from MRI scans and behavioral tests, as well as the children’s IQ and musical training background.

The reserachers found that learning a musical instrument seemed to correlate with various brain changes, including altered motor areas and parts of the brain related to processing of emotions, memory and attentional control. Musical training did not seem to affect IQ.

The study’s findings, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, suggest that musical training may work well in treating psychological disorders among children.

NEXT: Time for some positive thinking (INFOGRAPHIC)

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Learning a musical instrument boosts kids’ brains