Traumas Like Sept. 11 Make Brains More Reactive To Fear

Hi, more on anxiety research in these news items here.

Over Time, Those Who Find Inner Calm Live Longer, Healthier Lives
Worried sick: We've all heard the phrase, but now there's new evidence that might really knit your brow. New research shows that highly anxious patients with heart disease face nearly double the risk of heart attack or death when compared to those with a more serene outlook on life. (Read More)

Surgeon Invents Teaching Technology For Scary Patient Exams
Pelvic and prostate exams provoke jitters for medical students. Carla Pugh, an assistant professor of surgery at Northwestern University, invented and patented a sensor technology in exam simulators to show students whether they have the right touch in these sensitive exams without a patient ever having to yell "Ouch!" Pugh has also invented teaching technologies for other difficult medical procedures. She was honored for being a trailblazer in a national museum. (Read More)

Why Computers Frustrate Older Adults
A number of evolving social changes highlight the importance of making computer technology accessible and usable for older adults. For instance, older adults are using email increasingly to keep up their social contact with others and are using the Internet to look up health information. (Read More)

Brain Activity Reflects Differences In Types Of Anxiety
All anxiety is not created equal, and a research team at the University of Illinois now has the data to prove it. The team has found compelling evidence that differing patterns of brain activity are associated with each of two types of anxiety: anxious apprehension (verbal rumination, worry) and anxious arousal (intense fear, panic, or both).Their work appears this month online in Psychophysiology. [click link for full article] (Read More)

Tags: social anxiety, anxiety self help