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Depression causes long-lasting feelings of sadness and loss of interest. A new study suggests that simple, game-like tests may help doctors identify patients with depression more quickly. NIH-funded researchers tested two video games as screening tools for depression. The study enrolled healthy people and ones with moderate to severe depression. Participants were asked to play two video games.…

Physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health, but getting enough of it might not be just about willpower. Your neighborhood can play a bigger role than you might think. The streets, sidewalks, and nearby destinations around you can affect how much you move each day. Researchers are looking at what elements in neighborhoods encourage more activity. “A person’s surrounding…

Puberty is a normal, natural part of growing up. It’s also a time of huge change, when children’s bodies mature. With [qtip:hormones| Substances produced in one part of the body to signal another part to react a certain way.] surging, early adolescents may have mood, energy, and sleep changes. They may feel self-conscious about how they look. Everyone matures physically at their own pace. While…, How Puberty Starts, Puberty kicks off in the brain. A small part of the brain called the hypothalamus releases a hormone that tells the pituitary gland (a tiny organ connected to the hypothalamus) to release other hormones. These hormones signal the ovaries to release estrogen in females and the testicles to release testosterone in males. Together, this reproductive network is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-…, Puberty Timing, In some children, puberty starts earlier than others. This is called early (or precocious) puberty. The signs of early puberty are that girls’ breasts may start to develop before age 8, and their periods may begin before age 10. Boys’ genitals may start to grow before age 9. Early puberty can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Girls are more likely to develop depression and…, What Influences Puberty, The timing of puberty is influenced by many things, including your genetic make-up and your environment. NIH-funded researchers have been identifying specific gene changes, called mutations, that can trigger early puberty., MKRN3, mutations are considered the most common known genetic cause of early puberty. The mutations tend to run in families. The, MKRN3, gene provides instructions for making the MKRN3 protein. This protein plays a role in directing the onset of puberty. Normally, the MKRN3 protein puts the brake on activating puberty until the normal age range. But when the gene is mutated, the protein stops working normally. That causes the brake to be released and puberty to start earlier. “We’re trying to understand how the MKRN3 protein works…, MKRN3, mutations, we can start treatment earlier.” Environmental factors can also affect the timing of puberty. “Stress can speed up or delay puberty depending on the type, severity, and timing,” says Dr. Natalie Shaw, an NIH expert on hormones in children and adolescents. Being overweight or obese in childhood can contribute to early puberty. Extra body fat can cause hormonal changes that can prompt…

Have you ever heard that something, like a gene or toxin, can cause disease? Or that a drug can prevent illness? How about a behavior, like too much sitting, that’s “linked” to health problems? Such news reports are often based on some type of clinical research, which is the study of health and illness in people. There are many types of clinical studies. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses…, Why Do Researchers Do Different Kinds of Clinical Studies?,, that outlines different types of clinical studies and explains why scientists might use them. The guide notes that a study’s strength depends on its size, methods, and design. The ideal way to prove that a treatment works is through a well-designed “randomized controlled trial.” In such trials, people are randomly assigned to either a “treatment” or a “control” group for comparison. Other…

It seems like a new health risk is in the news every day. How do you know which risks are worth worrying about? NIH has created a one-page guide called, Making Sense of Your Health Risks, to help you put risks into perspective. A health risk is something that increases your chance of developing a disease. For example, getting too much sun on your skin may put you at higher risk for skin cancer. That doesn’t mean that you will definitely get skin cancer. You can take steps to lower your risk by protecting your skin from sun exposure. When you hear about a health risk, ask yourself…