Does teenage anxiety have its roots in infancy?

The fact that teenagers worry isn’t necessarily a concern – it’s when the adolescent brain amplifies and distorts a simple worry that mental health problems can arise. As scientists aim to unlock why teenagers get anxious, and how infancy and upbringing are implicated, early intervention strategies are being refined to redirect harmful thoughts and teach … Read more

Q&A: ‘We are only at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic’ – Prof. Peter Piot

Even if a vaccine for coronavirus is developed, it's likely that we will have to continue to change the way we interact with each other, says Prof. Piot. Image credit - Mick De Paola/Unsplash, licenced under Unsplash licence

By Annette Ekin We’re only at the start of the coronavirus pandemic although the second wave may take a different form to the first one, says veteran virologist Professor Peter Piot, who has spent the past 40 years tracking down and fighting viruses. Prof. Piot, who helped discover Ebola at age 27 and has led … Read more

What anxiety does to our breathing

The way anxiety affects our perception of changes to our body, such as breathing, could pave the way for more targeted anxiety treatments. Image credit - www.pxfuel.com/Public domain

Stressful situations can cause anxiety, our body’s natural response to stress. But feelings of apprehension can also be accompanied by physical effects such as rapid breathing, increased heart rate and nausea. How our brain perceives these physical changes – in particular, breathing – could be key to better understanding anxiety disorders and treating them.  Anxiety … Read more

Why does coronavirus make people lose their sense of smell?

People are very bad at assessing their own sense of smell and often don't realise how important it is until it's gone, say scientists. Image credit - Pixabay/Engin Akyurt, licenced under Pixabay licence

by Ian Le Guillou To begin with, it was just anecdotal reports. Ear, nose and throat specialists from around the world were sharing their experiences on online message boards – they were all seeing a spike in patients experiencing anosmia, a loss of smell. The link with coronavirus was brought to public attention by specialists in the … Read more