According to the ''International Classification of Sleep Disorders'', established by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, nightmares become pathological when they are recurrent and have an impact during the day causing, for example, fatigue, anxiety, dysphoria or intrusive nightmare imagery. This is known as ''nightmare disorder'' and is an increasingly common reason for medical consultation.
Nightmares are dreams with strong negative emotions that occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Clinicians distinguish them from simple ''bad dreams''. In contrast to nightmares, the latter seem to have a useful function in promoting the regulation of emotions. Scientists also make a distinction between traumatic nightmares - i.e. linked to a state of post-traumatic stress - and nightmares without traumatic origin.
Reference:
Lampros Perogamvro et al, Enhancing imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmares with targeted memory reactivation, Current Biology, DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.032
More than 10,000 nerve fibers in human clitoris enable pleasurable sensations: OHSU research
Nerves are made of bundles of thin nerve fibers, also known as axons. Nerves -which carry electrical impulses between the brain and the rest of the body -enable people to feel and respond to stimulus such as touch.
The clitoris is the only known human organ that has the singular purpose of providing pleasure. While the tip of its small shaft -the highly sensitive part of the clitoris, also known as the clitoral glans -is found outside the body, much of the clitoris is located internally. Below the surface is the dorsal nerve, the main nerve responsible for clitoral sensation. The dorsal nerves are symmetrical, tube-like structures that travel on top of the clitoral shaft and then run downward on either side, like a wishbone.
More than 10,000 nerve fibers enable the pleasurable sensations created by the human clitoris, according to new Oregon Health & Science University-led research presented at a joint scientific meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America and the International Society for Sexual Medicine.
This finding is the result of the first known count of human clitoral nerve tissue. It's also about 20% more than the often-quoted estimate of 8,000 nerve fibers, which is believed to be derived from livestock studies.
Reference:
Maria Uloko, Paige Isabey, Blair Peters. How many nerve fibers innervate the human clitoris? A histomorphometric evaluation of the dorsal nerve of the clitoris, abstract presentation by Blair Peters, 2 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2022, 23rd annual joint scientific meeting of Sexual Medicine Society of North America and International Society for Sexual Medicine, https://issmsmsna2022.org/program/program/?persons=4928&q=.
According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, doing 15 minutes of intense activity spread out across two-minute intervals each week is linked to a lower chance of death.
"The results indicate that accumulating vigorous activity in short bouts across the week can help us live longer," said study author Dr. Matthew N. Ahmadi of the University of Sydney, Australia. "Given that lack of time is the most commonly reported barrier to regular physical activity, accruing small amounts sporadically during the day may be a particularly attractive option for busy people."
A second study, also published today in EHJ, found that for a given amount of physical activity, increasing the intensity was associated with a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease.2 "Our study shows that it's not just the amount of activity, but also the intensity, that is important for cardiovascular health," said study author Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey of the University of Leicester and University of Cambridge, UK, and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Reference:
Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey et al,Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: how little is enough?European Heart Journal DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac572
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