Medical Notes: How Music Can Alter Memories, Bacteria May Cause Mental Illness, And The Decline Of Teen Drug Abuse

Can listening to music change our past?

While it won’t allow us to physically go back in time, a new study shows that it can help us change our feelings about previous experiences. Using brain imaging, researchers were able to see how music altered the participants’ brain activity. It increased connectivity between the emotional processing part of the brain, and other areas associated with memory. The work is published in the journal, Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Neuroscience.

Is bacteria to blame for mental illness?

Researchers have noticed a connection between disorders such as schizophrenia and a vector-born pathogen called Bartonella. In fact, diagnosed patients are three times more likely to have DNA from this bacterium in their blood. The study, published in Frontiers In Psychiatry, shows that certain infections may be a potential cause of some psychiatric disorders.

Prescription drug abuse is declining in teenagers.

A study in Jama compared teen medical use, abuse, and availability of opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines from 2009 and 2022. Lifetime medical use decreased by eight percent, and 49 percent of adolescents now believe it would be impossible to get their hands on prescription drugs for misuse. Researchers believe these numbers stem from school closures during Covid, changes in prescribing practices, and more parental oversight.