Blog

Posted on April 21, 2021 - Videoconferencing has helped us stay connected during these days when it’s not safe to be together. It’s not a brand new technology, but the rapid adoption across wide swaths of the population has given researchers a lot of new experimental data to work with. And they’ve learned about pitfalls most users probably find familiar by this time.

Posted on April 19, 2021 - During your Zoom calls with Mom, have you noticed new furry friends? A University of Michigan poll shows that a fair number of older adults have added a “pandemic pet” to their lives.

Posted on April 14, 2021 - A year into the pandemic, are you struggling with the notorious “quarantine 15”? A lot of older adults report that they are carrying around some extra pounds these days. It’s not surprising, as many of us are stuck at home, unable to access many of our usual exercise activities, and perhaps turning to food for entertainment and comfort.

Posted on April 12, 2021 - Psychologists have long known that grief can lead to sleep disturbances. A University of Arizona professor says that sleep problems can themselves lead to more prolonged grieving—and that is common among bereaved people who were worried about their loved one for a long time before they passed away.

Posted on April 7, 2021 - While most people think of COVID-19 as primarily affecting the lungs, the data on millions of patients shows it can damage other body systems, including the brain. Some patients have experienced serious brain inflammation, delirium, hallucinations, psychotic symptoms, and strokes. Others report a milder, but still troubling, set of symptoms that some experts are referring to as “brain fog” or “COVID brain,” characterized by headache, confusion, and memory problems. In some patients, these effects cleared up quickly, but in others—the so-called “long-haulers”—memory and thinking problems persist.