Jennifer Aiello
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Posts by Jennifer Aiello
A Willingness to Donate? It May Be in Your DNA
Nov 22nd
Okay, I’ve come to terms with the fact that Christmas is coming soon. It seems to have snuck up fast (although I’m beginning to think that it does that every year.) Once November started, Santa set up shop taking pictures in the middle of the mall. This is the time of giving gifts and receiving gifts. It’s the time of rushing to the store, and trying to beat closing time to get the last minute gifts (after finally figuring out what to buy to begin with). It’s the time of wonderfully smelling houses with more food cooking than what could More >
The Mystery of Autism
Nov 2nd
Calling Autism a disorder is a bit misleading. The term “Autism” is really a category for a spectrum of disorders including Autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental disorder. Those afflicted with these disorders often share difficulties in communication and social interactions. Some cannot speak or maintain eye contact. Some have repetitive routines and an obsessive attention to certain details. In the United States, an estimated 1 in 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder and for the past several years, it’s been on the minds of many researchers around the world.
For the past several More >
The Halloween Chocolate Post
Oct 4th
Okay, it’s October, I’ve held off long enough. For the past several months, the stores have had Halloween costumes and candy ready for the picking (right next to the last of the Back-To-School inventory that was on display since last June). This has been despite the fact that we were still hitting 80 degrees outside- and it was still September. But it’s now October, and officially Fall, so I guess that Halloween can now be considered. It has been long since I’ve dressed up for Halloween but it has not been long since I’ve partaken in the annual Halloween candy More >
RBD and Neurodegeneration
Sep 2nd
In an earlier post I blogged about the nature of dreams including phases of sleep and why we dream. In the blog I had mentioned a sleep disorder known as REM sleep behavior disorder (or RBD). It’s a mysterious sleep disturbance where the normal atonia (muscle paralysis) during sleep malfunctions, and the dreamer is left to act out their dreams. Those with this disorder (predominantly male) tend to have dreams that are increasingly violent and involve fighting off an attacker. In their sleep, these people act out every punch, kick, twist and scream with their sleeping bodies, often times injuring More >
Fighting Addiction
Aug 13th
Having an addiction can be devastating, to those that have it and to those that are exposed to it. The addiction can be to a variety of different things such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, internet shopping, video games or even work. But what causes these addictions? Why do some people have the ability to enjoy these things, yet leave them, while others seem to never be able to stop?
Well, it could be your family and it could be your environment. Studies have shown that addictions run in families. In fact, if a parent has an addiction, the child is 4 More >
What’s in a Dream?
Jun 3rd
What did you dream of last night? Do you remember? You probably had several dreams last night. But what are dreams? Why do we have them? What is their purpose?
When your body enters sleep, your brain undergoes several sleep cycles, four to fives times a night. Each cycle has its own purpose. The cycles range from drowsiness and light sleep to deep sleep. After deep sleep, the body (or more technically the brain) will enter a stage called Rapid Eye Movement, abbreviated REM sleep. It is during this REM stage where many of our dreams happen.
Why do we dream? Many More >
Winter Move Over, Spring is Here!
Apr 20th
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or “Winter Blues”
Spring arrived on March 20th and it was hard to ignore. It was a hot day in Central Park with fellow New Yorkers rushing out to sit in the sun, play ball, or ride their bikes. In my hometown people rushed to the Bluff just to sit in the sand and stare off into the water of Long Island Sound. There were some die hard jet skiers that took the opportunity to get their jet skies into the water (even though the water was an icy 40 degrees). People are craving to be outside; to shake More >
Mind Your Stretching!
Mar 19th
A traumatic brain injury can be described as a physical injury to the brain causing an impairment of brain function. When the brain is injured, it can cause conditions such as brain contusions, hematomas and skull fractures. These traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe and can cause permanent disability or death.
In the United States, an estimated 1.4 million people a year are victims to traumatic brain injuries obtained from motor vehicle accidents, falls, abuse, assault, and sporting accidents. Our brains are organs full of connections and to sever or damage a connection can lead to devastating consequences. More >
