In other words, having lots of friends on FB gives you a swelled head. . .hmmm wonder what having thousands of followers on Twitter does?

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Facebook Friend Numbers Linked to Brain Size

The more Facebook friends you have, the bigger bits of your brain are, British neuroscientists say.

Using brain imaging, researchers from University College London found that brain areas linked to social skills were larger in college students with sprawling social networks than in Facebook users with fewer friends. The team also found a strong correlation between the size of students’ online and offline social circles.

“Online social networks are massively influential, yet we understand very little about the impact they have on our brains,” study co-author Geraint Rees said in a statement. “This has led to a lot of unsupported speculation that the Internet is somehow bad for us.”

Indeed, some experts fear the Internet is slowly draining its users’ intellect and imagination. But its effects on cognitive and social development remain largely unknown. Read more at abcnews.go.com

 

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Senator: Halt Ban on Over-Counter Asthma Inhaler

HFA prescription inhalers are three or more times expensive than the prior generic CFC inhalers and many asthma sufferers cannot afford them. Until they get a generic HFA inhaler on the market the cost may be prohibitive.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

DeMint Tries to Halt Ban on Over-the-Counter Asthma Inhaler

Sen. Jim DeMint is trying to stop the federal government from banning a popular over-the-counter asthma inhaler, introducing an amendment that would yank funding for the ban set to go into effect in January.

The Food and Drug Administration rule would take off the shelves the epinephrine asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist. The product is currently the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler and is being banned because it uses something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant -- the substance is considered harmful to the ozone layer.

In lieu of Primatene Mist, the FDA has suggested users of the product get a prescription for sanctioned inhalers, such as those that use an "environmentally friendly" propellant known as HFA.

A group called the National Campaign to Save CFC Asthma Inhalers has also complained that some people will end up finding out they need a prescription in the middle of an attack, adding that many asthma sufferers prefer Primatene Mist to other products.  Read more at www.foxnews.com

 

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Facebook 'social energy' app tracks kw usage

Get Real FB!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Facebook, OPOWER partner on 'social energy' app

(CNN) -- Add energy consumption to the laundry list of things you can share with online friends on Facebook.

The hope is to get friends to compete against each other to use less energy, and to hold each other accountable for energy-use-reduction goals, said Ogi Kavazovic, a spokesman for OPOWER.

"A person in London could compete in energy usage with a person in California," he said.

A feature called "Friend Rank" lets Facebook friends see who in their social network uses the least energy per day. Another lets the app's users compare themselves to people who have similar-sized homes. The app also will let people compare their energy use with the Facebook community at large. Read more at www.cnn.com

 

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They can show the symptoms even younger than that, but it's very hard to distinguish between a hyper toddler and a child with ADHD.

Amplify’d from thechart.blogs.cnn.com

Kids as young as 4 can have ADHD

The American Academy of Pediatrics has broadened its guidelines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, expanding the age range for diagnosis and treatment to ages 4 through 18.

While the previous guidelines, from 2000 and 2001, targeted children ages 6 to 12, the new report covers children from preschool to the end of high school. This is based on recent evidence that supports including preschool children and adolescents in ADHD diagnosis and treatment management.

Although Posner views the guidelines for preschoolers positively, Dr. Claudia Gold, a pediatrician and child mental health, expert is concerned that they will lead to more overdiagnosis and overmedication in the preschool group. In fact, a 2010 study found that there are already nearly 1 million children with a misdiagnosis of ADHD. In her opinion, below age 6 is too soon for ADHD medications. Read more at thechart.blogs.cnn.com

 

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