Zika Virus Affects Our Brain Just Like Alzheimer's

                Zika can “wreak havoc” on the brains of adults and cause major, lasting damage. The research could overthrow the assumption that the virus is only of major the virus is only of major worry to pregnant women. Until now, the mosquito-borne infection has been primarily linked to microcephaly, a serious defect where babies are born with small heads and brain damage. That has meant that pregnant women were warned to avoid coming into contact with the infection – but others have shown no obvious symptoms. Experiments on adult mice engineered to mimic human Zika infection show that the virus seems to attack immature cells in the adult brain. Those same cells are vital to learning and memory – and so losing them could have disastrous effects, comparable to those experienced by people with Alzheimer’s. Over time, the gradual attack on those cells could lead to shrinkage of the brain and major impairment of cognitive processes. The scientists still aren’t sure the extent to which the behavior in mice could apply to humans, or how permanent any damage sustained as a result of the virus might be. But they say that further work must be done to find out if Zika could cause long term mental impairment in adults.

Cellphones May Make You Feel Less Connected

                Contrary to common perception, the use of cell phones may actually lead you to feel less socially connected with friends and family, depending on your gender or cell phone habits. Researcher surveyed 493 students, ranging in age from 18-29 years, to see whether cell phone use, including texting and talking, was associated with feeling socially connected to their parents and peers. Female students reported spending and average of 365 minutes per day using their cell phones, sending and receiving an average of 265 texts per day, and making and receiving six calls per day. Male students reported spending less time on their phone (287 minutes), sending and receiving fewer texts (190), and making and receiving the same amount of calls as the female students. For the women, the study found that talking on the phone was associated with feeling emotionally close with their parents. For the men, daily calling and texting were not related in any way to feelings of emotional closeness with either parents or with peers.