MedWorm: Psychiatrists and Psychologists

Unresolved anxiety, depression or adhd?

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:56:00 +0100

A significant number of adults with unresolved anxiety, depression, or addiction may actually have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition that has been widely considered to resolve in late adolescence. Armed with the correct diagnosis, adult ADHD sufferers could soon be prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin®)-style stimulant medications for a range of mental health problems that are not usually associated with the disorder, the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual meeting was told on Friday. Stimulant medication is currently only licensed for children with ADHD. However, Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is expected to recommend that this class of drug can be prescribed adults with ADHD in September 2008 - following the recognition that the condition persists into adulthood in about 20 per cent of cases diagnosed in childhood. But while ADHD symptoms in children include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, the condition in adults is associated with a much wider range of co-existing mental health problems. Professor Phillip Asherson, professor of molecular psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, told the meeting: "Most frequently, adults with ADHD are diagnosed with chronic and persistent depression and anxiety, difficult-to-treat alcohol and drug addiction and personality disorders. "We don't yet know whether these co-existing disorders are separate problems or whether these people are actually suffering from a form of ADHD that is presenting in a different way from the normal symptoms. It could be that many people are being diagnosed as having a separate disorder when in fact they have got ADHD." Currently, clinicians are wary of using stimulant medication in adults, as the only group of drugs that are licensed only for use in children. However, Prof Asherson said, "this is likely to change once the new NICE guidelines are launched in September." Meanwhile, Prof Asherson is about to begin a major study to identify adults with ADHD. "We have no idea as yet whether these problems will respond to stimulant medication. If they do, then this type of drug could provide effective treatment for a significant number of adults who currently have unresolved mental health problems," he said. Asherson P. Recognising and treating ADHD in adults, and distinguishing it from other conditions. RCPsych Annual Meeting, London 2008 Jul 4. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

[uk] patients should have access to antidepressant gene test

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:48:00 +0100

People who suffer depression that does not respond to medication could be treated successfully if a simple genetic blood test was made more widely available in the UK. Four out of 10 people with depression have a genetic abnormality that prevents them responding to anti-depressant medication, according to research presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Annual Meeting in London this week. The research, which was carried out at the Mayo Clinic Mood Disorders Unit in the USA, showed that a quarter of those with a genetic abnormality produce a liver enzyme that either stops SSRI class antidepressants working or causes unpleasant side-effects. Since 2003, the Mayo Clinic has offered genotyping to patients who either report significant side-effects to antidepressants or have no response. They have identified four genes that interfere with the efficacy of antidepressant medication, including two that prevent metabolizing the drug (CYP2D6 and CYP2C19) and two more that prevent the brain from absorbing or transporting serotonin. Professor David Mrazek, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, said: "One in 10 of our patients have abnormal CYP2D6, the gene most commonly implicated in treatment-resistant depression. This means that they are poor at metabolizing some common anti-depressant medication including Prozac® and Seroxat®. As a result, they may get adverse effects including nausea, headache, vomiting and sexual problems, from a regular or even low dose of the drug." So far, genotyping - which costs about £150 per gene tested - is not widely available in the UK. "The cost of the test may be a barrier to more frequent use of genotyping," Professor Mrazek said. "But most good insurance companies now pay for the test for people who have treatment-resistant depression, either because the drugs don't work or they suffer excessive side-effects. It is now proven beyond doubt that in many cases, unpleasant side effects can be avoided with this simple blood test." Genotyping for depression became widely known in the USA following publication of the best-seller autobiography, Mommies Cry Too, by Carolyn Brink in 2006. Brink was diagnosed with severe postpartum depression shortly after the birth of her first child. But her treatment with three different antidepressants made the depression worse and led to suicidal feelings. She claimed the Mayo Clinic saved her life when the genotyping test showed that the antidepressant medication she was taking became toxic in her bloodstream due to her low metabolism rate for this type of medication. Mrazek, DA, Kung S, Alarcon R, et al. A Pharmacogenomic Algorithm for Antidepressant Medication Selection and Dosing. RCPsych Annual Meeting, London 2008 Jul 3. Comment: Obviously, Dr Mrazek has a vested interest in promoting the use of a test commercialized by his employer, however, there are ongoing psychological and financial benefits in patients receiving effective treatment as soon as possible. For many patients it can take 2 to 3 changes of medication before an effective antidepressant is found. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Abstract+: does the association between mitral valve prolapse and panic disorder really exist?

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:42:00 +0100

Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;10(1):38-47. Does the Association Between Mitral Valve Prolapse and Panic Disorder Really Exist? Filho AS, Maciel BC, Martín-Santos R, Romano MM, Crippa JA. Department of Neuropsychiatry and Medical Psychology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University, Brazil Objective: Although the possible relationship between panic disorder and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) attracted considerable research interest in the 1980s and 1990s, the reported prevalence of MVP in these patients has been inconsistent and widely variable. Clinical and epidemiologic studies have produced controversial data on possible association or definite causal relationship between these 2 entities. The primary objective of the present review was to summarize the current state of knowledge on the association between panic disorder and MVP, including the influence of diagnostic criteria for MVP on the controversial results. Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, LILACS, and EMBASE databases using the keywords panic and mitral. Inclusion criteria were articles concerning the reciprocal association of MVP and panic disorder, published from the earliest dates available through December 2006. Study Selection: All relevant articles published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese and reporting original data related to the association of MVP and panic disorder were included. Forty articles fulfilling the criteria for inclusion in this review were identified. Data Synthesis: Even though the reported prevalence of MVP in panic disorder varied from 0% to 57%, a significant association between the 2 disorders was documented in 17 of the 40 studies. Such inconsistent results were due to sampling biases in case or control groups, widely different diagnostic criteria for MVP, and lack of reliability of MVP diagnosis. None of the reviewed studies used the current state-of-the-art diagnostic criteria for MVP to evaluate the volunteers. Apparently, the more elaborate the study methodology, the lower the chance to observe a significant relationship between these 2 conditions. Conclusions: Published results are insufficient to definitely establish or to exclude an association between MVP and panic disorder. If any relationship does actually exist, it could be said to be infrequent and mainly occur in subjects with minor variants of MVP. To clarify this intriguing issue, future studies should mainly focus on the observed methodological biases and particularly should use the current criteria for MVP as the standard for evaluation. (Link added; ed.) Source + Full study text... (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Voting for a face

The Situationist — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:08:55 +0100

Ann Ryman for the Arizona Republic has an interesting piece summarizing the research examining how looks influence votes. Here are a few excerpts. * * * A growing body of research supports the notion that a candidate’s attempts to establish himself as a powerful leader can be helped or hurt by his facial features. Appearance is not, of course, the sole factor that sways voters, but experts who have studied the link between faces and people’s perceptions say we place more emphasis on looks than we think. Facial structure can play a role in how trustworthy, strong and charismatic we perceive someone to be, said Caroline Keating, a psychology professor at Colgate University who studies facial structure and perceptions of power. * * * “One reason why it’s so important for us to perceive our leaders as competent, credible and sincere is because that makes us feel secure,” Keating said. “We identify with leaders. If leaders look confident, brave, bold and true, then we feel we can take on the world.” Keating has conducted research on people’s reactions to former Presidents Reagan and Kennedy. Using digital images, she made subtle, almost undetectable changes designed to enhance or diminish their facial features and tested reactions. . . . * * * There is evidence that people can often predict the election winners just by looking at faces. Alexander Todorov, an assistant professor of psychology at Princeton University, gave people photos of unfamiliar political candidates who won and were runners-up in state governor races. He asked people to pick the most competent candidates, and they chose the winners 68 percent of the time. Whether this reliance on snap judgments is good or bad is hard to tell, Keating said. “What’s the job of a leader? It’s to move us,” she said. “If you don’t look sincere, then you’re never going to move anybody. You’re not going to instill in them the confidence and the emotional tenor you need to get them to sign onto the programs you think are important. So, when it comes to motivating people, it’s all about the non-verbal.” * * * To read the entire article (which includes a analysis of McCain and Obama’s facial features, click here. For other posts on the Situation of politics, click here. (Source: The Situationist)

Vintage photo of the day: 1938

Dr. X's Free Associations — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Ann Miller & Dub Taylor in You Can't Take It With You . Left-click to enlarge. You Can't Take It With You received six Oscar nominations, picking up wins for Best Picture and Best Director (Frank Capra) in 1939. (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

Yshareit

PsychSplash — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:56:49 +0100

URL: http://www.yshareit.com/The yshareit team is a group of students, young people and mental health professionals keen to improve awareness of mental health issues among young people, including access to web-based support and information. For: AnyoneTopics: Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, YouthFeatures: Community and Social Networking, Links (Source: PsychSplash)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Our time is up

Mind Hacks — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:00:00 +0100

Writer director Rob Pearlstein created a completely endearing 15 minute short film called Our Time is Up about a therapist who discovers he has six weeks to live. It's wonderfully produced and even got nominated for an Oscar in 2006. To be fair, it's initially a bit reliant on some rather tired clichés about patients and therapists, but despite itself, it's disarmingly warm and funny. The writing is excellent, wrapping up what could have been a series of short sketches into a gently poignant and thought-provoking story. Link to 'Our Time is Up' on YouTube. Link to the film's website. (Source: Mind Hacks)

Mapping your mind

Dr. Deborah Serani — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:44:00 +0100

Neuromarketing is a controversial new field which uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging - a medical technology - to sell products.It's akin to mapping one's mind for likes and dislikes.I'm fascinated by this technology, but also skittish about the use of it. So was author Jeffrey Goldberg - but he ventured where I have yet to go. He jumped into the experience, peering into his own brain and uncovered some interesting things. Some reactions that took him by surprise - and others that aligned with his predictions.For more on this article, link to The Atlantic for more.Thanks: Laura Stevens ~ The Rosen Group (Source: Dr. Deborah Serani)

George carlin on our situation

The Situationist — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:01:36 +0100

(Source: The Situationist)

Iscream

The Corpus Callosum — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:29:22 +0100

Seems like everything is being made so you can attach an iPod. Shown below is the George Foreman iPod Grill. With 10-watt speaker. How patriotic is that? And what are we to make of one of the reviews posted at Buy.com? I love George Foreman's products! I own all of the grills, and I use them when I have small get togethers. They are great, indoors and out. I usually only use one at a time, since my friends don't really come to my parties. I don't know what that is about. I used the George Foreman iPod Grill just this past weekend. I was outdoors, listening to some Celine Dion and grilling one hotdog. Celine is great with barbecue foods. I also had a small can of baked beans. Anyway, the speaker was way too loud. My neighbors (I live next to a sorority house) called the cops on me. Again. I don't know what that is about. Read the comments on this post... (Source: The Corpus Callosum)

A look at mid-life

Jung At Heart — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:02:45 +0100

Carl Jung was the first to see the psychological and spiritual significance of midlife transition. He observed that for normal development, in the first half of life we create a life and an understanding of who we are based on what parents, other significant adults, our peers, partners and society in general expect of us. In the process we learn, from the reactions of these significant others, that parts of us are not acceptable; these parts get repressed in our unconscious as shadow. For normal development in the second half of life, we need to create a life based on who we truly are. To do this we need to complete two main developmental tasks for midlife transition: First, we need to go within and reclaim those parts of ourselves repressed when young and other parts of our self we have never known. And second, we need to reshape our lives based on this increased understanding of who we truly are. "The experience of Self brings a feeling of standing on solid ground inside oneself, on a patch of eternity which even physical death cannot touch." Marie-Louise von Franz Middle age is a time in which adults feel a need to reassess where they are and make changes while they feel they still have time. A person experiencing midlife symptoms may ask: Is this all there is? Am I a failure? Symptoms and behaviors during midlife crisis can range from mild to severe and may include: • Boredom and exhaustion, or frantic energy • Self-questioning • Daydreaming • Irritability, unexpected anger • Acting out with alcohol, drug, food or other compulsions • Greatly decreased or increased sexual desire • Sexual affairs, especially with someone much younger • Greatly decreased or increased ambition "The disintegration of personality sounds much less ominous if it is understood as an opportunity for new life rather than the end of the line. Such an attitude is more than mere consolation for the person going through the experience; it can mean the difference between life and death, for it offers the possibility of meaning in what would otherwise be pointless suffering. This is especially true in the middle years of life, when many are brought to their knees either by circumstances or by ignorance of their own psychology, and often by both" Daryl Sharp We go on a heroic journey at midlife as we struggle against ‘levelling down to collective standards'. This struggle is vital for us individually as it leads us to creating a personally meaningful second half of life. “Individuation is a natural necessity…its prevention by a leveling down to collective standards is injurious to the vital activity of the individual…any serious check to individuality is an artificial stunting.” Jung (Source: Jung At Heart)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Lcv dirty half-dozen

The Corpus Callosum — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:20:09 +0100

The League of Conservation Voters is half-way through the process of selecting the dozen worst environmental offenders in elected office. Each election year, they select approximately 12 politicians to target for their campaign, in an effort to unseat, or deny seats to, the politicians with the worst voting records on environmental issues. Last time (2006), the "dozen" (actually 15) included: Senators George Allen (R-VA) Rick Santorum (R-PA) Jim Talent (R-MO) Representatives Bob Beauprez (R-CO) Katherine Harris (R-FL) J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) Richard Pombo (R-CA Charles Taylor (R-NC) Conrad Burns (R-MT) All of those listed above were defeated. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), Rep. Deborah Pryce (D-OH). Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) were targeted, but won their elections. Tom Delay (R-TX) and Bob Ney (R-OH) were named as well. They were not defeated; what happened to them is better: they resigned in disgrace. For 2008, they have named, so far, six politicians: Five are in office; one is a former Representative who is angling to get back in. They are: Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Representative Joe Knollenberg (R - MI) former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-CO) Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Representative Stevan Pearce (R-NM) Mary Landrieu (D-LA) This is a reminder that the stake are as high as ever in November. Read the comments on this post... (Source: The Corpus Callosum)

Antidepressants begin casting more 'positive light' in just 4 hours

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:40:00 +0100

A single antidepressant tablet makes a depressed person see the world in a more positive light just four hours after swallowing it, a new study has shown. Dr Philip Cowen, professor of pharmacology at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, told delegates at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Annual Meeting in London that antidepressant medication starts to work far faster than most clinicians assume. "Depressed people interpret the world in a negative way," he said. "They become stuck in this state. Negativity causes depression and depression causes negativity and, whatever happens, events will be interpreted in a negative way." Antidepressants elevate mood, which in turn leads to a depressed person becoming more positive and interpreting things that happen to them in a positive way. Prof Cowen said: "Antidepressants change biases. People who take them begin to see the world in a positive light," said Prof Cowen. But it does not take weeks for this change to happen. Prof Cowen and his colleagues gave 30 depressed people one single 4mg dose of reboxetine (Edronax®, Vestra®) - which inhibits the update of both serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain - and compared them with 30 'controls' who were given a placebo. The researchers asked both groups to carry out a series of simple tasks, including picking out the 'happy' facial expression from a line of faces, and recalling positive rather than negative words. They found that the placebo group were poor at spotting happy faces. They also tended to remember the negative words and were slow to categorise positive information. However, four hours after taking a single dose of reboxetine, the drug group were as capable of remembering the positive words and spotting the happy expression as people who were not depressed. Prof Cowen said: "People with depression interpret their internal and external worlds in a negative way. The current antidepressant drugs take away the automatic feelings of negativity at the first dose." Antidepressants affect mood indirectly by abolishing the negative bias in the way that depressed people appraise personal and social experience at a subconscious level. While there might be little change in overall conscious mood, Prof Cowen concluded: "Over time, and with a fair wind, this can lead to feeling better and improve the changes of recovery." Cowen P. How antidepressant drugs challenge depressive realism. RCPsych Annual Meeting, London 2008 Jul 3. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Special report: electromagnetic treatments for depression seek to improve on ect

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:37:00 +0100

By John Gever, Staff Writer, MedPage Today NEW YORK, July 4 — There's a new wave of research into targeted electromagnetic treatments for resistant depression, all aiming to relegate traditional electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to obsolescence. An estimated 15% to 20% of depressed patients don't respond to drug or talk therapies, sending many into the realm of ECT. More... © 2004-2008 MedPage Today, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

More americans receiving mental health treatment as stigma eases

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:30:00 +0100

Younger Adults More Likely to Have Received Treatment; Stigma and Privacy Less of a Concern Seeing a psychologist or other mental health professional isn't an unusual thing; in fact it's relatively common. Nearly three in ten U.S. adults (29%) report that they have received treatment or therapy from a psychologist or other mental health professional. The survey also found that younger adults are more open to seeking mental health treatment than those over 50 and that many adults are not discouraged from seeking treatment because of stigma or fear of others finding out. More... (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Deceptive self-presentation in online dating profiles

Deception Blog — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:45:58 +0100

In the latest issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Catalina Toma and colleagues consider how people lie in online dating profiles, and what they lie about. Here’s the abstract: This study examines self-presentation in online dating profiles using a novel cross-validation technique for establishing accuracy. Eighty online daters rated the accuracy of their online self-presentation. Information about participants’ physical attributes was then collected (height, weight, and age) and compared with their online profile, revealing that deviations tended to be ubiquitous but small in magnitude. Men lied more about their height, and women lied more about their weight, with participants farther from the mean lying more. Participants’ self-ratings of accuracy were significantly correlated with observed accuracy, suggesting that inaccuracies were intentional rather than self-deceptive. Overall, participants reported being the least accurate about their photographs and the most accurate about their relationship information. Deception patterns suggest that participants strategically balanced the deceptive opportunities presented by online self-presentation (e.g., the editability of profiles) with the social constraints of establishing romantic relationships (e.g., the anticipation of future interaction). Reference: Catalina L. Toma, Jeffrey T. Hancock & Nicole B. Ellison (2008). Separating Fact From Fiction: An Examination of Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 34(8):1023-1036 See also: Jeffrey T. Hancock, Catalina Toma and Nicole Ellison (2007). The truth about lying in online dating profiles. Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems table of contents: 449 - 452 (Source: Deception Blog)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Warren on the situation of credit

The Situationist — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:10:21 +0100

From the Harvard Law School Website. * * * Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren was recently featured on the NPR program “Fresh Air.” During the show, Warren spoke extensively about the intricacies of the credit system, including how lenders, employers, and even cell phone companies are using credit ratings to determine an individual’s purchasing power. Host Terry Gross opened the program by describing how several egregious clerical errors in her husband’s credit report lowered his credit score extensively, and asked Warren how these errors can occur. “It happens because there’s no real check on the system,” Warren said. “Estimates are that about 80 percent of credit reports contain at least one error, and one in four credit reports contain errors big enough to make a difference in your credit rating.” An expert in bankruptcy law, Warren writes about bankruptcy and credit issues facing middle-class Americans. She has recently called for the creation of a financial products safety commission, which would regulate credit products in the same way the government regulates other consumer goods. Warren is the author of The Two Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers are Going Broke . . . . Listen to the interview of Warren, here. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of the Mortgage Crisis,” “Financial Squeeze: Bad Choices or Bad Situations?,” “The Situation of College Debt” - Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV. (Source: The Situationist)

Who will replace obama in the us sentate?

Dr. X's Free Associations — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

If Obama wins the presidency, embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will appoint Obama's replacement. Here are the names being mentioned: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan Despite being the daughter of one of the state's most powerful hacks, Lisa Madigan has proven herself a capable and honest public servant. She's probably the most popular Democrat in Illinois right now. Blago is always at war with her father and she's got a good shot at putting Blagojevich out of the governor's mansion... (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

Good idea: down for everyone or just me?

Dr. X's Free Associations — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Ever wonder whether a site is down or the problem is on your end? This site let's you answer the question. (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

Bush speechwriters excise scorn for religious ignorance from jefferson quote

Dr. X's Free Associations — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This looks like an instance of adjusting the data to avoid ruffling any conservative ideological feathers. I presume the speech writer(s), rather than Bush, decided to remove Jefferson's offending words. What Bush said: Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to Americans alone. They belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day when all people could secure them. On the 50th anniversary of America's independence, Thomas Jefferson passed away. But before leaving this world, he explained... (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

Quote of the day

Markham's Behavioral Health — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

"It takes faith to believe, and it takes courage not to, and who is to say which is the deeper and more truthful." Herbert Weisinger (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Kids living with relatives have fewer problems than those in foster homes

Markham's Behavioral Health — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Reuters Health Day reported on June 2, 2008 on a study in the June, 2008 issue of the journal, Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, that children removed from their homes due to maltreatment do better when placed with relatives than in foster care. This seems intuitive for us who work in human services based on our clinical experience. Now, there is some social science research that backs that clinical observation up. Here is a snippet from the Reuters article: Children removed from their homes due to mistreatment have fewer behavioral problems if they're placed with relatives -- called kinship care -- than if they're placed in foster care, a new study says. The study, by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, looked at 1,309 children who entered out-of-home care between 1999 and 2000. Of those children, 599 were placed in kinship care, and 710 were placed in foster care. Of those in foster care, 17 percent moved to kinship care after at least one month in foster care. Interviews were conducted with the children, caregivers, birth parents, child welfare workers and teachers at the start of the study and again at 18 months and 36 months later. The study found that 32 percent of children immediately placed in kinship care had behavioral problems 36 months later, compared with 39 percent of children who moved from foster care to kinship care, and 46 percent of children who stayed in foster care. Children in kinship care were less likely to change placements frequently. At 36 months, 58 percent of those in kinship care had achieved a sustained placement or were reunified with their parents, compared with 32 percent of children in foster care. The study also found that 58 percent of children who started in foster care but switched to kinship care reunified with their parents within 45 days, compared with 40 percent of children who stayed in foster care. The study was published in the June issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.MedlinePlus: Kids Living With Relatives Have Fewer Problems Than Those in Foster Homes. Video lasts 1:16. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

Marijuana may shrink parts of the brain

Markham's Behavioral Health — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Reuters HealthDay reported on June 2, 2008, on a study in the June, 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry on a study done in Australia which found that longer term marijuana use causes brain damamge. Here is a snippet from the Reuters article: People who use marijuana for a long time can develop abnormalities in their brains, Australian researchers report. Although growing literature suggests that long-term marijuana use is associated with a wide range of adverse health consequences, many people believe it is relatively harmless and should be legalized, the researchers noted. "However, this study shows long-term, heavy cannabis use causes significant brain injury, memory loss, difficulties learning new information, and psychotic symptoms, such as delusions of persecution [paranoia], delusions of mind-reading, and bizarre social behaviors in even non-vulnerable users," said lead researcher Murat Yucel, from the ORYGEN Research Centre and the Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne. This new evidence plays an important role in further understanding the effects of marijuana and its impact on brain functioning, Yucel said. "The study is the first to show that long-term cannabis use can adversely affect all users, not just those in the high-risk categories such as the young, or those susceptible to mental illness, as previously thought," he said. The report was published in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Video lasts 3:36 MedlinePlus: Marijuana May Shrink Parts of the Brain (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

Vintage photos of the day: nazi occupied paris

Dr. X's Free Associations — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Left-click photos to enlarge. Thanks to Ben (Taxing Tennessee) for tipping me off to these images. More below the fold... (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

When work's bad for your brain

BrainBasedBusiness — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:59:34 +0100

Your brain’s egg-like consistency takes cares of everything from getting you onto the job daily … to landing you that choice promotion you craved.You’ve likely noticed though … that cutting edge workplaces keep brains alive to better performances … while toxic organizational settings tend to stomp out mental health. Simply put, approaches in any workplace look surprisingly different when rooted in recent neuroscience. Not that peering into the brain … with its lifetime mysteries … will always lead to profitability. And few would deny that to fully understand the fast-emerging facts about human cognition, you need to dig deeper into the brain at work. Yet the employees out there who zero in on what brainpower looks like at highly successful firms … tend to act more on what the brain does. It only makes sense.Interestingly … what’s bad for the brain is usually bad for business. Take a lack of mental flexibility, for instance. Rigid routines are particularly dreadful for brain’s plasticity. and you don’t have to look past today’s Wall Street Journal to see long-established firms sinking in shifting times. The result? Companies such as GM will be left behind with the tide toward smaller cars ... unless they can flex faster to the rising gas crisis. A lifetime student of the brain … I remain convinced that remarkable flexibility offers unique dividends to those who use it in different ways daily. Why does it happen?Science is showing increasing examples of how the brain reassigns parts normally clogged with rigid routines … when we engage different ways of thinking and widely varied approaches … into regions that capitalize on differences. The opposite can be crisis in a fast changing marketplace. It's a bit like investing in one stock only and hoping for the best when the stock performs poorly. Is work bad for the brain at your firm? What would it take to create space for more flexibility in one low performing area? (Source: BrainBasedBusiness)

Physical healthcare in severe mental illness

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:57:00 +0100

A guide for physicians for the diagnosis and treatment of common physical illness suffered by psychiatric patients. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Freedom for thought

Andrea's Buzzing About: — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:26:04 +0100

“The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:)

Selling the 'battle of the sexes'

Mind Hacks — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:00:00 +0100

Slate has just finished an excellent five-part series on two recent books which have attempted to paint men and women as vastly different in mind, brain and behaviour by exaggerating the science of sex difference. The books in question are Louann Brizendine's The Female Brain and Susan Pinker's The Sexual Paradox. Both have been influential because the authors write from an explicitly feminist angle, and both claim to be drawing on the latest neuroscience, suggesting that they're overthrowing the mushy political correctness of "everyone is the same". The Slate series pulls no punches though, saying "Ultimately, the evangelists aren't really daring to be politically incorrect. They're peddling one-sidedness, sprinkled with scientific hyperbole." Of course, there are cognitive differences between men and women, but the punchline of almost all sex difference research is that the extent of the difference between any two individuals, be they male or female, tends to vastly outweigh the average difference between the sexes. Furthermore, while some of these books suggest the differences are innate many studies have found the differences change markedly over time and are influenced by cultural or social factors. The series is well-researched, easy to digest and looks at the areas of communication, empathy, maths ability and development during childhood. It's also accompanied by a three-part video discussion, which tackles similar issues. Slate have been doing a great job of getting some accessible, level-headed neuroscience out there recently, and this is another great example. Good work science writer Amanda Schaffer. Link to Slate series on 'The Sex Difference Evangelists'. (Source: Mind Hacks)

Happy independence day 2008

World of Psychology — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:29:21 +0100

Ah, Independence Day — July 4th. A good day to celebrate, enjoy some family time, and have an outdoor barbeque. Or try to, if only the darned kids would get off their Nintendos and cell phones! It’s a day for family and friends, for celebrating our independence from another country who tried to dominate our lives through intrusive government and taxation without proper representation. But with each passing year, it sometimes feels like the lessons of past centuries are being lost. Our government increasingly seeks to intrude in our private lives in the name of “security,” forgetting that our nation is founded on the grounds of “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” Taxes rise every year and while I’m sure we’re better off than our colonial counterparts, most individual Americans feel the rising burdens of government more than government itself feels them. Of course government cannot “feel” anything (since it’s a faceless, ever-growing bureaucracy). But we the people do. Families today face many more challenges than problems with government, though, or rising taxes. The face of the family is changing, as it has changed with the advance of every new technology in the past. People who haven’t studied history think all of this change is new and exciting. And while it is exciting, it is nothing new. There are dozens of milestones in recent history where technology has played a major role in shifting the course of society. Technology used in the Revolutionary War, such as the printing press, faster warships, and more reliable muskets, helped alter the face of society forever across the world. It spun the idea of democracy and freedom from aristocracy, which spread across Europe. Steam-powered sawmills in the 18th century sped the ability to build new structures across our fledgling country, helping to fuel the creation of towns in the westward expansion to the Pacific. With the industrial age brought all sorts of significant changes to the family. The mass production and affordability of mainstream goods, including the automobile, led to a burgeoning middle class and greater mobility for families. America was moving from a rural, land-based society to an industrialized, urban society. The radio brought entertainment from around the country right into our homes, and families would crowd around the radio every night to listen to their favorite shows. The World Wars helped us refine the art and technology of killing one another. With tens of millions dead and hundreds of towns and cities burned to the ground, nothing has probably been as society- and family-changing as the combination of these two wars. So while computers and the Internet and video games and text messaging can be annoying and seem to be dividing some families, know that the burden you face today is nothing equivalent to the burden faced by millions of parents that came before you. By those who risked everything to settle in the New West. By those who sent their sons off to fight for our independence over 200 years ago. By those who lost an arm in an industrial accident, and became homeless because not being able to work meant no pay, and no pay meant no food or home. By those who suffered through the Great Depression on nothing more than a piece of bread a day and some water. By those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the one of the Great Wars. I’m not going to minimize the impact of technology on today’s families. But I do think it should be put into some kind of perspective. Because while it may seem like a ‘big deal’ that your teen would rather text her friends than talk to you, in the grand scheme of our country’s history, it’s a pretty small thing (and one fairly easily dealt with by setting limits and some discipline). Happy Independence Day, from everyone here at Psych Central, we hope you have an enjoyable holiday! (Source: World of Psychology)

In congress, july 4, 1776

ShrinkWrapped — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:25:56 +0100

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated: Column 1Georgia: Button Gwinnett Lyman Hall George Walton Column 2North Carolina: William Hooper Joseph Hewes John PennSouth Carolina: Edward Rutledge Thomas Heyward, Jr. Thomas Lynch, Jr. Arthur Middleton Column 3Massachusetts:John HancockMaryland:Samuel ChaseWilliam PacaThomas StoneCharles Carroll of CarrolltonVirginia:George WytheRichard Henry LeeThomas JeffersonBenjamin HarrisonThomas Nelson, Jr.Francis Lightfoot LeeCarter Braxton Column 4Pennsylvania: Robert Morris Benjamin Rush Benjamin Franklin John Morton George Clymer James Smith George Taylor James Wilson George RossDelaware: Caesar Rodney George Read Thomas McKean Column 5New York: William Floyd Philip Livingston Francis Lewis Lewis MorrisNew Jersey: Richard Stockton John Witherspoon Francis Hopkinson John Hart Abraham Clark Column 6New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett William WhippleMassachusetts: Samuel Adams John Adams Robert Treat Paine Elbridge GerryRhode Island: Stephen Hopkins William ElleryConnecticut: Roger Sherman Samuel Huntington William Williams Oliver WolcottNew Hampshire: Matthew Thornton (Source: ShrinkWrapped)

Brain twister

Mind Hacks — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

In 1941, brain specialist Russell Brain published an article about the brain in the brain science journal Brain. Owing to Brain's extensive work on the brain, he later became editor of Brain. His work treating brain disorders and his editorship of Brain were some of the reasons he was made Baron Brain, in 1962. Last year, Brain published a tribute to Brain's brain article in Brain, owing to its massive impact on our understanding of the brain. It was written by Alastair Compston. (Source: Mind Hacks)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

The monument of liberty & jewad selim

psychiatry for all — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:38:00 +0100

I have mentioned Jewad Selim "or typed Jawad Selim" in my last post. I called his monument as the Freedom Monument, but I found lately that it is called as "The Monument of Liberty".The monument is made up of 14 separate units and comprising 25 human figures together with a horse and a bull. I found an article about the Munument of Liberty in the journal of Gilgamesh, the first issue in 1987. These following lines are taken from the article written by Jibra I. Jibra:"He worked throughout 1960 on the clay figures. He sent them to Pistoia to be cast in bronze. Each figure was divided into parts in order to facilitate their shipment to Baghdad in carefully marked crates. Late that year, Selim returned to Baghdad to supervise the installation of the figures on the complete frieze.In Baghdad, the bronze pieces were taken out of the wooden crates welded together and raised on to the marble structure.Selim never stopped supervising the work being done properly. He was always on site, together with his colleagues and a crowd of curious people watching the gradual unfolding of the dramatic figures.He was busy supervising the erection of the second unit when he had a heart attack. He was hurried to hospital. Around his bed gathered the best doctors in town trying to help him pull through. But the attack was so severe that he died on January 23, 1961, not yet 42." I found some interesting sites talking about Jawad Selim, and here are some links.http://baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com/2005/09/treasure-in-baghdad_11.htmlhttp://attawie.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-exhibition-salute-to-jawad-salim.html (Source: psychiatry for all)

Recall bias and vaccines

Black Triangle — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:21:02 +0100

The BMJ publish a study this week on multiple vaccinations in British soldiers. Multiple vaccines have been suggested to be linked to ill health following the 1991 Gulf war. Murphy et al examined soldiers deployed in Iraq since 2003. Personnel who reported receiving two or more vaccinations on a single day were more likely to report [...] (Source: Black Triangle)

Trauma survivors more resilient than previously thought

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:15:00 +0100

People caught up in terrorist attacks or natural disasters are more resilient, both as individuals and in groups, than previously thought. Far from being passive "victims" they can be highly organized survivors, so much so that they should be involved in drafting mental health guidelines to deal with major disasters. Richard Williams, professor of mental health strategy at the University of Glamorgan, was speaking at a symposium on conflict and mental health at the Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists at Imperial College London. Prof Williams drew a distinction between distress - a perfectly understandable reaction to a traumatic event - and a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and said that it was important not to medicalise, 'ordinary processes' such as bereavement. He defined resilience as a person's ability to adapt psychologically, emotionally and physically to the situation "reasonably well" and without lasting detriment to themselves, or their relationships. Resilience is not about avoiding short-term distress - indeed resilient people include those who show their distress, he told delegates. It is about adapting to their situation and being realistic about their recovery. "Resilient people may experience a period of distress and then recover with the support of their families and friends." Strong relationships, an ability to receive help and social support, a belief in their own competence and strong self-esteem, lie at the heart of resilience. "What happens in your past comes alive in you during a disaster and you draw on that," said Prof Williams. Survivors from disasters and terrorist events should be offered responses that draw on psychological first aid, Prof Williams told the conference. Being protected from further threat, being consoled and comforted and given immediate physical care, are all vital, as is being reunited with loved ones and linking up with other support services, if necessary. The notion that crowds panic following disaster and terrorist attacks, is a myth. During the London bombings on 7 July 2005, the 'first responders' were the survivors in the bus and underground carriages in which the terrorists chose to detonate their bombs, as well as passengers on an adjacent train, said Prof Williams. Referring to descriptions in a book by a London journalist who was present, and research, Professor Williams said: "Most of the survivors continued to experience thoughts of threat but the prevailing response was of calm, mutual help, concern and ordered behavior. They remained functional and did not panic. This group of people stuck in a very serious situation were behaving resiliently. This should influence what we do in the aftermath of a disaster." Williams R. Resilience in the face of terrorism and disaster Presentation, RCPsych Annual Meeting, London 2008 Jul 2. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Tricyclic antidepressants may increase the incidence of non-hodgkin lymphoma

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:12:00 +0100

Researchers from Denmark reported that patients who are long-term takers of tricyclic antidepressant medications have a 53% increased incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). These data were also published in the July issue of Epidemiology. More... © 1998-2007 OncoEd.com All Rights Reserved.Comment: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the rarer cancers (lifetime risk = 2.05%). Do not stop any depression medication unless directed to do so by your provider. When some depression medications are discontinued, abruptly worsening depression, anxiety and flu-like symptoms may occur. While not life-threatening these may be quite uncomfortable. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Treating psychiatric disorders - something smells fishy

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:46:00 +0100

By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD Could the treatment of psychiatric and mood disorders be as simple as eating more fish? Fish oil contains, specifically docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are known to have positive cardiovascular outcomes. Fish oil intake, through diet or supplementation, has noteworthy effects on lowering total cholesterol, lowering LDL ("bad" cholesterol), and increasing HDL ("good" cholesterol). In addition to the cardiovascular benefits of fish oil, there may be neurological, psychiatric, and emotional benefits, as well. More... Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation (GNIF). All Rights Reserved. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Abstract: agoraphobia: combined treatment and virtual reality

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:43:00 +0100

Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2008 Mar-Apr;36(2):94-101. Agoraphobia: combined treatment and virtual reality. Preliminary results Pitti C, Peñate W, de la Fuente J, Bethencourt J, Acosta L, Villaverde M, Gracia R. Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Spain. [Article in Spanish] INTRODUCTION: Several validation studies have identified the use of certain psychodrugs, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and combined treatment as effective procedures for the treatment of agoraphobia. Recent findings suggest that agoraphobia can also be treated with virtual reality techniques (VRET) as an alternative exposure technique to virtual reality stimuli. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-seven patients with agoraphobia were distributed into two groups of psychoactive drugs (paroxetine and venlafaxine) and into two cognitive- behavioral procedures (with or without exposure to VRET). Seven virtual situations were used. RESULTS: Preliminary results show significant improvements in all the experimental groups. Regarding the psychodrugs (paroxetine and venlafaxine) both significantly improved the symptoms and in regards to the CBT, patients treated with VRET, especially the chronic patients, seem to obtain the best results. CONCLUSIONS: Agoraphobia combined treatments including paroxetine, venlafaxine and cognitive-behavioral therapy (with or without VRET) seem to have clear benefits for the patients. VRET seem to be a possible and effective treatment for agoraphobic patients, especially for those with chronic agoraphobia. (Text has been reformatted for clarity; ed.) Source... (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

Abstract: a prospective study of ptsd and early-age heart disease mortality among vietnam veterans

Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:40:00 +0100

Psychosom Med 2008;doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e31817bccafA Prospective Study of PTSD and Early-Age Heart Disease Mortality Among Vietnam Veterans: Implications for Surveillance and Prevention Boscarino JA. Objective: To examine prospectively early-age heart disease (HD) among a national random sample of 4328 male Vietnam veterans, who did not have HD at baseline in 1985. Studies have suggested that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may result in cardiovascular disease. However, many past studies had important methodological limitations to their designs. Method: Using Cox regressions, we assessed PTSD, age, race, intelligence, family history, obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, antisocial personality, and depression in predicting HD mortality at follow-up in December 31, 2000. The men were <65 years old at follow-up. Results: Using two PTSD measures, a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition (DSM-III) measure (D-PTSD) and one developed by Keane (K-PTSD), we found that among Vietnam theater and era veterans combined (era veterans had no Vietnam service), having PTSD was associated with HD mortality for D-PTSD (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.25, p = .045) and approached significance for K-PTSD (HR = 2.16, p = .066). However, having higher PTSD symptoms on either scale was associated with mortality, with a 5-point increase associated with 20% increase in mortality risk (all p < .05). Controlling for lifetime depression only slightly altered the results. The effects for theater veterans alone were stronger (D-PTSD: HR = 2.58, p = .025; K-PTSD: HR = 2.73, p = .022). Among theater veterans, controlling for lifetime depression or combat exposure made little difference. Conclusion: PTSD was prospectively associated with HD mortality among veterans free of HD at baseline. This study suggests that early-age HD may be an outcome after military service among PTSD-positive veterans. (Text has been reformatted for clarity; ed.) Source... (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)

If you liked my colon...

Turn Your Head and Scoff — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:37:00 +0100

What is up with surgery, surgeons, and pretty much anybody - from the person who answers the phone to the already-masked незнакомым that lurk the OR as you walk in to take your place on the table. Yeah, walk in. Somehow you would think that transportation would be more sanitary than walking there in your paper slippers. Whatever... When I enter, IV line already running, 4-5 people are doing I-don't-know-what-because-they-immediately-cease and greet me with the uneasiness of someone up to no good. In fact, you can appear sheepish while fully masked and gowned, or was it my imagination?To backtrack a quick second... Now just in case anyone misinterpreted my post and think I actually broke my butt, let me make a correction: I actually smashed the living hell out of my knee and shoulder; it is merely the metaphorical application of the vernacular, "That really kicked my ass." I apologize for any misunderstanding. My ass, as it were, is sound. I suspect both my head and ass would have much better withstood the carnage. Better to move on.Now, following the unimaginable that occurred in Florida, you are handed a marking pen and asked to "indicate" the correct limb. Being forgetful - which occasionally has its advantages (e.g. the priest who told me, "I immediately forget what someone has confessed to me." You mean like me & that goat?) - I therefore take no actuarial chance that there is no one else on this earth as forgetful as me. Let's just just say I left my "mark."; a mark even Tiresias couldn't miss. And so, to quote Steely Dan, "I take one last drag as I approach the stand," and in this case, I am shockingly struck by the similarity to the death chamber at San Quentin, and without a word, momentarily hesitate. "Do you need some help?" Hardly. The "table," as it were, is about as comfortable lying in the street, and a nurse always rushes to get you one of those lame-ass excuses for a "blanket" fresh from the heater because it is so "food-handling safety" cold in the OR you could sell fresh fish. Is that the hawk quietly seated on that heart monitor? Enter my surgeon. Small talk, etc. I hear him softly asking a nurse, "Are we about ready?" "What about the doctor's hair?" as they both turn and look at me. "All your hair has to be under that cap." Yeah, yeah.At this point the atmosphere is charged, everyone just standing around, trays of instruments and equipment covered with sterile towels: "GET HIM UNDER ALREADY!" they seem to be saying to the anesthesiologist, who is quietly making bullshit "conversation" as he starts another IV and attaches heart monitor leads. But then again, what do you talk about at a time like this? "Hey, how 'bout them Padres!" I vividly recall that it took more than 15 minutes to get an IV line into Tookie Williams before they executed him. And finally the euphemisms begin about, "I'm giving you some meds to relax you & you'll feel a little groggy. Then we're going to sleep." Let me just clarify here: You mean you are going to inject my ass [N.B. figure of speech] with enough meds to make me flat-out stuporous, until you can get a tube in my throat and pump me with inhalant anesthetics to induce a state you call "sleep?" Wow. Now that's some jaw-jackin' shit!In Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery, surgeon Richard Seltzer seems to promote the notion of the body as "temple." Mysterious to the point of mechanical incomprehensibility, its contents are only viewed by initiates, who nevertheless end up as violators, unclean, and unworthy. Seltzer is in awe as he attempts to see and discern what is incomprehensible. He tells the story of a patient, apparently with a regional block, whom Seltzer suddenly notices is viewing his "interior" by the mirrored reflection off the operative lamp. "NO!" cries Seltzer, but alas the uninitiated has "seen" what should not be seen. In some cultures I suppose he would have been necessarily sacrificed... Well, I am prepared to tell you that on the two occasions I have been in an OR as a student (once just standing there like the dumbass I was/am, and the other holding a retractor only because someone else became too tired), there was no awe to be found. Both patients were thoroughly draped, leaving only an "operative field," painted Betadine yellow and covered with a thin layer of plastic "incise drape" (basically a sterile Saran Wrap™). I must confess that only by a stretch of the imagination could I associate that sterile field with a human being. And trust when I say that you will not forget the smell of a cauterized bleeder. Hit it, boys: Last thing I remember, I was Running for the door I had to find the passage back To the place I was before 'Relax,' said the night man, 'We are programmed to receive. You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!'Annoying, pestering, prodding, "Wake up! Wake up! The surgery is all over. Everything went fine!" You meant WELL. It's my anesthetic, damn it, let me finish it! "Wake up!" Then, slowly, emerges the alligator biting you. Pain. Throbbing to your heartbeat. In the background is a swooshing sound, which turns out to be a little cooler (much like you would take to the beach above), connected to tubing and a pad that circulates iced water over the surgical wound. No longer tired, I am ready to leave. Enter my surgeon. "Remember when we were looking at the MRI's and you asked if there was a growth behind your patella? Well, you were right" (watch for it in the last slide!). In the short moment it takes to gloat, I suddenly am aware that I got lucky, having forgotten more surgical anatomy than I actually remember! I felt like Iggy Pop listening to Tom Waits blame his late arrival on having to perform "roadside surgery" in Coffee and Cigarettes. "You're a doctor?" "Yeah. It goes with the whole creative thing. Music, medicine..."So, enjoy the pretty pictures (although the tags and notes were messed up by the creating site). Next internal stop: infraspinatus (or why I couldn't pour you a 2nd round). I even have a movie (a VHS tape!), but how to get it on this site...Finally, if you haven't already read, my compatriot ClinkShrink, is changing direction, and I, for one, wish her less malingering psychopaths and more "worried well." It is not a matter of "somebody's gotta do it" forensic psychiatry, and shame on anyone who would suggest it. It is an area of medical specialization where only the sharpest, most astute, and caring of physicians struggle and survive. And some patients even make it! That would be some... Clink, you're the best! (Source: Turn Your Head and Scoff)

2008-07-04 spike activity

Mind Hacks — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news: Scientific American looks at the neuroscience of dance, and includes one of my favourite studies on ballet dancers and capoeira artists. War on Drugs bulletin: a World Health Organisation study finds the USA leads the world, by quite a wide margin, in per capita consumption of illegal drugs. Globally, there seems no relation between drug consumption and legal restriction. $500 billion well spent then. Sharp Brains rounds up some of their recent brain enhancement articles by the SB team and guest scientists. Separated at birth: Celebrity psychologists Linda Papadopoulos and Robi Ludwig. That's just spooky isn't it? A 2005 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis reports on a man with phantom limb who finds it involuntarily responds to hypnotic suggestions. The Neurocritic finds the 'watermelon works like viagra' nonsense is, well, nonsense. The NYT Freakanomics blog has a fascinating piece on why people lie on social welfare applications, in the opposite direction than you'd think. Mixing Memory is doing an excellent in-depth review of Lakoff's new book 'The Political Mind'. Just check the blog and look for the past pieces and forthcoming updates. Cypress Hill vindicated! Cognitive Daily reports on a study finding that high-pitched voices are generally rated as more attractive. From deceiving others to an great piece on self-deception, in the International Herald Tribune. The BPS Research Digest tracks down a fascinating book on the history and philosophy of jokes. Enhancing your cognitive ability with electricity makes a comeback. Technology Review looks at transcranial direct current stimulation. Developing Intelligence has another fascinating piece - this time on how the cognitive benefits of meditation are likely to be available to everyone. The excellent Advances in the History of Psychology finds an interesting paper on an seemingly apocryphal 1868 dust-up between Paul Broca and John Hughlings Jackson. (Source: Mind Hacks)

The marketing of freedom & independence

The Situationist — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:24:00 +0100

(Source: The Situationist)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Governor blagojovich: "i have nothing to fear but the truth"

Dr. X's Free Associations — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

That's what he said. It's about 50 seconds into this heated exchanged over his Rezko troubles. Housekeeping is probably making up another bed in the Governor's Suite at the Illinois politician's wing in the federal pen right now. (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)

Quote of the day

Markham's Behavioral Health — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

"Americans are not free. They have been tricked into believing that they are, but they are manipulated by corporate and political forces that play upon their base emotions so that they will buy and vote in the desired way that corporations and political operatives want them to buy and vote. Americans are no more free that rats in a maze running the corridors looking for the cheese or fleeing in terror from the non-existent cat." Harry Holleywood (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

Contemporary american politics is like domestic violence

Markham's Behavioral Health — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

"This same process takes place in political dependency, where people will accept the most bizarre and illogical arguments in order to maintain a dependency relationship. Once Americans adopt the irrational beliefs and become dependent on the gaslighter, they are highly unlikely to reconsider their beliefs, no matter what the consequences and no matter what the evidence to the contrary. This is why it so easy to retroactively adjust the rationale for the Iraq war so many times." Dr. Bryan Welch, State Of Confusion:Polticial Manipulation and The Assault On The American Mind, p.7 The scary thing about our democracy is that people are crazy. They are like the victim of domestic violence who keep taking the abuser back into her life hoping that he will change and come to really love her, but the cycle of abuse continues and over time escalates until he kills her. The only hope is for her to find the strength to stand up to the abuser and hold him accountable for his behavior. This rarely happens, and instead the victim seeks shelter in a safe house or a domestic violence shelter where others will protect her and take care of her until she can get on her own feet. Where will Americans run when their government and the corporations are abusing them? Who will provide them shelter and take care of them? Wealthy Americans can become ex-patriots and go live in a foreign country. I have a friend whi retired in Belize and there are plenty of Americans in Costa Rica, and other countries around the world. Life in Europe and in Canada certainly would be better. At least you can get health care. But for the most of us we are stuck and Rush Limbaugh just got the biggest radio contract in history so things will not change any time soon. However, slowly people are awakening and as more people understand the gaslighting that goes on and the gaslighters are held accountable, perhaps Americans can free themselves from the abuse and manipulation which is destroying our country. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

On chesil beach, the book

Markham's Behavioral Health — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The year is 1962 and Edward 23, marries Florence, 22 and both virgins go to Chesil Beach on the Dorset Coast for their honeymoon. Edward is horney as hell and Florence is scared out of her wits, and though they love each other ostensibly, their first attempt at sex is a disaster which sets off a round of recriminations that dooms their once hopeful marriage. Ian McEwan's novella is a masterful description of human emotion, interpersonal dysfunction, and tragedy entirely of our own making. It would be a wonderful book to use in a course on Marriage and Family Therapy. I recommend this book, Ian McEwan's, On Chesil Beach (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

Sophie scholl: the final days, the film

Markham's Behavioral Health — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is a German film released in 2005 and Nominated for best Foreign Film for an Academy Award in 2006. I watched it with english subtitles. It is the true story of Sophie Magdalena Scholl and her brother, Hans, and Christoph Probst who were members of the White Rose which was an anti-Nazi underground protest organization in Germany in the early 40s. In February of 1943, they were arrested and executed afew days later on February 22, 1943, 65 years ago. If she were alive today, Sophie would be 86. This film is worth watching for it inspiration when brave people stand up in conscience against a government trampling on human rights and committing crimes against humanity. Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage (2005). (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

MedWorm Sponsored Message: Find out how you can get your message across here by sponsoring this MedWorm news feed.

Real life: ten stories of aging, the book

Markham's Behavioral Health — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In 1994, University of Press of Colorado, published Real Life: Ten Stories of Aging edited by Patrick McKee and Jon Thiem. Here is a blurb which I copied off the Amazon web page:Pearl Buck, E. M. Forster, Anton Chekhov, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Bertolt Brecht and five other classic authors deal with issues of aging with grace and gusto in this fine collection. The editors have sought stories that show different aspects of growing old, such as renewal or rebirth in late life; transition from older patterns of life to newer ones; acceptance of old age; and fear of death. To further the usefulness of their collection, the editors have added commentaries and discussion questions after each story. Great for general reading, book clubs, and course work. Denise Perry Donavin I learn as much about psychology that helps me as a therapist from fiction as I do from scientific and professional texts. Real Life is one such book which includes ten short stories by well known contemporary authors. Most of the stories depict situations in the first half of the 20th century. I suppose more recent authors might write stories of aging with a bit of a difference, because, as they say, 70 is the new 50, and 60 is the new 45. The baby boomers are not aging the way their parents and grandparents did. We have pills for everything from aches and pains from arthritis, to slow urinary flow from enlarged protates, to cholesterol lowering drugs, and meds to manage our depression and anxiety.Nonetheless, Real Life has some delightful and interesting stories about the challenging developmental phenomenon of aging. As the saying goes, "Aging is not for sissies." Real Life is a good book for the medical humanities, psychology, social work, nursing, other human service professionals, and for us all, because we, hopefully, will all get old one day.I recommend this bookAmazon.com: Real Life: Ten Stories of Aging: Patrick L. McKee, Jon Thiem: Books. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)

Code word red: waterboarding is torture

The Neurocritic — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

You may have read by now the official lie about this treatment, which is that it “simulates” the feeling of drowning. This is not the case. You feel that you are drowning because you are drowning—or, rather, being drowned, albeit slowly and under controlled conditions and at the mercy (or otherwise) of those who are applying the pressure.-Christopher Hitchens, in the August issue of Vanity FairIt's July 4, Independence Day in America. A time for fireworks and baseball and apple pie and ice cream and watermelon.In case you haven't been keeping up with issue of how the US condoned torture in the War on Terror:[Four U.S. Congress Members] Briefed on Waterboarding in 2002 By Joby Warrick and Dan EggenWashington Post Staff WritersSunday, December 9, 2007In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group ... was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said.However, in 2004, a quiet hero emerged from a most unlikely place -- from within the Bush Administration -- as described last year by Amy Goodman:In a remarkable demonstration of commitment to his job, former acting Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin, according to ABC News, underwent waterboarding when tasked by the White House to rework its official position on torture in 2004. Concluding that waterboarding is torture, he was forced out of his job.Four years later, neoconservative pundit Christopher Hitchens saysBelieve Me, It’s TortureWhat more can be added to the debate over U.S. interrogation methods, and whether waterboarding is torture? Try firsthand experience. The author undergoes the controversial drowning technique, at the hands of men who once trained American soldiers to resist—not inflict—it.You can watch a video of Hitchens on the waterboard: How does it feel to be “aggressively interrogated”? Christopher Hitchens found out for himself, submitting to a brutal waterboarding session in an effort to understand the human cost of America’s use of harsh tactics at Guantánamo and elsewhere. "Well, then, if waterboarding does not constitute torture, then there is no such thing as torture."However, he goes on to appears to contradict himself just a couple of paragraphs later.ADDENDUM: He presents the arguments on both sides of the debate "at their strongest" but has praise for those who endorse torture:The team who agreed to give me a hard time in the woods of North Carolina belong to a highly honorable group. This group regards itself as out on the front line in defense of a society that is too spoiled and too ungrateful to appreciate those solid, underpaid volunteers who guard us while we sleep. ... As they have just tried to demonstrate to me, a man who has been waterboarded may well emerge from the experience a bit shaky, but he is in a mood to surrender the relevant information and is unmarked and undamaged and indeed ready for another bout in quite a short time. When contrasted to actual torture, waterboarding is more like foreplay. No thumbscrew, no pincers, no electrodes, no rack. Can one say this of those who have been captured by the tormentors and murderers of (say) Daniel Pearl? On this analysis, any call to indict the United States for torture is therefore a lame and diseased attempt to arrive at a moral equivalence between those who defend civilization and those who exploit its freedoms to hollow it out, and ultimately to bring it down. I myself do not trust anybody who does not clearly understand this viewpoint.Maybe if Hitchens were forced to endure the experience of actually drowning for more than a few seconds, again and again and again, he just might change his mind. He is certainly not convinced by the words of Malcolm Nance, a former master instructor and chief of training at the U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School. Hitchens again:I passed one of the most dramatic evenings of my life listening to his cold but enraged denunciation of the adoption of waterboarding by the United States. The argument goes like this: 1. Waterboarding is a deliberate torture technique and has been prosecuted as such by our judicial arm when perpetrated by others. 2. If we allow it and justify it, we cannot complain if it is employed in the future by other regimes on captive U.S. citizens. It is a method of putting American prisoners in harm’s way. 3. It may be a means of extracting information, but it is also a means of extracting junk information. ... 4. It opens a door that cannot be closed. Once you have posed the notorious “ticking bomb” question, and once you assume that you are in the right, what will you not do? Waterboarding not getting results fast enough? The terrorist’s clock still ticking? Well, then, bring on the thumbscrews and the pincers and the electrodes and the rack.Who do you trust...Mr. Hitchens or Mr. Nance? (Source: The Neurocritic)

Happy 4th!

Dr. Helen — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Do you remember being a kid and shooting off all kinds of fireworks? The 4th was always one of my favorite holidays and my parents would get us smoke bombs, firecrackers and other fireworks that we would play with for days. This all kind of stopped abruptly once when my brother blew his finger tips off after putting together some kind of firecracker concoction and it exploded in his hand. So, (Source: Dr. Helen)

Vintage photos of the day

Dr. X's Free Associations — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Actress Dorothy Arnold. Arnold was married to Joe DiMaggio from 1939 to 1944. Their son, Joe DiMaggio, III, was born in 1941. A photo of Dorothy Arnold and son, Joe, is below the fold... (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations)