MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'behavioral'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:23 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181919&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2F01%2Fthe-situation-of-the-inequality-getting-inequalitier%2F From PBSNewsHour: Financial gains over the last decade in the United States have been mostly made at the “tippy-top” of the economic food chain as more people fall out of the middle class. The top 20 percent of Americans now holds 84 percent of U.S. wealth, as Paul Solman found out as part of a Making Sen$e series on economic inequality. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181919 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:34:21 +0100 5181919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174757&cid=t_175052_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fadhd-behavioral-therapy-%25e2%2580%2593-what-can-go-wrong.php Behavioral therapy for ADHD is widely considered to be one of the best treatment methods for managing this very individualistic disorder and is often seen as being infallible by ADHD professionals. And why not, after all it is void the side effect risks, it can be used in conjunction with other safe and effective treatments such as homeopathic ADHD remedies, and best of all ADHD behavioral therapy has one of the best overall success rates of any treatment option. So with all these positives what could possibly go wrong? The truth of the matter is that ADHD behavior modification is only as good as the people involved in it and can be implemented too rigidly if you’re not careful. Why don’t we explore three areas where the best laid plans of ADHD behavioral therapy can go wrong. ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174757 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5174757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169561&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-challenge-of-obesity.html For those interested in epidemiology, chronic disease, and obesity. This week's edition of the Lancet has a series of four articles and several commentaries that review the economics, epidemiology, social, and policymaking issues affecting obesity that are well worth reading in full. The take away message is that this is an extremely complicated area. There is an emphasis by the authors and commentators that correction of obesity will take government action. Government action in this area tends to resolve around police actions, and taxation. Taxation policies have worked to a significant extent in reducing tobacco consumption in Europe. However, smoking is not a survival necessity whereas eating is. We have to be very careful about the use of police power for public health policy with the ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169561 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:05:04 +0100 5169561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159082&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhealthy-behaviors-will-help-you-live-longer.html Researchers looked at long-term data from Americans aged 17 and older and found that those who embraced four healthy behaviors -- not smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and avoiding excessive alcohol use -- were 63 percent less likely to die early from any cause than those with none of those healthy habits. Comment: one more piece of confirmatory data that are health relies more behaviors. The problem is that despite many repeated similar studies of population behaviors do not change. Instead of wasting money repeat the same old research. Why not develop methods to change population? If this is much not possible, which I suspect, perhaps we should stop funding ineffectual research. [http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0818_living_longer.htm ] (Source: Dr.... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159082 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:26:38 +0100 5159082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140334&cid=t_175052_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Feducation-or-a-cognitive-behavioural-approach%2F In this study by Day, Thorn & Kapoor, the two approaches were used with a group of people from a rural area, with relatively low socio-economic status, and a reading grade level of about 8.  Both groups received a group-based programme of 10 sessions of 90 minutes.  They both received a workbook and additional reading material.  The CBT group had home-learning and also participated in behavioural activities such as relaxation in-session, while the education group did not. Interestingly, this study presents qualitative information on how participants experienced the sessions, rather than outcomes measures, so it’s difficult to establish whether pain, disability, mood or acceptance were influenced.  Instead it presents thematic analysis from in-depth interviews of the participa... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140334 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:35:42 +0100 5140334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139737&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F803342_pills_1.jpg A nurse recently asked a very important question that bears repeating: What effect does long-term use of pain pills have on pregnant women? She was concerned because of the increase in number of pregnant women who are taking pain pills on a long term basis based on previous surgeries, accidents or a history of chronic pain. The most common “pain pills” prescribed are opiates which effectively eliminate or reduce pain but have a great tendency to be abused. Opioids are natural and synthetic type drugs that have the characteristics of morphine. It can only be obtained with a prescription and unfortunately physicians contribute to the problem of dependency and abuse through their lack of scrutiny regarding patient requests. My present home state of Florida has the unsavory distinction of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139737 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:00:46 +0100 5139737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139879&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fis-addiction-simply-a-brain-disease-it-is-now%2F Among addiction experts and researchers, there’s been a long-running debate as to whether drug or alcohol addiction, and even “behavioral addictions” such as compulsive gambling, are actual diseases or not. It’s not just a matter of semantics — if researchers can trace addiction’s root causes to an actual medical malfunction in the brain, perhaps that disease could be directly treated. Who am I to disagree with a “four-year process with more than 80 experts actively working on it?” Their result? Addiction is a “chronic brain disorder and not simply a behavioral problem.” I suppose if we wanted, one could argue that all mental disorders can be viewed as “brain disorders” and not “simply behavioral problems.”... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139879 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:39:38 +0100 5139879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118676&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2F911-related-ptsd-symptoms-experienced-by-at-least-10000.html In a front-page story, the New York Times reports, "It is impossible to say how many people have 9/11-related" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). New York City's "three official programs do not count people...who use private physicians -- or those who have not been treated at all. " But, "according to figures provided by officials in New York at least 10,000 patients have met the criteria over the last decade, and at least 3,600 of them still have symptoms. Comment: this is just one more diagnosis to add to the current excess of medicalization. While PTSD is a valid diagnosis for specific events the general ionization of this term to anybody who has had even a moment of anxiety about event is way overdone. As a survivor of World War II when I had to run to the air raid shelter nightly ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118676 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:34:32 +0100 5118676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107616&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Fthe-situation-of-antitrust-law%2F Maurice E. Stucke recently posted his thoughtful paper, “Reconsidering Antitrust’s Goals” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Antitrust policy today is an anomaly. On the one hand, antitrust is thriving internationally. On the other hand, antitrust’s influence has diminished domestically. Over the past thirty years, there have been fewer antitrust investigations and private actions. Today the Supreme Court complains about antitrust suits, and places greater faith in the antitrust function being subsumed in a regulatory framework. So what happened to the antitrust movement in the United States? Two import factors contributed to antitrust policy’s domestic decline. The first is salience, especially the salience of the U.S. antitrust goals. In the past thirty yea... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107616 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 05:54:43 +0100 5107616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107552&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fprescriptions-for-antidepressants-increasing-among-individuals-with-no-psychiatric-diagnosis.html A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examines national trends in antidepressant prescribing and finds much of this growth was driven by a substantial increase in antidepressant prescriptions by non-psychiatrist providers without any accompanying psychiatric diagnosis. Nearly four out of every five antidepressant prescriptions are written by non-psychiatrist providers. Between 1996 and 2007, the number of visits where individuals were prescribed antidepressants with no psychiatric diagnoses increased from 59.5 percent to 72.7 percent.  Comment: Medicalization is alive and well. Patients game the system to push doctors to give them what they want from fear of lawsuits and low reimbursement which does not pay for counseling. (Source: Dr. B... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107552 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:37:19 +0100 5107552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096251&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhandwashing-in-elementary-schools.html This study showed that after pupils clean their hands with alcohol tissues three times a day that absence fears him and school from risk recovery and gastrointestinal infections decreased significantly. The cost of procedure is far less than the cost of absenteeism both to the schools and parents. It should read replicated the US and if reproducible made a policy. American Journal of Infection Control:  Volume 39, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 450-455 (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096251 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:35:17 +0100 5096251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096252&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fwasted-research-funds.html According to a story on research in ScienceDaily today, “With Regular Exercise, People with Inactive Lifestyles More at Risk for Chronic Diseases”. I first read about research on this topic when the Alameda study on behavior among men was published in the 1960s. Similar research has been repeated hundreds of times in the intervening years yet the behaviors with which we are all familiar continue. It is high time that those who fund research stop funding issues that have been confirmed and either direct their funds for transitional research that shows that change in behavioral outcome is possible and effective. There have been many behavioral research studies that have shown the ability to change behavior for a few weeks, none that show long-term changes. It is high time to star... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096252 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:16:56 +0100 5096252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096350&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26606790%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EStronger-Contracts-Less-Trust.htm Business agreements are usually secured by written agreements that define the obligations of the parties and state what happens under various conditions. Having been party to a few business deals launched based mostly on enthusiasm and trust, I can certainly vouch for the importance of such agreements. Not everyone relies entirely on extensive documentation, though [...] CommentsGreat point, Roger. I really like this post. (Where are the ... by Ben MillerI think that in the world of business there is no place for ... by Jina ManRelated StoriesThe Upside of Irrationality by Dan ArielySecrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut ChenSands Research Targets 1.3 Billion Brains (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096350 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:46:04 +0100 5096350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077768&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F29%2Fdbs-for-depression-still-mixed-results%2F Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment long used for Parkinson’s disease. But in the past decade, some researchers have also examined its use for the treatment of severe clinical depression. Severe major depression is a serious problem in society, because some studies estimate that up to 30 percent of those who attempt to be treated for it find they have “treatment resistant” depression — that is, traditional treatments simply don’t work very well. Deep brain stimulation has mixed results. As we reported on back in February, a long-term followup of 20 patients found an average response rate to DBS of 64 percent. Not shabby, but also not the hopeful, guaranteed cure it was once held out to be. Maiken Scott, the behavioral health reporter for Philadelphia... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077768 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:39:07 +0100 5077768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077776&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26553851%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ELicense-to-Misbehave.htm In Dietary Decoys, we saw that adding salads to a restaurant menu actually increased sales of french fries. Research in Taiwan exposes an equally odd fact: if we take a nutritional supplement like a multivitamin, we are MORE likely to exercise less and make unhealthy food choices. Behavioral Licensing Researchers at the National Sun Yat-Sen [...] Comments“Vitamins may or may not enhance health — the jury’s ... by PagePsst . . . Don't tell anyone but tin foil actually helps to ... by Jeff LibertPlus 2 more...Related StoriesPrediction Power: Asking Gets ResultsFurry Cat Ears Show Your MoodApologies Really DO Work (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077776 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:47:36 +0100 5077776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062291&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fbps-on-dsm%2F Some of you may be following the development of the forthcoming fifth revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the major book used for psychiatric diagnosis. There has been a lot of criticism due to the secrecy of the process this time around, but the British Psychological Society (BPS), the major mental health organization in the UK, is taking an even more interesting and refreshing angle: criticizing the entire current framework of diagnosis. The DSM takes a medical approach to diagnosis. In short, this means that a ‘patient’ is assumed to have an underlying ‘pathology’ that manifests as various ‘symptoms’ that are assessed to make a ‘diagnosis’ and then apply a ‘treatment’ to said diagnosis. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062291 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:44:58 +0100 5062291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062295&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fintegrative-behavioral-couple-therapy-where-acceptance-is-key%2F “There are two sides to every story.” This timeless saying couldn’t be truer when it comes to conflict in a relationship. In fact, it’s how couples therapists Andrew Christensen, Ph.D, and the late Neil Jacobson, Ph.D, start off their 2002 book Reconcilable Differences. Well, actually, they share a third side: their objective take on a couple, which usually includes some truth from both stories. In the late 1990s, Christensen and Jacobson developed a type of couples therapy called integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT), which combines techniques from behavioral couples therapy with new strategies to cultivate acceptance. Recently, Christensen, a professor of psychology at UCLA, and colleagues (2010) published their findings from a five-year study that compared the ef... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062295 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:37:14 +0100 5062295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028470&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26392869%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Upside-of-Irrationality-by-Dan-Ariely.htm Nobody is doing more to add to our knowledge of the irrational side of human behavior than Dan Ariely. Not only does he conduct experiments that are elegant in their simplicity, but he writes about his work and that of other researchers in a highly acccessible way. Upside is the successor to the bestselling Predictably Irrational, and it takes to new topics, ranging from CEO pay to speed dating. Comments[...] The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely describes an ... by Apologies Really DO Work | Neuromarketing[...] Dooley (Neuroscience Marketing) writes about Dan Ariely ... by Can a Crappy Video Effect Your Decision Making? | Will Video for FoodThanks, nice review. I loved Predictably Irrational. I think ... by Luke FosterRelated StoriesApologies Really DO WorkSecrets of th... Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028470 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:52:51 +0100 5028470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008236&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcdc-fears-rising-treatment-resistant-gonorrhea.html According to to the CDC: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, and it can facilitate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission (1). Emergence of gonococcal resistance to penicillin and tetracycline occurred during the 1970s and became widespread during the early 1980s. More recently, resistance to fluoroquinolones developed. Now Gonorrhea may be losing its susceptibility to cephalosporins, the only available antibiotic class remaining to treat the sexually transmitted infection, the CDC is warning. Comment: when I started medical school in 1947 the medical profession had just started using penicillin to treat gonorrhea and syphilis and mistakenly thought STIs were beaten. Just as with the use of contrace... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008236 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:27:38 +0100 5008236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008237&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealthy-lifestyle-makes-women-less-likely-to-die-suddenly.html Medpage Today tells us that women who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had as much as a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) as compared with those with a high-risk profile, data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) showed. The risk of SCD declined linearly as the number of these attributes increased, ranging from a 46% reduction for a woman who had one to 92% for those who had all four. Comment: these results are not surprising as the Alameda study showed more than 40 years ago where health behaviors were studied for some 11 conditions showing a significant increase in longevity for those who followed more than half of them. We have many studies that show that change in behavior can significantly improve health. The problem is we still don’t know how... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008237 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:28:49 +0100 5008237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992723&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdrug-side-effect-linked-with-increased-health-risks-for-over-65s-1.html More than 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over from across the UK were included in the two-year study from the University of East Anglia. Around half were found to use a medication with potential anticholinergic properties.In the study, each drug taken by the participants was given a ranking based on the strength of its anticholinergic activity, or AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) - 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.The key findings were:• Twenty per cent of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only seven per cent of those taking no anticholinergic drugs - the first time a link between anticholinergics and mortality has been shown.• For every additional ACB point ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992723 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:56:41 +0100 4992723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992725&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Flet-science-inform-policy.html An editorial in Science today, written by Dr, Anthony Fauci, discusses the value of preventive antiretroviral therapy for non-infected homosexual couples, the value of condoms for males and females and the value of circumcision to prevent the spread of H IV infection. Despite such evidence the City of San Francisco seeks to outlaw circumcision. As State Health Commissioner in the late 1980s I had to help out state legislature avoid testing premarital couples for HIV infection, Luckily the testimony of the scientists on the HIV Advisory committee was accepted by the legislators (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992725 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:53:45 +0100 4992725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992168&cid=t_175052_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcooling-cap-could-provide-insomnia.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992168 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:52:00 +0100 4992168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975941&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F28%2Fmarsha-linehan-what-is-dialectical-behavioral-therapy-dbt%2F Last week the New York Times ran a fascinating piece on Marsha Linehan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington and the original developer of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a modification of standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but including elements of acceptance and mindfulness. Her work has been designed specifically for people who harm themselves, for those diagnosed with borderline personality (BPT), and those who suffer from pervasive suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. For the first time in her life, the mental health expert disclosed her own story (that we also discussed on the blog yesterday), which involved hospitalization at the age of 17 that lasted longer than two years. Benedict Carey, author of the interview with Linehan, writes: No one knows h... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975941 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:45:03 +0100 4975941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975944&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fmarsha-linehan-acknowledges-her-own-struggle-with-borderline-personality-disorder%2F Dr. Marsha Linehan, long best known for her ground-breaking work with a new form of psychotherapy called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), has let out her own personal secret — she has suffered from borderline personality disorder. In order to help reduce the prejudice surrounding this particular disorder — people labeled as borderline often are seen as attention-getting and always in crisis — Dr. Linehan told her story in public for the first time last week before an audience of friends, family and doctors at the Institute of Living, the Hartford clinic where she was first treated for extreme social withdrawal at age 17, according to The New York Times. At 17 in 1961, Linehan detailed how when she came to the clinic, she attacked herself habitually, cut her arms legs a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975944 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:12:20 +0100 4975944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960094&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fthe-war-on-drugs.html This week there have been a number of news stories and assessing the "WAR on drugs" which both at an international and national level has been declared to be a failure, despite the billions of wasted dollars and lives from these programs. Concurrently the FDA is banning certain tobacco products which just moves the temperance league from alcohol to street drugs to tobacco. We never learn from history. It is high time that the DEA and its associated groups were disestablished and that drugs were sold through agents such as pharmacies or alcohol retailers at the manufacturing cost, which is often pennies a dose. This would empty the prisons of those involved using and selling drugs, remove much of the impetus for gang formation, while the cost saved from inappropriate imprisonment and enforc... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960094 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:41:15 +0100 4960094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934158&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvideogames-as-behavioral-intervention-for-patients-with-chronic-diseases%2F2011.06.16 In recent posts on Web-based and mobile behavioral intervention programs, we reviewed evidence suggesting that social support, in one form or another, can improve participants’ adherence and engagement with the program. That didn’t always mean however, that participants achieved better outcomes as a result. In one study for example, an online community increased engagement with and utilization of a Web-based activity program, but it did not increase participants’ actual activity levels. Another study, slightly older than the ones reviewed above, did show that a Web-based program improved outcomes. In this case, the intervention was an online videogame known as Re-Mission. Since I haven’t touched previously on outcome studies for automated lifestyle intervention tools or videogames ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934158 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4934158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893500&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fcalif-senate-bans-under-18-use-of-tanning-beds.html California lawmakers voted Wednesday to limit the use of tanning booths by teens, warning that the bronzed glow they create comes from radiation and raises the risk of skin cancer. The state Senate voted 24-9 to ban indoor tanning by anyone under age 18, even if they have permission from an adult. The bill next goes to the Assembly. California already bans the use of tanning booths by those under 14, but older teens could use them with permission from a parent or guardian. Comment: This law needs to be extended nationwide as teens have little self-control when it comes to their skin. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893500 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:32:07 +0100 4893500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862584&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fstudy-finds-widening-gap-between-distracted-driving-and-legislation.html The new study, published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is the first comprehensive collection and coding of state laws attempting to address the public health risk posed by distracted driving. Cell phone distractions account for more than 300,000 car crashes each year. As a result, most states have put laws in place to limit or prohibit the use of things like cell phones and PDAs while driving. Comment: Seeing drivers with cell phones stick to their ears is a common site as they zoom past police cars. The article fails to note that most of the laws are “secondary” laws that only allow a ticket when the driver is stopped for another reason.  It is the usual practice of legislators to pass feel good-laws without teeth! (Source: Dr. Buttery's Publi... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862584 Wed, 25 May 2011 13:27:41 +0100 4862584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847981&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fsteep-price-for-high-rates-of-unintended-pregnancy.html Two new studies taking different methodological approaches arrive at the same conclusion: Unintended pregnancy costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $11 billion each year. Both estimates are conservative in that they are limited to public insurance costs for pregnancy and first-year infant care, and both studies conclude that the potential public savings from reducing unintended pregnancy in the United States would be huge. A related new study provides first-ever estimates of unintended pregnancy for each state, and a starting point for future efforts to monitor states’ progress toward reducing unintended pregnancy. Comment: Yet, as usual, most politicians are blind to data and many want to cut funding for Planned Parenthood! (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847981 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:46:55 +0100 4847981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829034&cid=t_175052_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FBHnoLVW6vfw%2F Last month, I asked if anyone has been successful with an EMR for mental health. I wondered if an iPad might make it easier for a psychotherapist to take electronic notes during a session without making the patient feel like the computer was getting in the way, because a desktop PC certainly would be a distraction. I also wondered about where mental health fits in the realm of truly comprehensive EHRs. (Yes, I make a distinction between EHR and EMR here, since, while it’s important to have a complete medication list to avoid harmful interactions, there’s little reason why an orthopedist or dermatologist would need to know whether a patient had been diagnosed with a mental illness. The same goes for records of sexually transmitted diseases or any other condition that patients ma... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829034 Tue, 17 May 2011 03:09:29 +0100 4829034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828935&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fas-time-goes-by-it-gets-tougher-to-remember-new-information.html ScienceDaily:  The older we get, the more difficulty we seem to have remembering things. We reassure ourselves that our brains' "hard drives" are too full to handle the new information that comes in daily. But a neuroscientist now suggests that our aging brains are unable to process this information as "new" because the brain pathways leading to the hippocampus become degraded over time. As a result, our brains cannot accurately "file" new information. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828935 Sat, 14 May 2011 14:18:32 +0100 4828935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934049&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fadolescent-computing-training-wheels.html My 14 yo's computer skills have continued to be a real strength. Of course, being both 14 and having disabilities in executive function, he does not always use them wisely.Years ago I hoped the iPhone and other iOS devices would provide app-restricted services while limiting web access. Sadly, I've been disappointed by Apple's deceptive iOS "parental controls" [1]. That didn't work very well. On the other hand, monitoring his computer use and punishing misuse isn't working that well either. We can't be looking over his shoulder everywhere -- such as in his school room.So now I'm trying Plan B, an educational program of trial and reward based on techniques that have worked before.I've set up an account on a machine using OS X Parental Controls [2]. I've whitelisted a number of sites he's i... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934049 Sat, 07 May 2011 03:27:00 +0100 4934049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794825&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fadolescent-computing-training-wheels.html My 14 yo's computer skills have continued to be a real strength. Of course, being both 14 and having disabilities in executive function, he does not always use them wisely.Years ago I hoped the iPhone and other iOS devices would provide app-restricted services while limiting web access. Sadly, I've been disappointed by Apple's deceptive iOS "parental controls" [1]. That didn't work very well. On the other hand, monitoring his computer use and punishing misuse isn't working that well either. We can't be looking over his shoulder everywhere -- such as in his school room.So now I'm trying Plan B, an educational program of trial and reward based on techniques that have worked before.I've set up an account on a machine using OS X Parental Controls [2]. I've whitelisted a number of sites he's i... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794825 Sat, 07 May 2011 03:27:00 +0100 4794825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768017&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fstrengthening-the-regulation-of-herbal-medicines-in-europe.html To protect consumers, the European Parliament and Council adopted the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, 2004/24/EC on March 31, 2004. The Directive requires all herbal medicinal products to meet standards of quality, safety, and efficacy before they can be registered and marketed in the European Union (EU).  Comment: It is high time for the U.S. to follow Europe’s lead with all the scams foisted on us by ‘herbal’ and complementary medical advocates. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768017 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:47:15 +0100 4768017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768019&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fwhen-a-salad-is-not-a-salad-why-are-dieters-easily-misled-by-food-names.html Dieters are so involved with trying to eat virtuously that they are more likely than non-dieters to choose unhealthy foods that are labeled as healthy, according to a new study. It seems dieter focus on food names can work to their disadvantage. COMMENT: There is not limit to the way the English language is mutilated by lawyers and industry to misinform the public and sell their products.  Caveat Emptor is still alive. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768019 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:29:19 +0100 4768019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758786&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fnominate-someone-for-the-samhsa-voice-awards%2F I pass this news release along, in case anyone knows of someone (or themselves!) who might be a good candidate for nomination for this year’s SAMHSA Voice Awards. Join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in recognizing consumer/peer leaders and TV and film professionals who have given a voice to individuals with behavioral health problems (mental health and/or addiction issues). This year, SAMHSA is putting special emphasis on the impact of trauma and the significant effects it can have on individuals, families and friends, communities, and our Nation. Consideration is being given to consumer/peer leaders who have successfully advocated for the rights of trauma survivors and promoted the importance of trauma-informed care. Additional considerat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758786 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:01:13 +0100 4758786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753984&cid=t_175052_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fworking-inside-the-envelope-or-pushing-the-boundaries%2F This study examines four different treatments carried out in parallel, it’s an unblinded/masked randomised trial designed to establish the effectiveness of these treatments as well as the adverse events associated with each treatment, and reviews the outcomes up to one year after treatment ended. Participants were carefully selected to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, and it’s interesting to see that only 28% of the people initially recruited actually met these criteria, and of this group, only 71% or 641 people actually progressed through to treatment.  Thankfully the CONSORT trial profile included in the paper shows very clearly who was ‘in’ and who was ‘out’ – and why! Clinicians were carefully trained, supervised ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753984 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:35:40 +0100 4753984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723872&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fdartmouth-researchers-release-report-on-end-of-life-care.html The New York Times (4/12, A22,) reports, "At the end of life, people with chronic diseases like cancer get more aggressive medical care in the New York area than anyplace else in the country, continuing a trend going back decades, according to a report released on Monday by researchers at Dartmouth College." The researchers, who "looked at federal data from 2007, the most recent year available, found that 46 percent of chronically ill patients in the Manhattan hospital region, which also covers most of Brooklyn and Staten Island, were being treated at hospitals when they died, as opposed to dying at home or in hospices or nursing homes. That rate was the highest in the country." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723872 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:00:41 +0100 4723872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723873&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fchildhood-obesity-peaks-between-ages-7-and.html The key finding of a new study by researchers from shows that British children are most susceptible to becoming overweight and obese during mid-late childhood (age seven to 11 years). The researchers tracked the body weight and height of nearly 5,000 children taking part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from birth until the age of 15. They found that the number of children who changed from a healthy weight to being overweight and obese was much higher between the ages seven to 11. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723873 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:57:25 +0100 4723873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723874&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fnearly-20-of-lung-cancer-patients-continue-smoking-1.html HealthDay reported, "Many patients diagnosed with lung cancer -- as well as their family caregivers -- continue to smoke," according to a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The researchers reviewed data on "742 cancer patients and caregivers at multiple sites and found that 18 percent of smokers with lung cancer failed to quit after their diagnosis." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723874 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:54:22 +0100 4723874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719880&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1aPkIMF85rM%2F By David RittgersTSA screeners and behavior detection officers may give you extra attention if you complain about security protocols (video at the jump). Former FBI agent Michael German sums up my feelings pretty well: It’s circular reasoning where, you know, I’m going to ask someone to surrender their rights; if they refuse, that’s evidence that I need to take their rights away from them. And it’s simply inappropriate. In related news, the GAO recently told Congress that the TSA’s Screening Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) is not scientifically grounded. The GAO testimony is available here. More Cato work on TSA screening here, here and here. TSA: If You Object to Giving Up Your Rights, We Should Take a Closer Look at You is a post from Cato @ Liberty -... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719880 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:52:08 +0100 4719880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704691&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fnearly-20-of-lung-cancer-patients-continue-smoking.html HealthDay (4/8, Leighty) reported, "Many patients diagnosed with lung cancer -- as well as their family caregivers -- continue to smoke," according to a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The researchers reviewed data on "742 cancer patients and caregivers at multiple sites and found that 18 percent of smokers with lung cancer failed to quit after their diagnosis." Notably, among a subset of "smokers with colorectal cancer...12 percent of the patients continued smoking." Patients' family caregivers also kept "smoking -- 25 percent of those caring for lung cancer patients and 20 percent of those caring for colorectal cancer patients." Continued smoking "increases the likelihood of developing a secondary cancer,... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704691 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:27:21 +0100 4704691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704692&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fhookah-use-widespread-among-college-students-study-reveals-mistaken-perception-of-safety-in-potentia.html ScienceDaily Despite a growing number of cities instituting smoking bans across the country, hookah bars are cropping up everywhere -- from chic downtown cafes to locations near college campuses, where they've found a loyal customer base in young adults. Hookah Use Widespread Among College Students; Study Reveals Mistaken Perception of Safety in Potential Gateway Drug  The researchers found that 40.3 percent -- more than one-third of the students surveyed -- reported having ever smoked tobacco from a hookah, while only a slightly higher percentage (46.6) reported having ever smoked a cigarette. Nearly 25 percent of students reported being current smokers of cigarettes, and 17.4 percent said they actively use hookahs. Also.freshmen and males were more likely to use hookahs, and that th... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704692 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:23:50 +0100 4704692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676948&cid=t_175052_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Ffor-adhd-adult-patients-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-plus-medication-better-than-medication-alone.php For ADHD Adult Patients, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus Medication Better Than Medication Alone An adult with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who takes targeted medication combined with 1-on-1 sessions of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is likely to experience significantly greater improvement of symptoms compared to an ADHD adult patient who only has the medication, according to research published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), August 25th issue,2010 The authors wrote: Approximately 4.4% of adults in the United States have ADHD, which is a disorder characterized by impairing levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Medications have been the primary treatment; however, many adults with ADHD cannot or will not take medications whil... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676948 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4676948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642674&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F28%2Ffree-webinar-on-social-media-and-relationships-april-4th%2F Social media, including Facebook and Twitter, has changed relationships forever. Thanks to the Internet, we’ve changed the way we communicate with others, make friends and find romantic partners. These changes have no doubt produced both positive and negative consequences. Want to learn more about social media’s impact on relationships? The PBS series This Emotional Life is hosting a free webinar and interactive discussion on this topic next week. I’m honored to be one of the panelists along with a slew of fantastic experts, including: Therese Borchard, Associate Editor at the award-winning site, Psych Central – the Internet’s largest and oldest independent mental health and psychology network. Kari Henley, Huffington Post blogger, writer, public speaker, and expert in ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642674 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:19 +0100 4642674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636463&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fassociation-of-episodic-physical-and-sexual-activity-with-triggering-of-acute-cardiac-events.html In JAMA today a meta-analysis is reported that seems appropriate considering all the ads about the dangers of sexual activity and death. Comment: like most meta-analyses the various studies have significant differences, definitions and methodologies. The results from these limited studies suggest that the absolute risk increase associated with 1 hour of additional physical or sexual activity per week was estimated as 2 to 3 per 10 000 person-years for MI and 1 per 10 000 person-years for sudden cardiac death. These outcomes for any individual are rare. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636463 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:37:13 +0100 4636463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636464&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fobesity-problems-fuel-rapid-surge-of-type-2-diabetes-among-children.html The KFF reports, "As recently as the mid-1990s, type 2 diabetes was almost exclusively a disease of adults." Now, "apparently fueled by the childhood obesity epidemic, cases in people younger than 20 have ramped up from virtually zero to tens of thousands in the United States in little more than a decade." In fact, "today, about 3,700 Americans [under] 20 receive a diagnosis annually of what used to be called 'adult-onset' diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." This is a disturbing trend, because diabetes "costs the US health-care system $174 billion a year, according to the National Institutes of Health." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636464 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:32:33 +0100 4636464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636465&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fobesity-gastric-bands-lagb-may-cause-more-complications-than-weight-loss.html From the Archives of Surgery as “Based on a follow-up LAGB for  12 years or longer nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion, and nearly 50% of the patients required removal of their bands (contributing to a reoperation rate of 60%), LAGB appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes.“.  Comment: while larger studies are needed, this small study suggests that gastric bands and probably other interventions for weight loss should be limited in time and that personal behavioral modification should be emphasized so weight loss can be continued after bands are removed. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636465 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:24:25 +0100 4636465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615450&cid=t_175052_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fmaking-self-help-more-helpful%2F In this study, Varley, Webb and Sheeran contacted (via email) the students and staff at a university in the UK.  People who were already being treated for anxiety were excluded, and the remaining participants (251 of them) were randomised into three groups.  All of them completed baseline Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, developed by Zigmond and Snaith, 1983) and the state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, and Jacobs, 1983). One group received no input, while the other two groups were asked to go to a web page where they downloaded a self-help booklet.  Both of the booklets were the same eight-page booklet containing psychoeducation, diary sheets for self-monitoring triggers and feelings, and two relaxation techniques &#... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615450 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:20:16 +0100 4615450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615142&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fbenefits-of-bariatric-surgery-may-outweigh-risks-for-severely-obese-study-suggests.html Bariatric surgery is a viable option for patients who are severely obese and are safe surgical candidates who have failed medical therapy for losing weight. When indicated, bariatric surgery often leads to long-term weight loss and significantly improved health. While there are risks, bariatric surgery is considered a relatively safe procedure, especially in centers that perform many of the procedures (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615142 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:21:48 +0100 4615142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615144&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fhigh-volume-portable-music-players-may-impair-ability-to-clearly-discriminate-sounds.html Listening to loud music through earphones for extended periods in noisy surroundings can cause neurophysiological changes related to clear discrimination of sounds, even if the hearing threshold is normal, new research shows. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615144 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:16:53 +0100 4615144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615189&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F19%2Fcompulsive-hoarding-and-6-tips-to-help%2F It’s been awhile since I covered the topic of compulsive hoarding, because the last time I did I posted photos of my nut collection and book pile, and the next thing I know I was contacted by Discovery Disney to be fixed on some hoarding special show. Seems like that’s kind of a pattern, now that I think about it. I go public with my stuff … I get invited onto shows! Well, anyway, I was reading an article in the Fall 2007 issue of The Johns Hopkins Depression & Anxiety Bulletin — an interview with Gerald Nestadt, M.D., M.P.H, Director of the Johns Hopkins Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Jack Samuels, Ph.D., an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Me... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615189 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:30:05 +0100 4615189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605873&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F17%2F6-signs-its-time-to-dump-your-therapist%2F Sometimes a therapist just isn’t that into you. After all, a psychotherapy relationship isn’t just about teaching cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, or analyzing dreams. It’s about a human connection between two people — one person in need, and the other person who is there to act as a wise guide, teacher, and supporter through a process of change. Most therapists are pretty good at what they do. But even a good therapist may not always be the right fit for you. It’s similar to when you interview for a job where you feel like your resume is a perfect fit for the company, yet you don’t get the job. Perhaps the interview didn’t go as well as you thought, because the employer isn’t just looking for the best candidate — they’re ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605873 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:00:03 +0100 4605873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600682&cid=t_175052_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fnew-adhd-studies-reveal-benefits-of-behavioral-ampamp-natural-treatments.php New ADHD studies are showing that things are actually looking up for patients and their families. Where there was once difficulty in achieving a diagnosis and a limited amount of treatment options, there is now a better understanding of the causes of ADHD and with it, new avenues for treatment which promise long term results. Though the amount of diagnosed cases of ADHD has risen in the last decade or so, so too has there been an increase in forms of treatment. The latest ADHD news is full of possibilities for treatment and management of the condition. Everything from dietary changes to behavioral therapy and homeopathic remedies has opened the doors to this much misunderstood condition, offering much hope for positive change. Many new ADHD studies have been focusing on pinpointing the ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600682 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4600682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4577934&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F12%2Ftoo-many-options-try-closing-some-doors%2F I have become increasingly aware that one of the stumbling blocks to my recovery from depression is my inability to make decisions, and my disdain for closing options. And yet closing doors is good for your sanity. Even in writing this post, I have saved the word file in five stages, so that if the material I cut out in version one seems important later on, I can go to file A and retrieve it. The horror of losing a precious sentence in penning this thing! My grieving over each decision — i.e. letting go of the options I didn’t pick — is precisely why I loathe grocery shopping and every other kind of shopping. Especially in America when you get to choose between eight kinds of apples: Washington local, organic, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Red Delicious, yada yada yada. I get over... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4577934 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:54:57 +0100 4577934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570547&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbehavior-vs-disease-a-new-way-to-look-at-health%2F2011.03.10 What is the leading cause of death in the United States? Heart disease? Cancer? No, it’s smoking. Smoking? Yes, depending on how you ask the question. In the early 90s, McGinnis and Foege turned the age-old question of what people die of on its head by asking not what diseases people die of but rather what the causes of these are. Instead of chalking up the death of an older man to say lung cancer, they sought to understand the proximate cause of death, which in the case of lung cancer is largely smoking. Using published data, the researchers performed a simple but profound calculation — they multiplied the mortality rates of leading diseases by the cause-attributable fraction, that proportion of a disease that can be attributed to a particular cause (for example, in lung can... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570547 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:00:06 +0100 4570547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544968&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-fatigue-syndrome-can-psychotherapy-and-exercise-help%2F2011.03.03 [Recently] in The New York Times, David Tuller [wrote] about a study published in The Lancet that shows that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. In his article ”Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue, Study Shows,” Tuller writes: The new study, conducted at clinics in Britain and financed by that country’s government, is expected to lend ammunition to those who think the disease is primarily psychological or related to stress. The authors note that the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy, the type of psychotherapy tested in the study, is to change the psychological factors “assumed to be responsible for perpetuation of the participant’s symptoms and disability.” In the long-awaited study, patients who were randomly assigned to receive c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544968 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4544968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545073&cid=t_175052_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F2auDQU_j8WI%2F CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Accelerating the Future of Personalized Medicine, Evian Gordon, MD, PhD and Stephen H. Koslow, PhD -> Learn More and Register to Participate in the Summit Here, and get a chance at getting a complimentary copy of the book Integrative Neuroscience and Personalized Medicine! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545073 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:40:11 +0100 4545073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498274&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-experts-raise-alarms-about-aggressive-marketing%2F2011.02.19 A paper published in the February issue of Health Affairs – discussed at length in an article in the New York Times – contains the sort of blunt, plain-spoken language you seldom read in academic journals. The authors, who include some of the most prominent neuroscientists and ethicists in the world, warn that manufacturers are misusing the FDA’s humanitarian device exemption to promote deep brain stimulation as a “treatment” for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, they make clear that deep brain stimulation is very much an experimental procedure. Research is still at an early stage, and the risks to patients are not well defined. When suffering is severe and no other treatment has provided relief, there is value in making available an intervention like deep b... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498274 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:00:39 +0100 4498274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489699&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F02%2Fobesity-and-knee-osteoarthritis-shorten-healthy-years-of-life.html Boston, MA - An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), making it one of the most common causes of disability in the US. Due to obesity and symptomatic knee OA, Americans over the age of 50 will together lose the equivalent of 86 million healthy years of life, concluded researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), who investigated the potential gains in quality and quantity of life that could be achieved averting losses due to obesity and knee OA. These findings are published in the February 15 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Comment:  Is it not the obesity that leads to osteoarthritis? Was this research or a need to publish for tenure? (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489699 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:03:27 +0100 4489699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489701&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F02%2Fhigh-fiber-diet-may-reduce-risk-of-dying-from-chronic-diseases.html a study reported online in the Archives of Internal Medicine, based on data from "388,000 adults," who participated in a study conducted by NIH and AARP, found that people who met the national dietary guidelines for fiber intake "were less likely to die during a nine-year follow-up period."  the 20% who "ate the most fiber (29.4 grams per day for men and 25.8 grams for women) had a 22% lower risk of dying compared with those who ate the least amount (12.6 grams per day for men and 10.8 for women)." Diets high in fiber were linked with a "lower risk of death from all causes, as well as death from cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and respiratory diseases in men and women. ( Arch Intern Med. Published online February 14, 2011) (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489701 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:57:26 +0100 4489701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482756&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-womens-tears-do-to-men%2F2011.02.16 Humans are the only living things that cry when they are overcome with emotion. Why do we do this? A study by Noam Sobel and colleagues at the Weizmann Institute provide part of the answer, at least as it relates to women. The scientists showed that when men get a whiff of women’s tears, they experience a temporary, generalized loss of libido and a dip in testosterone. Really. (And you thought that red, runny nose was the turn off, didn’t you?) Scientists have known for decades that the chemical composition of “emotional tears” differs from tears shed due to simple irritation. But now, it appears that some of the chemicals contained in the former are actually pheromones; biological substances that create behavioral changes in others who are exposed to them. Such chemicals were kno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482756 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:00:32 +0100 4482756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482824&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2Fsurprising-findings-on-what-makes-a-happy-stable-marriage%2F Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing psychologist Terri Orbuch, Ph.D, about her book 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great. (Stay tuned for the article on Psych Central shortly!) Since 1986, Orbuch has followed the same 373 couples to investigate what leads to marriage happiness and stability long term. Among a slew of interesting findings, her study yielded two surprising results, which I had to share with readers. (The article includes details on the study.) 1. Focus on what is working, not on what isn’t. We often hear about the importance of working through negative issues in relationships. Like Orbuch writes in her book, it’s common for experts to ask couples to consider what’s going wrong in their relationship. While addressing problems in your relation... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482824 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:27:35 +0100 4482824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450258&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fexpectations-trap.html Four months ago we learned lessons from two family bicycle outings. One was an educational failure. The follow-up was a memorable success.No denying, I was proud of that one. I wouldn't have thought it possible just three years before. If we weren't willing to risk failure, we wouldn't established a new baseline.That's why I was willing to try another crazy idea. This time we tried a mass nordic ski event after dark in unfamiliar territory. This went well beyond last year's Nordic ski resort.We applied what we'd learned. We studied satellite maps of the ski route and the surrounding territory, developing and revising our primary and backup plans. We researched parking in detail. We took a car and drove the route at night -- that's how we learned event map's major parking area was now a m... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450258 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:15:00 +0100 4450258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445802&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-your-avatar-affect-the-way-you-live%2F2011.02.07 If you own a Nintendo Wii, have played World of Warcraft, or seen James Cameron’s cinematic spectacle, then you probably know what an avatar is. And because an avatar is simply a representation of yourself that you design, your avatar’s attributes could be as similar or different to you as you wish. [This editor's avatar is 6' 8", has six-pack abs, wears only fine European clothing, and has the voice of YouTube sensation Ted Williams.] Do online avatars have any influence on their real-world counterparts? Researchers at the new Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) at Stanford University think so. According to VHIL, while avatars tend to be idealized versions of their users, evidence has suggested one’s virtual avatar does indeed influence a person. In one experiment, a fe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445802 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:00:16 +0100 4445802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436764&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F02%2Fthree-lifestyle-changes-may-significantly-reduce-cancer-rates.html Approximately "340,000 cancer cases" in the US could be prevented "each year if more Americans ate a healthy diet, got regular exercise and limited their alcohol intake," according to the World Cancer Research Fund. The WCRF said such lifestyle changes could lead to "significant reductions in particularly common cancers such as breast (38% fewer cases per year), stomach (47% fewer) and colon (45% fewer). ... 'Physical activity is recommended for people of all ages as a means to reduce risks for certain types of cancers and other non-communicable diseases,'" said Dr. Tim Armstrong of World Health Organization. The research "was released Feb. 3 to mark World Cancer Day." Comment: This might give second thought to activists who want to blame the environment for disease rather than their own b... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436764 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:14:35 +0100 4436764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411527&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstress-in-life-respond-differently-and-live-longer%2F2011.01.28 This study proved that one such intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients who suffered a first heart attack, lowered the risk of fatal and nonfatal recurrent cardiovascular disease events by 41 percent over eight years. Nonfatal heart attacks were almost cut in half. Excitement may be dampened by the fact that all-cause mortality did not statistically differ between the intervention and control groups, but did trend towards an improvement in the eight years of follow up. Definitely less suffering. Maybe less deaths. The authors state that psychosocial stressors have been shown to account for an astounding 30 percent of the attributable risk of having a heart attack. Chronic stressors include low socioeconomic status, low social support, marital problems, and work dist... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411527 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:00:39 +0100 4411527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399546&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fthe-high-risk-of-energy-drinks.html a commentary in JAMA, today, suggests that regular (nonalcoholic) energy drinks might pose just as great a threat to individual and public health and safety at alcohol and other addictive drugs. Energy drinks are beverages that contain modest to relatively high levels and concentrations of caffeine. Energy drink use is highly prevalent, constituting a $5.4 billion market in 2006 in the United States alone. Most concerning is the possibility that caffeine's neuropharmacologic effects might play a role in the propensity for addiction. Comment: almost any TV program today will contain ads for using energy drinks. There's no data to show in fact that these energy drinks produce energy, the data given with them shows only three or 4 Cal per drink. All these drinks can do is make you feel like y... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399546 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:44:35 +0100 4399546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399620&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F23800187%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESecrets-of-the-Moneylab.htm Book Review: Secrets of the Moneylab: How Behavioral Economics Can Impact Your Business by Kay Yut Chen with Marina Krakovsky Economics can be dry stuff – remember “macro,” “micro,” and supply/demand curves? Fortunately, Secrets of the Moneylab is a lot more fun than Econ 101 because it focuses not on theory but on how people [...] Comments[...] described in Secrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut Chen and ... by It Really DOES Pay to Schmooze | NeuromarketingOur take away is that the scientific method works. Test ... by Rich and Co.[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Graham Hill, Roger ... by Tweets that mention Secrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut Chen | Neuromarketing -- Topsy.comRelated StoriesScary Thought: A Treatment for Impulse BuyingT... Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399620 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:28:54 +0100 4399620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394531&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F23800187%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESecrets-of-the-Moneylab-by-KayYut-Chen.htm Book Review: Secrets of the Moneylab: How Behavioral Economics Can Impact Your Business by Kay Yut Chen with Marina Krakovzky Economics can be dry stuff – remember “macro,” “micro,” and supply/demand curves? Fortunately, Secrets of the Moneylab is a lot more fun than Econ 101 because it focuses not on theory but on how people [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesScary Thought: A Treatment for Impulse BuyingThe Price of Everything by Eduardo PorterNeuromarketing on WebProNews (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394531 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:28:54 +0100 4394531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377571&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpersonal-genetic-testing-psychological-and-behavioral-effects%2F2011.01.20 In conclusion, personal genetic testing does not seem to generate a lot of distress, although the study was clearly limited by a high dropout percentage of 44 percent and the self-selection of participants who opted to do the test. Article in New England Journal of Medicine: Effect of Direct-to-Consumer Genomewide Profiling to Assess Disease Risk Flashback: An Interview with Navigenics… *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377571 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:00:21 +0100 4377571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355740&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Ftaking-more-steps-every-day-can-help-ward-off-diabetes.html ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a study published on the British Medical Journal website. While several studies have shown that physical activity reduces body mass index and insulin resistance -- an early stage in the development of diabetes -- this is the first study to estimate the effects of long-term changes in daily step count on insulin sensitivity.  A popular guideline is to do 10,000 steps every day, though a more recent recommendation is 3,000 steps, five days a week.  The research, by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, involved 592 middle aged adults who took part in a national study to map diabetes levels across Australia between 2000 a... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355740 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:19:28 +0100 4355740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355741&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhy-coffee-protects-against-diabetes.html Researchers discover molecular mechanism behind the drink's prophylactic effect. Coffee, that morning elixir, may give us an early jump-start to the day, but numerous studies have shown that it also may be protective against type 2 diabetes. Yet no one has really understood why. Now, researchers at UCLA have discovered a possible molecular mechanism behind coffee's protective effect. A protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) regulates the biological activity of the body's sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, which have long been thought to play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. And coffee consumption, it turns out, increases plasma levels of SHBG. Comment: there have been numerous studies about the dangers and value of coffee over the years, most which were based... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355741 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:13:28 +0100 4355741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352734&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fcdc-health-disparities-and-inequalities-report-united-states-2011.html Since 1946, CDC has monitored and responded to challenges in the nation's health, with particular focus on reducing gaps between the least and most vulnerable U.S. residents in illness, injury, risk behaviors, use of preventive health services, exposure to environmental hazards, and premature death. We continue that commitment to socioeconomic justice and shared responsibility with the release of CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities in the United States -- 2011, the first in a periodic series of reports examining disparities in selected social and health indicators. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352734 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 17:53:11 +0100 4352734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331035&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fevidence-lacking-for-widespread-use-of-costly-antipsychotic-drugs-study-suggests.html (ScienceDaily January 7, 2011) Many prescriptions for the top-selling class of drugs, known as atypical antipsychotic medications, lack strong evidence that the drugs will actually help, a new study has found. Yet, drugs in this class may cause such serious effects as weight gain, diabetes and heart disease, and cost Americans billions of dollars. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331035 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:29:29 +0100 4331035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294631&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-biofeedback-pen-for-managing-stress%2F2010.12.27 Miguel Bruns Alonso, a graduate student at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, has developed a pen that detects how much twitching and twirling it’s being put through. People under stress tend to move and shake a pen more than someone who is calm. In order to try to get a therapeutic effect out of the pen, Bruns built in counter motion feedback that makes the pen a bit more difficult to move around. Though initial experiments have shown a marginal benefit, further studies and development may prove the benefit of the technology. From TU Delft: Bruns, who studies industrial design, carried out various experiments during the course of his research, which showed that people tend to play with their pens in their hands when they are tense. It also seems that when they are en... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294631 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:00:10 +0100 4294631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294635&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fptsd-flashbacks-reduced-by-playing-tetris%2F2010.12.26 Flashbacks are vivid, recurring, intrusive, and unwanted mental images of a past traumatic experience. They are a sine qua non of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although drugs and cognitive behavioral interventions are available to treat PTSD, clinicians would prefer to utilize some sort of early intervention to prevent flashbacks from developing in the first place.  Well, researchers at Oxford University appear to have found one. Remarkably, all it takes is playing Tetris. Yes, Tetris! The team responsible for the discovery was led by Emily Holmes. The writeup appears in the November issue of PLoS ONE. Holmes and colleagues had reasoned that the human brain has a limited capacity to process memories, and that memory consolidation following a traumatic experience is typically co... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294635 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 22:00:52 +0100 4294635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277817&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCjLLM0eqWBw%2F By Jim HarperThe FCC moves forward with a proposal to regulate Internet service today. It’s a bad idea. The one thing that pleases me about the ongoing debate over Internet regulation is the durability of Tim Lee’s November, 2008 Cato Policy Analysis, “The Durable Internet: Preserving Network Neutrality without Regulation.” My introduction of it is a good synopsis. The arguments against government regulation in the name of “net neutrality” have not changed: A good engineering principle is not made better if dogmatized and given to lawyers and bureaucrats to enforce as law. The FCC and its regulatory regime are almost sure to be captured by major ISPs and turned to their benefit, used to suppress competition and blunt innovation. A premise of net neutrali... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277817 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:16:32 +0100 4277817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265791&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F12%2Fe-cigs-less-dangerous.html ScienceDaily (Dec. 16) — In a new report that bucks the concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration, a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher concludes that electronic cigarettes are much safer than real cigarettes and show promise in the fight against tobacco-related diseases and death. The review, which will be published online ahead of print this month in the Journal of Public Health Policy, is the first to comprehensively examine scientific evidence about the safety and effectiveness of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, said Michael Siegel, professor of community health sciences at BUSPH. “Taking these products off the market would force thousands of users to return to cigarette smoking," Siegel said. "Why would the FDA and the... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265791 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:21:20 +0100 4265791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265857&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Ffriday-flashback-for-december-17-2010%2F It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these, but as we head into the holiday season, we slow down a bit here. So enjoy these great golden oldies from days of yore. 15 Years Ago on Psych Central Seek Out Help One of the first things I wrote for the website was an editorial piece about how you should nearly always seek out psychotherapy in addition to medications for treatment of mental health issues (which is even more true today than it was 15 years ago). And I announced a call for articles for a new online mental health magazine called Perspectives. 5 Years Ago on Psych Central At trial, noted cardiologist criticizes Merck’s behavior Talk about the “tip of the iceberg.” In this blog entry from December 2005, I noted how a cardiologist was calling out Merck for... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265857 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:33:02 +0100 4265857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249093&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F11%2Fpushback-from-the-left%2F Situationist Contributor Jerry Kang recently posted his thoughtful essay, “Implicit Bias and the Pushback from the Left” (St. Louis University Law Journal, Vol. 54, p. 1139, 2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstrct. * * * Over the past three decades, the mind sciences have provided remarkable insights about how our brains process social categories. For example, scientists have discovered that implicit biases – in the form of stereotypes and attitudes that we are unaware of, do not consciously intend, and might reject upon conscious self-reflection – exist and have wide-ranging behavioral consequences. Such findings destabilize our self-serving self-conceptions as bias-free. Not surprisingly, there has been backlash from the political Right. This Article examines so... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249093 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 04:01:35 +0100 4249093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203146&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fhardest-behavioral-intervention.html Our Husky mix loves to play hide and seek. She stalks the gate, bolts through an opening, and runs with joy. She races across the neighborhood then hides for the seek. She cannot be seen, she is a natural predator. She'll do this for an hour or so, waiting for us to walk nearby then bolting past us.  Eventually she's sated, and she comes to us. Until recently she got a treat on the return, because our expensive experts told us that's what we needed to do.Running, playing with the pack, eating the treat. Doesn't get better than that. We spent more money than I care to think about on this problem, consulting with the best experts. None of the expert advice worked.Kind of like with our eldest. Almost everything that's worked with him we invented.Lately, we've been trying the hardest behavior... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203146 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 02:21:00 +0100 4203146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197096&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fstudy-finds-daily-pill-lowers-risk-of-hiv-infection.html         On its front page, the New York Times (11/24, A1, McNeil) reports, "In the study, published Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the men taking Truvada, a common combination of two antiretroviral drugs, were 44 percent less likely to get infected with the virus that causes AIDS than an equal number taking a placebo." The "results are the best news in the AIDS field in years, even better than this summer's revelation that a vaginal microbicide protected 39 percent of all the women testing it and 54 percent of those who used it faithfully." Comment: the biggest problem with access to this drug is a several thousand dollar cost per your which will put it outside the means of many of those infected with HIV. It is unf... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197096 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:44:36 +0100 4197096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197098&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fgonorrhea-rate-in-2009-hits-lowest-level-since-1941.html USA Today reports, "One of the nation's most common forms of sexually transmitted diseases has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded, but there's still improvement needed," according to data released on Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the "annual report card on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) found that the gonorrhea rate in 2009 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- was at its lowest level since 1941." the rates for chlamydia and syphilis continue to rise, syphilis infection rates among women, however, declined. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197098 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:43:21 +0100 4197098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183341&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F19%2Fyour-brain-on-exercise%2F It is quite common to read about, or hear exercise enthusiasts explain the benefits that exercise has on the heart, muscles, lungs, connective tissue, and so on. But, I have rarely heard mention of how exercise improves brain health.  Although, there is plenty of evidence showing that exercise is beneficial to the brain. Exercise improves memory and learning in humans and animals.  Exercising individuals might be less susceptible to loss of cognitive functioning associated with aging or neurodegenarative disease.  One of the key mechanisms underlying these effects on the brain is neuronal growth in the hippocampus — an area of the brain important for cognition (Kobilo, et al., 2010). In an article published in Trends in Neurosciences (2009), H. Van Pragg made the following commen... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183341 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:08:35 +0100 4183341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4162938&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fyoung-unsupervised-children-most-at-risk-for-dog-bites-study-shows-dogs-often-target-a-childs-face-a.html ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2010) — As dog bites become an increasingly major public health concern, a new study shows that unsupervised children are most at risk for bites, that the culprits are usually family pets and if they bite once, they will bite again with the second attack often more brutal than the first. The study, the largest of its kind, was done by Vikram Durairaj, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who found that dogs usually target a child's face and eyes and most often it's a breed considered 'good' with children, like a Labrador retriever. Durairaj said. "The onus is on parents to recognize aggressive breeds as well as behaviors and never allow their young children to be left unsupervised around any dog." Comment: it is also worth reading today's editor... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4162938 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:24:28 +0100 4162938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118992&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fheavy-smoking-in-midlife-and-long-term-risk-of-alzheimer-disease-and-vascular-dementia.html As if we didn't need one more reason to quit smoking or never start, a new article from the archives of internal medicine published online yesterday concludes that in a cohort of 5367 people during a mean follow-up of 23 years heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia, AD, and VaD more than 2 decades later. These results suggest that the brain is not immune to long-term consequences of heavy smoking. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118992 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:09:27 +0100 4118992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097990&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fservings.html Can't we find a different term for the portion of food on one's plate? As I review my daily lists of research information there are several stories each day of different nutritional efforts to reduce diseases by eating different fruits, grains fish etc. But each one talks about eating several servings of one product at a meal. To me and most members of the public but not nutritionists a serving is a portion of a particular item on one's plate. It is no wonder so many people are obese because of the poor information provided on how much of what to eat. At cooking school one uses pinches, ounces, spoonfuls but never servings. It seems the ability of academics to find a simple word to use to assist the public change behaviors is an anachronism. Let's get rid of the jargon. (Source: Dr. B... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097990 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:27:32 +0100 4097990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098058&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fbefore-you-burn-out-%25e2%2580%2593-cbt-for-the-therapist-a-conversation-with-dr-john-ludgate%2F Do you ever wonder about how your therapist does it? If you are a therapist, do you ever have a day when it takes everything in you not to reach over and slap your patient silly? Or raise a white flag in defeat? Occasionally people ask me, “How do you listen to peoples’ problems all day long without becoming depressed yourself?” The answer is the same for whatever the job is: we need to pay attention to balance. I do my best to balance the hours I dedicate to work, for family time, and for just plain old time off and play. But to be perfectly honest, there are those days when I find myself severely stressed out. It could be I’ve over-booked myself too many days in a row, or had a series of challenging sessions or maybe just one person I wonder if I’m really he... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098058 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:46:51 +0100 4098058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074147&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F16%2Finterview-with-samhsa-administrator-pamela-hyde-jd%2F While at the Voice Awards, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat for a few minutes with the head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Administrator Pamela Hyde, JD. Ms. Hyde is an attorney and comes to SAMHSA with more than 30 years experience in management and consulting for public healthcare and human services agencies. She has served as a state mental health director, state human services director, city housing and human services director, as well as CEO of a private non-profit managed behavioral healthcare firm. You can learn more about Ms. Hyde here. Dr. John Grohol: So I wanted to understand a little bit better how the Voice Awards originated. What was the motivation behind coming up with this novel sort of way of recognizing both consumers ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074147 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:09:01 +0100 4074147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060649&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F12%2F2010-voice-awards-in-hollywood%2F I’m excited to be attending and reporting from the 5th anniversary of the Voice Awards tomorrow evening in Hollywood. This annual award program sponsored by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) honors screenwriters, producers, and behavioral health advocates raising awareness and understanding of mental and behavioral health problems The 2010 Voice Awards — co-hosted by Emmy Award winner Hector Elizondo and Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr. — will take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif. The annual event brings together representatives from the entertainment industry and the behavioral health community for an evening of awareness raising about the contributions people living with m... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060649 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:02:09 +0100 4060649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055790&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F11%2Fdrazen-prelect-at-harvard-law%2F On Tuesday, October 12th, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) is hosting a talk by MIT professor Drazen Prelec entitled Neuroeconomics. Professor Prelec works in the departments of Economics and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT.  His research and publications have explored the insights that cognitive science can offer into the ways that the human mind makes economic decisions.  His influential work has helped to found the nascent field of neuroeconomics. Professor Drelec will be speaking in Pound 107. Free snacks will be provided! For more information, e-mail salms@law.harvard.edu. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055790 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:01:56 +0100 4055790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036719&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F06%2Fchild-protective-services-ineffective%2F How effective is your local child protective services department? You know, that agency which is charged in protecting the health and well-being of children in your community. Child protective services are not very effective at all, at least when it comes to specific risk factors that could improve a child’s well-being and mental health. In a nationwide study that examined children in 595 families over a period of 9 years, researchers discovered that in the households where child abuse was substantiated by evidence, risk factors remained unchanged during followup interviews with the families. The risk factors are considered “modifiable” risk factors — those things which could be changed to enhance the health and well-being of the child. They include things such a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036719 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:05:56 +0100 4036719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036672&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Feffectiveness-of-condoms-in-thailand-on-ted.html Well worth watching. Why can’t we be as effective in the USA http://www.ted.com/talks/mechai_viravaidya_how_mr_condom_made_thailand_a_better_place.html   (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036672 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:57:33 +0100 4036672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036673&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fwhen-docs-counsel-weight-loss-its-style-that-makes-a-difference.html This article suggests better training in patient motivation is needed. AJPM Volume 39, Issue 4 , Pages 321-328, October 2010 Kathryn I. Pollak, PhD et al. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036673 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:53:04 +0100 4036673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018454&cid=t_175052_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F30%2Fclinicians-and-graded-exposure%2F Some people do, and some people don’t, some of us will, and some of us won’t! Graded exposure can be an uncomfortable experience for both the person who is learning to approach activities that don’t feel very good – and for the clinician! It goes against the grain for some of us to elicit anxiety and see distress as we work with people, after all, our job is to help people feel better isn’t it? There are some consistent findings about clinician anxiety vs patient anxiety when it comes to pain. It seems that clinicians can often be more conservative with regard to what is OK for a person to do than the person can be. This conservatism can be related to clinician’s beliefs about hurt vs harm, clinician’s orientation to a biopsychosocial model –... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018454 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:35:42 +0100 4018454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013259&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F28%2Ffeds-award-26-2-million-for-mental-health-care%2F All too often, I find myself writing about how mental health care fails in the U.S. It’s an easy story to write — during hard economic times, health care (especially for the poor and indigent) often takes a big hit from the government. So it’s always refreshing to write a different story. Especially one where the feds step up and fund not just a good idea, but a great one. The hero in this instance is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the funding mechanism is the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund. Forty-three agencies share in the $26.2 million booty (most receiving about $500,000). The goal of the funding? To help better integrate primary care into the mental health services they offer. Yes, you heard me right — help... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013259 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:01:57 +0100 4013259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013347&cid=t_175052_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fczf-MSXQ8Qw%2F Excellent article about an emerging “small revolution” in mental health care: Marientina Gotsis, media lab manager at USC, started thinking about designing apps with therapeutic potential when she realized that her phone had joined her wallet and keys on the small list of things she never left home without. “It’s what keeps people connected, functional, feeling safe and entertained. So why not use what people hold on to close to deliver behavioral interventions?” It’s the kind of innovation that Kathleen Carroll, a psychology professor at Yale, says may be a “small revolution” in mental health care. These apps are part of the “brain fitness” industry, a category that includes computerized memory exercises and cognitive-impairment assessment programs, and that SharpBrain... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013347 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:39:00 +0100 4013347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999013&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F09%2Fin-usa-today-comments-from.html In USA Today Comments from Europe: Obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1980s in almost all the countries where long-term data is available, says the report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which works on policies to promote better economies and quality of life. Countries with the fastest obesity growth rates: the United States, Australia and England.   (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999013 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:57:48 +0100 3999013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994369&cid=t_175052_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F23%2Fworking-with-thoughts-habits-take-time-to-change%2F If only there was a magic wand. I could make millions out of a ‘quick fix’ to changing habits! Unfortunately my magic wand is red and glittery – and plastic. I call it my ‘self management’ wand because it reminds me that self management is no quick fix, and a good deal of the work we need to do is about helping people recognize unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that might work in the short term, but not so in the long term. Changing patterns for sleeping well despite chronic pain is no different – what might have been going on for years isn’t likely to change overnight. Some of the thoughts that people have when embarking on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can be quite unhelpful. One woman I worked with became despondent and eventually gav... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994369 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:35:51 +0100 3994369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987230&cid=t_175052_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fonline-behavioral-tracking-becomes-more.html A few months ago, I searched for and bought a futon on Overstock.com. For weeks afterward I kept seeing ads for Overstock.com futons pop up on almost every web site I visited. This, I realized, was the result of tracking "cookies" -- small programs -- that I "allowed" overstock.com to place on my computer. Too bad the technology (or programming) wasn't advanced enough to know that I already purchased my futon, had it delivered, and assembled it. These days, however, tools that track users' whereabouts on the Web are more intrusive, more sophisticated and are "facing increased regulatory and public scrutiny and prompting a flurry of legal challenges," according to a Wall Street Journal article (see here)."Since July, at least six suits have been filed in U.S. District Court for the Central ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987230 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:17:00 +0100 3987230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3982036&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F18%2Ftamara-piety-on-market-manipulation%2F In response to Adam Beneforado’s terrific post this week, “Breaking Up Is Easy to Do: When Corporations Dump Consumers,” Situationist friend Tamara Piety wrote another excellent comment, a portion of which we’ve posted below. * * * To me, one of most offensive examples of this type of channeling is the price discrimination practice involved in rebate/coupon schemes. Rebates and coupons are used as a way to expand the customer base by attracting a few more customers by virtue of the illusion (for most) of a lower price point. We see it in electronics all the time – “Laptop $999 [with $250 rebate]” There are several things at work here at once. One is that the seller ( or whoever actually pays the rebate) has your money for some period of time ranging from 30 days to 6 ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3982036 Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:16:30 +0100 3982036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965506&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fsituationist-corruption%2F Molly J. Walker Wilson recently posted her article, “Behavioral Decision Theory and Implications for the Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Jurisprudence” (Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 31, p. 679, 2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * America stands at a moment in history when advances in the understanding of human decision-making are increasing the strategic efficacy of political strategy. As campaign spending for the presidential race reaches hundreds of millions of dollars, the potential for harnessing the power of psychological tactics becomes considerable. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has characterized campaign money as “speech” and has required evidence of corruption or the appearance of corruption in order to uphold restrictions on campaign expenditures. Ulti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965506 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3965506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957928&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F09%2Fhealthcare-spending-for-obese-adults-grew-by-111-from-1987-to-2007.html A Congressional Budget Office report says that healthcare spending per capita grew by 65 percent between 1987 and 2007 for adults of normal weight. But for obese adults, spending increased by 111 percent in those two decades. This means that “by 2007, per capita spending for obese adults was far higher than spending for normal-weight adults." The CBO says that "if Americans continue to gain weight, healthcare costs will expand as well," and noted that while "per capita health spending on all adults was $4,550 in 2007," should "current obesity trends continue, per capita health spending would increase to $7,760 by 2020, because of both the costs associated with obesity and rising healthcare costs overall."  Comment: It is time to discount the obesity activists who say that being ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957928 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:16:07 +0100 3957928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3953763&cid=t_175052_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fstudy-links-sleeping-pills-to-mortality.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3953763 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:25:00 +0100 3953763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3913164&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F29%2Fthe-bagel-situation%2F If you order a “bagel with cream cheese,” how much cream cheese should be provided with the bagel? That was the question my girlfriend and I pondered the other day as we drove through New Jersey futilely trying to remove half of the cream cheese on our bagels without the aid of a knife. Why is it that nearly every bagel that we buy has considerably more cream cheese than we want?  Is it that people can somehow sense that we are from Philadelphia? If some people prefer a little cream cheese and some people prefer a lot, doesn’t it make the most sense to provide a small amount of cream cheese unless someone speaks up and voices a preference for more?  That way, everyone gets exactly what they want (and no more than they want).  And people who don’t really have a strong impulse eit... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3913164 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:01:33 +0100 3913164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902946&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F25%2Fsxsw-2011-psychology-and-mental-health-panels%2F It’s that time of the year again — to help people learn more about human behavior, psychology, and mental health issues at the annual technology conference held in Austin, Texas called SXSW. I’d like to highlight some of the panels I need your help with — your vote helps panels make it into the final conference! (Voting is simple, but does require a free registration with the SXSW website.) There is a specific health track this year — the first time in SXSWi’s history. This means that panel topics on health and mental health have a better chance than ever in making it in! I first presented at SXSW on a health topic in 1999, so it’s great to see this dream finally become a reality. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite picks in the SXSW ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902946 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:45:33 +0100 3902946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899461&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F25%2Flaurie-santos-on-the-evolutionary-situation-of-cognitive-biases%2F From BigThink: Dr. Laurie Santos is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Her research provides an interface between evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, exploring the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates. Her experiments focus on non-human primates (in captivity and in the field), incorporating methodologies from cognitive development, animal learning psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. * * * * * * From TedTalks: Laurie Santos looks for the roots of human irrationality by watching the way our primate relatives make decisions. A clever series of experiments in “monkeynomics” shows that some of the silly choices we make, monkeys make too. * * * ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899461 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:01:03 +0100 3899461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880887&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Fhearing-loss-in-us-teens-increased-in-prevalence-in-the-previous-15-years.html Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital determined that hearing loss in adolescents has increased over the past 15 years. The findings are published in the August 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Comment: occupational health experts have known for decades that loud noises are injurious to hearing. In the military those exposed to repeated loud noises such as artillery, without a hearing protection, develop hearing loss as do workers in heavy industry and the road work. This is not a new finding and has been reported for at least three decades since the effect of loud music on adolescent hearing has been evaluated. Along with low-level lead poisoning these two problems may be significant enough to lower educational attainment of many young people. (Sour... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880887 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:35:01 +0100 3880887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872600&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F16%2Fodd-side-effects-reduces-homosexuality%2F A particular kind of hormone treatment therapy to treat a rare birth defect is getting unwanted attention for one of its possible side effects — reducing the likelihood that the baby will be homosexual. The treatment is used to prevent genital abnormalities in the baby. Normally, of course, such treatment would be unremarkable and nobody would much care. But some gay and lesbian groups seem to be outraged by this treatment, and want to turn a medical decision and medical issue into a political one. Should such medical therapies be regulated by the government? Or should they be left to the judgment of the patient and the doctor? A hormonal treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia can now be offered to women who may be carrying such infants. It’s not without health risks, but to... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872600 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:05:29 +0100 3872600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872584&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Fcan-obesity-prevention-begin-before-birth.html David Ludwig’s research from Children's Hospital, Boston found that women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy tend to give birth to heavier infants.  For example, women gaining 44 to 49 pounds were 1.7 times more likely to have a high birth weight baby than those gaining just 18 to 22 pounds. Women who gained more than 53 pounds were 2.3 times more likely to do so. Because our study involved comparisons of infants born to the same mother, we can be confident that this effect is not due to genetics. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872584 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:32:19 +0100 3872584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872238&cid=t_175052_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fcpap-for-sleep-apnea-obstructed-by.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872238 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:21:00 +0100 3872238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854569&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F10%2Fonline-cbt-effective-for-panic-agoraphobia%2F In the first phase of the Internet in the 1990s, we witnessed how it broke down mental health barriers by providing individuals with information about mental disorders and treatment options. Before 1990 or so, the only way to look up the “official” symptoms for a disorder was either to get to a local library that had a copy of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, or ask a mental health professional or advocacy group about the symptoms (and hope they don’t leave out anything). But the Internet broke down the arbitrary wall — that this information was somehow “special” and shouldn’t be given to people directly. People suddenly could learn about depression, or anxiety, or ADHD on their own without ever leaving their home. With gr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854569 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:05:38 +0100 3854569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845121&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Ftop-gp-condemns-britons-for-recklessly-neglecting-their-health.html From the Observer newspaper in the UK today, Britain's top GP today launches a scathing attack on widespread reckless public behavior towards food, alcohol and cigarettes, which he claims is causing growing levels of disease and early death. In a dramatic intervention in the public health debate, Professor Steve Field criticizes parents, mothers-to-be, the very overweight, smokers and drinkers for damaging their own health, or their children's, through irresponsible actions. Comment: these comments coincide with the excellent report provided in our local newspaper today by Tammie Smith, on the potential for improving prevention of disease provided by the new health reform programs. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845121 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:18:20 +0100 3845121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845122&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Ftattooing-may-be-the-rage.html But, researchers from the University of British Columbia reviewed and analyzed 124 studies from 30 countries, including Canada, Iran, Italy, Brazil and the United States, and found the incidence of hepatitis C after tattooing is directly linked with the number of tattoos an individual receives. The findings are published in the current issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Other risks of tattooing identified by the study include allergic reactions, HIV, hepatitis B, bacterial or fungal infections, and other risks associated with tattoo removal. Comment: Public health experts have been aware of this problem for years and while trying to publicize it have found that and the establishment individuals like to express their views with multiple tattoos. Unfortunately this cr... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845122 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:01:14 +0100 3845122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3833425&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flaxative-tantrums-in-kids%2F2010.08.07 This “Fletchers Castoria” ad from 1941 is priceless. And as someone who spends his days working with bound-up grumps like Mary, I was reassured to know that horrific constipation is not a me-generation problem born of chicken fingers and Goldfish. ”Laxative tantrums,” however, are new to me. I seem to have pretty good luck with Miralax and Kristalose in my office. Your mileage (or tantrums) may vary. *This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3833425 Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:00:38 +0100 3833425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772345&cid=t_175052_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FjLsVNwDrhXw%2F This study established the methodologies that made possible the effective scientific study of the efficacy of psychotherapies. The evidence base and of such treatments as CBT, DBT, Motivational Enhancement Treatment and other evidence-based psychotherapies derives directly from this study and its seminal influence. This was a contribution to the science of Clinical Treatment Development research. I would say that my major interest, however, has been in the next step, the science of knowledge transfer. There has been and remains a long and costly (in terms particularly of unnecessary suffering) lag between the development of new knowledge and its common and effective use in practice. In order the help the field moved forward, I have worked for the last 20 years in the development and implem... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772345 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:07:21 +0100 3772345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757883&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Fprevalence-of-smoking.html In today's New England Journal there is a good perspective on the current tobacco problems, noting that despite all of the escalating costs of medical care, the problems of childhood obesity, and heart disease, that smoking remains the most common cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. The prevalence of smoking in the United States hovers at 20%, more than 8 million people are sick or disabled as a result of tobacco use, and smoking kills 450,000 Americans annually. Comment: smoking is found today disproportionally among the less educated and those with lowest incomes. The chart shows how the prevalence of smoking has stalled and will need new interventions for further decrease. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757883 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:02:02 +0100 3757883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753846&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Fcriminalization-of-drugs-and-drug-users-fuels-hiv-laws-should-be-reviewed-say-experts.html Strict laws on the criminalization of drug use and drug users are fueling the spread of HIV and other serious harms associated with the criminal market and should be reviewed, say experts in a series of articles published in BMJ online. Comment: while this study focused on drugs in Russia there is increasing data and a call from policy experts to decriminalize significant areas the criminal justice system such as substance abuse and prostitution to reduce the current cost of the criminal justice system and deter those who make a profit from the system. Once decriminalized these products could be offered without hazard in the public arena at low cost, which could put the drug dealers and pimps out of business. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753846 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:40:02 +0100 3753846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753847&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Fno-evidence-that-popular-slimming-supplements-facilitate-weight-loss-new-research-finds.html New research evaluating the effectiveness of a broad selection of popular slimming supplements sold in pharmacies and health food shops has found no evidence that any of them facilitate weight loss. Two studies presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden, have found they were no more effective than the fake supplements they were compared with. The market for these is huge, but unlike for regulated drugs, effectiveness does not have to be proven for these to be sold," said Dr. Thomas Elliott, head of the Institute for Nutrition and Psychology at the University of Göttingen Medical School, Germany, who lead one of the studies. "Few of these supplements have been submitted to clinical trials and the landscape of products is always changing, so we need to put them ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753847 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:37:49 +0100 3753847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746823&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F13%2Fwhat-a-robot-can-teach-us-about-the-situation-of-trust%2F From Northeastern University: What can a wide-eyed, talking robot teach us about trust? A lot, according to Northeastern psychology professor David DeSteno, and his colleagues, who are conducting innovative research to determine how humans decide to trust strangers — and if those decisions are accurate. (Read a Boston Globe article about this research.) The interdisciplinary research project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is being conducted in collaboration with Cynthia Breazeal, director of the MIT Media Lab’s Personal Robots Group, Robert Frank, an economist, and David Pizarro, a psychologist, both from Cornell. The researchers are examining whether nonverbal cues and gestures could affect our trustworthiness judgments. “People tend to mimic each other’s body ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746823 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:01:14 +0100 3746823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718457&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F01%2Fpsychotherapy-in-your-doctors-office%2F One of the trends that isn’t likely to change significantly much is the fact that most people talk to their primary care doctor or family physician about a mental health problem first. Your family doctor is seen as the expert in all things, even when those things include mental health issues or concerns. So how effective are brief psychotherapy interventions conducted in a primary care setting? Researchers (Cape et al., 2010) looked at the results of 34 studies involving 3,962 patients and found the answer — therapy in a doctor’s office is surprisingly effective. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety had the most powerful effect size, meaning it’s likely the most effective brief intervention for anxiety disorders. General counseling and problem solving therapy w... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718457 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:18:14 +0100 3718457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714213&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Ffindings-make-early-parental-action-with-daughters-even-more-critical.html Survey data released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and MetLife Foundation found that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to perceive potential benefits from drug use and drinking, making teen girls more vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse.  “Parents of teen girls have to be especially attentive to their daughters’ moods and mental health needs, which can have a direct effect on their child’s decision to risk her health by getting high and drinking,” said Partnership President and CEO Steve Pasierb. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714213 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:02:44 +0100 3714213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714214&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Ff-as-in-fat-how-obesity-threatens-americas-future-2010.html Trust for America’s health has a new report n the increasing epidemic of obesity in the US, that is worth visiting, the graphics of the statewide differences between adult and juvenile obesity is fascinating. Adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year, and declined only in the District of Columbia (D.C.), according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). More than two-thirds of states (38) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. The report also includes obesity rates among youths ages 10-17, and the results of a new poll on childhood obesity conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Re... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714214 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:58:37 +0100 3714214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706696&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Flow-immunization-rates-may-be-linked-to-epidemic-spread-of-whooping-cough-in-california.html California is one of only 11 states that does not require middle school students to receive a booster shot against whooping cough. As a result, just 43.7% of California adolescents had the vaccine for whooping cough, known as Tdap, in 2008, according to the CDC.  What's more, the state is the only one in the nation to report such a dramatic surge in pertussis. Comment: this is not particularly surprising considering the activism about autism on the West Coast and the misinformation engendered by the West Coast media. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706696 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:36:17 +0100 3706696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706698&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fimplications-for-framing-health-disparities.html A new report from the IOM released today, Health Disparities, sometimes relate to personal choice but also occur as a result of variations in income, language proficiency, health insurance status, culture, neighborhood features, and many other factors. However, the public, media, and policymakers often see these gaps as a result of individual choice alone. Therefore, public health officials can face difficulties in drawing attention to health disparities or gaining funding for programs to reduce health disparities. Public health officials are searching for ways to encourage people to see reducing health disparities as a matter of social, rather than personal, responsibility. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706698 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:31:17 +0100 3706698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702924&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmanaging-screen-time-limits-new-tactic.html We've had good success with trading time limited computer access for behavioral goals. We've had a problem however when the time is up. It's very hard to stop, especially during a game.I'm sympathetic, but with this sort of thing our son does better with firm boundaries. On the other hand, this has led to some difficult battles. As the #1 son moves further into adolescence, it's harder for Mom to enforce rules.Still, this is a battle worth fighting. Tracking time, recognizing a deadline, then overriding the desire to continue are great executive function exercises. It's push-ups for his frontal lobe.Recently I've had some success with flipping the problem around. As well as punishing him for going past his time limits, I'm rewarding him for finishing early. He gets to rollover unused minut... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702924 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:53:00 +0100 3702924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683693&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F22%2Fthe-situation-of-subjects%2F Joe Henrich, Stephen Heine,  and Ara Norenzayan recently posted their paper, “The Weirdest People in the World?” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Behavioral scientists routinely publish broad claims about human psychology and behavior in the world’s top journals based on samples drawn entirely from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. Researchers – often implicitly – assume that either there is little variation across human populations, or that these “standard subjects” are as representative of the species as any other population. Are these assumptions justified? Here, our review of the comparative database from across the behavioral sciences suggests both that there is substantial variability in experimental re... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683693 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:01:57 +0100 3683693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671732&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fnonprofit-to-begin-testing-vaginal-ring-with-anti-hiv-drug.html The Washington Post (6/15) reported, "The first test of a long-acting vaginal ring loaded with an HIV-preventing drug has begun enrolling women in southern Africa," and "with no prospects for an AIDS vaccine in the next decade or longer, the AIDS community has high hopes for 'microbicides,' the general term for substances that kill viruses or bacteria on contact." This "new study is the 15th undertaken by the International Partnership for Microbicides, a nonprofit group in Silver Spring that has helped lead the search for a discreet, woman-controlled means of protection." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671732 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:40 +0100 3671732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671733&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fpublic-comment-period-opens-on-dietary-guidelines-advisory-committee-report.html  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that public comments are now being accepted on the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (Advisory Report).   (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671733 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:53:55 +0100 3671733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658972&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fautism-finding-could-lead-to-simple-urine-test-for-the-condition.html From the Imperial College, London we find research shows that it is possible to distinguish between autistic and non-autistic children by looking at the by-products of gut bacteria and the body’s metabolic processes in the children's urine. This non-invasive test that might help diagnose autism earlier. This would enable autistic children to receive assistance, such as advanced behavioral therapy, earlier in their development than is currently possible. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658972 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:46:47 +0100 3658972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658973&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fprevalence-of-selected-unhealthy-behaviors-us-2005-2007.html (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658973 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:40:51 +0100 3658973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655610&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Frational-use-of-medicines---who-fact-sheet338-may2010-.html •More than 50% of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and half of all patients fail to take medicines correctly. •The overuse, underuse or misuse of medicines harms people and wastes resources. •More than 50% of all countries do not implement basic policies to promote rational use of medicines. •In developing countries, less than 40% of patients in the public sector and 30% in the private sector are treated according to clinical guidelines. •A combination of health-care provider education and supervision, consumer education, and an adequate medicines supply is effective in improving the use of medicines, while any of these interventions alone has limited impact. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655610 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:10:23 +0100 3655610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655611&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Freduction-in-heart-disease.html For a number of journals and news media today we learned that since 2000, there have been substantial reductions in the rates of heart disease-related deaths: a 22% reduction among men, from 320 per 100,000 to 249 per 100,000, and a 23% reduction among women, from 211 per 100,000 to 162 per 100,000.1 Unfortunately, a recent report by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) documented substantial geographic variation in rates of death due to heart disease (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655611 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:09:24 +0100 3655611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655612&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fwith-atalking-about-driving-and-distraction.html From the BMJ and today learn that it is difficult to assess the absolute increase in the risk of collision attributable to driver distraction, one study showed that talking on a cell phone while driving posed a risk four times that faced by undistracted drivers and on a par with that of driving while intoxicated.1 Another study showed that texting while driving might confer a risk of collision 23 times that of driving while undistracted.2 Although there are many possible distractions for drivers, more than 275 million Americans own cell phones, and 81% of them talk on those phones while driving.3 The adverse consequences have reached epidemic proportions. Current data suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by driv... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655612 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:07:17 +0100 3655612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672049&cid=t_175052_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F82xe_O6xDY8%2F CONCLUSIONS: Both ICBT and TSF produce improvements in self-efficacy, and these changes are related to substance use outcomes for depressed substance abusers. In TSF, intervention-specific changes in TSA occur during the course of treatment and are related to substance use outcomes. Research; J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007 Sep;68(5):663-72. Mechanisms of action in integrated cognitive-behavioral treatment versus twelve-step facilitation for substance-dependent adults with comorbid major depression. Glasner-Edwards S, Tate SR, McQuaid JR, Cummins K, Granholm E, Brown SA. Longer AA Attendance Predicts ChangeElderly Tend to Drink Too MuchBuy Brief-TSFMedical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problems12 Step Involvement and Peer Helping (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672049 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:35:40 +0100 3672049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635862&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fdsm-5-sleep-disorders-overhaul%2F The DSM-5 Sleep Disorders workgroup has been especially busy. They are calling for a nearly complete overhaul of the sleep disorders category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (“DSM”). According to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in May, Charles Reynolds, MD, suggested that the reworking of this category will make sleep problems easier for professionals to diagnose and discriminate between different sleep disorders. He stated that the current DSM-IV puts too much emphasis on presumed causes of symptoms, something that the rest of the DSM-IV does not do. Bringing the sleep disorder section more in line with the other sections in the DSM should make it less confusing. Primary and commonly diagnosed sleep diso... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635862 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:35:07 +0100 3635862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633520&cid=t_175052_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FiVcdCuhLs44%2F           One of the most interesting illnesses I encountered as a psychiatric nurse was obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  It is actually a type of anxiety disorder.  It is not your typical feeling of fear, worry or anxiety; people with obsessive-compulsive disorder will have these normal emotions but take them to extreme.  For example, people with OCD might have thoughts about bad things that could happen.  In addition, OCD patients will have upsetting or scary thoughts or images in their head (obsessions) that are hard to shake.  They may also worry about things being ‘out of order’ or not ‘just right’.  The compulsions enter into the picture when patients feel strong urges to do things repeatedly.  These compulsions give persons with OCD a brief sense of reli... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633520 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:08:06 +0100 3633520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607515&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F05%2Fnih-study-finds-that-overweight-girls-who-lose-weight-reduce-adult-diabetes-risk.html Overweight girls who lose weight before they reach adulthood greatly reduced their risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University, who analyzed 16 years of data on nearly 110,000 women. The study followed 109,172 female nurses from 1989 to 2005, noting how many developed diabetes during that time. An initial survey collected information about the women’s health, history and lifestyle habits. One question asked them to pick which of a series of diagrams best matched their body shape at ages 5, 10 and 20. The series of nine line drawings depicted female silhouettes  of different sizes, ranging from gaunt (size 1) to obese (size 9). The nurses were also asked to provide their height and current weight and ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607515 Fri, 28 May 2010 15:38:11 +0100 3607515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607662&cid=t_175052_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F4LM9fpoeyVs%2F Let me now share what the Judging Panel and the SharpBrains team found most impressive from each Winner and Finalist of the 2010 Brain Fitness Innovation Awards, accompanied by some additional information on each of these 10 noteworthy initiatives and case studies. Grand Prize Winner USA Hockey, Inc., is the National Governing Body of the sport of ice hockey in the United States. With a membership of nearly 600,000 players, coaches, officials and volunteers that span all 50 states, USA Hockey seeks to promote the growth of hockey and provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging, developing, advancing and administering the sport. Project Scope: The National Team Development Program (NTDP), a USA Hockey body, is a full-time development program aimed at preparing ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607662 Fri, 28 May 2010 04:04:56 +0100 3607662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603578&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbKNmmDo87gU%2F By David RittgersBehavioral screening is a useful tool in deterring and preventing terrorist attacks. As I noted in this piece at Politico, a border patrol agent successfully used behavioral screening to stop the would-be Millennium Bomber. She noticed something “hinky” about a man driving south across the Canadian border. That “hinky” – fidgety and nervous behavior when asked routine customs questions – exposed a car full of explosives intended for the passenger terminal of Los Angeles International Airport. Two items from the USA Today travel section highlight some mixed results with TSA behavioral screening. Today’s edition reports that behavioral screening, applied by Behavioral Detection Officers (BDOs) missed at least 16 people later linked to terror plots. On the other... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603578 Wed, 26 May 2010 18:44:36 +0100 3603578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581728&cid=t_175052_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FkQJHZ3PO6Jw%2F Important reminder: members of the Judging Panel will recognize the Finalists and the 3 Winners in an Awards Ceremony Call on Monday, noon-1pm Pacific Time. In order to participate in the call: Members of the Press can register, free: Here (serious bloggers can apply too) Anyone else can register ($25): Here Out of the 40 organizations that submitted entries to the inaugural 2010 Brain Fitness Innovation Awards, the 10 Finalists (ordered by approximate age of end user population, from younger to older) are: Arrowsmith School offers a comprehensive suite of cognitive programs for students with learning disabilities, targeting 19 areas of the brain most commonly involved in learning. The Arrowsmith Program, which originated in Toronto, is now offered in schools in Canada and the US. USA ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581728 Wed, 19 May 2010 23:43:29 +0100 3581728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3567958&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F15%2Fshould-psychologists-speak-more-to-the-general-public%2F I really enjoyed reading Paul Bloom’s article, The Moral Life of Babies, in the New York Times last weekend. If you missed it, here is the intriguing opening: Not long ago, a team of researchers watched a 1-year-old boy take justice into his own hands. The boy had just seen a puppet show in which one puppet played with a ball while interacting with two other puppets. The center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the right, who would pass it back. And the center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the left . . . who would run away with it. Then the two puppets on the ends were brought down from the stage and set before the toddler. Each was placed next to a pile of treats. At this point, the toddler was asked to take a treat away from one puppet. Like most children in t... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3567958 Sun, 16 May 2010 03:39:30 +0100 3567958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549020&cid=t_175052_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fgood-morning-america-dr-cognitive.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549020 Mon, 10 May 2010 16:28:00 +0100 3549020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542678&cid=t_175052_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Fmind-over-money-nova-pbs-video%2F Below the jump you can watch an outstanding and fascinating  video episode, “Mind over Money,” by PBS’s NOVA, that asks the question “Can markets be rational when humans aren’t?” and that includes significant segments describing some of the work by Situationist friend Jennifer Lerner. (We’ve placed the (52 minute) video after the jump because it plays automatically.) * * * * * * For more detailed information relevant to the episode, you can click on the following links. The Disposition Effect Trust your gut when trading stocks? Do no such thing, argues David Adler, producer of “Mind Over Money.” The Deciding Factor A new study at Harvard is exploring how emotions affect our decisions, whether we like it or not. TV Program Descrip... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542678 Fri, 07 May 2010 04:01:42 +0100 3542678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533641&cid=t_175052_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fcbs-2s-sleep-wreckers-are-few-of-common.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533641 Wed, 05 May 2010 14:58:00 +0100 3533641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529736&cid=t_175052_87_f&fid=34925&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbestyoucanbe.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Funderstanding-unusual-mind.html One of the pop-psychology characterizations of autism is that it's a "model of mind" problem. Persons with autism, it is said, cannot "model" the minds of others. This is sometimes associated with claims that autistic brains have "mirror neuron" defects, and that "mirror neurons" are the physiological foundation for "model of mind" functions.I call this "pop psychology" because it's very hard to test this class of theory. We simply don't know enough about how the brain works. My own personal speculation is that brain assembly is always problematic, and in the micro-evolutionary process of adapting brain infrastructure to "reality" various subsystems are repurposed (sacrificed) -- including those involved in modeling other brains.Whatever the eventual utility of the "model of mind" theory, ... Be the Best You can Be blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529736 Tue, 04 May 2010 03:04:00 +0100 3529736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511609&cid=t_175052_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fy_fl2QFkSP8%2F           Autism is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain.  It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills and reasoning.  Males are affected four times as often as females.  Children may appear normal until around the age of 30 months.  Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group.  Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD.  The cause of autism remains unclear, but a psychological one has been ruled out.  Neurological studies seem to indicate a primary brain dysfunction, and a genetic component is sugges... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511609 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:35:04 +0100 3511609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508204&cid=t_175052_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F04%2Findulging-in-four-unhealthy-behaviors-may-age-individuals-by-12-years.html People who smoke, don’t exercise, eat poorly, and drink alcohol are three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and nearly four times more likely to die of cancer, a new study finds.  Such people also have an overall premature death risk equivalent to being 12 years older, when compared with people who do not engage in these four behaviors, according to the study, reported in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.  Comment: Doesn’t anyone remember Drs. Breslow’s and Somer’s report on the Alameda County study 30 years ago which showed similar findings, while studying an  ecologically intact population? We keep repeating the same studies and get the same results. Isn’t that amazing.. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Healt... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508204 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:05:06 +0100 3508204