


Archive for January 22nd, 2011
 
Last week, while discussing a study that compared medication and psychotherapy for the treatment of teen depression, I mentioned how the current research suggests that the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as treatment for depression in adolescents may vary significantly as a function of small variations between the different versions of CBT used by clinicians. That is, not all CBTs are the same and some types appear to be more effective than others. Are other interventions also sensitive to subtle variations?
Last night I read a recent article published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders that compared two similar social skills intervention groups for children with Autism. Social Skills Group Intervention, or SS-GRIN, is one of the most effective social skills training programs for typically developing children and teens with social difficulties. This intervention uses CBT and social learning techniques to teach social skills and peer relations to “at-risk†kids, such as those experiencing severe peer rejection.
Social skills therapy generally has been found to be of mixed effectiveness when used with children and teens with high functioning autism (HFA). Some studies have suggested that it works while others suggest that it doesn’t. However, the type of social skills programs used in previous studies has varied significantly and some studies included implementation of programs designed to teach social skills to typically developing kids, such as SS-GRIN.
 
 We trawl the world’s journals so you don’t have to:
Autobiographical Memory: Context and Consequences (Cognitive Development).
Developmental dyslexia and dysgraphia (Cortex).
‘This issue … addresses ethical, legal, clinical and practical aspects of adjudicative competences [the mental fitness to stand trial and complete other judicial procedures]’. (Behavioral Science and the Law).
Novel Perspectives on Drug Addiction and Reward (Neuroscience and BioBehavioural Reviews).
Cognitive aging, safety, and quality of life (Japanese Psychological Research).
Capturing the Peer Context (Journal of Adolescence).
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Neurophilosophy has a wonderful profile the pioneering forensic psychiatrist and criminologist Carleton Simon who was working the street in prohibition-era New York in the 1920s and 30s.
Apparently, a minor celebrity in his day owing to a constant stream of headline-grabbing busts and scientific discoveries, he has since faded into obscurity but this excellent new piece covers his life, work and innovations.
At the forefront of the city’s efforts to keep crime under control was a man named Carleton Simon. Simon trained as a psychiatrist, but his reach extended far beyond the therapist’s couch. He became a ‘drug czar’ six decades before the term was first used, spearheading New York’s war against drug sellers and addicts. He was a socialite and a celebrity, who made a minor contribution to early forensic science by devising new methods to identify criminals. He also tried to apply his knowledge to gain insights into the workings of the criminal brain, becoming, effectively, the first neurocriminologist.
Read in Full:Â http://mindhacks.com/2010/11/06/a-shrink-among-the-shady-in-1920s-new-york/
Jan
22
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 9, 2010Â
A new study suggests genetics may influence an individual’s enjoyment of performing good deeds for other people.
According to the study by researchers at the University of Bonn, a minute change in a particular gene is associated with a significantly higher willingness to donate time or money.
People with the genetic alteration gave twice as much money on average to a charitable cause as did other study subjects.
Researchers working with psychologist Professor Dr. Martin Reuter invited their students to take a “retention test†— the roughly 100 participants were to memorize series of numbers and then repeat them as correctly as possible. They received the sum of five Euros for doing this.
Afterwards, they could either take their hard-earned money home or donate any portion of it to a charitable cause. This decision was made freely and in apparent anonymity.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/09/is-there-a-do-good-gene/20681.html
 
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can affect people who have experienced life-threatening events. This condition, so often associated with combat traumas, also affects many Americans who have lived through other types of traumatic events, such as car crashes or other serious accidents, fires, or natural disasters. Further improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD is a top priority for the VA Research program. VA investigators have recently conducted some of the most pivotal research in the field. Today, Veterans with PTSD can benefit from many effective treatments which were developed and refined over the years in large part due to VA research.
VA Research supports numerous studies designed to understand, treat, and prevent PTSD. These studies range from investigations of the genetic or biochemical underpinnings of the disease to evaluations of new or existing treatments, including large multisite clinical trials. The National Center for PTSD is a VA consortium of research centers focusing solely on the condition.
Some VA studies have improved Veterans’ lives through psychotherapeutic approaches to treat their PTSD symptoms. In one study, VA researchers showed that prolonged exposure therapy in which therapists help patients recall their trauma under controlled conditions was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in women Veterans who experienced sexual trauma in the military.
“My quality of life has improved 200-fold,” says Jennifer Olds, a Veteran of the first Gulf War who participated in the study. “The research opportunity really made a significant impact on my ability to get through life.”
To complement psychotherapeutic techniques for treating PTSD, researchers sometimes use computer-simulated “virtual reality” to recreate a Veteran’s memories of traumatic events.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207807.php

 
by Robert London, MD
I made a great professional connection recently that broadened my perspective about clutter and hoarding. Having long pondered the relationship between clutter, hoarding, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), I decided to consult with a professional decluttering expert, Gillian Wells, a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, who aids people with issues of clutter. Ms. Wells studied architecture at New York’s prestigious Cooper Union, and now runs a successful business organizing homes, apartments, and offices.
Why is a psychiatrist specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy interested in decluttering? Over the years, I have worked with a number of OCPD hoarders. In my own work with these patients, I have used guided imagery aimed first at separating into categories items to be disposed of, and then linking a pleasant experience with the act of disposing of the items. In addition, I have used a cognitive-behavioral approach, challenging the absolute need for certain items with a broader range of possibilities and probabilities. For example, I’d say to the patients: “It’s possible that you might need that item, but what is the probability that you would need it?” I’ve found this cognitive approach to be therapeutic when challenging all-or-nothing concepts involving fixed, rigid perceptions as it relates to holding on to clutter and hoarding.
Read in Full:Â http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-minute-shrink/201011/decluttering-is-it-therapy
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Fast ForWord is a series of computer programs designed to improve language and reading skills in 4-14 year-old kids with language difficulties. The system is sold and marketed by the Scientific Learning Corporation (www.scilearnglobal.com/the-fast-forword-program/).
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- 1. Standardized measures of single word reading
- 2. Passage reading comprehension
- 3. Receptive Vocabulary
- 4. Expressive Vocabulary

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Language Intervention Provides Educational Benefits for Pre-School Children
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In the Language 4 Reading project, a team from the University’s Department of Psychology at the University of York have evaluated the benefits of a preschool language intervention program for children who enter school with poorly developed speech and language skills.
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The program targeted three key areas: vocabulary knowledge, narrative and listening skills, with phonics work included in the later stages. Children took part in three group sessions each week, supplemented by individual work once they entered school.
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Read in Full:Â
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102083651.htm
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Language Appears To Shape Our Implicit Preferences
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Children who know two languages tend to perform better than monolinguals on measures of attention and cognitive control.
The bilingual advantage in attention and cognitive control may have important, long-term benefits as well. Preliminary evidence even suggests that their increased use of these systems may protect bilinguals against Alzheimer’s.
Although bilinguals tend to have smaller vocabularies in each language than do children who know one language, bilinguals thus may have an advantage when it comes to certain nonverbal cognitive tasks.
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Read in Full:Â
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/10/cognitive-ability-improved-when-bilingual/20740.html
 
Adolescents in Private Schools Cope Better
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 30, 2010Â
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New research out of the University of Granada now points to an emotional advantage for adolescents who attend private school in that they appear to be able to cope better with problems than their public school counterparts. Â
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Bermúdez noted that “the results obtained show that the type of education center may affect students’ behavior, due to the different social, cultural or education structure that each center has.â€
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Read in Full:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/30/adolescents-in-private-schools-cope-better/20174.html
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Parents’ Effort Key to Child’s Educational Performance
ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2010) — A new study by researchers at the University of Leicester and University of Leeds has concluded that parents’ efforts towards their child’s educational achievement is crucial — playing a more significant role than that of the school or child.
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This research by Professor Gianni De Fraja and Tania Oliveira, both in the Economics Department at the University of Leicester and Luisa Zanchi, at the Leeds University Business School, has been published in the latest issue of the MIT based Review of Economics and Statistics.
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The researchers found that parents’ effort is more important for a child’s educational attainment than the school’s effort, which in turn is more important than the child’s own effort.
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The study found that the socio-economic background of a family not only affected the child’s educational attainment — it also affected the school’s effort.
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Researcher Professor De Fraja, who is Head of Economics at the University of Leicester, said: “The main channel through which parental socio-economic background affects achievement is via effort.
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Read in Full:Â
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101029121554.htm
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Study Finds Links Between High Schoolers’ Hopes, Educational Attainment
ScienceDaily (Nov. 4, 2010) — It turns out that the high school guidance counselor was right. Students who have high aspirations and put thought into their futures during their high school years tend to reach higher levels of educational attainment, according to a recent study.
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And what’s a significant factor in those goals and expectations taking shape in the first place? It matters if teens are involved in extracurricular activities — whether it’s football, fine arts or French club.
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The research, by Sarah Beal and Lisa Crockett of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, surveyed hundreds of high school students about their educational and career goals and expectations while also examining the types of activities they took part in during high school. Then researchers studied how each activity, from extracurricular clubs and teams to part-time jobs to volunteering, was related to students’ thoughts about their futures.
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They found that students’ educational plans and their occupational goals and expectations were related to and predicted the level of education they ultimately attained. Also, extracurricular activities were related to students’ educational goals and career expectations — and vice-versa.
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That unique relationship, the study says, played a role in predicting how far teens eventually went with their educations.
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Read in Full:Â
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102164004.htm
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10 Tips to Make The Rest of the Semester Work
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Either way, it may be time to rethink the way you are doing college. It doesn’t have to be so high stress. If you were bright enough to be admitted, you’re bright enough to earn decent grades. But it may require a major shift in your schedule, your attitude, and your work ethic to get there.
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Here are some tips to make the second half of the semester go smoothly for you…
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1. Recommit.
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If you got a string of C-minuses or lower, resist the tendency to give up. However discouraged you may be, letting yourself get overwhelmed will ensure a GPA-busting semester. A new commitment to your studies could bail you out, or at least bail you out enough so that you have something to build on next semester.
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If, on the other hand, you did fine but were so stressed you’re still recovering, you have a different challenge: Resist the tendency to collapse in a grateful heap and coast for a few weeks. You’ll be setting yourself up for another anxiety attack when finals roll around.
2. Understand that school is your job right now.
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If you aren’t putting in a solid eight hours a day Monday through Friday for classes and study, you simply aren’t doing it. That eight hours does not include meals, hanging out with friends, cruising Facebook, or watching Grey’s Anatomy. A workday is just that – a day of working. The upside is that if you really do schedule a respectable eight hours a day, you’ll probably have most of your evenings and your weekends free to do what you want without feeling guilty.
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3. Schedule your time well.
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Plan out each of your weekdays as seriously as you would an assignment for the most important job of your life. Get out a calendar or planner. Write in blocks of time each week for study for each course. Make sure you schedule time for your toughest class and most demanding papers when you are the freshest.
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Read in Full:Â
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/11/08/10-tips-to-make-the-rest-of-the-semester-work/
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Children Find Their Own Way to Solve Arithmetic Problems
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2010) — Children with learning difficulties can benefit from being encouraged to find their own way to solve arithmetic problems, according to new research from Strathclyde.
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Astudy by Dr Lio Moscardini, in Strathclyde’s Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, found that children deal better with arithmetical problems if they can use their own intuitive strategies such as using number blocks, drawings or breaking an equation up into smaller, simpler parts- rather than being instructed in arithmetical facts and procedures.
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All the teachers taking part in the study underwent professional development in children’s mathematical thinking before introducing these ideas into their classrooms. Nearly all felt that their pupils had benefited from learning in this way- and several said they had previously underestimated the children’s ability and potential.
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Dr Moscardini, a specialist in additional support needs, said: “We found that pupils with learning difficulties were able to develop an understanding of arithmetic through engaging in these activities, without explicit prior instruction.
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“When teachers have an insight into children’s mathematical thinking they can use this knowledge to inform their teaching. The study also supported the view that maths learning isn’t just about acquiring a series of skills but is about making sense of problems and building understanding.”
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Read in Full:Â
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101108140925.htm
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Children Unhappy At School Turn To Sex And Alcohol
Article Date: 11 Nov 2010 – 0:00 PST
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Young children who don’t like school are more likely to be involved in underage drinking and sexual activity. A study reported in BioMed Central’s open access journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention and Policy, has found that pupils’ general wellbeing and specific satisfaction with school were both associated with the incidence of risky behaviors.
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Professor Mark Bellis worked with a team of researchers from the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, to carry out the study in more than 3500 11-14 year olds from 15 schools in the North West of England. He said, “As young as 13 years old, children who drink alcohol are much more likely to have had sex. The more they drink, the higher the risks of early sexual behavior. However, here we have looked at the relationships, not just between alcohol consumption and sexual behavior, but also at how these behaviors relate to their feelings about school and home life”.Â
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Read in Full:Â
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207360.php

Education Is Not Preparation For Life; Education Is Life Itself
Rudy Simone is a writer, jazz singer, and stand-up comedian in San Francisco. She’s also a proud member of an often-misunderstood minority-within-a-minority: a woman on the autism spectrum — or as she prefers to call herself, an “Aspergirl.”
Unlike autistic author and animal-behavior expert Temple Grandin — whose life was the subject of an acclaimed HBO biopic starring Clare Danes — Simone wasn’t diagnosed until she was in her 40s. Diagnosis in mid-life is common for women with Asperger Syndrome. Often highly intelligent and articulate, they’re able to mask their social deficits while leveraging their ability to focus intensely into achievements in school and the workplace.
Simone had a relatively happy — if eccentric — childhood, but when she hit adolescence, the social tide seemed to turn against her, washing away most of her friends. Suddenly, her trusting exuberance and hyper-focus made her weird in the eyes of her peers, and a convenient target for bullying and abuse. One day, Simone’s chief tormentor at school brutally beat her in front of a cheering crowd of older kids. Humiliated, the 12-year-old Simone stopped singing and laughing in public.
These problems intensified as Simone got older. She abruptly walked out on jobs, apartments, friendships, and relationships when things didn’t work as planned. Sometimes the people that Simone left behind when she burned a bridge would tell her there was something “wrong†with her, but she could never put her finger on it. She didn’t feel wrong. Instead, she felt like the world was wrong — a place designed to make other people comfortable, but not her. (Spectrumites sometimes call this feeling “Wrong Planet syndrome.â€)
Read in Full:Â http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2010/10/27/im-right-here-rudy-simone-on-life-as-an-aspergirl/
When children are diagnosed with Autism, parents quickly become aware that the identification of Sensory Processing Disorder is likely not far behind. If a diagnosis has not been made, many SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) behaviors may still be exhibited regardless of intensive or focused therapies needed. What is not as widely known is that children on the spectrum may also have epilepsy.
In a 2005 study conducted by Lidia Gabis, John Pomeroy, and Mary R. Andriola entitled “Autism and epilepsy: Cause, consequence, comorbidity, or coincidence?â€, the researchers found that children diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) who also had “significant cognitive impairment are at a higher risk to have some form of epilepsy.” Forty percent of children with autism in this study were also diagnosed with epilepsy. That’s 40% of children in one study! Â
This would coincide with reports of many parents that regressions occur with no known reason or that therapy that once was effective is no longer beneficial for their child. Some parents even report that their child is a ‘different person than the day before’…sometimes the hour before. The thought of epilepsy as being a part of the puzzle of Autism may be furthest from consideration since most people think of epilepsy as an obvious manifestation, as in a grand mal seizure. However, epilepsy comes in many forms.Â
Read in Full:Â http://www.examiner.com/special-needs-parents-in-national/autism-and-epilepsy-a-missed-connection
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National Epilepsy Awareness Month: causes and descriptions of seizures
Over three million people in the United States have epilepsy, with 200,000 new cases added every year, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. There are only 5.3 neurologists per 1000 people with epilepsy in the state of Georgia. This means a little under 200 patients per neurologist. Not all neurologists have the skills and training to treat people with epilepsy.
What causes a seizure disorder or syndrome?
- High fever in infants and small children
- Severe blow to the head resulting in a subdural hematoma
- Stroke
- CNS infection
- Uremia
- Substance abuse and withdrawal
- Genetics
- Lack of oxygen during birth
- Brain tumors
- Meningitis
- Lead poisoning
This is not a complete list of all causes of epilepsy or seizure disorder. Research is discovering new causes and new medications to better control seizures. Severe seizures can lead to loss of quality of life, permanent brain damage, and even death.
Types:
- Absense: This seizure is easily mistaken for daydreaming in young children ages four to twelve. There may be hundreds of seizures every day in which consciousness is lost for three to 24 seconds. The primary symptom, according to Symptom Find, is an apparent lack of attention to the task at hand. There may be particular body ticks, such as lip-smaking or eyelid spasms. The person may drop whatever they are holding. The majority of people have no knowledge of ever having had a seizure.
Epilepsy on the Frontier – My Story
This is National Epilepsy Month. Most of my readers know me as a journalist, social worker, politician, or musician. I am all of those things. I am also a person with epilepsy. I had my first seizure at age 11. This is a glimpse into my story in recognition of National Epilepsy Month.
When I was a child, my parents told me frequently not to tell anyone I had epilepsy – we never even used the word at home – it was taboo. It was acceptable to say I had migraines or strained muscles – side effects of seizure activity. It was okay to need a tutor in Math because I just couldn’t get it – not because I would skip steps when my brain blipped. It made me feel bad about myself and let others think I, with a Mensa IQ, was just plain stupid.
When I went off to college I rebelled. I joined the Independent Living Movement, an off-shoot of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. I spoke out about being a person with a disability and the right to live and work integrated into the community. That cost me too. Prior to the Americans With Disabilities Act, I remember getting fired from a white-collar job. Although my seizures were at the time under control, the employer said it was too much of a liability for me to remain employed. Later I had a child, a beautiful baby who has grown into a a magnificent adult. I knew the supports I needed and arranged for them yet because I was vocal about my epilepsy I lived through the scrutiny of federally and state funded childrens services who routinely, at that time, reviewed the fitness of all parents with epilepsy. Although I quickly passed their checkpoint, it was not without the humiliation of caseworkers judging my fitness while convicted crank dealers down the street were left to their own vices with their children.
Now as a middle-aged adult, I have taken a middle ground. Perhaps I have adopted the Ecclesiastes approach to epilepsy.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.”
Read in Full:Â http://www.examiner.com/economy-in-billings/epilepsy-on-the-frontier-my-story
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Epilim, the anti-epilepsy medicine containing sodium valproate and, in its controlled release Chrono formulation, valproic acid. Photograph: Mark Thomas/Science Photo Library
Epilim: the anti-epilepsy drug at centre of legal case
Medicine important in treating epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder, but not recommended for women of childbearing age
guardian.co.uk, Monday 8 November 2010 14.33 GMT
Epilim, the drug under scrutiny in a test case expected to be abandoned at the high court next week, remains an important drug in the treatment of epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder.
In all, it is probably taken by 200,000 people in the UK although the manufacturers say it is no longer recommended as a first choice epilpesy treatment for women of childbearing age.
Women who take Epilim, the brand name for sodium valproate, are at a slightly greater risk of having difficulties conceiving or of having a child with disabilities than those on other treatments, according to the charity Epilepsy Action.
Regulators say the drug’s manufacturers provide clear warnings over potential risks, but lawyers for families of children alleged to have been affected claim the company was slow to do so.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, responsible for drug safety in the UK, told the Guardian: “Epilepsy is a serious neurological condition and it is important that is treated effectively, including during pregnancy. It is widely recognised that women who take anti-epileptics during pregnancy have a higher risk of having a child with a birth defect than women in the general population – it is estimated that the risk of 2-3 times higher. The likelihood of having a child with birth defects is further increased if the woman takes more than one anti-epileptic medicine during pregnancy.”
It said all anti-epilepsy medicines carried clear warnings about the safety of their use during pregnancy and the potential risk of birth defects.
“For sodium valproate the product information advises about the potential for birth defects and recommends that any woman taking sodium valproate who is likely to become pregnant should receive specialist advice on these risks. There is also a recommendation that if taken during pregnancy sodium valproate should be used as monotherapy at the lowest effect dose.”
It also recommended the use of folic acid prior to pregnancy to help reduce the risk of having a baby with spina bifida, which was one of the birth defects seen in children whose mothers took sodium valproate during pregnancy. Other defects included: head and face deformities, including cleft palate; deformities of the bones, including hip dislocation; malformations of the arms and legs; deformities of the tube from the bladder to the penis; heart and blood vessel malformations, including heart defects; and defects of the lining of the spinal cord.
Read in Full:Â http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/08/epilim-anti-epilepsy-drug







