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Archive for January, 2011

 Ketamine

By Jessica Ward Jones, MD, MPH Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 5, 2010 

Ketamine may provide short term relief for patients with severe bipolar depression.

A new study showed that when patients with severe, treatment-resistant bipolar depression were given a single intravenous (IV) dose of ketamine (also known as N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist or NMDA), their symptoms improved within 40 minutes.

“In patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression, robust and rapid antidepressant effects resulted from a single intravenous dose of an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist,” writes Carlos Zarate Jr., MD, of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., and his colleagues.

Bipolar disorder, also known by its older name “manic depression,” is a mental disorder that is characterized by constantly changing moods. A person with bipolar disorder experiences alternating “highs” (what clinicians call “mania“) and “lows” (depression). Bipolar disorder affects about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.  Standard antidepressants may take weeks to months to become effective. Ketamine, which is sometimes used as a recreational drug, is legally used as an anesthetic.  Zarate and his team have previously shown that ketamine can improve symptoms of unipolar depression; however, bipolar depression may respond differently to medication.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/05/ketamine-may-give-temporary-relief-for-bipolar-patients/16423.html

 



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 5, 2010

Prescribing medication always involves a calculated risk. An adverse drug reaction may occur or the medication may fail to work because of particular body chemistry.

A new study suggests a common electroencephalography (EEG) test may hold the key to predicting whether a person will respond to certain prescribed drugs, particularly those related to psychiatric conditions.

Engineering and health sciences researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada applied machine learning to EEG patterns and successfully predicted how patients with schizophrenia would respond to clozapine therapy.

Clozapine is recognized as an effective treatment for chronic medication-resistant schizophrenia but can produce serious side effects such as seizures, cardiac arrhythmias or bone marrow suppression. Some patients can develop blood problems that are life-threatening. Weekly to monthly blood sampling is required.

“Some people can suffer terrible side effects from clozapine,” said Dr. Gary Hasey, associate professor at McMaster and director of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation laboratory at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Mood Disorders Clinic in Hamilton.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/05/ecg-predicts-success-of-medications-used-in-schizophrenia/16452.html



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 5, 2010

Prescribing medication always involves a calculated risk. An adverse drug reaction may occur or the medication may fail to work because of particular body chemistry.

A new study suggests a common electroencephalography (EEG) test may hold the key to predicting whether a person will respond to certain prescribed drugs, particularly those related to psychiatric conditions.

Engineering and health sciences researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada applied machine learning to EEG patterns and successfully predicted how patients with schizophrenia would respond to clozapine therapy.

Clozapine is recognized as an effective treatment for chronic medication-resistant schizophrenia but can produce serious side effects such as seizures, cardiac arrhythmias or bone marrow suppression. Some patients can develop blood problems that are life-threatening. Weekly to monthly blood sampling is required.

“Some people can suffer terrible side effects from clozapine,” said Dr. Gary Hasey, associate professor at McMaster and director of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation laboratory at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Mood Disorders Clinic in Hamilton.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/05/ecg-predicts-success-of-medications-used-in-schizophrenia/16452.html



 

This week’s Science has a thought-provoking article charting how several of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have canned their development of psychiatric drugs, citing the medications as unlikely to be profitable given the difficulties in understanding the neurobiology of mental illness.

On 4 February, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it planned to pull the plug on drug discovery in some areas of neuroscience, including pain and depression. A few weeks later, news came that AstraZeneca was closing research facilities in the United States and Europe and ceasing drug-discovery work in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.

These cutbacks by two of the top players in drug development for disorders of the central nervous system have raised concerns that the pharmaceutical industry is pulling out, or at least pulling back, in this area. In direct response to the cuts at GSK and AstraZeneca, the Institute of Medicine Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders organized a meeting in late June that brought together leaders from government, academia, and private foundations to take stock.

Read in Full:  http://mindhacksblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/is-big-pharma-abandoning-psychiatry/



 

This week’s Science has a thought-provoking article charting how several of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have canned their development of psychiatric drugs, citing the medications as unlikely to be profitable given the difficulties in understanding the neurobiology of mental illness.

On 4 February, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it planned to pull the plug on drug discovery in some areas of neuroscience, including pain and depression. A few weeks later, news came that AstraZeneca was closing research facilities in the United States and Europe and ceasing drug-discovery work in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.

These cutbacks by two of the top players in drug development for disorders of the central nervous system have raised concerns that the pharmaceutical industry is pulling out, or at least pulling back, in this area. In direct response to the cuts at GSK and AstraZeneca, the Institute of Medicine Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders organized a meeting in late June that brought together leaders from government, academia, and private foundations to take stock.

Read in Full:  http://mindhacksblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/is-big-pharma-abandoning-psychiatry/



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 5, 2010

New research suggests a strong link between personality traits observed in childhood and adult behavior.

Scientists reviewed data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse elementary schoolchildren in Hawaii.

They then compared teacher personality ratings of the students with videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals 40 years later.

What they discovered was surprising, said Christopher S. Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California-Riverside and lead author of the paper, “On the Contextual Independence of Personality: Teachers’ Assessments Predict Directly Observed Behavior After Four Decades.”

“We remain recognizably the same person,” Nave said. “This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts.”

The researchers examined four personality attributes – verbally fluent, adaptable, impulsive and self-minimizing. They found that:

  • Youngsters identified as verbally fluent – defined as unrestrained talkativeness – tended, as middle-aged adults, to display interest in intellectual matters, speak fluently, try to control the situation, and exhibit a high degree of intelligence. Children rated low in verbal fluency by their teachers were observed as adults to seek advice, give up when faced with obstacles, and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
  • Children rated as highly adaptable – defined as coping easily and successfully with new situations – tended, as middle-aged adults, to behave cheerfully, speak fluently and show interest in intellectual matters. Those who rated low in adaptability as children were observed as adults to say negative things about themselves, seek advice and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
  • Students rated as impulsive as adults were inclined to speak loudly, display a wide range of interests and be talkative. Those who were rated low on impulsivity were observed, as adults, to be fearful or timid, keep others at a distance and express insecurity.
  • Children whose teachers rated them as having a tendency to self-minimize – defined as humble, minimizing their own importance or never showing off – as adults were likely to express guilt, seek reassurance, say negative things about themselves and express insecurity. Those who were ranked low as self-minimizing were observed as adults to speak loudly, show interest in intellectual matters and exhibit condescending behavior.

Read in Full: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/05/adult-behavior-follows-childhood-personality/16447.html



 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 5, 2010

New research suggests a strong link between personality traits observed in childhood and adult behavior.

Scientists reviewed data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse elementary schoolchildren in Hawaii.

They then compared teacher personality ratings of the students with videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals 40 years later.

What they discovered was surprising, said Christopher S. Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California-Riverside and lead author of the paper, “On the Contextual Independence of Personality: Teachers’ Assessments Predict Directly Observed Behavior After Four Decades.”

“We remain recognizably the same person,” Nave said. “This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts.”

The researchers examined four personality attributes – verbally fluent, adaptable, impulsive and self-minimizing. They found that:

  • Youngsters identified as verbally fluent – defined as unrestrained talkativeness – tended, as middle-aged adults, to display interest in intellectual matters, speak fluently, try to control the situation, and exhibit a high degree of intelligence. Children rated low in verbal fluency by their teachers were observed as adults to seek advice, give up when faced with obstacles, and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
  • Children rated as highly adaptable – defined as coping easily and successfully with new situations – tended, as middle-aged adults, to behave cheerfully, speak fluently and show interest in intellectual matters. Those who rated low in adaptability as children were observed as adults to say negative things about themselves, seek advice and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
  • Students rated as impulsive as adults were inclined to speak loudly, display a wide range of interests and be talkative. Those who were rated low on impulsivity were observed, as adults, to be fearful or timid, keep others at a distance and express insecurity.
  • Children whose teachers rated them as having a tendency to self-minimize – defined as humble, minimizing their own importance or never showing off – as adults were likely to express guilt, seek reassurance, say negative things about themselves and express insecurity. Those who were ranked low as self-minimizing were observed as adults to speak loudly, show interest in intellectual matters and exhibit condescending behavior.

Read in Full: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/05/adult-behavior-follows-childhood-personality/16447.html



 

Article Date: 02 Aug 2010 – 3:00 PDT

Certain personality traits, demographic and work related factors increase the likelihood that doctors will develop mental illness or hazardous alcohol habits according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Dr Louise Nash, from the New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry and University of Sydney and co-authors conducted a study to identify factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors. A total of 2999 doctors participated in the study.

Dr Nash said that the mental health of medical practitioners is crucial to the quality of care their patients receive.

“Factors significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity in doctors included having a current medicolegal matter, not taking a holiday in the previous year, working long hours, type of specialty, and having the personality traits of neuroticism or introversion,” Dr Nash said.

“Factors significantly associated with potentially hazardous alcohol use were being male, being Australian-trained, being aged between 40 and 59 years, having the personality traits of neuroticism or extroversion, failing to meet Continuing Medical Education requirements, and being a solo practitioner.”

Dr Nash said that, although personality traits contributed highly to doctors developing a mental illness and hazardous alcohol habits, she highlighted that the work related factors could not be ignored.

“Unlike personality traits, the work-related and lifestyle factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use are more easily addressed,” Dr Nash said.

“Doctors should reflect on their hours of work and need for holidays.

“Doctors need to be educated about medicolegal processes and understand how the experience may affect their health, their work and their loved ones.”

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

Source:
Dr Louise Nash
Australian Medical Association

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196503.php



 

Article Date: 02 Aug 2010 – 3:00 PDT

Certain personality traits, demographic and work related factors increase the likelihood that doctors will develop mental illness or hazardous alcohol habits according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Dr Louise Nash, from the New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry and University of Sydney and co-authors conducted a study to identify factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors. A total of 2999 doctors participated in the study.

Dr Nash said that the mental health of medical practitioners is crucial to the quality of care their patients receive.

“Factors significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity in doctors included having a current medicolegal matter, not taking a holiday in the previous year, working long hours, type of specialty, and having the personality traits of neuroticism or introversion,” Dr Nash said.

“Factors significantly associated with potentially hazardous alcohol use were being male, being Australian-trained, being aged between 40 and 59 years, having the personality traits of neuroticism or extroversion, failing to meet Continuing Medical Education requirements, and being a solo practitioner.”

Dr Nash said that, although personality traits contributed highly to doctors developing a mental illness and hazardous alcohol habits, she highlighted that the work related factors could not be ignored.

“Unlike personality traits, the work-related and lifestyle factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use are more easily addressed,” Dr Nash said.

“Doctors should reflect on their hours of work and need for holidays.

“Doctors need to be educated about medicolegal processes and understand how the experience may affect their health, their work and their loved ones.”

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

Source:
Dr Louise Nash
Australian Medical Association

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196503.php



 

Seven hours sleep a night best for health

Fewer than seven hours a night linked to heart disease

2 Aug, 2010 09:00 am GMT

People who regularly sleep more or fewer than seven hours a night could be increasing their risk of heart disease, new research found.

A study of more than 30,000 adults found that cardiovascular disease – angina, heart attack and strokes – was twice as likely to occur in people who slept for less than seven hours a night compared with those who slept for seven hours.

In the study, participants were asked to fill in questionaires about their health and lifestyle, including questions about their sleep patterns.

People who slept for fewer than five hours a night had double the risk of developing heart disease compared to those who got a good seven hours.

The findings showed the risk was highest in women, and in those over the age of 60.

Sleeping for more than seven hours was also shown to be associated with an increased, but less dramatic risk, as people who slept for more than nine hours a day were one and a half times more likely to develop heart disease.

Although the researchers could not explain why too much or too little sleep could affect the health of your heart, they suggested that short sleep duration may be related to changes in the body’s metabolism and hormonal functions.

Sleep deprivation is associated with impaired glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of hardening of the arteries, they said.

Long sleep duration may be related to an underlying sleep-related breathing disorder or poor sleep quality, researchers said.

“Sleep disturbances may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease even among apparently healthy subjects,” said study leader Dr Anoop Shankar from the Department of Community Medicine at West Virginia University.

“Our study findings may have important clinical and public health implications, such as screening for changes in sleep duration by primary care physicians as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease, or initiating public health initiatives focussing on improving sleep quality and quantity,” Dr Shankar added.

The findings are published in the journal Sleep.

 

Tired on Mondays? Sleep More on Weekends

By John M Grohol PsyD

If you’re feeling especially tired today — and it’s Monday — it may be because you didn’t get your normal recharge of sleep this past weekend.

So says a new study published in the journal Sleep by David Dinges and his colleagues.

Researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing the results of a sleep deprivation study on 159 healthy, middle-aged adults.

A group of 142 participants were sleep-deprived by allowing them only four hours of sleep for 5 consecutive nights. But before the sleep deprivation, these subjects were first given two nights of 10-hour sleep periods, to ensure all participants started at similar sleep levels.

They were then allowed randomized doses of recovery sleep ranging from zero hours to 10 hours for per night.

The other 17 participants in the study spent 10 hours in bed on all nights.

To measure the effects of these sleep manipulations, researchers administered 30-minute computer-based assessments that measured things like attention span and reaction time every 2 hours while the subjects were awake.

Those whose sleep had been restricted were found to have a shortened attention span, impaired alertness and reduced reaction time. But their cognitive functioning returned to normal range after just one full night of sleep.

The study also showed, not surprisingly, that people who had no sleep during the experiment performed significantly worse than normal.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/08/02/tired-on-mondays-sleep-more-on-weekends/

 

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