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By Psych Central News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 18, 2010 

B vitamins (B6, B12 and folate) all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritionist Lindsay H. Allen has collaborated in ongoing research that has taken a closer look at the role these nutrients may play in preventing decline in brain function. The investigations, led by Mary N. Haan of the University of California-San Francisco, are part of the multiyear Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging, or “SALSA.” Begun in 1996, the study attracted nearly 1,800 Hispanic seniors, ages 60 to 101, as volunteers.

According to Allen, the research is needed because many studies of B vitamins and brain function have given inconsistent or conflicting results. Allen is director of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA. Scientists from the University of California-Davis (UCD) and the UCD Medical Center also are collaborating in the research.

An analysis of volunteers’ blood samples showed that lower levels of one B vitamin, folate, were associated with symptoms of dementia and poor brain function, also called “cognitive decline,” as determined by standard tests of memory and other factors. The impairments were detectable even though less than one percent of the volunteers were actually deficient in folate.

In women, but not men, low levels of folate were associated with symptoms of depression. In fact, female volunteers whose plasma folate levels were in the lowest third were more than twice as likely to have symptoms of depression as volunteers in the highest third. That finding provided new evidence of an association between lower blood folate and depression. Depression is already known to affect brain function.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/18/b-vitamins-for-brainpower/16993.html

 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 18, 2010 

A new large prospective study confirms prior research that suggests modest levels of alcohol consumption can improve cognitive processes.

Norwegian researchers studied over 5,000 men and women and discovered moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests.

The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over seven years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests.

Among women, there was a lower risk of a poor testing score for those who consumed wine at least four or more times over two weeks in comparison with those who drank less than once during this period.

The expected associations between other risk factors for poor cognitive functioning were seen, i.e. lower testing scores among people who were older, less educated, smokers, and those with depression, diabetes, or hypertension.

It has long been known that “moderate people do moderate things.”

The authors state the same thing: “A positive effect of wine . . . could also be due to confounders such as socio-economic status and more favorable dietary and other lifestyle habits.”

The authors also reported that not drinking was associated with significantly lower cognitive performance in women.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/19/moderate-alcohol-consumption-linked-to-knowledge-gain/17038.html

 

 

August 19, 2010

 

18 August 2010 | 12:25 PM 

 “TEMPLE GRANDIN”

DVD widescreen 2010, not rated

Best extra: Commentary with director Mick Jackson, writer Christopher Monger and the “real” Temple Grandin.

FROM THE OPENING sequence, it’s clear that Temple Grandin is different.

Sporting cowgirl attire and a messy mop of curls, Temple (Clare Danes) barks out, “My name is Temple Grandin! I’m not like other people. I think in pictures! And I connect them.”

Emphasis on the “different, not less,” as Temple’s mother Eustacia (Julia Ormond) reminds us.

We have to agree that this biopic is “different, perhaps more.” It’s no surprising that the film has received 15 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Outstanding Lead Actress.

The storyline follows a young autistic woman who begins her life in the 1940s, when medical understanding of autism is limited and treatment generally included institutionalization.

Instead, Temple is able to put her visual way of thinking to use, solving problems that neurotypicals don’t even realize exist. She graduates college, earns a Ph.D., and quickly becomes a world-known authority in animal science. Today, almost half of North American cattle are handled in a restrainer system she designed.

In the bonus commentary, the “real” Temple Grandin shares stories and experiences from her life with autism alongside director Mick Jackson and writer Christopher Monger. Beginning with the pain that being misunderstood caused and progressing to the challenges she faced as an academic, it is clear that Grandin is a woman who has left few hurdles uncrossed.

What sets this film apart from similar stories about people living with genetic differences is that Grandin credits autism for her success. Without the disorder, she argues, she would never have been so aware of animal sensitivities. Grandin says if she could snap her fingers and be cured of autism, she wouldn’t do it.

Director Jackson used illustrative animations and quick flashes of still imagery to demonstrate how a visual thinker like Temple processes information. One critic likened it to what was done for “A Beautiful Mind.” The treatment pays off well and people in the autism community have hailed the film has an important demonstration of the autistic mind.

The DVD also includes the “Making of Temple Grandin” which focuses mostly on Clare Danes remarkable performance. She is so convincing that Grandin (who is a self-proclaimed detail nut) says watching the film is like going through a strange time warp and watching her life play out. The physical performance alone is impressive. Not only did Danes portray the movements of Grandin with precision, she also expressed a range of ages.

Additional extras like a discussion with the actors and information about Grandin can be found on HBO.com/movies/temple-grandin.

— Olivia Hubert-Allen

Source:  http://hamptonroads.com/2010/08/hbo-film-embraced-autism-community?cid=poblg

 

MIND HACKS

I love this summary of a study on unusual hallucinations in an elderly Japanese lady.

The full article is in Japanese but the translation of the abstract and the form of her hallucinations gives it a stylised quality that reminds me of the traditional art from the country.

The last sentence is wonderfully zen-like.

[Formed visual hallucination after excision of the right temporo parietal cystic meningioma–a case report.]

Brain Nerve. 2010 Aug;62(8):893-7.

Yoshimura M, Uchiyama Y, Kaneko A, Hayashi N, Yamanaka K, Iwai Y.

We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with cystic meningioma; this patients was otherwise healthy and experienced formed visual hallucinations after excision of the tumor. She experienced diplopia associated with metamorphopsia, which had persisted for 5 years only when she laid down and turned on her left side. 

Read in Full:  http://mindhacksblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/flowers-on-stones-falling-maple-leaves-and-wriggling-dwarves/

 

iPad Apps That Help Autistic Children’s Development(Video)

First Posted: 08-18-10 10:17 AM   |   Updated: 08-18-10 11:39 AM 

The mother of Nolan, a young boy diagnosed with autism, found herself pleasantly surprised by what technology could do to help her son’s development.

Nolan’s mom created a list of fun iPad apps that are also useful for learning social skills, fine motor skills, language and communication skills, sensory skills and others.

This video highlights a few of her and Nolan’s favorites, like Tom the Talking Cat, who repeats back out loud whatever you say — just the way you said it — so kids can hear themselves as they tell a story.

“I love how he encourages my child to communicate and build his vocabulary,” Nolan’s mother said.

A complete list of autism-friendly iPad apps can be found at BookroomReviews.com.

Source/Includes Video:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/ipad-apps-for-autism-and-_n_686020.html

 

iPads And Autism

I have friends who have children with autism, and therefore articles about autism catch my eye. I am glad that James Kendrick recently blogged about the experience one mom had when she won an iPad and gave it to her autistic son to try. Shannon Rosa wrote in a blog post on BlogHer after giving her son the iPad, “With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills.”

Shannon’s post goes on to describe some of the apps that her son is using on the iPad and how he is using them. Back in April I wrote about an iPhone app that implements the Picture Exchange Communication System, which is a visual communication tool often taught to autistic children so that they can communicate. It has been often said about how intuitive touchscreens are, and it seems to me that how autistic children use them is proof of that claim.

It’s easy for those of us who use mobile technology day in and day out to take the technology for granted. Stories such as Shannon’s remind us that this technology is having a very positive impact on people’s lives.

Source:  http://www.mediabistro.com/mobilecontenttoday/ipad/ipads_and_autism_171137.asp

 

The Hallam MP will tour Autism Plus’s Coleridge Resource Centre in Attercliffe, to see how the charity has introduced new initiatives to support people with autism through the budget cuts.

Mr Clegg will be treated to a performance from members who formed a drama group  inspired by the Channel 4 programme Young, Autistic & Stagestruck.

Philip Bartey, chief executive of Autism Plus said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to show Nick Clegg around one of our day centres and for him to see the work we are doing. We believe in empowering our customers, giving them choice and responsibility and getting them involved in the community.”

Source:  http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Clegg-to-visit-city-autism.6483081.jp

 

Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. Updated: Aug 16th 2010

This past Sunday, August 15, 2010, Dr. Allen Frances, MD, wrote an article in the opinion section of the Sunday New York Times entitled, “Good Grief.” Dr. Frances has very impressive credentials. He is an emeritus professor and former chairman of psychiatry at Duke University and was on the task force that created the DSM IV.

In the article, Dr. Frances expresses concern about the idea that is being considered for the DSM V, that runs the risk of treating many grief reactions as abnormal and in need of medication and treatment. This is a concern that I share with him.

In my experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist for over thirty years and in my personal life, I have learned that people have a wide variety of reactions to the death of a loved one. In addition to tearfulness and weeping, among the emotional and physical reactions to loss that I have witnessed in private practice and private life are:

Emotional Reactions:

1. Denial,
2. Sadness,
3. Anger,
4. Confusion,
5. Despair 
6. Guilt.

There is no order or combination to the ways in which these occur.

Physical Reactions:

1. Sleeping problems,
2. Changes in appetite, 
3. Drop in energy level,
4. Body aches and pains,
5. Development or worsening of an illness such as a virus.

Often, there are unrealistic ways of thinking about the death of a loved one, such as, “I could have prevented this death if…,” “I could have called him back from the edge of death while he lay in a coma,” “If I had been a better person this would not have happened,” and many others.

There is no doubt that grief is a wrenching experience that brings people to the edge of despair, hopelessness and depression. However, does this mean that the person in grief is depressed?

What I believe Dr. Frances is saying and what I assert, is that the answer is no, grief does not mean depression except in a small number of cases in which the individual crosses the boundary from grief into major depression.

Read in Full:  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=39245&cn=58

 

By Kathleen Doheny
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 16, 2010 

Men who have fond childhood memories of their dads have better coping skills when dealing with stress as an adult, according to new research.

A good relationship with Mom helps reduces psychological distress, too, but the relationship with Dad seems key in a man’s ability to cope with everyday hassles such as traffic and financial pressure, says Melanie Mallers, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at California State University, Fullerton, who presented her findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Diego.

”Men who experienced a good relationship with their fathers are doing better at coping with stress,” she says.

She’s talking about ”daily stressors that are the things literally make or break the ebb and flow of our lives,” such as coping with traffic or a boss who piles on too much work.

For the study, she interviewed 912 adult men and women, ages 25 to 74. Survey respondents described their daily experiences over an eight-day period, telling whether they were nervous, sad or depressed. They reported each day if they had a stressful event, such as an argument, tension related to work or family or a disagreement with anyone.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/16/good-dad-good-coping-skills-later/16880.html

 

ScienceDaily (Aug. 13, 2010) — People with Williams syndrome-known for their indiscriminate friendliness and ease with strangers-process spoken language differently from people with autism spectrum disorders-characterized by social withdrawal and isolation-found researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Their findings, to be published in a forthcoming issue of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, will help to generate more specific hypotheses regarding language perception and processing in both Williams syndrome and autism spectrum disorders, as well as the core mechanisms involved in the development of communication and social skills.

“Spoken language is probably the most important form of social interaction between people and, maybe not surprisingly, we found that the way the brain processes language mirrors the contrasting social phenotypes of Williams syndrome and autism spectrum disorders,” says lead author Inna Fishman, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist in the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Salk, who conceived the study together with Debra Mills, Ph.D., currently a reader at Bangor University in UK.

Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are both neurodevelopmental disorders but their manifestations couldn’t be more different: While autistic individuals live in a world where objects make much more sense than people do, people with Williams syndrome are social butterflies who bask in other people’s attention.

Despite myriad health problems, generally low IQs and severe spatial problems, people with Williams syndrome are irresistibly drawn to strangers, look intently at people’s faces, remember names and faces with ease, and are colorful and skillful storytellers.

“The discrepancy between their language ability and IQ is startling,” says co-author Ursula Bellugi, professor and director of the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Salk Institute, who has been studying the behavioral aspects of Williams syndrome for more than 20 years. “Children with Williams syndrome have elaborate and rich vocabularies and use very descriptive, affect-rich expressive language, which makes their speech very engaging.”

In contrast, many people with autism struggle to learn and use language effectively, especially when talking to other people. Chit-chat and gossip, the social glue that binds people together, mean nothing to them. Although there is considerable variation in linguistic ability-from the absence of functional speech to near normal language skills-deficits in semantic processing, especially interpreting language in context, are common across the whole spectrum of autistic disorders, including Asperger syndrome.

“It is this divide in language skills and use, which mirrors the opposite social profiles, that led us to explore how brains of individuals with Williams syndrome and autistic spectrum disorders process language,” says Fishman.

For their study, she and her colleagues compared brain response patterns linked to language processing in individuals with Williams syndrome, autism spectrum disorders and healthy controls. They focused on the so-called N400, a distinct pattern of electrical brain activity that can be measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. Known as ERP or event-related potential, the N400 is part of the normal brain response to words and other meaningful or potentially meaningful stimuli and peaks about 400 milliseconds after the stimulus.

When presented with a typical sentence that finished with an odd ending (“I take my coffee with sugar and shoes”), individuals with Williams syndrome exhibited an abnormally large N400 response indicating that they are particularly sensitive and attuned to semantic aspects of language. In contrast, individuals with ASD did not show this negativity, suggesting that the inability to integrate lexical information into the ongoing context may underlie their communicative and language impairments. Healthy people fell between those two extremes.

“The N400 reflects the cognitive demand incurred by the integration of a meaningful stimulus such as a word into a more general semantic context such as a sentence,” explains Fishman. The smaller N400 effect found in the ASD group suggests that they make less use of contextual information, which makes it harder for them to grasp the meaning of words.

“Our results suggest that language skills, or their brain correlates, go hand-in-hand with the level of sociability, potentially mediating the likelihood of interaction and communication with others,” she says. In fact, Fishman and her colleagues have preliminary data supporting this association between the sociability and the magnitude of one’s N400 response, among individuals with WS.

To gain a better understanding of the neural and genetic correlates of social behavior in different social phenotypes Bellugi’s team is now integrating these findings with the exquisitely mapped genetic profile of Williams syndrome. They hypothesize that specific genes in the Williams syndrome region may be involved in the dysregulation of specific neuropeptide and hormonal systems, which could explain the observed hypersocial behavior.

Researchers who also contributed to the work include A. Yam, a former research assistant at the Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, and Alan Lincoln, Ph.D., professor at the Alliant International University in San Diego.

The work was funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Source:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100816095806.htm