12 May 2010 by Ewen Callaway

People with autism seem to have normal “mirror” neurons after all. A popular theory has it that these neurons – brain cells that fire both when you perform an action and when you watch someone else doing the same thing – don’t work properly in people with autism. Now it looks as though that isn’t so.

The idea was that malfunctioning mirror neurons underlie the difficulties that people with autism have in interpreting the intentions of others. It seemed to be backed up by studies in which the brain activity of normal and autistic people was measured while they watched and performed simple actions, such as hand movements. In many, but not all of these studies, brain areas rich with mirror neurons proved less active in the people with autism.

But Ilan Dinstein, a neuroscientist at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, says other differences besides faulty mirror neurons could explain these results. For instance, if it turns out that people with autism imitate or detect hand movements more slowly than others, brain scans could mistake this delay for dysfunction in mirror neurons, he says.

Read in Full:  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18837-mirror-neurons-seen-behaving-normally-in-autism.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 13, 2010

New research finds that cognitive therapy is beneficial for moderate to severely depressed individuals. The approach emphasizes a change in thinking rather than a change in behavior.

Findings suggest cognitive therapists should concentrate, at least during the first few sessions, on a client’s thought patterns to help them see life events more realistically.

The study found that a concentration on changing behavior — such as having patients schedule activities to get them out of the house, and tracking how they spent their time — did not significantly predict subsequent change in depressive symptoms.

“There has been a lot of attention recently on behavioral approaches to treating severe depression, and that may lead some people to suspect that cognitive techniques are not important for more severely depressed patients,” said Daniel Strunk, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

“But our results suggest that it was the cognitive strategies that actually helped patients improve the most during the first critical weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy.”

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/13/cognitive-therapy-helps-all-types-of-depression/13782.html

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 13, 2010

New research finds that cognitive therapy is beneficial for moderate to severely depressed individuals. The approach emphasizes a change in thinking rather than a change in behavior.

Findings suggest cognitive therapists should concentrate, at least during the first few sessions, on a client’s thought patterns to help them see life events more realistically.

The study found that a concentration on changing behavior — such as having patients schedule activities to get them out of the house, and tracking how they spent their time — did not significantly predict subsequent change in depressive symptoms.

“There has been a lot of attention recently on behavioral approaches to treating severe depression, and that may lead some people to suspect that cognitive techniques are not important for more severely depressed patients,” said Daniel Strunk, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

“But our results suggest that it was the cognitive strategies that actually helped patients improve the most during the first critical weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy.”

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/13/cognitive-therapy-helps-all-types-of-depression/13782.html

 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor

A new report suggests the phrase “working overtime is killing me” may be as factual as it is figurative.

According to a long-term study of more than 10,000 civil servants in London, working overtime is bad for the heart.

The research, published online in the European Heart Journal,found that, compared with people who did not work overtime, people who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60 percent higher risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart disease, nonfatal heart attacks and angina.

Dr. Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland) and University College London (UK), said: “The association between long hours and coronary heart disease was independent of a range of risk factors that we measured at the start of the study, such as smoking, being overweight, or having high cholesterol.

“Our findings suggest a link between working long hours and increased CHD (coronary heart disease) risk, but more research is needed before we can be confident that overtime work would cause CHD. In addition, we need more research on other health outcomes, such as depression and type 2 diabetes.”

The Whitehall II study started in 1985 and recruited 10,308 office staff between the ages of 35 and 55 from 20 London-based civil service departments. Data have been collected at regular intervals and in the third phase, between 1991-1994, a question on working hours was introduced.

This current analysis looks at the results from 6,014 people (4,262 men and 1,752 women), ages 39 through 61, who were followed until 2002-2004, which is the most recent phase for which clinical examination data are available.

During the average 11.2 years of followup, Dr. Virtanen and her colleagues in Finland, London and France found that there had been 369 cases of fatal CHD, nonfatal heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) or angina.

After adjusting for sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, marital status and occupational grade, they found that working three to four hours overtime (but not one to two hours) was associated with a 60 percent higher rate of CHD compared with no overtime work. Further adjustments for a total of 21 risk factors made little difference to these estimates.

The researchers say there could be a number of possible explanations for this association between overtime and heart disease.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/12/health-problems-from-working-overtime/13752.html

 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor

A new report suggests the phrase “working overtime is killing me” may be as factual as it is figurative.

According to a long-term study of more than 10,000 civil servants in London, working overtime is bad for the heart.

The research, published online in the European Heart Journal,found that, compared with people who did not work overtime, people who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60 percent higher risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart disease, nonfatal heart attacks and angina.

Dr. Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland) and University College London (UK), said: “The association between long hours and coronary heart disease was independent of a range of risk factors that we measured at the start of the study, such as smoking, being overweight, or having high cholesterol.

“Our findings suggest a link between working long hours and increased CHD (coronary heart disease) risk, but more research is needed before we can be confident that overtime work would cause CHD. In addition, we need more research on other health outcomes, such as depression and type 2 diabetes.”

The Whitehall II study started in 1985 and recruited 10,308 office staff between the ages of 35 and 55 from 20 London-based civil service departments. Data have been collected at regular intervals and in the third phase, between 1991-1994, a question on working hours was introduced.

This current analysis looks at the results from 6,014 people (4,262 men and 1,752 women), ages 39 through 61, who were followed until 2002-2004, which is the most recent phase for which clinical examination data are available.

During the average 11.2 years of followup, Dr. Virtanen and her colleagues in Finland, London and France found that there had been 369 cases of fatal CHD, nonfatal heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) or angina.

After adjusting for sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, marital status and occupational grade, they found that working three to four hours overtime (but not one to two hours) was associated with a 60 percent higher rate of CHD compared with no overtime work. Further adjustments for a total of 21 risk factors made little difference to these estimates.

The researchers say there could be a number of possible explanations for this association between overtime and heart disease.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/12/health-problems-from-working-overtime/13752.html

 

Christy Matta, M.A. Updated: May 11th 2010

When you tend to hold on to stress, unexpected circumstances can be particularly overwhelming. Whether you have financial difficulties, worry that your job is in jeopardy, have health problems or have experienced a death it can sometimes feel like you barely pick yourself up from one emotional crisis when the next hits.

The reality is that situations that cause anxiety and pain are a part of life and can’t be entirely avoided. Because you can’t eliminate these situations from your life, it’s important to ensure that you also have positive life experiences so stress and crisis has less impact on your emotional well-being. Usually when you feel stressed, angry, upset or sad, you’ve got good reason. When painful events happen, it often feels like happiness is out of our control. But, you can cause positive experiences and emotions in your life as well, which will keep your emotions on a more even keel.

1. Do pleasant things today. Don’t underestimate the power a few immediate positive experiences will have on your mood and emotions. Schedule at least one thing a day that makes you feel good. It could be anything: a phone call with a friend, exercising, eating food you love, watching a movie, taking a walk, reading a book or magazine, or being alone.

2. Set Goals. Set goals that will bring positive experiences into your life. If you’ve been passed up for a raise, set a goal to increase your value at work and earn a raise. If you don’t think they’ll ever recognize your worth, set a goal to find work that will. Again, schedule the small steps into your daily life. Keep focused on your larger goal and continually assess your progress. Whether achieving your goal will bring more money, better health, or a sense of accomplishment, identify the goals that will make your life better.

3. Connect with Friends and Family. Many research studies indicate that having close relationships is the biggest predictor of happiness. If you have conflict in your life, build or repair relationships. A few simple ways to keep friends and family members close include being kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Listen when they’re having a hard time. Be direct and ask for what you want and need.

Read More …  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=36899&cn=117

Christy Matta, M.A. Updated: May 11th 2010

When you tend to hold on to stress, unexpected circumstances can be particularly overwhelming. Whether you have financial difficulties, worry that your job is in jeopardy, have health problems or have experienced a death it can sometimes feel like you barely pick yourself up from one emotional crisis when the next hits.

The reality is that situations that cause anxiety and pain are a part of life and can’t be entirely avoided. Because you can’t eliminate these situations from your life, it’s important to ensure that you also have positive life experiences so stress and crisis has less impact on your emotional well-being. Usually when you feel stressed, angry, upset or sad, you’ve got good reason. When painful events happen, it often feels like happiness is out of our control. But, you can cause positive experiences and emotions in your life as well, which will keep your emotions on a more even keel.

1. Do pleasant things today. Don’t underestimate the power a few immediate positive experiences will have on your mood and emotions. Schedule at least one thing a day that makes you feel good. It could be anything: a phone call with a friend, exercising, eating food you love, watching a movie, taking a walk, reading a book or magazine, or being alone.

2. Set Goals. Set goals that will bring positive experiences into your life. If you’ve been passed up for a raise, set a goal to increase your value at work and earn a raise. If you don’t think they’ll ever recognize your worth, set a goal to find work that will. Again, schedule the small steps into your daily life. Keep focused on your larger goal and continually assess your progress. Whether achieving your goal will bring more money, better health, or a sense of accomplishment, identify the goals that will make your life better.

3. Connect with Friends and Family. Many research studies indicate that having close relationships is the biggest predictor of happiness. If you have conflict in your life, build or repair relationships. A few simple ways to keep friends and family members close include being kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Listen when they’re having a hard time. Be direct and ask for what you want and need.

Read More …  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=36899&cn=117

 

 People Need To Be Open Minded About Schizophrenia

There needs to be more awareness about schizophrenia, it has been claimed.

Last month, an international study led by Universite de Montreal, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said mutations in the SHANK3 gene may predispose some individuals to schizophrenia.

Source:  http://www.craegmoor.co.uk/industry-news/article/19768212/people-need-to-be-open-minded-about-schizophrenia/

 Genes Found for Schizophrenia Are Involved in Brain Signaling

May 10, 2010 (PR Newswire) —

 

 People Need To Be Open Minded About Schizophrenia

There needs to be more awareness about schizophrenia, it has been claimed.

Last month, an international study led by Universite de Montreal, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said mutations in the SHANK3 gene may predispose some individuals to schizophrenia.

Source:  http://www.craegmoor.co.uk/industry-news/article/19768212/people-need-to-be-open-minded-about-schizophrenia/

 Genes Found for Schizophrenia Are Involved in Brain Signaling

May 10, 2010 (PR Newswire) —

 

A new document outlining progress on the forthcoming guidelines for diagnosing and managing autism in adults has been produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Last month, Paul Wehman, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation (JVR), said the issues and challenges facing young people and adults with autism need to be addressed.

Source:  http://www.craegmoor.co.uk/industry-news/article/19768204/nice-issues-new-autism-document/