June 29, 20107:01 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Early physical activity associated with late life wit

Many studies have associated physical activity with lessened chances of cognitive impairment during late life. A new study focusing on women has found that physical activity as a teenager is more highly associated with a lessened risk of late life cognitive impairment than at any other age. The study found that physical activity in women measured at age 30, age 50, and after age 65 significantly lowered the odds of impaired cognition later in life as well as during the teenage years. Laura Middleton, PhD, of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, in Toronto, and colleagues concluded that women should be encouraged to exercise throughout life as a deterrent to impaired cognition and that this encouragement should begin at an early age. Middleton stressed, “if we’re going to have exercise interventions to reduce the risk of dementia… it might be most important to target those people who have been inactive lifelong.” Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses this study more.

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June 22, 201011:23 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Ana and Mia praised on the web

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June 18, 20108:02 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Delaying school start times could save lives

Starting school later in the morning could help prevent car accidents. One city in Virginia that had an opening time of 840am had crash rates for 16 to 18-year-olds 19.2% lower than in a near by town whose schools opened at 7:20am. According to Robert D. Vorona, MD, of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, “Most of us in sleep medicine now believe that teenagers require nine-plus hours of sleep each night, and the consequences of insufficient sleep include excessive daytime sleepiness, mood disorders, and even potential suicidal ideation.” Although adolescents make up only 6% of licensed drivers, they account for 19% of all fatalities. Additionally, more than half of the annual car crashes associated with drowsiness and falling asleep on the road involve drivers ages 25 and younger. These numbers should be enough reason to listen to Vorona’s theory. He went on to say, “Many of us think that early high school start times could be problematic and may be a major determinant of these high rates of accidents and fatalities… later start times would be more in tune with teenagers’ circadian rhythm.” Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses this study more.

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June 16, 20105:05 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Insomnia increases death risk threefold

Insomnia is typically seen as a discomforting condition rather than a life threatening disorder. However, according to findings reported at a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, chronic insomnia is associated with a threefold risk of all-cause mortality. There are several potentialities leading to death as a result of chronic insomnia, such as changes in hormones leading to disruption of metabolic systems, accidents associated with fatigue, and lessened physical recovery from injuries, to name a few. Laurel Finn, MS, of the University of Wisconsin Madison, commenting stated “…clinicians should take these symptoms seriously and work with patients to determine the causes of insomnia, which can be behavioral, lifestyle-related, or environmental, and to treat the underlying cause.” Click here to read an article from the London Free Press that discusses this study more.

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June 14, 20108:27 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Women and the gambling gene

A twin study published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry has found that genes play a big role in disordered gambling among women, just as much as with men. Additionally, environmental factors seemingly had little or no influence on gambling behavior in the study. Among the 4,764 twins enrolled in the study, the proportion of variation in liability for disordered gambling due to genetic influence was approximately 50%. According to Wendy S. Slutske, PhD, of the University of Missouri in Columbia, and colleagues, “The results suggest that the susceptibility genes contributing to variation in liability for disordered gambling may also overlap considerably in men and women.” Click here to read an article from the LA Times that discusses this study more.

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June 11, 20109:50 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of mental illness

In the United States, nearly 60% of non-smokers have biological evidence of second-hand exposure; this is an indication of a serious public health issue. According to Mark Hamer, PhD, of University College London, and colleagues, “Even a low level of risk may have a major public health impact;” a major Scottish study, published in the June 7th issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, is now furthering the evidence supporting this position. According to the findings, high exposure levels to second-hand smoke, as measure by salivary levels of the nicotine breakdown product cotinine, were associated with a 49% higher risk of psychological distress compared to non-smokers with no trace of cotinine. Furthermore, future risk of hospitalization related to psychiatric treatment was nearly threefold for nonsmokers with high exposure levels to secondhand smoke (a salivary cotinine level of greater than 0.70 µg/L and less than 15.00 µg/L). Click here to read an article from the NewYork Times that discusses this study more.

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June 9, 201012:11 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

“Owls” report less sleep and poorer health

The effects of circadian phase sleep choices (morning versus evening) has not been well studied in relationship to sleep adequacy and overall health; however, findings revealed at the Association of Professional Sleep Societies are beginning to shed some light on the subject. Adolescents who consider themselves to be “night owls” have less overall sleep and worse perceived health than those who think of themselves as “larks.” Higher scores on the Horne-Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), a questionnaire that favors individuals who consider themselves morning types, were related to better perceived health. “The poorer health in night owls makes perfect sense, given the lives these kids live,” stated Mary A. Carskadon, PhD, of Brown University in Providence, R.I.. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses this study more.

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June 7, 20107:58 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Higher rates of PTSD in the Guard

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June 4, 20108:47 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

PTSD successfully treated with exposure therapy utilizing virtual reality

Service members from Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts suffering with PTSD find greater relief of symptoms through exposure therapy that utilizes virtual reality than from traditional use of talk therapy and medications, according to a small study. The findings, presented by Robert McLay, MD, PhD, of the Naval Medical Center San Diego, during a press briefing at an American Psychiatric Association meeting, revealed that those patients who underwent exposure therapy using virtual reality experienced “significant improvement,” which is noteworthy as PTSD has traditionally been considered resistant to treatment. “PTSD is often very resistant to most forms of therapy… Medications can make a difference, but usually that’s a very small difference,” said McLay. Click here to read an article from Medscape that discusses these findings further.

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June 2, 201012:32 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Body odor delusion under-recognized

Body odor delusion, or olfactory reference syndrome, is the belief that one smells bad with there being no evidence to the claim. Although the disorder has been referred to in one form or another for over a century, it has been largely under studied. According to findings reported by Katharine Phillips, MD, of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, and colleagues, during a press briefing at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, two-thirds of individuals with the disorder reported suicidal thinking and almost a third have attempted suicide. Phillips believes these findings show just how under-recognized the disorder is; “Many attribute their distress to the feeling that they stink…They feel they can’t go anywhere without being made fun of. It’s a very delusional belief,” she said. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses these findings more.

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