Publications on Mental Health Topics

Childhood heart defects tied to early dementia, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Feb 12 2018.

“People who survive childhood heart defects may have an increased risk of developing dementia before age 65, a Danish study suggests...Compared to people born with normal hearts, adult survivors of childhood heart defects were more than twice as likely to develop so-called early-onset dementia by age 65, the current study found. These survivors were also 30 percent more likely to develop dementia after 65. The dementia risk increased with the severity of heart defects. Mild to moderate defects were associated with 50 percent greater likelihood of dementia, while the odds were doubled with severe defects. ”

Male Hormones May Alter Autism-Related Genes in Utero, by Traci Pedersen, Reuters, Feb 11 2018.

“A new French study may shed more light on why autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects males around four times more than females. The researchers found that exposure to androgens (male hormones) during early fetal brain development alters certain genes linked to autism...Male fetuses produce androgens during critical stages of brain development when cells are dividing and developing into neurons. The study found that androgens increase the spread of cells and prevent them from death, which could predispose boys to ASD by contributing to the excessive brain growth that occurs in people with ASD during the first years of life. ”

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome May be More Common Than Thought, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Feb 7 2018.

“Up to five percent of American children in a new study were found to be affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The research involved more than 6,000 first-graders in the Pacific Southwest, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, and Southeast regions of the U.S...“Our findings suggest that FASD is a critical health problem that often goes undiagnosed and misdiagnosed,” said Chambers. “Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and neurological abnormalities in the United States. It can cause a range of developmental, cognitive, and behavioral problems, which may be recognized at any time during childhood and can last a lifetime.” ”

Common drug for PTSD doesn’t stem nightmares, sleep problems in veterans, by Gene Emery, Reuters, Feb 7 2018.

“The blood pressure drug prazosin, widely prescribed to relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has failed to show it can reduce distressing dreams or improve sleep quality in a trial of 304 military veterans at 13 Veterans Affairs medical centers. After 10 weeks of therapy with the generic drug, which costs about a nickel per pill, recipients had no significant reduction in recurrent nightmares or easier sleep compared to veterans receiving placebo...The results should discourage doctors from giving prazosin as a one-size-fits-all therapy and encourage them to identify veterans who will find it effective... ”

Trans teens may not get care they need, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Feb 5 2018.

“Transgender teens may be more likely to miss preventive health checkups and have untreated medical problems than their non-transgender peers, a U.S. study suggests...Overall, transgender adolescents were almost twice as likely as other teens to report their health as “poor, fair or good” as opposed to “very good or excellent,” the study found...“When youth present differently than what society would expect for their birth-assigned sex, they often receive messages in society that they are behaving in a way that is ‘wrong’ or that they are ‘wrong’ in some way," said lead study author Nic Rider, a human sexuality researcher at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. ”

More evidence traumatic brain injuries raise later dementia risk, by Cheryl Platzman Weinstock, Reuters, Jan 31 2018.

“During the first year after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the risk of developing dementia rises four- to six-fold, according to a large Swedish study that followed millions of people age 50 or older for decades. People who experienced moderate, severe and repeated TBIs were at the greatest risk, and overall, the odds of a dementia diagnosis decreased over time. Those odds were still significantly higher, however, for people with a history of TBI even 30 years after the injury when compared to people who had never experienced TBI, the study team reports in PLoS ONE. ”

Weight-loss surgery tied to slight increased risk of suicide, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Jan 30 2018.

“Obese people who get surgery to lose weight are slightly more likely to attempt suicide than their counterparts who try other approaches to shed excess pounds, a Swedish study suggests. The findings reinforce a need for thorough pre-surgery mental health assessments of bariatric patients, as well as for providing them with information about the risk of self-harm associated with the procedure and long term follow-up, the study team writes in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. ”

The Link Between Opioid Overdoses and Amnesia Is Only Getting Stronger, by Lauren Aguirre, The Atlantic, Jan 30 2018.

“Just over five years ago, a man suffering from amnesia following a suspected drug overdose appeared at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. He was 22, and had injected what he believed to be heroin. When he woke up the next morning, he was extremely confused, repeatedly asking the same questions and telling the same stories. Doctors at Lahey quickly diagnosed the man with anterograde amnesia—the inability to form new memories. ”

The Startling Link Between Sugar and Alzheimer's, by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, Jan 26 2018.

“In recent years, Alzheimer’s disease has occasionally been referred to as “type 3” diabetes, though that moniker doesn’t make much sense...Instead of another type of diabetes, it’s increasingly looking like Alzheimer’s is another potential side effect of a sugary, Western-style diet...A longitudinal study, published Thursday in the journal Diabetologia, followed 5,189 people over 10 years and found that people with high blood sugar had a faster rate of cognitive decline than those with normal blood sugar—whether or not their blood-sugar level technically made them diabetic. In other words, the higher the blood sugar, the faster the cognitive decline.  ”

Learning & Memory Problems Begin Early in OCD, by Janice Wood, Psych Central, Jan 22 2018.

“A new study has found that adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have widespread learning and memory problems...The researchers found that adolescent patients with OCD had impairments in all learning and memory tasks. The study also demonstrated for the first time impaired goal-directed control and lack of cognitive plasticity early in the development of OCD, the researchers report. 'While many studies have focused on adult OCD, we actually know very little about the condition in teenagers,' said Dr. Julia Gottwald, the study’s first author. 'Our study suggests that teens with OCD have problems with memory and the ability to flexibly adjust their actions when the environment changes.' ”

There’s an App for That? Merging Technology and Mental Health, by Staff, Ozobot Blog, Jan 18 2018.

“If you scrape your knee or bruise your arm, the treatment is easy. The symptoms are visible and you can watch the scab heal and the bruise fade. Unfortunately, not all wounds are that easy to see. The field of psychiatry works to treat mental illness and help people who struggle with their thoughts and emotions. The symptoms are hard to see and the causes are even harder to treat. Doctors and scientists are working to make these symptoms more visible and treat them better. One tool that many professionals use is technology, which is opening up a new world of psychiatric treatment to patients and doctors alike. ”

Physician burnout takes a toll on U.S. patients, by Marilynn Larkin, Reuters, Jan 17 2018.

“Nearly two-thirds of U.S. doctors feel burned out, depressed, or both – and those feelings affect how they relate to patients, according to a survey conducted by Medscape...What’s more, nearly 15 percent of depressed doctors said their depression might cause them to make errors they wouldn’t ordinarily make, while 5 percent said depression led them to make errors that might have harmed patients. More than 15,000 doctors across 29 specialties responded to survey questions about depression and burnout, which was defined as feelings of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion; frustration or cynicism about work; and doubts about the value of their work. Critical care doctors and neurologists had the highest rates of burnout (48 percent), followed by family doctors (47 percent) and ob/gyns and internists (46 percent). ”

In An Industry Rife With Substance Abuse, Restaurant Workers Help Their Own, by Tove Danovich, NPR, Jan 16 2018.

“According to a 2015 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the food service and hospitality industry has the highest rates of substance use disorders and third-highest rates of heavy-alcohol use of all employment sectors. But until recently there weren't many resources dedicated toward helping restaurant industry professionals with these challenges. ”

Childhood bullying linked to suicide risk for teens, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Jan 16 2018.

“Adolescents who experienced severe bullying by their peers earlier in childhood may be more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts than teens who weren’t routinely victimized by other kids, a Canadian study suggests...Compared to teens who experienced little or no bullying as kids, adolescents who suffered chronic tormenting by their peers were more than twice as likely to be depressed and more than three times more likely to be anxious or seriously consider suicide, the study found...Adolescents who were chronically bullied as kids were also much more likely to experience social anxiety, eating problems, conduct issues and behavior challenges, the study found. ”

Desperate Cities Consider 'Safe Injection' Sites For Opioid Users, by Bobby Allyn, NPR, Jan 10 2018.

“Top Philadelphia officials are advocating that the city become the first in the U.S. to open a supervised injection site, where people suffering from heroin or opioid addiction could use the drugs under medical supervision...It's a divisive idea: People bring their own drugs to shoot up under the watch of medical staff, in a facility that provides clean needles and other equipment. Advocates say the goal is to provide a bridge to treatment. ”