# Brain & mental disorder research



## waltky (Sep 20, 2011)

Link suspected between epilepsy and schizophrenia...

*Schizophrenia and epilepsy have 'strong link'*
_19 September 2011 - Researchers say there could be a genetic overlap in epilepsy and schizophrenia patients._


> People with schizophrenia are six times more likely to develop epilepsy, says a study which finds a strong relationship between the two diseases.  Writing in Epilepsia, researchers in Taiwan say this could be due to genetic, neurobiological or environmental factors.  The study followed around 16,000 patients with epilepsy and schizophrenia between 1999 and 2008.  An epilepsy expert says it is an interesting and convincing study.  The study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database and was led by researchers from the China Medical University Hospital in Taichung.
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> They identified 5,195 patients with schizophrenia and 11,527 patients with epilepsy who were diagnosed during the nine years period.  These groups of patients were compared to groups of the same sex and age who did not have either epilepsy or schizophrenia.  The findings show that the incidence of epilepsy was 6.99 per 1,000 person-years in the schizophrenia patient group compared to 1.19 in the non-schizophrenia group.  The incidence of schizophrenia was 3.53 per 1,000 person-years for patients with epilepsy compared to 0.46 in the non-epilepsy group.  Previous studies had suggested a prevalence of psychosis among epilepsy patients.
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## sparky (Sep 20, 2011)

i was just talking to myself about this the other d-d-d-day.....~S~


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## editec (Sep 20, 2011)

Interesting.

I suspect that there are various causes for mental illnesses but all of them are, in the final analysis, based on trauma to the brain of one kind or the other.

Having worked with people with massive tramas of the brain, and having seen them going through massive changes in personality as a result of these traumatic events, I am convinced that all "mental illness" is the result of deviations from "normal" brain activity.


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## waltky (Sep 25, 2011)

Granny says if dey scan Uncle Ferd's brain, all dey gonna see is his fat g/f...

*Brain Scans Let Computer Reconstruct Movie Scenes*
_September 22, 2011  It sounds like science fiction: While volunteers watched movie clips, a scanner watched their brains. And from their brain activity, a computer made rough reconstructions of what they viewed._


> Scientists reported that result Thursday and speculated such an approach might be able to reveal dreams and hallucinations someday.  In the future, it might help stroke victims or others who have no other way to communicate, said Jack Gallant, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the paper.  He believes such a technique could eventually reconstruct a dream or other made-up mental movie well enough to be recognizable. But the experiment dealt with scenes being viewed through the eyes at the time of scanning, and it's not clear how much of the approach would apply to scenes generated by the brain instead, he said.
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> People shouldn't be worried about others secretly eavesdropping on their thoughts in the near future, since the technique requires a person to spend long periods in an MRI machine, he noted.  Another expert said he expected any mind-reading capability would appear only far in the future.  For now, the reconstructed movie clips are only crude representations, loosely mimicking shapes and movement, but not nearly detailed enough to show that a blurry human-like figure represents the actor Steve Martin, for example.
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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

waltky said:


> Link suspected between epilepsy and schizophrenia...
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> *Schizophrenia and epilepsy have 'strong link'*
> _19 September 2011 - Researchers say there could be a genetic overlap in epilepsy and schizophrenia patients._
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how do they know the link is not the drugs they use  ?


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Study Says Epilepsy & Schizophrenia Linked, But Fails to Factor in Prescribed Drugs


http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/20...nked-but-fails-to-factor-in-prescribed-drugs/


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## whitehall (Sep 25, 2011)

The "study" relies  on data from the Taiwan health insurance data base. The last sentence throws the whole study out when it suggests that the original diagnosis is difficult. It means that the whole study might be based on faulty or erroneous diagnosis by health insurance technicians who have no experience in mental illness. It doesn't even state a conclusion. It says the study "might serve as a guide in further research". It's all B.S. probably thrown out as a filler by the  BBC.


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

whitehall said:


> The "study" relies  on data from the Taiwan health insurance data base. The last sentence throws the whole study out when it suggests that the original diagnosis is difficult. It means that the whole study might be based on faulty or erroneous diagnosis by health insurance technicians who have no experience in mental illness. It doesn't even state a conclusion. It says the study "might serve as a guide in further research". It's all B.S. probably thrown out as a filler by the  BBC.



indeed


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## Intense (Sep 25, 2011)

sparky said:


> i was just talking to myself about this the other d-d-d-day.....~S~



Funny.... so were we!  Best to keep it on the QT.


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

This is news?  I've practiced in psychiatry 21 of my 22 years as a nurse.  Many, many schizophrenics have seizures.  And most of the antipsychotic medications lower the seizure threshold making it increasingly possible for them to have seizures.  In the case of a schizoprhenic, you can't stop the medicine just because he/she has a seizure.   You have to treat the seizure as a comorbid illness.

Also, some schizophrenics have actual structural damage to the brain and not just a 'chemical imbalance.'  Those with structural damage will tend to be more likely to have seizures.


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


> This is news?  I've practiced in psychiatry 21 of my 22 years as a nurse.  Many, many schizophrenics have seizures.  And most of the antipsychotic medications lower the seizure threshold making it increasingly possible for them to have seizures.  In the case of a schizoprhenic, you can't stop the medicine just because he/she has a seizure.   You have to treat the seizure as a comorbid illness.
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> Also, some schizophrenics have actual structural damage to the brain and not just a 'chemical imbalance.'  Those with structural damage will tend to be more likely to have seizures.



so Mrs psychiatric nurse...what test did you ever see done to confirm this chemical imbalance ? and how do you know structural damage seen in some schizophrenics is not the result of neroleptic drugs ?


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


> Sunshine said:
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> > This is news?  I've practiced in psychiatry 21 of my 22 years as a nurse.  Many, many schizophrenics have seizures.  And most of the antipsychotic medications lower the seizure threshold making it increasingly possible for them to have seizures.  In the case of a schizoprhenic, you can't stop the medicine just because he/she has a seizure.   You have to treat the seizure as a comorbid illness.
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Actually, there are no tests for chemical imbalance in the brain.*  The determination is made by the clinical presentation of the patient.  A diagnosis of schizophrenia is not something that is given quickly or without extensive observation.  

I am not sure which 'neuroleptic drugs' you refer to.  Perhaps you could be more clear in asking your question.  Are you talking about antiphsychotics, antidepressants?  What?  Some drugs and drug combinations do cause psychosis.  However, not all psychosis is schizophrenia.

By 'structural damage' I mean changes in the brain tissue itself.  Some schizophrenics have enlarged ventricles.  This occurs due to a process involving glutamate metabolism that takes place at puberty in which ALL of us lose half our brain cells.  In most of the population, the process shuts off, but in the schizophrenic the process does not shut off and considerable brain mass is lost.  A brain scan will show the extent of the damage.  I also have had patients who became schizophrenic when they sustained brain injuries in MVAs or combat.  

There are 5 types of hallucinations and they all indicate something different.  Not always schizophrenia.  Auditory and gustatory hallucinations occur in schizophrenia and other psychoses; visual hallucinations occur with actual organic damage to the brain.  Could be a brain tumor, absces , injury, etc.  (I have gotten 15  referrals from primary care providers in my career who thought a patient having visual hallucinations was psychotic.  They all had brain lesions of some kind.  And I referred them to a neurologist.)  Olfactory hallucinations can indicate a tumor on the hypothalamus; tactile hallucinations generally indicate alcohol withdrawal. Hypnogogic hallucinations, auditory/visual, are really not of great concern and most people at one time or another have had them. 

Schizophenia is not JUST hallucinations, though.  There are types in which the person is delusional, or disorganized without the presence of hallucinations.  

It is an interesting illness.  And not an easy one to treat.  I've been working with schizophrenics for many years.  

*In criminal trials some defendants have had spinal taps to determine if they were low on serotonin and therefore depressed when they committed their crime.  However, spinal taps are not standard clinical diagnostic procedure for, I hope, obvious reasons.


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIjOZq_AUeE]Truth About Antidepressants & Chemical Imbalance, Psychology - YouTube[/ame]


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## Truthmatters (Sep 25, 2011)

How I wish this country would treat mental illness like an illness instead of like a life choice


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


> Truth About Antidepressants & Chemical Imbalance, Psychology - YouTube




If it's on Youtube, it MUST be true!


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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so it is purely subjective observation...so what happens if someone in a state of mind described as psychotic is given no drugs /...will they remain in psychosis forever ? and could you give a link to your claim of spinal tap test being used in criminal trials


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

Truthmatters said:


> How I wish this country would treat mental illness like an illness instead of like a life choice



I used to think the stigma of mental illness would be gone.  However, I have decided it will not happen in my lifetime.  Even in my profession, the stigma attaches.  Mine is the most UNglamorous job in nursing.  Over the spectrum of nursing, the pay is less for those of us who work in psychiatry.  If we didn't love the job we wouldn't stay in it.  I have NP friends in dermatology who make a great deal more than I do.  LOL.  But I can't complain. I do pretty well.

It never really occurred to me that the way the profession looks down upon us in psychiatry was the stigma of mental illness attaching to the providers, but this article in Current Psychiatry articulates it very well.  Even in the medical profession, MDs don't consider psychiatrists to be doctors, just we in psych nursing aren't considered to be 'real' nurses.

Invisible tattoos: The stigmata of psychiatry &mdash; Current Psychiatry Online


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


> Truthmatters said:
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that could be because psychiatry is a pseudo -science funded by pharma companies


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


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Crime Causation: Biological Theories - Serotonin - Violent, Csf, Levels, Impulsive, Criminal, and Hiaa - JRank Articles

Clinical observation of a patient is not 'subjective' data.  Clinical observation is objective data.  Subjective data is what the patient tells us.  If you want to know what would happen if a psychotic person were to be given no medications, you should look backward in time to how the problem was handled in the asylums before the advent of Thorazine in the 50s which I belive was the first antipsychotic drug. There is considerable history there which should answer your question.  I know of no clinician who would deliberately allow a person to remain psychotic just to see what would happen.  I also know of no clinician who would not allow a person on antipsychotic meds to take a 'drug holiday' to see if he/she can function without it.  I have done that many times.  

One caveat, though, there is a BIG difference in delirium and psychosis.  A person suffering from delirium will return to his/her normal mental status once the cause is removed.  Many clinicians miss this and treat inapropriately.

Here is a link you should find informative:

http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/418882_6

Sorry, this link won't let you in.  Just do a search Historical Roots of Schizophrenia and you should get it in its entirity.  If you still can't get it, sign up.  Medscape is free.


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## Truthmatters (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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Too many Americans want it swept under the rug instead of dealt with.

Much of it has to do with the cost of treatment for mental illness.


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


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I do not get paid to convince you of the validity of my profession.


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

Truthmatters said:


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Or they believe mental illnes is merely a construct created by 'pharma'............LOL  

Case in point:  eots


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## Truthmatters (Sep 25, 2011)

there you have it.

Part of the problem is that its a money game instead of a medical game


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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I believe that pharma controls "research" and "treatment" because.. they do


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


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Of course the NIH has nothing to do with research and treatment at all!  You are entertaining.  I'll give you that.


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

Truthmatters said:


> there you have it.
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> Part of the problem is that its a money game instead of a medical game



No different than any other illness.  Otherwise, why would my medicine for a physical illness cost $20K/month


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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the difference is other illnesses and  their treatments can be confirmed with diagnostic test and are not subjective observations


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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sock puppets


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## Truthmatters (Sep 25, 2011)

Its a big wide open "take our drugs' feast.

If we were serious about mental illness we would be doing more government ( un profit related) research


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

eots said:


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Here's a proposal for you.  How about we start a boarding home for unmedicated schizophrenics next door to you!


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## Sunshine (Sep 25, 2011)

Truthmatters said:


> Its a big wide open "take our drugs' feast.
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> If we were serious about mental illness we would be doing more government ( un profit related) research



Ever heard of the NIH?


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes lovely place...beautiful in the fall


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## eots (Sep 25, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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the information is true and available through many forms of media...so instead of 
using a strawman like_ youtube_ please  state what issue yoiu have with the information

and btw... nurse 

neu·ro·lep·tic (nr-lptk)

A tranquilizing drug, especially one used in treating mental disorders.



Noun	1.	neuroleptic drug - tranquilizer used to treat psychotic conditions when a calming effect is desired
antipsychotic, antipsychotic agent, antipsychotic drug, major tranquilizer, major tranquilliser, major tranquillizer, neuroleptic, neuroleptic agent


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## RetiredGySgt (Sep 25, 2011)

I do not have schizophrenia I have recurring major depression, delusional paranoia and paranoid personality disorder.

I know for a FACT medication helps. I also know it can be hard to find the right medication.

Medication works.


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## eots (Sep 26, 2011)

RetiredGySgt said:


> I do not have schizophrenia I have recurring major depression, delusional paranoia and paranoid personality disorder.
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> I know for a FACT medication helps. I also know it can be hard to find the right medication.
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> Medication works.



that does not mean it is organic in nature or that it works for everyone or that there are not other therapies that could help someone with these conditions that have less or no negative side effects


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## RetiredGySgt (Sep 26, 2011)

eots said:


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It does mean that medication is not a fake, nor a lie nor a placebo. I spent 10 YEARS doing other things as well as taking different meds. You do not help the situation by pretending medication does not work.

Does psychiatry over prescribe? Yes it does. And that should be addressed. But your ignorant rant about meds does not address reality. They work. And for a hell of a lot of people they are the ONLY thing that works well enough to let them lead semi regular lives. 

There is a plethora of evidence to substantiate the fact that meds work and are needed.


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## Sunshine (Sep 26, 2011)

RetiredGySgt said:


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I'm not sure what you mean by 'over prescribe.'  Perhaps you could clarify that.  If you mean keeping a patient sitting against the wall drooling, then yes, that is over prescribing as that is completely unnecessary with modern antipsychotics.

The meds do work.  And many lives have been saved because of them.  The bottom line with an illness like schizophrenia is that the meds do not 'cure' it.  The person can remain stable over the long term with medications, and I have seen and facilitated that for several years.  

As to there being 'tests' I think it noteworthy to mention that while Florence Nightingale believed with every fiber of her body that 'cleanliness' was therapeutic and facilitated health, she did not believe in Germ Theory.  And Germ Theory was not born out until there were microscopes.


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## waltky (Oct 1, 2011)

But link between caffeine and depression remains unclear...

*Study: Female Coffee Drinkers Are Less Depressed*
_September 30, 2011 - Women who drink coffee may have a lower risk of depression, according to a study from the Harvard School of Public Health._


> Several recent studies have looked at a possible link between coffee and suicide, and found that coffee drinkers were less likely to kill themselves.  Depression can contribute to suicide, so a logical question might be, does coffee lower the risk of depression?  In this new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers used data from an ongoing project called the "Nurses' Health Study." Women in the study periodically answer questionnaires about their health and lifestyle.  Some 50,000 nurses who reported their coffee consumption and depression status were included in this study.  Researchers found that women who drank more coffee were less likely to be diagnosed with depression. However, the association is not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship.
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> "This study can not prove that caffeine reduces the risk of depression," says Michel Lucas, of the Harvard School of Public Health, "but only suggests the possibility of such protective effect."  The lower risk of depression was not observed in people who drink decaffeinated coffee. Also, nurses in the study who reported drinking tea and other beverages with caffeine didn't show a significant change in their risk of depression, possibly because of the much lower levels of caffeine in those drinks.  Lucas say the study cannot answer whether coffee possibly helps protect against depression, but he says caffeine does have biochemical effects that might explain why coffee-drinkers  or, more accurately, caffeine-users  are less likely to be depressed.  "We cannot assume causality in this study. It suggests some possibilities. As we know, caffeine is a well-known psycho-stimulant, which increases also a sensation of well-being and energy."
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## eots (Oct 1, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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these drugs have killed many people and caused premature death and  life long movement disorders in many others


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## eots (Oct 1, 2011)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfOGLpb1q24]The Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia with ... MORE Drugs! - YouTube[/ame]


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## eots (Oct 1, 2011)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1tMrwvbosw&feature=relmfu]Hallucinations & Schizophrenia Extreme States of Mind Part 1 - YouTube[/ame]


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## Sunshine (Oct 1, 2011)

waltky said:


> But link between caffeine and depression remains unclear...
> 
> *Study: Female Coffee Drinkers Are Less Depressed*
> _September 30, 2011 - Women who drink coffee may have a lower risk of depression, according to a study from the Harvard School of Public Health._
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Interesting, but if I had a depressed and suicidal patient I wouldn't tell them to go have a cup of coffee.  LOL

Something even many clinicians don't know:  Prozac inhibits the enzyme that metabolizes caffeine.  So the person on Prozac who drinks that one cup of coffee in the morning is holding on to the caffeine as though it were 3 cups.  The 3 cup drinker can barely sit still, he is so jittery, and will even test toxic for caffeine.


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## Sunshine (Oct 1, 2011)

eots said:


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eots said:


> The Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia with ... MORE Drugs! - YouTube





eots said:


> Hallucinations & Schizophrenia Extreme States of Mind Part 1 - YouTube



When they come up with a pill for idiocy, I will submit your name, as you surely need it.


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## waltky (Oct 9, 2011)

Better staffing and more money needed for adequate mental health treatment...

*WHO: Treatment for Mental Health Inadequate and Under-funded*
_October 09, 2011 - The World Health Organization is calling on governments to increase services for people suffering from mental, neurological and substance use disorders. A report released to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10, finds countries all over the world spend very little on the treatment of mental illness._


> The World Health Organizations Mental Health Atlas 2011 surveys 184 countries. It finds one in four people will require mental health care at some point in their lives. Yet, globally, less than $3 per capita per year is spent on mental health. And, in poor countries, that figure is as low as 25 cents.    In addition to the problem of under-investment, WHOs director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Shekhar Saxena, says low and middle-income countries have very few mental health professionals.  To give you some examples, there are countries in Africa, which have a population of nine million, having only one psychiatrist and, in Asia, countries having 29 million people with only two psychiatrists. This is obviously extremely inadequate to look after any mental health needs in the country. The difference between the number of psychiatrists per 100,000 population in low-income countries versus high-income countries is 150-fold, which is enormous, said Saxena.
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> WHO reports the majority of people in the world do not receive treatment for mental illness. Figures show up to 50 percent of people suffering from mental disorders in Europe and North America do not receive treatment, and up to 85 percent of people in developing countries do not receive treatment.  The report says governments spend most of the money designated for mental health on long-term care at psychiatric hospitals. It says today, nearly 70 percent of mental health spending goes to mental institutions.  Dr. Saxena tells VOA this is a very inefficient use of scarce resources. He says the money would be better spent in treating mental illness at the primary care level rather than in expensive hospital care, which serves relatively few people.
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## barry1960 (Oct 9, 2011)

Brain disorder research...isn't that the purpose of this message board?


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## eots (Oct 10, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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this is your response to the fact a single dose of anti-psychotics can cause a life long movement disorder ??.. is this your flailing attempt to debate that fact ? I would say that  your response makes you the idiot


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## waltky (Oct 21, 2011)

Granny's lil' helpers gettin' more popular...

*CDC: Antidepressant use skyrockets 400% in past 20 years*
_19 Oct.`11 - Use of antidepressant drugs has soared nearly 400% since 1988, making the medication the most frequently used by people ages 18-44, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows._


> Eleven percent of Americans ages 12 years and older took antidepressants during the 2005-08 study period, the authors write. They add that though the majority of antidepressants were taken to treat depression, the drugs also can be used for anxiety disorders and other conditions.  The data are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which included information from 12,637 participants about prescription-drug use, antidepressant use, length of use, severity of depressive symptoms and contact with a health professional.
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## waltky (Oct 26, 2011)

Uncle Ferd gonna get the doctor to give Granny a B-12 shot...

*Study: Vitamin B12 Deficits in Older Adults Linked to Brain Decline*
_October 24, 2011 - A new study says deficiencies of Vitamin B12 might be responsible for declining brain function in older adults. Although people normally get plenty of B12 from fish, meat and dairy products, as well as fortified cereals and supplements, their ability to absorb the essential nutrient can be blocked by a number of factors._


> Those include excessive alcohol consumption, anemia and various digestive-system disorders. Health experts say regular screening and heightened public awareness.can help avoid those potentially brain-wasting deficits.  Just as muscles in the body shrink from malnutrition, a new study done on people age 65 and older says the human brain starts shrinking when there is not enough vitamin B12 in the body.  Its a key component of the neurotransmitters in the brain, and part of the nutritional substance essentially of the brain cells, of the nerves or neurons in the brain," said Dr. Michael Yochelson, a neurologist and the chief medical officer at National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington.
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> He says the link between vitamin B12 deficiencies and loss of brain volume is important to know about, because the vitamin plays such a critical role in cognition.  We found that evidence of B12 deficiency was associated with a smaller brain volume and with increased white-matter hyper intensities on the brain images.  We also found that the markers of vitamin B12 deficiency were associated with lower cognitive scores in this sample," said Dr. Martha Claire Morris, one of the authors of the study.  Fish, meat, dairy products, and foods rich in protein are good sources of vitamin B12. Yochelson notes that plant-based diets, as well as diets high in carbohydrates, are generally lacking in B12.
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## waltky (Dec 4, 2011)

The efficacy of talk therapy...

*Peer Counseling Aids Mental Illness Recovery*
_December 02, 2011 : Non-pharmaceutical treatment has been used for 50 years_


> In a courtyard outside the local library in Kent County, Maryland, five men and women gather around a table to talk.  I like it here," John says. "You meet a lot of people. And not only that, the same people have the same problem, some worse than others. I come here to be around people, to meet people.  Since I found this group, I dont feel so isolated," says Victoria. "I dont feel so insulated.  John and Victoria - who are only using first names to protect their privacy - are members of a support group run by Chesapeake Voyagers.  The mental health, wellness and recovery center works to help people who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, panic attacks and other disorders that can alter thought, mood or behavior.
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> One in five adults in America suffers from some form of mental illness, according to a recent survey. Although help is available, most never seek it - perhaps because of a lack of understanding about the illness or the dread of stigma.  But the repercussions of untreated mental illness - job loss, family disruption, isolation, homelessness and hopelessness - can be devastating. Over the past four decades, researchers have developed powerful new medications to ease symptoms, but peer counseling - a non-pharmaceutical treatment that has been used effectively for half a century - is still an important part of therapy.  The first day that I came to meet with Chesapeake Voyagers was a huge task for me to open the door," says Rebecca. "I wanted to run away so quick and cry, but yet, I knew I had to do that if I was going to get better.
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## Gagafritz (Dec 4, 2011)

That just makes sense.  People who have social networking and connections and are not isolated do better across the board for any illness, event or issue in their lives.


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## eots (Dec 4, 2011)

Sunshine said:


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it is a lot of places nit wit...including the drug manufactures own studies available on pdf files at their web sites ..but I suggest you just go with your little you tube strawman and take two blue pils and dont give it a seconded thought...k


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## Jackson (Dec 7, 2011)

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With what authority do you speak?


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## eots (Dec 7, 2011)

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I have some expertise on the subject but that's irrelevant, its on the labels, its in the ads said really fast behind a woman running through daisy fields for gods sakes...its called Tardive dyskinesia the facts are not in dispute


Tardive dyskinesia (English pronunciation: /&#712;t&#593;rd&#616;v &#716;d&#618;sk&#616;&#712;ni&#720;&#658;&#601;/) is a difficult-to-treat form of dyskinesia (disorder resulting in involuntary, repetitive body movements) that can be tardive (having a slow or belated onset).[1] It frequently appears after long-term or high-dose use of antipsychotic drugs,[N 1] or in children and infants as a side effect from usage of drug Tardive dyskinesia may persist after withdrawal of the drug for months, years or even permanently.
Tardive dyskinesia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_3bbpFjI68]Tardive Dyskinesia Symptoms - (AIMSDVD.com) - YouTube[/ame]


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## lizzie (Dec 8, 2011)

editec said:


> Having worked with people with massive tramas of the brain, and having seen them going through massive changes in personality as a result of these traumatic events, I am convinced that all "mental illness" is the result of deviations from "normal" brain activity.


 
I tend to think that the majority of cases are more likely related to dysfunctional stress responses, although brain trauma can cause changes in personality and interaction, which aren't necessarily mental illness.


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## waltky (Dec 8, 2011)

eots wrote: _...said really fast behind a woman running through daisy fields..._

Hmmm...

... musta been one o' Uncle Ferd's g/f's...

... after eatin' some o' Granny's special brownies.


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## eots (Dec 9, 2011)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlxYq-Cx8ZQ]Abilify Commercial - YouTube[/ame]


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## eots (Dec 18, 2011)

Canadian judge rules SSRI antidepressants like Prozac can cause children to commit murder

The use of antidepressant and psychiatric drugs, particularly among children, is an extremely risky activity that could have fatal consequences for both the individuals that use them, as well as their friends and family. According to the National Post, a Canadian judge recently ruled that the extreme mind-altering effects of the antidepressant drug Prozac were in large part responsible for causing a 15-year-old boy to thrust a nine-inch kitchen knife into one of his closest friends.


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## koshergrl (Dec 18, 2011)

eots said:


> Sunshine said:
> 
> 
> > Truthmatters said:
> ...


 
Yeah but schizophrenia is a real illness.

And it is an illness, and I've seen the correlation between schizophrenia and seizure activity as well.


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## eots (Dec 18, 2011)

koshergrl said:


> eots said:
> 
> 
> > Sunshine said:
> ...



come  on wheres the critical thinking ? unless you also study schizophrenia in patients that have never been subjected to the brain damaging effects of neroleptic you cant determine if the drugs are not the cause  as these drugs are known to cause seizures...the fact is the cause of psychosis is unknown
there is no medical test.. schizophrenia cant be found in an autopsy..and then there are little facts like in placebo test people come out of psychosis by simple believing they have been medicated.. effectiveness of these drugs is in fact determined comparisons to placedo


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## koshergrl (Dec 18, 2011)

So are you saying they aren't schizophrenic UNTIL they're medicated?

Because I can tell you, that's what you're saying.

Question...you have a brain disorder, don't you?


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## eots (Dec 18, 2011)

koshergrl said:


> So are you saying they aren't schizophrenic UNTIL they're medicated?
> 
> Because I can tell you, that's what you're saying.
> 
> Question...you have a brain disorder, don't you?



no, I am saying there is no physical sign of any definitive brain abnormality in people prone to psychotic states but there is clear evidence of physical brain abnormalities in people treated with nercoleptic drugs and these drugs may well be the reason for increased seizures in so called schizophrenics and without questions these drugs can in fact cause psychotic states ..this is not an opinion it is in fact that is that is not in dispute and is included in the list of possible side effects...no I have no brain disorder and have never taken an kind of medications ..I have however worked as an advocate for people being forced medication and under out patient status after having a loved one suffer a psychotic episode and have been very involved for many years in this time the only people I have ever seen or heard of being cured of schizophrenia, who have gone on to have a completely normal life free of any medications and never relapsing has been through the work of this great man I had the privilege of knowing may he rest in peace

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgUvAVQbxDY]Mother cures son with schizophrenia with Dr. Abram Hoffer's niacin therapy - YouTube[/ame]


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## koshergrl (Dec 18, 2011)

Oh, ok. I thought I read that you were schizophrenic or something, I don't remember.

I'm not sold on the meds either, I've seen the damage they do as well.


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## waltky (Jan 12, 2012)

Granny suspects Uncle Ferd hooked onna Internet, he alla time goin' to dem nekid fat girl sites...

*Web addicts have brain changes, research suggests*
_11 January 2012 - Web addicts have brain changes similar to those hooked on drugs or alcohol, preliminary research suggests._


> Experts in China scanned the brains of 17 young web addicts and found disruption in the way their brains were wired up.  They say the discovery, published in Plos One, could lead to new treatments for addictive behaviour.  Internet addiction is a clinical disorder marked by out-of-control internet use.  A research team led by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan carried out brain scans of 35 men and women aged between 14 and 21.  Seventeen of them were classed as having internet addiction disorder (IAD) on the basis of answering yes to questions such as, "Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use?"
> 
> Specialised MRI brain scans showed changes in the white matter of the brain - the part that contains nerve fibres - in those classed as being web addicts, compared with non-addicts.  There was evidence of disruption to connections in nerve fibres linking brain areas involved in emotions, decision making, and self-control.  Dr Hao Lei and colleagues write in Plos One: "Overall, our findings indicate that IAD has abnormal white matter integrity in brain regions involving emotional generation and processing, executive attention, decision making and cognitive control.  "The results also suggest that IAD may share psychological and neural mechanisms with other types of substance addiction and impulse control disorders."
> 
> ...


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## lizzie (Jan 12, 2012)

Oh gawd- something else that we will end up paying disability payments for, lol.

On a serious note, are they saying that internet usage causes these changes, or just that there's a correlation. I would guess the latter to be the case, not the former.


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## waltky (Jan 19, 2012)

Uncle Ferd says dat's why Granny gets cantankerous at times - she's nuts...

*Government survey finds that 5 percent of Americans suffer from a serious mental illness*
_Thursday, January 19,`12: About 20 percent of American adults suffer some sort of mental illness each year, and about 5 percent experience a serious disorder that disrupts work, family or social life, according to a government report released Thursday._


> The annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health sketches a now-familiar picture of a country where mental illness is common and the demand for treatment high.  Mental illness is most prevalent in women, young adults, the unemployed and people with low incomes. Drug and alcohol abuse is more than twice as common in people with mental illness than those without it. About 4 percent of adults contemplate suicide each year.  According to the study, slightly less than half the people with any mental illness  and only 60 percent of those with serious, disabling ones  get treatment each year. Whites and Native Americans are more likely to get treatment than blacks, Hispanics or Asians.
> 
> In all, about 14 percent of American adults receive some sort of behavioral care each year  and one in five said he or she wanted more, the survey found. Of the people reporting an unmet need for mental-health care, about 40 percent said they couldnt afford it.  Prescription medicine was the most common treatment, used by 12 percent of adults. Between 2002 and 2010, the percentage of adults getting outpatient counseling fell slightly (to 7 percent), while the fraction of adults using a prescription drug went up.  The findings were drawn from interviews with about 68,500 randomly selected Americans living at homes, dormitories or shelters in 2010. It did not include people living on the street, active-duty members of the military, prisoners or hospital patients.  This is a good picture of what the households in the country really look like, said Pete Delany, an official of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the agency that oversees the survey.
> 
> ...


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## lizzie (Jan 19, 2012)

From the link, I find the numbers astounding. 
Have we really gotten to the point that we can't maintain a functional mental status anymore, in better numbers than this? 



> In all, *about 14 percent of American adults receive some sort of behavioral care each year* &#8212; and one in five said he or she wanted more, the survey found. Of the people reporting an &#8220;unmet need&#8221; for mental-health care, about 40 percent said they couldn&#8217;t afford it. Prescription medicine was the most common treatment, used by 12 percent of adults. Between 2002 and 2010, the percentage of adults getting outpatient counseling fell slightly (to 7 percent), while the fraction of adults using a prescription drug went up. The findings were drawn from interviews with about 68,500 randomly selected Americans living at homes, dormitories or shelters in 2010. It did not include people living on the street, active-duty members of the military, prisoners or hospital patients. &#8220;This is a good picture of what the households in the country really look like,&#8221; said Pete Delany, an official of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the agency that oversees the survey.


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## whitehall (Jan 19, 2012)

How many times do you hear the words "researchers say" and it goes in one ear and out the other? The truth is that "researchers say" whatever their lavish federal grant pays them to say. Most of the time it's B.S.


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## kevinbrownaaa (Jan 25, 2012)

I suspect a mental illness for various reasons, but ultimately, they are based on one or other brain trauma. In working with large-scale trams brain people and see their tremendous changes in personality, the result of these traumatic events, I believe that all "mental illness" deviation from "normal" brain activity results.


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## Gagafritz (Jan 25, 2012)

Mental illness is real and can be devastating to the person and society.  To pretend it doesn't exist IS a mental illness in itself!  Many famous people from Lincoln to Churchill and others battled with that their entire lives.  It doesn't mean people cannot do well and accomplish and function.  What it does mean is that is real and that it makes sense to study and treat.


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## waltky (Jan 30, 2012)

New hope in regenerating brain cells?...

*Skin transformed into brain cells*
_30 January 2012 - Skin cells have been converted directly into cells which develop into the main components of the brain, by researchers studying mice in California._


> The experiment, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, skipped the middle "stem cell" stage in the process.  The researchers said they were "thrilled" at the potential medical uses.  Far more tests are needed before the technique could be used on human skin.  Stem cells, which can become any other specialist type of cell from brain to bone, are thought to have huge promise in a range of treatments. Many trials are taking place, such as in stroke patients or specific forms of blindness.
> 
> One of the big questions for the field is where to get the cells from. There are ethical concerns around embryonic stem cells and patients would need to take immunosuppressant drugs as any stem cell tissue would not match their own.  An alternative method has been to take skin cells and reprogram them into "induced" stem cells. These could be made from a patient's own cells and then turned into the cell type required, however, the process results in cancer-causing genes being activated.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Jan 31, 2012)

Scientists unlocking secrets of child brain tumors...

*Genetic mutations behind fatal brain cancer in kids identified*
_ Tuesday 31st January, 2012 - An international research team has identified two genetic mutations responsible for up to 40 per cent of glioblastomas in children - a fatal cancer of the brain that is unresponsive to chemo and radiotherapy treatment._


> The mutations were found to be involved in DNA regulation, which could explain the resistance to traditional treatments, and may have significant implications on the treatment of other cancers.  The finding of the team led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) could change the way pediatric cancers are treated in the future.  Using the knowledge and advanced technology of the team from the McGill University and GEnome QuEbec Innovation Centre, the researchers identified two mutations in an important gene known as the histone H3.3.
> 
> This gene, one of the guardians of our genetic heritage, is key in modulating the expression of our genes.  "These mutations prevent the cells from differentiating normally and help protect the genetic information of the tumor, making it less sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy," said Dr. Nada Jabado, hematologist-oncologist at The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and principal investigator of the study.
> 
> ...


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## Jffreew (Feb 2, 2012)

This is most interesting... If things were to come about so that those whose mental health was in question and/or being studied were not boxed up under labels to merely drug up but to educate and be educated... it would change a great deal of how things have been done. The potential is profound, for the hospitals and institutions to become learning centers and teaching facilities for their clients and/or patients. It's exciting, the computer technology that can be utilized in the treatments/informing of a multitude of things. The computer programmers/programming and such things have really opened many doors... There are only more to be opened! *he*arts*


brainalin.com


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## waltky (Feb 9, 2012)

Uncle Ferd gonna try hookin' Granny up to a car battery...

*Study: Electric boost helps brain to learn better*
_Wed Feb 8,`12  People learned better when a key part of their brains got mild zaps of electricity, a finding that may someday help Alzheimer's patients keep more of their memories._


> In a small but tantalizing study, participants played a video game in which they learned the locations of stores in a virtual city. They recalled the locations better if they learned them while receiving a painless boost from tiny electrodes buried deep inside their brains.  In the future, that strategy might help curb memory loss for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, suggested Dr. Itzhak Fried, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles. But he cautioned that the results were preliminary.  Using implanted electrodes to treat brain disease is hardly new. Such "deep-brain stimulation" has been used for about a decade for Parkinson's disease and some other disorders. Researchers are also testing it for depression.
> 
> Some 80,000 or more people worldwide have had stimulation units implanted, mostly for Parkinson's.  Fried and colleagues reported the new work in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It was financed by the federal government and the Dana Foundation.  "I think it's a terrific paper," said Dr. Andres Lozano, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, who didn't participate in the work but is studying the approach in Alzheimer's patients. The new work shows stimulation can modify the workings of brain circuits that control memory in people, he said.  But like Fried, he cautioned that the research was still in the early stages.  "Whether it will translate into something useful, we do not know," he said, noting that years of additional study would be needed.  "You don't want to do brain surgery on people unless you have a pretty clear idea you're going to make them better," Lozano said. Deep-brain electrodes are implanted through holes drilled in the skull.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Feb 11, 2012)

Epilepsy surgery works in 50% of patients...

*Study: Epilepsy Surgery Is Effective*
_February 10, 2012 - No seizures reported in half the patients decades later_


> A new study of epilepsy patients who had surgery to treat their illness decades ago indicates that seizures can be controlled safely and effectively with surgery.  The study's author suggests surgery could be used more often to treat epileptic seizures.
> 
> The story begins about 10 years ago, when neurosurgeon Matthew Smyth came to the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri, to focus on epilepsy surgery.  "And one of my predecessors, Dr. Sidney Goldring, used to perform these surgeries. And I inherited a large stack of three loose-leaf binders filled with about 350 records from his epilepsy surgery patients and realized that many of those patients could still be identified and located and interviewed."
> 
> ...


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## eots (Feb 11, 2012)

DSM-5 Approves New Fad Diagnosis For Child Psychiatry:The DSM-5 Scientific Review Group was the last hope for an eleventh hour DSM-5 save. This hope recently died. Its first decision makes clear that the group will be no more than an easy rubber stamp willing to approve even the worst ideas dreamed up by the DSM-5 work groups. Its quick acceptance of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD, also known as Temper Dysregulation) shows that just about anything can make it through this sham review process. Watch out for yet another fad sparked by child psychiatry.

A brief update may be in order for those of you not fully up to speed on the arcana of DSM-5 organizational functioning. The appointment of the DSM-5 scientific review group was a belated response to criticisms that many of the DSM-5 proposals did not have a reasoned rationale or deep scientific support; were reckless and radical; and would trigger diagnostic inflation and excessive use of medication.

DSM-5 Approves New Fad Diagnosis For Child Psychiatry: Antipsychotic Use Likely to Rise


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## eots (Feb 11, 2012)

SAN DIEGO - Not long ago, autism was among the rarest of disorders, afflicting only one child in every 2,000-5,000. This changed dramatically with the publication in 1994 of DSM IV (the manual of psychiatric diagnosis widely used around the world). Soon, rates exploded to about 1 per 100. And a large study in South Korea recently reported a further jump to 1 in 38 - an astounding 3% of the general population was labeled autistic. What is causing this epidemic and where are we headed?

This dramatic swing from under- to overdiagnosis has been fueled by widespread publicity, Internet support and advocacy groups, and the fact that expensive school services are provided only for those who have received the diagnosis. The Korean study, for example, was financed by an autism advocacy group, which could barely contain its enthusiasm at the high rates that were reported.

The Autism Generation &ndash; Opinion &ndash; ABC Ramp Up (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


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## waltky (Mar 5, 2012)

New stroke drug could limit permanent disability...

*Drug Might Limit Stroke Brain Damage*
_March 02, 2012 - An experimental drug could help protect against brain damage during a stroke, reducing the risk of permanent disability._


> An experimental drug could protect stroke victims from brain damage. The treatment has shown very promising results in animal tests, and early results with humans are also encouraging.  There is currently only one effective treatment for stroke. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can dissolve the blood clots that cause a stroke.  But it has to be given very soon after symptoms appear, and doctors first have to make sure that the stroke was not caused by a ruptured blood vessel, in which case tPA can make the situation a lot worse.
> 
> Michael Tymianski and his team, at the Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute in Canada, devised a different kind of stroke treatment, a drug known as a PSD-95 inhibitor. It works by blocking a key protein in the chain reaction of events that leads to brain-cell death.  "So by inhibiting this protein, by having a drug that binds to it so the protein can't do what it usually does, we prevent the formation of a toxic free radical called nitric oxide. And as a result of that, brain cells that are treated with this drug become more resilient to a stroke," he said.
> 
> ...



See also:

*Study Links Falls to Hearing Loss*
_March 02, 2012 - Seniors with hearing loss more likely to fall_


> Researchers have found an intriguing link between the risk of falling and hearing loss.  Among aging populations, falls are a major health hazard. A stumble that might lead to just a painful bruise in a younger person can result in a broken hip, disability, and even death in older adults.  Researchers analyzed data from an ongoing U.S. health study, called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
> 
> Lead author Frank Lin, of Johns Hopkins University, said he and his colleague, Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute on Aging, compared measurements of hearing loss in adults age 40-69 with participants' response to questions about any recent falls they might have had.  "And what we found is that someone's hearing ability is directly related to their chances of having falls in the past year," Lin said. "For someone with just even a mild hearing loss compared to normal hearing, they basically had about a three-fold increased chance of having falls over the past year."  Lin's study found a strong association, not cause-and-effect. But why might hearing loss contribute to falling? He says there are several possibilities.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Mar 11, 2012)

When drugs don't work, surgery often does...

*Surgery Helps Epilepsy Patients Stay Seizure-Free*
_March 09, 2012 : A new study highlights the value of treating epilepsy patients with brain surgery if they don't improve with anti-epilepsy drugs. Patients who had surgery soon after the drugs proved ineffective usually stopped having seizures. _


> The study involved patients who had a form of epilepsy - mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, or MTLE - that commonly resists drug treatment. Surgery is an alternative; in fact, it's been used for more than 100 years.  But according to the head of the Seizure Disorder Center at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), most epilepsy patients who are not helped by medicine don't have surgery, or they wait years before they try it.  "The sad fact is that those patients who are referred for surgery today - those few patients who are referred - are referred an average of 22 years after the onset of their epilepsy. And by this time it's just too late to make a difference in their lives."
> 
> Jerome Engel, Jr., is the lead author of a new study of patients who had surgery within two years after it became apparent that drugs alone weren't working.  "If you operate on patients, then 85 percent in this study were seizure-free," Engel said. "And none of the patients who just continued to have medical care were seizure-free. And there was a statistically significant improvement in quality of life among those patients who had surgery" compared to those who took anti-epilepsy drugs.  Memory impairment is sometimes a side effect of this surgery - which, after all, involves cutting out part of the brain. But this study was too small to be conclusive on that question. Engel says, however, that if surgery did have an impact on memory, it was outweighed by improvements in quality of life related to being seizure-free.
> 
> ...



See also:

Children's hyperactivity, aggression cited in new study...

*Sleep Breathing Disorders Linked to Behavior Problems*
_March 09, 2012 - Sleep-disordered breathing in children can lead to increased hyperactivity, aggressiveness and problems in relationships with other kids._


> When sleeping children don't breathe properly, it can lead to serious behavioral and emotional problems, according to a new study.  Sleep-disordered breathing includes a variety of conditions including snoring, mouth-breathing, and sleep apnea. An estimated one child in 10 snores regularly, and a smaller number suffer from the other conditions.
> 
> In a new study, published in Pediatrics, parents were asked about their children's breathing from infancy up to about age six. They also filled out a behavior questionnaire at ages four and seven. Researchers led by Karen Bonuck, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York, sifted through the data.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Mar 13, 2012)

Can Brains Be Repaired With Robots?...

*Ed Boyden: The brain is like a computer, and we can fix it with nanorobots*
_Saturday 10 March 2012 - Synthetic biology has the potential to replace or improve drug therapies for a wide range of brain disorders_


> Ed Boyden heads the Synthetic Neurobiology Group at MIT Media Lab. He is working on developing technologies and tools for "analysing and engineering brain circuits" &#8211; to reveal which brain neurons are involved in different cognitive processes and using this knowledge to treat brain disorders.
> 
> What is synthetic neurobiology?
> 
> ...


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## Gagafritz (Mar 14, 2012)

Shouldn't you be that way to everyone?


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## waltky (Mar 20, 2012)

ECT 'turns down' brain connection...

*Electroconvulsive therapy: Aberdeen team says it 'turns down overactive connection'*
_19 March 2012 - ECT has been used as a controversial treatment since the 1930s_


> Electroconvulsive therapy for the severely depressed works by "turning down" an overactive connection between areas of the brain, Aberdeen researchers have claimed.  ECT - which involves placing electrodes on the temples and delivering a small electrical current - has been used by psychiatrists since the 1930s.  The aim is to shock the brain and to restore its natural chemical balance.  The University of Aberdeen team hopes the findings can help treatment.
> 
> In a paper published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers have said that the treatment appears to turn down an overactive connection between areas of the brain that control mood and the parts responsible for thinking and concentrating.  This, they argue, stops the impact that depression has on the ability to enjoy life.  The study involved using MRI scans of the brains of nine severely depressed patients before and after ECT.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Apr 17, 2012)

Granny always wears her old metal army helmet when she goes to the dentist...

*Study Links Dental X-Rays to Brain Tumors*
_April 16, 2012 - Risk doubles compared to common x-rays_


> A new study links dental x-rays to the most common kind of brain tumor. But the risk of these mostly non-cancerous growths is still very small, even if your dentist takes an aggressive approach to imaging.  For the study published in Cancer, about 1,400 patients - who had had the brain tumors called meningiomas - were interviewed about their family's health, their own medical history, exposure to radiation, and so on. They were compared with a control group that didn't have brain tumors.
> 
> Dr. Elizabeth Claus of Yale University, who led the study, says there was a clear relationship between dental x-rays and the brain tumors.  "We found that the individuals that were diagnosed with meningioma were essentially twice as likely to report having a specific type of x-ray, which is very common, a bitewing."  Bitewing x-rays are the ones where you clamp down - usually with your back teeth - on a holder for film or a sensor.  The link between these kinds of brain tumors and a different kind of imaging, called a panoramic x-ray, was even stronger - up to five times the risk, depending on age or how frequently the x-ray was taken.
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Nov 21, 2012)

Control seizures & lose weight with the same drug...

*'Fat' drug could treat epilepsy*
_21 November 2012 - A substance made by the body when it uses fat as fuel could provide a new way of treating epilepsy, experts hope._


> Researchers in London who have been carrying out preliminary tests of the fatty acid treatment, report their findings in Neuropharmacology journal.  They came up with the idea because of a special diet used by some children with severe, drug resistant epilepsy to help manage their condition.  The ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrate.  The high fat, low carbohydrate diet is thought to mimic aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.  Although often effective, the diet has attracted criticism, as side-effects can be significant and potentially lead to constipation, hypoglycaemia, retarded growth and bone fractures.  By pinpointing fatty acids in the ketogenic diet that are effective in controlling epilepsy, researchers hope they can develop a pill for children and adults that could provide similar epilepsy control without the side-effects.
> 
> In early trials, the scientists, from Royal Holloway and University College London, say they have identified fatty acids that look like good candidates for the job.  They found that not only did some of the fatty acids outperform a regular epilepsy medication called valproate in controlling seizures in animals, they also had fewer side-effects.  But many more tests are needed to determine if the treatment would be safe and effective in humans.  Prof Matthew Walker, from the Institute of Neurology, University College London, said: "Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide and approximately a third of these people have epilepsy that is not adequately controlled by our present treatments.  "This discovery offers a whole new approach to the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies in children and adults."
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Jan 7, 2013)

Researchers say they found a strong genetic basis for migraine and epilepsy...

*Epilepsy and migraine 'could have shared genetic link'*
_7 January 2013 - A strong family history of seizures could increase the chances of having severe migraines, says a study in Epilepsia journal._


> Scientists from Columbia University, New York, analysed 500 families containing two or more close relatives with epilepsy.  Their findings could mean that genes exist that cause both epilepsy and migraine.  Epilepsy Action said it could lead to targeted treatments.  Previous studies have shown that people with epilepsy are substantially more likely than the general population to have migraine headaches, but it was not clear whether that was due to a shared genetic cause.
> 
> The researchers found that people with three or more close relatives with a seizure disorder were more than twice as likely to experience 'migraine with aura' than patients from families with fewer individuals with seizures.  Migraine with aura is a severe headache preceded by symptoms such as seeing flashing lights, temporary visual loss, speech problems or numbness of the face.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 4, 2013)

Childhood epilepsy in steep decline...

*'Steep decline' in child epilepsy*
_2 February 2013 - The number of children being diagnosed with epilepsy has dropped dramatically in the UK over the past decade, figures show._


> A study of GP-recorded diagnoses show the incidence has fallen by as much as half.  Researchers said fewer children were being misdiagnosed, but there had also been a real decrease in some causes of the condition.  Other European countries and the US had reported similar declines, they added.  Epilepsy is caused when the brain's normal electrical activity result in seizures.  Data from more than 344,000 children showed that the annual incidence of epilepsy has fallen by 4-9% year on year between 1994 and 2008.  Overall the number of children born between 2003-2005 with epilepsy was 33% lower then those born in 1994-96.  When researchers looked in more detail and included a wider range of possible indicators of an epilepsy diagnosis the incidence dropped by 47%.
> 
> Correct diagnosis
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 17, 2013)

Uncle Ferd says dey oughta map Granny's brain so she don't get lost...

*Scans reveal intricate brain wiring*
_16 February 2013 - Scientists are set to release the first batch of data from a project designed to create the first map of the human brain._


> The project could help shed light on why some people are naturally scientific, musical or artistic.  Some of the first images were shown at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Boston.  I found out how researchers are developing new brain imaging techniques for the project by having my own brain scanned.  Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital are pushing brain imaging to its limit using a purpose built scanner. It is one of the most powerful scanners in the world.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Feb 24, 2013)

Brain has partial ability to shield itself from the destructive damage caused by a stroke...

*Brain's 'stroke shielding' cracked*
_24 February 2013 - A part of the brain's ability to shield itself from the destructive damage caused by a stroke has been explained by researchers._


> It has been known for more than 85 years that some brain cells could withstand being starved of oxygen.  Scientists, writing in the journal Nature Medicine, have shown how these cells switch into survival mode.  They hope to one-day find a drug which uses the same trick to protect the whole brain.  Treating a stroke is a race against time. Clots that block the blood supply prevent the flow of oxygen and sugar to brain cells, which then rapidly die.  But in 1926, it was noticed that some cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in memory, did not follow this rule.  "They're staying alive when the prediction would say that they should die," said Prof Alastair Buchan from Oxford University who has investigated how they survive.
> 
> I'm a survivor
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Mar 5, 2013)

Human Connectome Project scans will reveal how brain works...

*World's most detailed scans will reveal how brain works*
_5 March 2013 - Scientists say they have published the most detailed brain scans "the world has ever seen" as part of a project to understand how the organ works._


> The aim of the project is to determine how a person's brain structure influences their talents and behaviour.  Researchers involved in the so called Human Connectome Project have published the scans of 68 adults in the study.  They eventually hope to scan 1,200 people and also collect details of their behavioural traits and DNA.  The information is made freely available to neuroscientists in their quest to unlock the secrets of the human brain.  The project leader, Prof David Van Essen of Washington University in St Louis, told BBC News that sharing the data with the international community of researchers would spur rapid advances in brain science.  "We are very optimistic that as the community delves in and begins working on these data sets, they will reveal new insights into the brain circuits of healthy adults," he said.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (May 2, 2013)

Brain implant could be epilepsy early seizure warning system...

*Brain implant 'predicts' epilepsy seizures*
_1 May 2013 - A brain implant may be able to predict epilepsy seizures by picking up the early warning signs, a small study suggests._


> The device uses the brain's electrical activity to tell patients if their risk of a seizure is high, moderate or low.  The study on 15 people, published in the Lancet Neurology, showed the device worked in some patients.  The charity Epilepsy Action cautioned that it was still early days, but said it could be an "exciting development".  Epilepsy is thought to affect 50 million people worldwide. Abnormal activity in part of the brain causes seizures involving involuntary shaking.
> 
> Independence impact
> 
> ...


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## waltky (Aug 14, 2013)

Uncle Ferd says he has dreams o' meetin' womens inna long, dark tunnel alla time...

*Surge of Brain Activity May Explain Near-Death Experiences*
_August 13, 2013 > Reports of bright lights, feelings of levitation and other near-death experiences reported by those who have been clinically dead and later resuscitated may, after all, be grounded in science._


> Researchers at the University of Michigan have shown that shortly after clinical death, the brains of rats display activity patterns characteristic of conscious perception.  This study, performed in animals, is the first dealing with what happens to the neurophysiological state of the dying brain, said lead study author Jimo Borjigin, associate professor of physiology and neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School.  It will form the foundation for future human studies investigating mental experiences occurring in the dying brain, including seeing light during cardiac arrest, Borjigin said.
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> Twenty percent of cardiac arrest survivors report having had a near-death experience.  We reasoned that if near-death experience stems from brain activity, neural correlates of consciousness should be identifiable in humans or animals even after the cessation of cerebral blood flow, said Borjigin.
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## waltky (Apr 3, 2017)

Cap-like device that makes electric fields to fight cancer improved survival...




*'Sci-Fi' Cancer Therapy Fights Brain Tumors, Study Finds*
_April 02, 2017 | WASHINGTON — It sounds like science fiction, but a cap-like device that makes electric fields to fight cancer improved survival for the first time in more than a decade for people with deadly brain tumors, final results of a large study suggest._


> Many doctors are skeptical of the therapy, called tumor treating fields, and it's not a cure. It's also ultra-expensive - $21,000 a month.  But in the study, more than twice as many patients were alive five years after getting it, plus the usual chemotherapy, than those given just the chemo - 13 percent versus 5 percent.  “It's out of the box” in terms of how cancer is usually treated, and many doctors don't understand it or think it can help, said Dr. Roger Stupp, a brain tumor expert at Northwestern University in Chicago.
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> He led the company-sponsored study while previously at University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, and gave results Sunday at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Washington.  “You cannot argue with them - they're great results,” and unlikely to be due to a placebo effect, said one independent expert, Dr. Antonio Chiocca, neurosurgery chief at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.  Dr. George Demetri of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a board member of the association hosting the conference, agreed but called the benefit modest, because most patients still die within five years. “It is such a horrible disease” that any progress is important, he added.
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## waltky (Apr 7, 2018)

People as old as 79 could still generate new brain cells...




*New brain cells in the old? Study stokes debate*
_Sat, Apr 07, 2018 - MEMORY: After a study last month found no evidence of new neurons past the age of 13, a study this month reported ‘equivalent volumes of the hippocampus across ages’_


> People as old as 79 could still generate new brain cells, researchers said on Thursday, stoking fresh debate among scientists over what happens to our brains when we age.  The report by scientists at Columbia University in New York, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, runs directly counter to a study published in Nature last month that found no evidence of new neurons being created past the age of 13.  While neither study is seen as providing the definitive last word, the research is being closely watched as the world’s population ages and scientists seek to better understand how the brain ages, for clues to ward off dementia.  The focal point of the research is the hippocampus, the brain’s center for learning and memory.   Specifically, researchers are looking for the foundations of new brain cells, including progenitor cells, or stem cells that would eventually become neurons.
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> Using autopsied brain samples from 28 people who died suddenly between the ages of 14 and 79, researchers looked at “newly formed neurons and the state of blood vessels within the entire human hippocampus soon after death,” the Cell Stem Cell study said.  “We found that older people have similar ability to make thousands of hippocampal new neurons from progenitor cells as younger people do,” said lead author Maura Boldrini, associate professor of neurobiology at Columbia University.  “We also found equivalent volumes of the hippocampus across ages,” Boldrini said.  The findings suggest that many seniors could retain more of their cognitive and emotional abilities longer than previously believed.  However, Boldrini said these new neurons might be less adept at making new connections in older people, due to aging blood vessels.
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