The study, which was released in the Neurology journal last July 6th, 2010, examined 949 patients in the Framingham Heart Study for about eight and a half years. There were also some who were studied for almost two decades. In that span of time, over 164 patients, around 17% of the people studied, developed dementia. However, among those participants who were depressed at the start of the study, the rate of developing the illness was higher at about 22%.

Setting aside the differences of the participants’ groups, the examiners discovered that depression increased dementia risk by 72%. In addition, those suffering a more severe depression were at a higher risk of dementia later on in their lives.

According to Assistant Professor Dr. Jane Saczynski of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, the vascular alterations in the brain linked to depression might likewise cause dementia. “It is very clear that depression is a risk factor for dementia rather than a consequence of the disease” given the research’s extended interval, she added.

Until now, it is still not clear if depression can really cause dementia. However, researchers claim that the study indicated the various ways depression might trigger a risk of the illness.

Now, a new research, which will be featured in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, said the symptoms of autistic disorder cannot be identified in infants before they reach six months. However, signs can be recognized by the time they turn one. The research holds that spotting early signs in young infants is an exercise in futility.

Babies with siblings having autism are more at risk of developing the illness, which is why parents are observing their younger babies for signs of a lack of eye contact and communication.

The research examined 25 babies who have autistic siblings and 25 peers who have no autistic siblings and have been born after 36 weeks gestation. They were assessed by examiners every six months until they reached three years old, noting the number of times they made eye contact, babbled, and smiled. The researchers were not told which babies were at low-risk or high-risk of the disorder.

The examiners realized there were very little discernable distinctions between the groups at six months. However, when they reached 12 months, their developments had remarkably diverged. The normal babies had an increase in their social and communicative behavior, while the other group had a decrease in such behavior.

By 12 months, eye contact was one of their differences. By 18 months, there were more differences like smiling and other social behavior developing.

Specialists also believe the fatty acids in fish oil reduce the risks of a stroke and getting cancer. Now there is a new research that claims it may be even more beneficial.

The Archives of General Psychiatry study, which was authored by researchers with the Orygen Youth Research Center in Australia and the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, revealed that Omega 3 might combat schizophrenia, a major mental illness commonly diagnosed in young adults and teens.

The recent study showed that a 22% decrease of psychotic breaks was observed in a group of people provided with fish oil supplements compared to another group, who were given coconut oil.

It also had a study involving 81 people who had a predisposition for psychosis. The research, which was placebo-controlled, gave fish oil supplements to half of the patients for 12 weeks, with the other half given placebo supplements. After the period, 11 patients in the placebo group developed mental disorders while only two in the group given fish oil did.

With these significant results, researchers deem that fish oil can help stabilize the chemicals brain cells use to communicate.

According to Ellemarijie Altena of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, these recent findings suggest that people suffering from chronic insomnia may have compromised certain capacities to assess the affective value of stimuli. She also adds that doing so might affect the brain’s other cognitive processes such as decision-making.

The study compared the volumes of gray and white matter in 24 people with chronic insomnia to the gray and white volumes of 13 normal sleepers. The study, which was published in Biological Psychiatry, also controlled for any psychiatric and physical disorders that could affect the brain’s normal density.

The findings have shown that regardless of how long they have suffered from severe insomnia, the people with such sleeping disorders have exhibited the most extensive loss of gray matter density. Nevertheless, the people who conducted the study have yet to figure out whether it’s the sleeping disorder that causes the extensive loss in gray matter or the other way around.

Aside from the fact that most overweight children have a higher tendency of developing several physical ailments such as heart disease, these kids are also prone to developing low self-esteem and depression. This is because most overweight kids are often teased and bullied.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 37% of children in the US are overweight and about 16% of children aged 2 to 19 years old are obese. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey states that over the past 20 years the percentage of obesity among children has increased three times.

Sara Gable of the University of Missouri says that obesity and being overweight are terribly stigmatizing conditions regardless of the person’s age. She adds that “living as a member of a stigmatized group is stressful and can produce feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.”

These findings might also imply that since overweight boys and girls reported more feelings of loneliness and worrying in as early as first grade, experts suggests that children do develop a certain understanding towards the stereotypes that comes with the stigma at an early age.

]]> http://www.medicalcontent.net/2010/03/heavy-kids-experience-heavier-emotions/feed/ 0 http://www.medicalcontent.net/2010/03/alzheimer%e2%80%99s-genetic-variant-improves-brain-function/ http://www.medicalcontent.net/2010/03/alzheimer%e2%80%99s-genetic-variant-improves-brain-function/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:01:40 +0000 admin http://www.medicalcontent.net/?p=117 Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is a disorder in the brain that can be fatal and still has no known cure but has treatment for its symptoms. It is associated with the loss of memory and slowed thinking. While this is common in older people, experts now claim there are about 500,000 people at the age of 30, 40 or 50 already suffering from this disease or any related dementia.

Recently, a study showed that a genetic variant that elevates the risk of this disease can actually improve the function of the brain, particularly for those carriers who are younger.

Professor Duke Han from the Chicago Rush University Medical Center said that based on an evolutionary standpoint, the results seemed to make sense.

His research focused on epsilon 4, a variant of a gene called apolipoprotein E or APOE, which is considered as the best established genetic variant for this brain disorder. Having one copy of the variant raises the risk of the disease at least four times compared to patients who have other types of the gene.

The positive feedback on epsilon 4 actually started years ago when Professor Han’s research team examined the APOE genes of 78 US troops, all of whom suffered brain injuries during their time in Iraq. Sixteen of the soldiers had at least a copy of epsilon 4. They were expected to have gotten worse over time, but the result was the opposite: those with epsilon 4 improved their attention spans and memory.

Another study conducted earlier found that young women with epsilon 4 have higher IQs than those without it. The women scored seven points higher on a common intelligence exam under the non-verbal portion.

These four are:
• The Blahs. You feel upbeat and energized when you are high in catecholamines. If your catecholamines are low, you will crash into a bad mood.
• The Dark Cloud of Depression. You will know when you are high in serotonin when you are confident, relaxed and positive. You tend to be irritable and obsessive without it.
• Oversensitive Feelings. A feeling of comfort and euphoria arises when you are high in endorphins; you will be excessively sensitive to harm with the absence of it.
• Anxiety and Stress. Your GABA is high when you feel calm and laid back; without it, you will be stressed and weighed down.

Some research results also say that easing depression symptoms through a change in diet works. With that, it is suggested that you avoid processed foods and consume more fresh and cooked food. Limiting the intake of coffee is also recommended; instead, drink green tea instead antioxidants boost your mood and are good for the body.

Furthermore, instead of eating three heavy meals every day, six to seven small meals can supply your body with more energy, which helps keep you from feeling dejected.

A loss does not only pertain to the death of a loved one. It can be a relationship breakup, loss of health, losing a job, loses of financial stability, a miscarriage, death of a pet, loss of a cherished dream, loss of friendship and many others. Grieving is the most common response to loss.

According to Elisabeth Kübler Ross, a well known psychiatrist in the late 1960s, there are five stages of grief :

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

When it comes to grieving, there is actually no right and wrong way, but there are ways to cope with pain healthily. Expressing and experiencing grief has a potential for healing that could enrich and strengthen life. It is important to remember that grieving is a process and it takes time to heal. Everyone grieves differently and how you grieve depends on your coping style and your personality, your faith, your life experience and the nature of your loss. Even if the grieving process takes time, healing will eventually happen. As long as you acknowledge your loss, you will feel better in after a month.

Friends and family are great factors when it comes to dealing with a loss. They can be a great outlet of strength and can inspire you to embrace the idea that your life must go on despite your loss.

Sources:

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