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Brain Blogger covers topics from multidimensional biopsychosocial perspectives. It reviews the latest news and stories related to neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology. It serves as a focal point for attracting new minds beyond the science of the mind-and-brain and into the biopsychosocial model.
Shaheen Lakhan
435 posts
Stephen Dougherty
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- February 19, 2009
- 10:39 AM
- 1,178 views
Gender Affects Treatment Delays for Heart Disease
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Many studies, as well as common medical sense, indicate that any delay in treatment for acute cardiac symptoms can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Complications of delaying treatment may cause cardiac dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure, infections in the lining of the heart, rupture of the heart structures, or death. Any delay in the recognition [...]... Read more »
T. W. Concannon, J. L. Griffith, D. M. Kent, S.-L. Normand, J. P. Newhouse, J. Atkins, J. R. Beshansky, & H. P. Selker. (2009) Elapsed Time in Emergency Medical Services for Patients With Cardiac Complaints: Are Some Patients at Greater Risk for Delay?. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 2(1), 9-15. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.108.813741
J. P. Ornato. (2009) Gender Delay in Emergency Medical Services: Does it Really Exist?. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 2(1), 4-5. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.108.841916
Linda Perkins-Porras, Daisy L. Whitehead, Philip C. Strike, & Andrew Steptoe. (2008) Causal beliefs, cardiac denial and pre-hospital delays following the onset of acute coronary syndromes. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 31(6), 498-505. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-008-9174-3
Anne G. Rosenfeld. (2004) Treatment-Seeking Delay Among Women With Acute Myocardial Infarction. Nursing Research, 53(4), 225-236. DOI: 10.1097/00006199-200407000-00005
- February 16, 2009
- 11:54 AM
- 1,028 views
How Many Babies Is Too Many?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Like many of you, I have watched as the world has been captivated by the birth of the octuplets to Nadya Suleman. To say that this case has opened heated debates on the ethical and psychological issues related to in vitro fertilization (IVF) would be a gross understatement. What makes this case especially newsworthy is [...]... Read more »
M DEAN. (1996) British octuplet pregnancy upsets the medical applecart. The Lancet, 348(9027), 605-605. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)64810-6
- February 14, 2009
- 08:14 AM
- 1,153 views
The Memory of an Elephant
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Many studies, including a publication by Dr. Norman White from the Department of Psychology at McGill University, have shown that damage to the caudate nucleus results in impaired memory.... Read more »
N WHITE. (2008) Some highlights of research on the effects of caudate nucleus lesions over the past 200 years. Behavioural Brain Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.12.003
- February 7, 2009
- 02:12 PM
- 1,467 views
The Future of Biosimilars
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Currently, biotechnology drugs make up 10 to 15% of the pharmaceutical market in the United States, and this sector is growing faster than any other class of drugs. Biotech drugs include recombinant DNA technology, monocolonal antibodies, and gene therapy, and these drugs are revolutionizing treatment of diseases and complex conditions that previously had an unmet [...]... Read more »
S. Gottlieb. (2008) Biosimilars: Policy, clinical, and regulatory considerations. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(14 Supplement 6). DOI: 10.2146/ajhp080210
P. E. Johnson. (2008) Implications of biosimilars for the future. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(14 Supplement 6). DOI: 10.2146/ajhp080212
H. Mellstedt, D. Niederwieser, & H. Ludwig. (2007) The challenge of biosimilars. Annals of Oncology, 19(3), 411-419. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdm345
R. G. Wenzel. (2008) Introduction. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(14 Supplement 6). DOI: 10.2146/ajhp080209
- February 5, 2009
- 01:15 PM
- 1,122 views
Is Obesity Contagious?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The worldwide prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the last several decades. Obesity is a significant public health problem in most developed countries and carries with it substantial morbidity and mortality. The most commonly implicated causes of obesity are well known: poor diet, lack of physical activity, and genetic predisposition. There are also other [...]... Read more »
Richard Atkinson. (2008) Could viruses contribute to the worldwide epidemic of obesity?. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 37-43. DOI: 10.1080/17477160801896754
Magdalena Pasarica, Nazar Mashtalir, Emily J. McAllister, Gail E. Kilroy, Juraj Koska, Paska Permana, Barbora de Courten, Minghuan Yu, Eric Ravussin, Jeffery M. Gimble.... (2008) Adipogenic Human Adenovirus Ad-36 Induces Commitment, Differentiation, and Lipid Accumulation in Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells. Stem Cells, 26(4), 969-978. DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0868
P M Rogers, K A Fusinski, M A Rathod, S A Loiler, M Pasarica, M K Shaw, G Kilroy, G M Sutton, E J McAllister, N Mashtalir.... (2007) Human adenovirus Ad-36 induces adipogenesis via its E4 orf-1 gene. International Journal of Obesity, 32(3), 397-406. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803748
V VANGINNEKEN, L SITNYAKOWSKY, & J JEFFERY. (2009) “Infectobesity: viral infections (especially with human adenovirus-36: Ad-36) may be a cause of obesity. Medical Hypotheses. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2008.11.034
S D Vangipuram, M Yu, J Tian, K L Stanhope, M Pasarica, P J Havel, A R Heydari, & N V Dhurandhar. (2006) Adipogenic human adenovirus-36 reduces leptin expression and secretion and increases glucose uptake by fat cells. International Journal of Obesity, 31(1), 87-96. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803366
A Vasilakopoulou, & C W le Roux. (2007) Could a virus contribute to weight gain?. International Journal of Obesity, 31(9), 1350-1356. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803623
- February 1, 2009
- 12:00 AM
- 1,228 views
Combination Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Anxiety disorders are among the most common diagnoses in children and adolescents. Anxiety problems that begin in childhood are often quite damaging, leading to low self-esteem, social isolation, inadequate social skills, academic difficulties, and physical manifestations such as headaches and stomachaches. Actual prevalence rates of anxiety disorders reported in the literature vary, but may, in [...]... Read more »
Juliette Liber, Brigit van Widenfelt, Arnold Goedhart, Elisabeth Utens, Adelinde van der Leeden, Monica Markus, & Philip Treffers. (2008) Parenting and Parental Anxiety and Depression as Predictors of Treatment Outcome for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Has the Role of Fathers Been Underestimated?. Journal of Clinical Child , 37(4), 747-758. DOI: 10.1080/15374410802359692
M. A. Rynn. (2001) Placebo-Controlled Trial of Sertraline in the Treatment of Children With Generalized Anxiety Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(12), 2008-2014. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.12.2008
J. T. Walkup, A. M. Albano, J. Piacentini, B. Birmaher, S. N. Compton, J. T. Sherrill, G. S. Ginsburg, M. A. Rynn, J. McCracken, B. Waslick.... (2008) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sertraline, or a Combination in Childhood Anxiety. New England Journal of Medicine, 359(26), 2753-2766. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804633
- January 30, 2009
- 08:38 AM
- 1,221 views
Is Sugar the New Cocaine?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Refined sugars have only relatively recently appeared in the diets of most people. Regulatory pathways that balance calorie intake and energy expenditure and reward pathways help the body regulate ingestion of these sweeteners, as well as other foods. The overconsumption of refined sugars, including sucrose and fructose, in beverages and prepared foods, undoubtedly contributes to [...]... Read more »
Magalie Lenoir, Fuschia Serre, Lauriane Cantin, & Serge H. Ahmed. (2007) Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. PLoS ONE, 2(8). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000698
P OLSZEWSKI, & A LEVINE. (2007) Central opioids and consumption of sweet tastants: When reward outweighs homeostasis. Physiology , 91(5), 506-512. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.01.011
- January 25, 2009
- 11:13 AM
- 1,225 views
Smoking Behavior and the Transtheoretical Model of the Stages of Change
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Welcome to the New Year. Have you made any resolutions for 2009? Have you ever wondered what motivates people to change their behavior? There are some who are always seeking self-improvement. Others may feel content and they may see no reason to change certain habits or behaviors. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions that [...]... Read more »
P AVEYARD, L MASSEY, A PARSONS, S MANASEKI, & C GRIFFIN. (2008) The effect of Transtheoretical Model based interventions on smoking cessation. Social Science . DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.10.036
Christopher J. Armitage, & Madelynne A. Arden. (2008) How useful are the stages of change for targeting interventions? Randomized test of a brief intervention to reduce smoking. Health Psychology, 27(6), 789-798. DOI: 10.1037/0278-6133.27.6.789
- January 23, 2009
- 03:12 AM
- 2,205 views
An Old Weapon May Still Be Effective in the War Against Bioterrorism - Smallpox Vaccination
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in creating new smallpox vaccines due to the threat of the smallpox pathogen being used as a bioterrorism tool. The vaccinia virus vaccine has been used to prevent smallpox disease since the late 18th century and, until 30 years ago, most countries conducted routine smallpox vaccination programs. [...]... Read more »
Andrew W. Artenstein. (2008) New generation smallpox vaccines: a review of preclinical and clinical data. Reviews in Medical Virology, 18(4), 217-231. DOI: 10.1002/rmv.571
A GARCEL, J PERINO, J CRANCE, R DRILLIEN, D GARIN, & A FAVIER. (2008) Phenotypic and genetic diversity of the traditional Lister smallpox vaccine. Vaccine. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.11.063
D TAUB, W ERSHLER, M JANOWSKI, A ARTZ, M KEY, J MCKELVEY, D MULLER, B MOSS, L FERRUCCI, & P DUFFEY. (2008) Immunity from Smallpox Vaccine Persists for Decades: A Longitudinal Study. The American Journal of Medicine, 121(12), 1058-1064. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.08.019
- January 20, 2009
- 08:37 AM
- 1,194 views
Therapy and Medication - Where’s the Breaking News?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The National Institute of Mental Health recently cited a study published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study was cited as providing evidence that supports the idea that adolescents with major depressive disorder (i.e., depression) are less likely to relapse after treatment if [...]... Read more »
Kennard BD, Emslie GJ, Mayes TL, Nightingale-Teresi J, Nakonezny PA, Hughes JL, Jones JM, Tao R, Stewart SM, & Jarrett RB. (2008) Cognitive-behavioral therapy to prevent relapse in pediatric responders to pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 47(12), 1395-1404. DOI: 18978634
- January 18, 2009
- 10:46 AM
- 1,584 views
Are Generic Drugs Really Equivalent to Brand Name Drugs?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Countless drugs are manufactured as generic equivalents to brand name counterparts. Generic drugs must be bioequivalent to the brand name drug, meaning that they contain the same active ingredient at the same dose, in the same dosage form, with the same route of administration. The rate and extent of availability of the drugs must also [...]... Read more »
G Borgheini. (2003) The bioequivalence and therapeutic efficacy of generic versus brand-name psychoative drugs. Clinical Therapeutics, 25(6), 1578-1592. DOI: 10.1016/S0149-2918(03)80157-1
A. S. Kesselheim, A. S. Misono, J. L. Lee, M. R. Stedman, M. A. Brookhart, N. K. Choudhry, & W. H. Shrank. (2008) Clinical Equivalence of Generic and Brand-Name Drugs Used in Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 300(21), 2514-2526. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2008.758
P Meredith. (2003) Bioequivalence and other unresolved issues in generic drug substitution. Clinical Therapeutics, 25(11), 2875-2890. DOI: 10.1016/S0149-2918(03)80340-5
- January 16, 2009
- 10:37 AM
- 1,273 views
Psychiatric Illness in Huntington’s Disease
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Huntington’s disease can be a devastating illness for patients and their families. The disease is directly inherited — if you have a parent with Huntington’s disease, you have a 50% chance of inheriting the abnormal huntingtin gene yourself. Unfortunately, if you inherit the huntingtin gene, you will certainly develop the disease. While there is no [...]... Read more »
E. van Duijn, E.M. Kingma, & R.C. van der Mast. (2007) Psychopathology in Verified Huntington's Disease Gene Carriers. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 19(4), 441-448. DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.19.4.441
J M Hamilton. (2003) Behavioural abnormalities contribute to functional decline in Huntington's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery , 74(1), 120-122. DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.74.1.120
Raphael M. Bonelli, & Gregor K. Wenning. (2006) Pharmacological Management of Huntington's Disease: An Evidence- Based Review. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 12(21), 2701-2720. DOI: 10.2174/138161206777698693
- January 14, 2009
- 09:52 AM
- 1,150 views
Fructose Leads to Leptin Resistance and Obesity
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Obesity is on the rise worldwide, and poor diet and lack of regular physical activity are often cited as culprits. Residents of many industrialized nations, including the United States, have diets that are high in fat, calories, and sweeteners that lead to overweight and obesity and the related metabolic syndromes. Lately, researchers have focused attention [...]... Read more »
Frank W. Booth, Matthew J. Laye, Simon J. Lees, R. Scott Rector, & John P. Thyfault. (2007) Reduced physical activity and risk of chronic disease: the biology behind the consequences. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 102(4), 381-390. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-007-0606-5
P.S. Kalra, & S.P. Kalra. (2002) Obesity and metabolic syndrome: Long-term benefits of central leptin gene therapy. Drugs of Today, 38(11), 745. DOI: 10.1358/dot.2002.38.11.740201
A. Shapiro, M. Matheny, Y. Zhang, N. Tumer, K.-Y. Cheng, E. Rogrigues, S. Zolotukhin, & P. J. Scarpace. (2008) Synergy Between Leptin Therapy and a Seemingly Negligible Amount of Voluntary Wheel Running Prevents Progression of Dietary Obesity in Leptin-Resistant Rats. Diabetes, 57(3), 614-622. DOI: 10.2337/db07-0863
- January 12, 2009
- 07:40 AM
- 1,075 views
Stressed By His Short Allele
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The serotonin (neurochemical) system in the brain has long been a target for interventions aimed at reducing depression and stress. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to balance mood and counteract high levels of anxiety. It is not surprising then that scientists are now finding that individual differences in the genetic makeup of [...]... Read more »
I GOTLIB, J JOORMANN, K MINOR, & J HALLMAYER. (2008) HPA Axis Reactivity: A Mechanism Underlying the Associations Among 5-HTTLPR, Stress, and Depression. Biological Psychiatry, 63(9), 847-851. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.10.008
M MUNAFO, S BROWN, & A HARIRI. (2008) Serotonin Transporter (5-HTTLPR) Genotype and Amygdala Activation: A Meta-Analysis. Biological Psychiatry, 63(9), 852-857. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.08.016
B S Shastry. (2005) Pharmacogenetics and the concept of individualized medicine. The Pharmacogenomics Journal, 6(1), 16-21. DOI: 10.1038/sj.tpj.6500338
- January 10, 2009
- 10:03 AM
- 1,939 views
Safety Concerns with Prescription Drug Samples
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Drug manufacturers widely use prescription drug samples as a marketing tool. In 2004, drug samples accounted for approximately half of the pharmaceutical industry’s marketing budget, or $16 billion. An advantage, touted by pharmaceutical companies and some physicians, is that these samples are made available to low-income and uninsured patients, providing them with otherwise unaffordable medications. [...]... Read more »
S. L. Cutrona, S. Woolhandler, K. E. Lasser, D. H. Bor, D. U. Himmelstein, W. H. Shrank, & N. S. LeLeiko. (2008) Free Drug Samples in the United States: Characteristics of Pediatric Recipients and Safety Concerns. PEDIATRICS, 122(4), 736-742. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-2928
S. L. Cutrona, S. Woolhandler, K. E. Lasser, D. H. Bor, D. McCormick, & D. U. Himmelstein. (2008) Characteristics of Recipients of Free Prescription Drug Samples: A Nationally Representative Analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 98(2), 284-289. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.114249
Daniella A. Zipkin. (2008) Medicare Beneficiaries and Free Prescription Drug Samples: A National Survey. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(10), 1726-1726. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-008-0746-2
- January 8, 2009
- 03:38 PM
- 1,219 views
Deep Brain Stimulation for Pleasure
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Scientists out of Oxford University have developed a deep brain stimulation protocol for the orbitofrontal cortex of the brain, a small center behind the eyes which is believed to have a role in our perception of pleasure associated with food and sex. Dr. Tipu Aziz, a professor of neurosurgery at Oxford remarks, “A few years [...]... Read more »
Morten L. Kringelbach. (2005) The human orbitofrontal cortex: linking reward to hedonic experience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 6(9), 691-702. DOI: 10.1038/nrn1747
Kent C. Berridge, & Morten L. Kringelbach. (2008) Affective neuroscience of pleasure: reward in humans and animals. Psychopharmacology, 199(3), 457-480. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1099-6
- January 6, 2009
- 09:24 AM
- 1,153 views
Recent Drug Warnings About Suicide
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
During the holiday season, I was reminded of the old myth that suicide rates increase over the holidays. This medical myth has been debunked numerous times and it was one of the topics covered in a recent BMJ story about medical myths. For many years, people believed this myth because they felt that the depression [...]... Read more »
R. C Vreeman, & A. E Carroll. (2007) Medical myths. BMJ, 335(7633), 1288-1289. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25
- December 29, 2008
- 07:11 AM
- 1,451 views
Sometimes It’s Good to Be Cold - Therapeutic Hypothermia
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The upper Midwest has been besieged by a bitter cold front for the past several days. Chicago recently reported wind chills of 30 degrees below zero, and several locations in North and South Dakota posted high ambient air temperatures of several degrees below zero, without wind chill. Though not exactly what most would consider desirable [...]... Read more »
David B. Seder, & Salam Jarrah. (2008) Therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest: A practical approach. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 8(6), 508-517. DOI: 10.1007/s11910-008-0081-3
Patrick D. Lyden, Derk Krieger, Midori Yenari, & W. Dalton Dietrich. (2006) Therapeutic hypothermia for acute stroke. International Journal of Stroke, 1(1), 9-19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-4949.2005.00011.x
T HOEHN, G HANSMANN, C BUHRER, G SIMBRUNER, A GUNN, J YAGER, M LEVENE, S HAMRICK, S SHANKARAN, & M THORESEN. (2008) Therapeutic hypothermia in neonates. Review of current clinical data, ILCOR recommendations and suggestions for implementation in neonatal intensive care units☆. Resuscitation, 78(1), 7-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2008.04.027
Sven M Schulzke, Shripada Rao, & Sanjay K Patole. (2007) A systematic review of cooling for neuroprotection in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy – are we there yet?. BMC Pediatrics, 7(1), 30. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-7-30
Nadeem I. Shafi, & M Michele Mariscalco. (2006) Considering the use of induced hypothermia in a pediatric patient with traumatic brain injury: A critical appraisal of two meta-analyses. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 7(5), 468-472. DOI: 10.1097/01.PCC.0000235258.79253.8C
- December 27, 2008
- 09:09 AM
- 1,109 views
Recognizing the Man in the Mirror
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Three short years ago, the first partial face transplantation was performed in France and recently the first of these procedures to be conducted in the United States was successfully accomplished. This was only the fourth operation of its type but experts estimate that perhaps as early as next year the first complete face transplant will [...]... Read more »
J.-M. Dubernard, B. Lengele, E. Morelon, S. Testelin, L. Badet, C. Moure, J.-L. Beziat, S. Dakpe, J. Kanitakis, C. D'Hauthuille.... (2007) Outcomes 18 Months after the First Human Partial Face Transplantation. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(24), 2451-2460. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa072828
L YARDLEY, L MCDERMOTT, S PISARSKI, B DUCHAINE, & K NAKAYAMA. (2008) Psychosocial consequences of developmental prosopagnosia: A problem of recognition. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65(5), 445-451. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.03.013
- December 25, 2008
- 01:16 PM
- 1,764 views
Happiness is Contagious, If Not For a Fleeting Moment
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
According to a twenty-year longitudinal study of over 4000 individuals, happiness is indeed contagious. Dr. Nicholas Christakis, professor at Harvard University, compared the spread of happiness to a “ripple effect” that could affect others up to three degrees of separation away; a friend of a friend of a friend, so to speak.
The study did [...]... Read more »
J. H Fowler, & N. A Christakis. (2008) Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study. BMJ, 337(dec04 2). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a2338
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