479 posts · 469,282 views
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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- August 1, 2008
- 11:04 AM
- 1,083 views
The Trans Fat Ban - Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup Next?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
On July 25, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger made it official — California would be the first state to ban trans fat. Food providers have been given a year after which the law requires them to replace hydrogenated oils with healthier, naturally occurring oils such as soya, palm, and vegetable oils. The ban was prompted after the ... Read more »
G Bray, S J Nielsen, & B M Popkin. (2004) Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(4), 537-543. info:PMID/15051594
- July 29, 2008
- 10:07 AM
- 1,174 views
There Is No Sham In Acupuncture
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the gold standard for evaluating whether or not a therapeutic modality works. In RCTs testing the effect of acupuncture to improve symptoms, researchers often use “sham acupuncture” as a control procedure, on the theory that sticking needles into points that are not on acupuncture meridians should have no effect.
The ... Read more »
Jiliang Fang, Zhen Jin, Yin Wang, Ke Li, Jian Kong, Erika Nixon, Yawei Zeng, Yanshuang Ren, Haibin Tong, Yinghui Wang.... (2008) The salient characteristics of the central effects of acupuncture needling: Limbic‐paralimbic‐neocortical network modulation. Human Brain Mapping. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20583
- July 28, 2008
- 12:14 PM
- 1,207 views
Finding New Ways to Treat Depression
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
I think it’s good to think outside the box. Especially when it comes to finding solutions to some pretty major problems. Let’s take depression for example.
Starting in May 2007, the FDA started requiring that a warning be posted on antidepressant drugs. The warning was about the increased risk of suicide for patients in the 18-24 ... Read more »
C Barbui, A Cipriani, & J Geddes. (2008) Antidepressants and suicide symptoms: compelling new insights from the FDA's analysis of individual patient level data. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 11(2), 34-35. DOI: 10.1136/ebmh.11.2.34
S Gilbody. (2008) Telephone treatment support improves outcomes for depressed employees. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 11(2), 47-47. DOI: 10.1136/ebmh.11.2.47
- July 25, 2008
- 01:07 PM
- 1,190 views
A Bad Mix - Cell Phones and Children?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Do you remember a time when most people on the roads just drove their car? Let me be more explicit. Do you remember a time when the main activities drivers engaged in were talking to a passenger, singing, and eating or drinking something?
Today it’s not often that I simply see someone driving; a good third ... Read more »
A Tuffs. (2008) Mobile phones do not pose health risk, German survey shows. BMJ, 336(7659), 1461-1461. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a545
- July 23, 2008
- 12:07 PM
- 1,197 views
Which Came First - Depression or Diabetes?
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
A recent study in JAMA reported that patients treated for type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing depression. The study also reported that patients with depression are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
The study confirmed what other studies have reported, and clinicians have seen in practice, that symptoms of depression place patients at ... Read more »
L BROWN, S MAJUMDAR, & J JOHNSON. (2008) Type of antidepressant therapy and risk of type 2 diabetes in people with depression. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 79(1), 61-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2007.07.009
S Golden, M Lazo, M Carnethon, A G Bertoni, P J Schreiner, A V Roux, H B Lee, & C Lyketsos. (2008) Examining a Bidirectional Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Diabetes. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 299(23), 2751-2759. DOI: 10.1001/jama.299.23.2751
R Rubin, Y Ma, D G Marrero, M Peyrot, E L Barrett-Connor, S E Kahn, S M Haffner, D W Price, & W C Knowler. (2007) Elevated Depression Symptoms, Antidepressant Medicine Use, and Risk of Developing Diabetes During the Diabetes Prevention Program. Diabetes Care, 31(3), 420-426. DOI: 10.2337/dc07-1827
- July 21, 2008
- 02:16 PM
- 1,309 views
When Age Is Just A Number
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
When Henrikje van Andel-Schipper turned 115 years old, her mind was sharper than many 60 year olds. Years before, she knew something about her was unique and requested multiple times for her body to be donated to her hometown university in the Netherlands. As a result of her many requests, scientists began testing her cognitive ... Read more »
W DENDUNNEN, W BROUWER, E BIJLARD, J KAMPHUIS, K VANLINSCHOTEN, E EGGENSMEIJER, & G HOLSTEGE. (2008) No disease in the brain of a 115-year-old woman. Neurobiology of Aging, 29(8), 1127-1132. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.04.010
- July 20, 2008
- 01:08 PM
- 1,185 views
The Eighth Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. is…
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. is medication error. This statistic may surprise you. Other frightening statistics include the following:
* 7,000 deaths occur each year that are directly attributable to medication errors.
* Errors occur around 1 in 5 times that medication is administered.
* The FDA estimates 1 death per day due to ... Read more »
J Kramer, P J Hopkins, J C Rosendale, J C Garrelts, L S Hale, T M Nester, P Cochran, L A Eidem, & R D Haneke. (2007) Implementation of an electronic system for medication reconciliation. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 64(4), 404-422. DOI: 10.2146/ajhp060506
- July 19, 2008
- 09:09 AM
- 1,446 views
Virtual Reality - New Steps in Stroke Rehabilitation
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke) is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the USA; each year about 700,000 people sustain a stroke across the country. Based on the location and size of the lesion, there may be severe and permanent loss of function. The most significant residual effects of a CVA ... Read more »
Jennifer Smith, Debbie Hebert, & Denise Reid. (2007) Exploring the effects of virtual reality on unilateral neglect caused by stroke: Four case studies . Technology and Disability, 19(1), 29-40. http://iospress.metapress.com/content/0uak9ar1yp9dh6u8/
- July 18, 2008
- 10:05 AM
- 1,243 views
Dying To Be A Good Mom - Eating Disorders In Pregnancy
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Most people know the “typical” eating disorder patient: adolescent girl, over-achiever, perfectionist. This is an accurate description, since most patients with diagnosed eating disorders and patterns of disordered eating are females between the ages of 10 and 20. Currently, it is estimated that 1% of adolescent girls have anorexia. Nearly 30% of adolescent girls have ... Read more »
Carol Adair, Gisele C Marcoux, Brian S Cram, Carol J Ewashen, Janet Chafe, Stephanie E Cassin, Jorge Pinzon, Joanne L Gusella, Josie Geller, Yvette Scattolon.... (2007) Development and multi-site validation of a new condition-specific quality of life measure for eating disorders. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5(1), 23. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-5-23
Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, Cindy Veldhuis, Nikki Lively, Cynthia Fowler, & Brook Marcks. (2008) The Reciprocal Effects of Eating Disorders and the Postpartum Period: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Clinical Care. Journal of Women's Health, 17(2), 227-239. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2007.0550
Suzanne Mazzeo, Margarita CT Slof-Op't Landt, Ian Jones, Karen Mitchell, Kenneth S Kendler, Michael C Neale, Steven H Aggen, & Cynthia M Bulik. (2006) Associations among postpartum depression, eating disorders, and perfectionism in a population-based sample of adult women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39(3), 202-211. DOI: 10.1002/eat.20243
Helen Stapleton, Anna Fielder, & Mavis Kirkham. (2008) Breast or bottle? Eating disordered childbearing women and infant-feeding decisions. Maternal , 4(2), 106-120. DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00121.x
Tilmann von Soest, & Lars Wichstrøm. (2008) The impact of becoming a mother on eating problems. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41(3), 215-223. DOI: 10.1002/eat.20493
- July 17, 2008
- 01:09 PM
- 1,167 views
The Ethics of Selling Prescription Data
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The compilation and selling of physician prescribing habits has been a common practice since the 1990’s. Many physicians were unaware that the issue was occurring.
Pharmaceutical companies argue that the mining of prescribing data has beneficial uses, such as providing information about drug interactions and long-term effects, and prevention of drug errors. Pharmaceutical companies have also ... Read more »
R Steinbrook. (2006) For Sale: Physicians' Prescribing Data. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(26), 2745-2747. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp068125
- July 14, 2008
- 02:07 PM
- 1,283 views
Living with Traumatic Brain Injury
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
A lady (let’s call her Carla) is driving down a street — it’s 10:00 pm on a Friday night. She thinks about her kids in bed, makes a mental note to check in on them before she goes to bed. She wonders what her boss has in store for her at the 8:00 a.m. meeting ... Read more »
Sofie Verhaeghe, Tom Defloor, & Mieke Grypdonck. (2005) Stress and coping among families of patients with traumatic brain injury: a review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14(8), 1004-1012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2005.01126.x
Hamish Godfrey, Robert G Knight, & Fiona M Partridge. (1996) Emotional Adjustment Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Stress- Appraisal-Coping Formulation. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 11(6), 29-40. DOI: 10.1097/00001199-199612000-00006
- July 12, 2008
- 10:05 AM
- 1,372 views
Europe and Suicide
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Try and grasp this statistic: the number of people who commit suicide in the EU is larger than the number of people who die in road collisions. And so you can put it in perspective: 50,000 people die from road collisions in the EU.
This has caused the EU to take notice. On June 13th, the ... Read more »
T Sheldon. (2008) Dutch doctors publish guide to "careful suicide". BMJ, 336(7658), 1394-1395. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a362
R Watson. (2008) EU launches plan to tackle mental illness and reduce number of suicides. BMJ, 336(7658), 1394-1394. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a381
- July 11, 2008
- 02:05 PM
- 1,152 views
The Ugly Ramifications of Health Insurance Costs
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
I now cringe when I see a health insurance statement. This was not always the case. Each time I receive my insurance statements they say something to the extent of:
Your doctor charged $400 and your insurance company only allows $200. This is not a bill.
I used to flinch when I’d receive these until I finally ... Read more »
J Lenzer. (2008) Underinsurance threatens physical and financial wellbeing of US families. BMJ, 336(7658), 1399-1399. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a419
- July 10, 2008
- 05:13 PM
- 1,801 views
The State of Mental Healthcare in Prison
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
A new report by Policy Exchange reveals over a third of spending on mental health services in prison is wasted and calls for a drastic overhaul in treating mental health in prisons, including mandatory training for prison officers.
Mental healthcare in prisons is widely overlooked as being a problem in the justice system, with overcrowding and ... Read more »
C Brooker, & B Ullmann. (2008) Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Policy Exchange, 404(1), 1-46. http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/libimages/404.pdf
- July 9, 2008
- 12:08 PM
- 1,249 views
Charity Begins at Home - U.S. Physicians Volunteer
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
One of the biggest crises facing the United States today is healthcare. There are approximately 47 million people in the United States who have no medical insurance. Millions more have inadequate insurance coverage, cannot afford their premiums or deductibles, and have no access to dental care.
In the wake of recent international disasters (Myanmar and China ... Read more »
W Rooney. (2003) Maintaining a Medication List in the Chart. Family Practice Management, 10(1), 52-54.
- July 8, 2008
- 10:08 AM
- 1,257 views
The “Smart Bomb” of Tomorrow - Eradicating Cancer
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Imagine a world without chemotherapy. Imagine a world where cancer could be fought without side effects. Imagine a world where it didn’t matter how far along your cancer had progressed, treatment could still be rendered and completely effective.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article from a joint collaboration between several cancer centers ... Read more »
N Hunder, H Wallen, J Cao, D W Hendricks, J Z Reilly, R Rodmyre, A Jungbluth, S Gnjatic, J A Thompson, & C Yee. (2008) Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma with Autologous CD4 T Cells against NY-ESO-1. New England Journal of Medicine, 358(25), 2698-2703. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0800251
- July 6, 2008
- 03:03 PM
- 1,162 views
The Science of Brain Freeze
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Have you ever experienced a freezing sensation after eating an ice cream cone? You’re with a group of friends eating the dessert, and suddenly you have a severe headache that lasts for a brief amount of time. You’re not alone because billions of individuals have endured this common reaction called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. It’s also known ... Read more »
M Kaczorowski. (2002) Ice cream evoked headaches (ICE-H) study: randomised trial of accelerated versus cautious ice cream eating regimen. BMJ, 325(7378), 1445-1446. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.325.7378.1445
- July 5, 2008
- 09:04 AM
- 1,128 views
Breaking News - Exercise is Good for You!
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Wow. Wow. Wow. I’m a little bit speechless after reading Domhnall Macauley’s article, Olympic Games will bring health gains to the non-sporting public, says Princess Anne. To make a short article even shorter, let me summarize:
* Exercise is good for you.
* Doctor claims that obesity may partially be a reflection of the operations of our ... Read more »
D Macauley. (2008) Olympic Games will bring health gains to the non-sporting public, says Princess Anne. BMJ, 336(7658), 1399-1399. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a411
- July 4, 2008
- 09:06 AM
- 1,063 views
Ethical Obligations of Health Care Workers During a Pandemic
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
The article I posted a few weeks ago in regards to the H5N1 vaccine caused me to consider a potential pandemic and the health care workers’ obligation to work should the event come to pass.
The World Health Organization estimates that
today a pandemic is likely to result in 2 to 7.4 million deaths globally. In high ... Read more »
Heather Draper, Sue Wilson, Jonathan Ives, Christine Gratus, Sheila Greenfield, Jayne Parry, Judith Petts, & Tom Sorell. (2008) Healthcare workers' attitudes towards working during pandemic influenza: A multi method study. BMC Public Health, 8(1), 192. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-192
- July 3, 2008
- 04:13 PM
- 1,094 views
Treating Psychiatric Disorders - Something Smells Fishy
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Could the treatment of psychiatric and mood disorders be as simple as eating more fish? Fish oil contains, specifically docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are known to have positive cardiovascular outcomes. Fish oil intake, through diet or supplementation, has noteworthy effects on lowering total cholesterol, lowering LDL (”bad” cholesterol), and increasing HDL ... Read more »
E BORSONELO, & J GALDUROZ. (2008) The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in development, aging and substance abuse disorders: Review and propositions. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 78(4-5), 237-245. DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2008.03.005
L BUYDENSBRANCHEY, & M BRANCHEY. (2008) Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease feelings of anger in substance abusers. Psychiatry Research, 157(1-3), 95-104. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.01.004
L BUYDENSBRANCHEY, M BRANCHEY, & J HIBBELN. (2008) Associations between increases in plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids following supplementation and decreases in anger and anxiety in substance abusers. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 32(2), 568-575. DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.10.020
S Dyall, & A T Michael-Titus. (2008) Neurological Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. NeuroMolecular Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s12017-008-8036-z
J HIBBELN, G BISSETTE, J UMHAU, & D GEORGE. (2004) Omega-3 status and cerebrospinal fluid corticotrophin releasing hormone in perpetrators of domestic violence. Biological Psychiatry, 56(11), 895-897. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.08.021
Sofia Tsaluchidu, Massimo Cocchi, Lucio Tonello, & Basant Puri. (2008) Fatty acids and oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 8(Suppl 1). DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-8-S1-S5
J Umhau, K M Dauphinais, S H Patel, D A Nahrwold, J R Hibbeln, R R Rawlings, & D T George. (2006) The relationship between folate and docosahexaenoic acid in men. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60(3), 352-357. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602321
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