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Physician, Writer and Bird Photographer. Translating Neuroscience Research Into Better Care for Brain Disorders.
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595 posts
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- January 12, 2015
- 10:56 AM
- 750 views
Dietary Grains and Heart/Stroke Mortality
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Dietary intake of whole grains and fiber shows consistent beneficial effects on a variety of health and mortality measures.In a post in 2011, I reviewed study results from the NIH-AARP cohort. That study reported reduced cardiovascular disease but not cancer in men and women with the highest fiber intake.A recent Harvard University study examined mortality risk in a group of U.S. health professionals grouped by level of whole grain intake.Participants in this study were over 118,000 men and wome........ Read more »
Wu H, Flint AJ, Qi Q, van Dam RM, Sampson LA, Rimm EB, Holmes MD, Willett WC, Hu FB, & Sun Q. (2015) Association Between Dietary Whole Grain Intake and Risk of Mortality: Two Large Prospective Studies in US Men and Women. JAMA internal medicine. PMID: 25559238
- December 15, 2014
- 08:42 AM
- 996 views
Who is Getting High in Europe (and Where)?
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
My research training is in psychiatric epidemiology. Alcohol and drug dependence have been two of my topic areas of research.So I found a recent novel study of the epidemiology of illicit drug use in Europe intriguing.Typical methods of looking for the prevalence of drug use in populations are direct diagnostic interviews and studies of emergency room attendees or autopsy cases with medical complications of drug use.However, Christopher Ort from Switzerland along with a host of European col........ Read more »
Ort C, van Nuijs AL, Berset JD, Bijlsma L, Castiglioni S, Covaci A, de Voogt P, Emke E, Fatta-Kassinos D, Griffiths P.... (2014) Spatial differences and temporal changes in illicit drug use in Europe quantified by wastewater analysis. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 109(8), 1338-52. PMID: 24861844
- December 10, 2014
- 11:46 AM
- 787 views
Prescription Opiate Abuse: High-Risk Populations
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Prescription opiate abuse is a significant problem in the United States.I have previously written about this issue in several previous posts.One important factor for clinicians and patients is the need to identify high-risk populations that may be more vulnerable to opiate abuse and dependence.One obvious group would be those with alcohol or another non-opiate abuse diagnosis. Additionally, some psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risk for substance abuse including opiate abuse.G........ Read more »
Hackman DT, Greene MS, Fernandes TJ, Brown AM, Wright ER, & Chambers RA. (2014) Prescription drug monitoring program inquiry in psychiatric assessment: detection of high rates of opioid prescribing to a dual diagnosis population. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 75(7), 750-6. PMID: 25093472
- December 10, 2014
- 11:06 AM
- 776 views
Incentives in the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Relapse rates are high in treatment samples of adults with cocaine dependence.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common standard of care for cocaine dependence.A recent clinical trial from Switzerland examined the use of financial prize incentives to augment standard CBT in the treatment of cocaine dependence.Sixty subjects participated in this trial with the following inclusion criteria: least 18 years of age, had a DSM-IV diagnosis of cocaine dependence with at least one po........ Read more »
Petitjean SA, Dürsteler-MacFarland KM, Krokar MC, Strasser J, Mueller SE, Degen B, Trombini MV, Vogel M, Walter M, Wiesbeck GA.... (2014) A randomized, controlled trial of combined cognitive-behavioral therapy plus prize-based contingency management for cocaine dependence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 94-100. PMID: 25456571
- December 1, 2014
- 12:09 PM
- 766 views
Common Genes in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Finding a specific genes linked to specific neuropsychiatric disorders has been a key research strategy.However, this strategy has not been entirely successful.One problem with this unitary approach is the diagnostic overlap and comorbidity common to neuropsychiatric disorders such as mood disorders and autism.A promising alternative strategy is to focus on genes that share risk with more than one neuropsychiatric condition.Amit Lotan from Israel along with colleagues from the Netherlands, Germa........ Read more »
Lotan A, Fenckova M, Bralten J, Alttoa A, Dixson L, Williams RW, & van der Voet M. (2014) Neuroinformatic analyses of common and distinct genetic components associated with major neuropsychiatric disorders. Frontiers in neuroscience, 331. PMID: 25414627
- November 26, 2014
- 11:06 AM
- 956 views
Treatment Resistance in Eating Disorders
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Clinicians treating patients with eating disorders find the challenge great with many treatment-resistant cases.To some extent, this is true of any clinical disorder. Outpatient treatment rolls and inpatient samples are over-represented by those failing to respond to initial interventions.A medical example is helpful here. Endocrinologists specializing in diabetes see more complicated cases where glucose control is difficult and diabetic complications are common.Diabetics with easy glucose contr........ Read more »
Halmi, K. (2013) Perplexities of treatment resistence in eating disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 13(1), 292. DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-13-292
- November 17, 2014
- 10:55 AM
- 927 views
Eating Disorders in Obesity: DSM-IV and DSM-5
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The recent revision of the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) altered several eating disorder diagnostic criteria.Some have expressed concern that these revisions are overly broad and may result in over diagnosis in some clinical populations. One clinical population where this is a concern is obesity.A research study has been recently published addressing this issue.Jennifer Thomas and colleagues at Harvard University a........ Read more »
Thomas JJ, Koh KA, Eddy KT, Hartmann AS, Murray HB, Gorman MJ, Sogg S, & Becker AE. (2014) Do DSM-5 eating disorder criteria overpathologize normative eating patterns among individuals with obesity?. Journal of obesity, 320803. PMID: 25057413
- November 12, 2014
- 11:14 AM
- 952 views
Binge Eating Linked to Risk for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Binge eating is defined as the recurrent rapid consumption of high calorie meals accompanied by a feeling that eating is out of control.Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating paired with a purging behavior such as self-induced vomiting.Binge eating without purging is receiving increased clinical and research attention.Binge eating is a relative common component in elevated body mass index and obesity. Successful behavior and drug treatment for obesity often includes ........ Read more »
Peat CM, Huang L, Thornton LM, Von Holle AF, Trace SE, Lichtenstein P, Pedersen NL, Overby DW, & Bulik CM. (2013) Binge eating, body mass index, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Journal of psychosomatic research, 75(5), 456-61. PMID: 24182635
- November 11, 2014
- 11:13 AM
- 795 views
Anorexia Nervosa: Brain Connectivity Abnormalities
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Functional magnetic resonance imaging is providing a new tool for understanding brain circuitry in normal brain development and in brain disorders. Anorexia nervosa is an restrictive calorie eating disorder often resistant to treatment.No effective drug treatment for anorexia nervosa currently exists and psychotherapy is often only partially effective. A better understanding of the brain pathophysiology in anorexia nervosa is needed to aid in treatment development.Stephanie Kullman along wi........ Read more »
Kullmann S, Giel KE, Teufel M, Thiel A, Zipfel S, & Preissl H. (2014) Aberrant network integrity of the inferior frontal cortex in women with anorexia nervosa. NeuroImage. Clinical, 615-22. PMID: 24936412
- November 10, 2014
- 10:05 AM
- 656 views
Eating Disorders Linked to Higher Autoimmune Disease Rates
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There is increasing evidence for inflammation contributing to risk for a variety of psychiatric disorders.I previously summarized research supporting use of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of depression.A recent study from Finland supports an inflammation link to the eating disorder categories.The key elements of the design of this study included:Subjects: 2342 subjects admitted for treatment in the Eating Disorders Unit at the central hospital in Finland. Four controls were identified ........ Read more »
Raevuori A, Haukka J, Vaarala O, Suvisaari JM, Gissler M, Grainger M, Linna MS, & Suokas JT. (2014) The increased risk for autoimmune diseases in patients with eating disorders. PloS one, 9(8). PMID: 25147950
- November 5, 2014
- 12:19 PM
- 845 views
Anorexia Nervosa as a Disorder of Perception
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
A key feature in anorexia nervosa is the disturbance in perception of the body.This perceptual disturbance is encapsulated in criteria 3 from DSM-5: "Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low weight" Santino Guadio from Italy and colleagues recently published a nice summary of the support for body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa. This study focused ........ Read more »
Gaudio S, Brooks SJ, & Riva G. (2014) Nonvisual multisensory impairment of body perception in anorexia nervosa: a systematic review of neuropsychological studies. PloS one, 9(10). PMID: 25303480
- November 4, 2014
- 10:52 AM
- 865 views
Anorexia Nervosa: Fasting and Starvation Brain Effects
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Brain research in anorexia nervosa presents several challenges.Current knowledge of cognitive function in anorexia supports impairment in set shifting and global brain processing or central coherence.However, there are two issues that complicate understanding the underlying brain effects in anorexia nervosa.First, individuals with anorexia nervosa often have additional anxiety and mood disorders. It can be difficult to tease out the specific effects of anorexia nervosa from the effects of these ........ Read more »
Pender, S., Gilbert, S., & Serpell, L. (2014) The Neuropsychology of Starvation: Set-Shifting and Central Coherence in a Fasted Nonclinical Sample. PLoS ONE, 9(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110743
Billingsley-Marshall RL, Basso MR, Lund BC, Hernandez ER, Johnson CL, Drevets WC, McKee PA, & Yates WR. (2013) Executive function in eating disorders: the role of state anxiety. The International journal of eating disorders, 46(4), 316-21. PMID: 23354876
- October 30, 2014
- 11:20 AM
- 1,011 views
Alcoholism as a Reward System Dysfunction
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Alcoholism and other addictive behaviors often occur together within individual patients.For example, individuals with alcoholism commonly also are smokers and meet criteria for a diagnosis of nicotine dependence.This co-occurrence suggests multiple types of addiction may share genetic and environmental risk factors. Additionally, there might be a common neurobiological mechanism in play for many addictions.Kenneth Blum and other leading alcoholism researchers recently published a review that pr........ Read more »
Blum K, Febo M, McLaughlin T, Cronjé FJ, Han D, & Gold SM. (2014) Hatching the behavioral addiction egg: Reward Deficiency Solution System (RDSS)™ as a function of dopaminergic neurogenetics and brain functional connectivity linking all addictions under a common rubric. Journal of behavioral addictions, 3(3), 149-56. PMID: 25317338
- October 28, 2014
- 11:59 AM
- 889 views
Night Owls Show Increased Alcohol Use Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Humans commonly display a circadian rhythm preference for getting up early in the morning or staying up late at night (night owls).This sleep timing, or diurnal preference appears to have genetic contributions.Additionally, diurnal preference may contribute to risk for alcohol consumption as more alcohol is consumed later in the day and during the night time.Nathaniel Watson and colleagues at the University of Washington and the University of Texas recently explored the relationship between diur........ Read more »
Watson NF, Buchwald D, & Harden KP. (2013) A twin study of genetic influences on diurnal preference and risk for alcohol use outcomes. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 9(12), 1333-9. PMID: 24340296
- October 27, 2014
- 11:10 AM
- 859 views
Brain Imaging In Alcoholic Brain Thiamine Deficiency
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Chronic consumption of large quantities of alcohol can produce severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1).This can precipitate an acute brain failure known as Wernicke's encephalopathy. Wernicke's encephalopathy is characterized by sudden onset of mental status changes, eye muscle impairment and disturbed gait or ataxia.Other illnesses can also produce this level of severe thiamine deficiency. A partial list of these non-alcoholism causes for thiamine deficiency with encephalopathy includes........ Read more »
Manzo G, De Gennaro A, Cozzolino A, Serino A, Fenza G, & Manto A. (2014) MR imaging findings in alcoholic and nonalcoholic acute Wernicke's encephalopathy: a review. BioMed research international, 503596. PMID: 25050351
- October 23, 2014
- 10:20 AM
- 951 views
Smartphone App Boosts Alcoholism Treatment Outcome
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Smartphone apps and other mobile technology are emerging as promising tools in medical treatment.A recent randomized study published in JAMA Psychiatry found evidence that a smartphone app improves alcoholism treatment outcomes.David Gustafson and colleagues conducted a study funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.A series of 349 adults with DSM-IV alcohol dependence were enrolled as they entered a alcoholism residential treatment program.Approximately half of the subje........ Read more »
Gustafson DH, McTavish FM, Chih MY, Atwood AK, Johnson RA, Boyle MG, Levy MS, Driscoll H, Chisholm SM, Dillenburg L.... (2014) A smartphone application to support recovery from alcoholism: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA psychiatry, 71(5), 566-72. PMID: 24671165
- October 21, 2014
- 11:25 AM
- 769 views
Sleep Problems in Alcoholism Treatment
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
In a previous post, I summarized a research study six month outcome of insomnia in a group of subjects treated for alcoholism.This study found a high persistence of insomnia despite reduction, and in many cases abstinence, from alcohol.A second study recently published by investigators at the National Institute of Health provides some additional insight into this topic.Gwenyth Wallen and colleagues studied a series of 164 participants admitted to a 4-6 week inpatient program for alcohol dependen........ Read more »
Wallen GR, Brooks AT, Whiting B, Clark R, Krumlauf MC, Yang L, Schwandt ML, George DT, & Ramchandani VA. (2014) The prevalence of sleep disturbance in alcoholics admitted for treatment: a target for chronic disease management. Family , 37(4), 288-97. PMID: 25167069
- October 20, 2014
- 10:56 AM
- 865 views
Persistent Insomnia and Alcoholism
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Sleep problems complicate the treatment and recovery in alcoholism. Heavy alcohol consumption modifies the nature of sleep architecture.A high blood alcohol concentration at bedtime may promote sleep early in the sleep cycle.However, as alcohol levels decline, sleep is often interrupted with limiting rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration.Shortened total sleep time with alcohol can produce a lack of feeling well rested on awakening.For those with alcoholism or alcohol dependence, successfu........ Read more »
Brower KJ, Krentzman A, & Robinson EA. (2011) Persistent insomnia, abstinence, and moderate drinking in alcohol-dependent individuals. The American journal on addictions / American Academy of Psychiatrists in Alcoholism and Addictions, 20(5), 435-40. PMID: 21838842
- October 7, 2014
- 04:21 PM
- 767 views
Personality, Emotion and Psychopathology: David Watson Lecture Notes
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
I had the privilege to attend today the William K Warren Frontiers in Neuroscience Conference in Tulsa, OK by Dr. David Watson from Notre Dame University.Dr. Watson's lecture was titled: An integrative model of personality, emotion and psychopathology. This lecture summarized a body of research examining personality, psychological symptoms and a variety of brain disorders.Here are my lecture notes and links to relevant research citations. The first two citations have links to a free full-te........ Read more »
Stasik SM, Naragon-Gainey K, Chmielewski M, & Watson D. (2012) Core OCD symptoms: exploration of specificity and relations with psychopathology. Journal of anxiety disorders, 26(8), 859-70. PMID: 23026094
- October 2, 2014
- 11:01 AM
- 720 views
Parenting: Genetics and Environmental Effects
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Effective parenting is a key element in child development.Both genetic and environmental factors appear to contribute to the cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of parenting.Childhood temperament also influences the process of parenting. A well-behaved, emotionally stable and loving child is obviously much easier to parent than a child with behavioral and emotional problems.Bonamy Oliver and colleagues from the United Kingdom have recently published an informative twin study of pare........ Read more »
Oliver BR, Trzaskowski M, & Plomin R. (2014) Genetics of parenting: The power of the dark side. Developmental psychology, 50(4), 1233-40. PMID: 24364831
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