317 posts · 184,742 views
This is the personal blog of a Dutch psychiatrist working in a University hospital. His specialty in psychiatry is the treatment of depression. This explains his interest in electroconvulsive therapy and the development of new forms of neurostimulation for the treatment of depression. He is also involved in medical education. He does research in the treatment and neuroscience of depression. He mostly writes about these topics on this blog for fun and to keep up with recent developments. Besides writing about his work he also writes about other subjects that (neuro)stimulates him such as chocolate, computer gaming, gadgets, and Internet. The postings are based on what I want to write about and what I feel will be interesting to read.
Dr Shock MD PhD
317 posts
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- September 1, 2010
- 05:32 AM
- 41 views
Were does Resilience against Depression Reside in the Brain?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Resilience is in psychiatry the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and catastrophe. In this post it’s used as having an adaptive system that uses exposure to stress to provide resistance to future negative events.
Stress can lead to depression accompanied by atrophy and loss of neurons in the adult hippocampus in experimental [...]
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Adolescents brain and Depression
Neurobiology of Psychosocial Stress and Depression
... Read more »
Thomas Frodl,, Angela Carballedo1,, Andrew J. Fagan,, Danusia Lisiecka1,, Yolande Ferguson,, Ian Daly,, James F. Meaney,, & Dermot Kelleher. (2010) Microstructural Correlates of Resilience against Major Depressive Disorder: Epigenetic Mechanisms?. Nature Precedings. info:/
- August 30, 2010
- 01:53 AM
- 13 views
What is the right chocolate dose?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
A number of studies have shown cardiovascular benefits of eating flavanol rich cocoa. Cocoa is the important substance of chocolate. Especially dark chocolate can contain high levels of flavanols. The possible underlying mechanisms of these cardioprotective properties of chocolate can be several.
The biggest question that remains is about the right dose of dark chocolate. [...]
Related posts:The Right Chocolate Dose?
Chocolate and Pregnancy
Chocolate lowers cardiac mortality after first acut........ Read more »
Mostofsky, E., Levitan, E., Wolk, A., & Mittleman, M. (2010) Chocolate Intake and Incidence of Heart Failure: A Population-Based, Prospective Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Women. Circulation: Heart Failure. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.110.944025
- August 24, 2010
- 02:11 AM
- 65 views
Narcissism on Facebook
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
In normal every day life with face to face contact the physical characteristics and knowledge about social background form the identity of your contact. It’s stable and three dimensional. You know that person, it’s therefor very difficult for the other to claim another identity or create impressions inconsistent with how you know him or her. [...]
Related posts:The Dangers of Facebook or Let’s Be Careful Out There
Facebook Privacy Concerns in Young Adults
The Dangers of Face........ Read more »
Mehdizadeh, S. (2010) Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(4), 357-364. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2009.0257
- August 19, 2010
- 04:40 AM
- 53 views
What is being taught in the operating room?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
You can think of a lot such as technical procedures or washing your hands. For residents it’s obvious. Mostly learning the technical procedure of an operation. During long operations I used to count the number of stitches. Once during a vascular operation the chief surgeon out of the blue asked what vessel it was they’re [...]
Related posts:Bedside teaching, Computer Based Learning and Wiki in Medical Education
Personalized Medical Education
Empathy for the Mentally Ill in Medical........ Read more »
Irani, J., Greenberg, J., Blanco, M., Greenberg, C., Ashley, S., Lipsitz, S., Hafler, J., & Breen, E. (2010) Educational value of the operating room experience during a core surgical clerkship. The American Journal of Surgery, 200(1), 167-172. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2009.06.023
- August 17, 2010
- 01:59 AM
- 52 views
Learning Eldercare in Nongeriatric Clerkship is a Myth
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
I see a lot of elderly patients while treating severe depression. I do. According to recent research during medical clerkship on an internal ward is not the same as a specialized geriatric rotation. A geriatric rotation is more effective than a traditional clerkship for medical students to understand and to care for an aging population.
So [...]
Related posts:Speciality Choice of Medical Students, Impact of Clerkship
Formal, Informal, and Hidden Curricula of a Psychiatry Clerkship
The Effect ........ Read more »
Diachun L, Van Bussel L, Hansen KT, Charise A, & Rieder MJ. (2010) "But I see old people everywhere": dispelling the myth that eldercare is learned in nongeriatric clerkships. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 85(7), 1221-8. PMID: 20592520
- August 16, 2010
- 02:13 AM
- 57 views
Rembrandt Aging and Sickness
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) was probably the most famous and best painter and etcher of The Netherlands. His most famous painting being The Night Watch (De Nachtwacht) . He was born was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden. He became quite old for those days, he died [...]
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Everything on Aging and Sleep (Disorders)
Myth: Depression is a Normal Part of Aging
... Read more »
Friedman T, Westreich M, Lurie DJ, & Golik A. (2007) Rembrandt--aging and sickness: a combined look by plastic surgeons, an art researcher and an internal medicine specialist. The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 9(2), 67-71. PMID: 17348473
Schildkraut, J., Cohn, M., & Hawkins, H. (2007) Then Melancholy, Now Depression. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195(1), 3-9. DOI: 10.1097/01.nmd.0000252263.74369.15
- August 11, 2010
- 03:55 AM
- 77 views
Chocolate and Pregnancy
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
During pregnancy sometimes cardiovascular complications specific for pregnancy may arise. I’m talking about preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. Preeclamspia is hypertension arising in pregnancy (pregnancy-induced hypertension) in association with significant amounts of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia refers to a set of symptoms rather than any causative factor.
In a recent prospective cohort study women who [...]
Related posts:Electroconvulsive therapy and pregnancy, a case r........ Read more »
Saftlas, A., Triche, E., Beydoun, H., & Bracken, M. (2010) Does Chocolate Intake During Pregnancy Reduce the Risks of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension?. Annals of Epidemiology, 20(8), 584-591. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2010.05.010
- August 3, 2010
- 02:03 AM
- 113 views
Why some people don’t like the humor of Monthy Python
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
The neuroscience of two types of humor
Related posts:Were does Humor and Laughter Reside in the Brain?
Monthy Python on You Tube
Humor and Health
... Read more »
Samson, A., Hempelmann, C., Huber, O., & Zysset, S. (2009) Neural substrates of incongruity-resolution and nonsense humor. Neuropsychologia, 47(4), 1023-1033. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.10.028
- August 2, 2010
- 02:02 AM
- 71 views
Humor and treatment of chronic mental illness
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
This post stresses the importance of the therapeutic milieu and the use of humor in treatment of chronic psychiatric illness
Related posts:Negative attitude in medical students towards patients with Mental Illness
Excellent Review of A History of Electroconvulsive Treatment in Mental Illness
Mass Media and Mental Illness
... Read more »
Taber KH, Redden M, & Hurley RA. (2007) Functional anatomy of humor: positive affect and chronic mental illness. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 19(4), 358-62. PMID: 18070837
- July 28, 2010
- 02:30 AM
- 110 views
How do doctors cope?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Often I will tell my residents that if you can’t take care of yourself how do you expect to take care of your patients. Or in another way: the only difference between God and a doctor is that God knows he’s not a doctor. These sound like cliches but there is some truth in them. [...]
Related posts:Attachment Theory and Poorly Performing Doctors
Doctors reactions to memorable patients deaths’
Have mercy on the NHS Doctors
... Read more »
Jane B Lemaire, & Jean E Wallace. (2010) Not all coping strategies are created equal: a mixed methods study exploring physicians' self reported coping strategies. BMC Health Services Research. info:/10.1186/1472-6963-10-208
- July 26, 2010
- 02:03 AM
- 75 views
Facebook and Professionalism
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Does Facebook and other social networking services damage the profession of physicians or the public trust in this profession? So far no systematic research into this topic has been published. However several cases were presented in the media resulting in disciplinary measures. On social networking sites patients may learn information about their doctors that compromises [...]
Related posts:The Dangers of Facebook or Let’s Be Careful Out There
Facebook and Academic Performance
Facebook ........ Read more »
MacDonald, J., Sohn, S., & Ellis, P. (2010) Privacy, professionalism and Facebook: a dilemma for young doctors. Medical Education, 44(8), 805-813. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03720.x
Brown, A. (2010) Social media: a new frontier in reflective practice. Medical Education, 44(8), 744-745. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03729.x
- July 20, 2010
- 02:25 AM
- 104 views
Facebook and MySpace use among college students
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
This study was really about the question whether facebook and myspace replaced face to face interaction. Apparently conflicting results were reported. This study used a survey to examine the use of facebook and myspace among 183 college students an it confirmed that the use of these social media acted as an extension instead of a [...]
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The Social Capital Divide in MySpace
The Dangers of Facebook or Let’s Be Careful Out There
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Carlyne L. Kujath, B.S. (2010) Facebook and MySpace: Complement or Substitute for Face-to-Face Interaction?. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING. info:/10.1089/cyber.2009.0311
- July 19, 2010
- 02:15 AM
- 75 views
Surgical Residents more health complaints than other employees
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
In a recent study in The Netherlands the researchers found that surgical residents experienced more health complaints than the average member of the Dutch working population (4.0 versus 2.5; p = 0.000). Residents in training (n= 400) were sent self report questionnaires of which 254 of 400 (64%) residents returned questionnaires that were eligible for [...]
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5 Motives for Residents to Stay Late at the Hospital and Why that is a Bad Idea
Cine........ Read more »
Boerjan, M., Bluyssen, S., Bleichrodt, R., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., & Van Goor, H. (2010) Work-related health complaints in surgical residents and the influence of social support and job-related autonomy. Medical Education, 44(8), 835-844. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03724.x
- July 14, 2010
- 02:23 AM
- 119 views
The Effect of Chocolate on Cholesterol Level.
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
As you probably may well know, your lipid profile is of importance for cardiovascular disease. Especially a high cholesterol level is considered to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease. The efficacy of cocoa in reducing blood pressure and other positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors have been discussed on this blog for some [...]
Related posts:A Chocolate Bar A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
How Much Chocolate is good for your Health?
Have Your Dark Chocolate with Green Tea
... Read more »
Lei Jia,, Xuan Liu,, Yong Yi Bai,, Shao Hua Li,, Kai Sun, Chen He,, & Rutai Hui. (2010) Short-term effect of cocoa product consumption on lipid profile: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. info:/
- July 12, 2010
- 02:14 AM
- 114 views
Parkinson’s Disease and Depression
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Depression is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (mean prevalence 17% in patients with Parkinson’s). It can be the first sign of the disease. It can be treated with antidepressants. There is little evidence that patients with Parkinson’s disease might benefi t more from any
one particular class of antidepressants than any others. The problem with [...]
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Psychiatrists don’t Use Scales to Measure Outcome in Dep........ Read more »
Bxarone P, Poewe W, Albrecht S, Debieuvre C, Massey D, Rascol O, Tolosa E, & Weintraub D. (2010) Pramipexole for the treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet neurology, 9(6), 573-80. PMID: 20452823
- July 7, 2010
- 02:28 AM
- 129 views
Gender Diffrence Panic Disoder Explained?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Women process threats and aggressive stimuli different than men, differences in the activation of brain regions participating in the fear circuitry. This might be an important factor contributing to the increased likelihood of women to develop panic disorder compared to men. If in women activation differs in parts of the fear circuitry, this could explain [...]
Related posts:Gender Differences in Empathy
Gender differences in frontal lobes
Gender and Medical Education
... Read more »
Patricia Ohrmann, M.D.,, Anya Pedersen, Ph.D., Miriam Braun, M.D.,, Jochen Bauer, M.Sc.,, Harald Kugel, Ph.D.,, Anette Kersting, M.D.,, Katharina Domschke, M.D.,, Jurgen Deckert, M.D.,, & Thomas Suslow, Ph.D. (2010) EFFECT OF GENDER ON PROCESSING THREAT-RELATED STIMULI IN PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER: SEX DOES MATTER. Depression . info:/10.1002/da.20721
- July 6, 2010
- 02:35 AM
- 119 views
Under-representation of women in academic bioscience
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Although 50% of women receive graduate degrees in biology in the US only 27% of faculty members is female. In Europe conditions are far worse on academic careers for women, especially in the medical academic workforce.
Only 1 in 10 medical clinical professors are women in the United Kingdom (UK). No female professor was employed in [...]
Related posts:Women in the medical academic workforce
Gender and Medical Education
The Effect of Gender on Clerkship during Medical Education
... Read more »
No authors listed. (2010) Crossing the gender divide. Nature Medicine, 16(5), 491-491. DOI: 10.1038/nm0510-491
- July 5, 2010
- 02:10 AM
- 149 views
GABA enriched chocolate against stress?
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
At first Dr Shock was baffled. Mixing precious chocolate with chemicals? What a waste. Apparently cocoa has about 52 mg of GABA per 100 gram cacao. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and it has been shown to have an acute psychological stress-reducing effect in humans and a tranquilizing effect on sleeplessness, [...]
Related posts:Animal Model for Benefits of Chocolate for Cardiovascular System
Chocolate Against Stress
Dark Chocolate Improves Coronary Blood Flow
... Read more »
Nakamura, H., Takishima, T., Kometani, T., & Yokogoshi, H. (2009) Psychological stress-reducing effect of chocolate enriched with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in humans: assessment of stress using heart rate variability and salivary chromogranin A. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 60(s5), 106-113. DOI: 10.1080/09637480802558508
- July 1, 2010
- 02:42 AM
- 135 views
Disclosure of substance use on social media websites
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Young adults tend to post videos and images of themselves while using alcohol or marijuana on social media websites such as MySpace, and YouTube. In a recent study a content analysis was done on these videos. This study revealed that alcohol use was mostly in videos with females in social gatherings, while marijuana use on [...]
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The Dangers of Facebook or Let’s Be Careful Out There
Music Preference and Substance Use
... Read more »
Morgan, E., Snelson, C., & Elison-Bowers, P. (2010) Image and video disclosure of substance use on social media websites. Computers in Human Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2010.04.017
- June 29, 2010
- 02:05 AM
- 109 views
Postpartum Depression and Mass Media
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
About 13 to 19% of new mothers experience depression in the first year after birth. Most of them are never identified nor diagnosed. New mothers often read about pregnancy, giving birth and raising their children in popular magazines. It’s eminent that adequate information in these magazines about postpartum depression is of importance. A recent study [...]
Related posts:A Portrait of Depression in the Mass Media, Gender Influences.
Mass Media and notions about women’s depressive ........ Read more »
Schanie, C., Pinto-Foltz, M., & Logsdon, M. (2008) Analysis of Popular Press Articles Concerning Postpartum Depression: 1998–2006. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 29(11), 1200-1216. DOI: 10.1080/01612840802370509
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