All posts; Tags Include "Clinical Psychology"
- August 11, 2014
- 11:42 AM
- 660 views
Clinical Drug Trials for Pathological Gambling
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Several drug classes hold promise for reduction in pathological gambling behavior.However, there are very few published randomized and controlled clinical drug trials in gambling subjects.Searching clinical trials and gambling on PubMed yields only one small open-label proof of concept trial for the drug tolcapone within the last year.This study found evidence that this COMT inhibitor drug reduced gambling symptoms and was accompanied by fronto-parietal activation on fMRI imaging.However, on sea........ Read more »
Grant JE, Odlaug BL, Chamberlain SR, Hampshire A, Schreiber LR, & Kim SW. (2013) A proof of concept study of tolcapone for pathological gambling: relationships with COMT genotype and brain activation. European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 23(11), 1587-96. PMID: 23953269
- August 11, 2014
- 09:00 AM
- 1,585 views
OCD Linked With Broad Impairments in Executive Function
by amikulak in Daily Observations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by intrusive and persistent thoughts that are often accompanied by repetitive or ritualized acts, is a serious clinical disorder that can significantly impact a person’s ability […]... Read more »
Snyder, H., Kaiser, R., Warren, S., & Heller, W. (2014) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Is Associated With Broad Impairments in Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614534210
- August 6, 2014
- 12:01 PM
- 1,235 views
Brain Striatum and Loss-Chasing in Gambling
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Pathological gambling (PG) is a pattern of gambling characterized by loss of control and large gambling debts.The near-miss phenomenon in gambling is the gaming scenario where gamblers sense they were very close to winning.This near-miss phenomenon can be programmed into slot machines. For example, a gambler might be presented frequently with four cherries when five cherries would result in a huge payout.The response to the near-miss in PG is often a sense that a big win is just around the corne........ Read more »
van Holst RJ, Chase HW, & Clark L. (2014) Striatal connectivity changes following gambling wins and near-misses: Associations with gambling severity. NeuroImage. Clinical, 232-9. PMID: 25068112
- July 31, 2014
- 07:10 PM
- 794 views
Twitter Psychosis as a Cultural Artifact
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
The creation of the category “Twitter Psychosis" tells us more about the culture of contemporary psychiatry than it does about the purported dangers of social media overuse. Can Twitter really “cause” psychotic symptoms in predisposed individuals? Or is Twitter merely the latest technical innovation that influences “the form, origin and content of delusional beliefs” (Bell et al., 2005)? Twitter as the new telephone tower, radio waves, microchip implant or personal TV show, if you wil........ Read more »
Kalbitzer J, Mell T, Bermpohl F, Rapp MA, & Heinz A. (2014) Twitter Psychosis: A Rare Variation or a Distinct Syndrome?. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 202(8), 623. PMID: 25075647
- July 29, 2014
- 11:17 AM
- 859 views
Treating Sleep Problems Following Traumatic Brain Injury
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Sleep problems are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI).In a previous post, I reviewed a study of the risk factors for sleep disorders following TBI.The most severe TBI is a risk factor for hypersomnia. Anxiety and depression following TBI increase risk for insomnia complaints.Few large studies of treatment for sleep problems after TBI exist. However, a recent manuscript outlined the potential benefit of treatment of sleep disorders in a series of 12 subjects.Catherine Wiseman-Hake........ Read more »
Wiseman-Hakes C, Murray B, Moineddin R, Rochon E, Cullen N, Gargaro J, & Colantonio A. (2013) Evaluating the impact of treatment for sleep/wake disorders on recovery of cognition and communication in adults with chronic TBI. Brain injury : [BI], 27(12), 1364-76. PMID: 24070180
- July 25, 2014
- 11:02 AM
- 765 views
Risk Factors For Sleep Disturbance After Traumatic Brain Injury
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Sleep disturbance following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common clinical challenge.Hypersomnia and insomnia can both been seen in the TBI population.The risk factors related to TBI-related sleep disturbance are not well known. Identification of risk factors can provide insight into clinical assessment and management.Lijun Hou and colleagues recently examined risk factors related to subjective sleep complaints in a series of 98 TBI subjects.The study sample include adults admitted to a ........ Read more »
Hou L, Han X, Sheng P, Tong W, Li Z, Xu D, Yu M, Huang L, Zhao Z, Lu Y.... (2013) Risk factors associated with sleep disturbance following traumatic brain injury: clinical findings and questionnaire based study. PloS one, 8(10). PMID: 24098425
- July 14, 2014
- 10:44 AM
- 683 views
Cognitive Reserve Boosts Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Cognitive reserve (high educational attainment, high IQ) is known to reduce or delay the risk for Alzheimer's disease.However, the effect of cognitive reserve on recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) is less well studied.Two recent research studies support the beneficial effects of cognitive reserve on TBI.Schneider and colleagues examined a series of 769 adult TBI subjects using the TBI Model Systems Database.This cohort was followed during rehabilitation for a period of at least one year......... Read more »
Schneider EB, Sur S, Raymont V, Duckworth J, Kowalski RG, Efron DT, Hui X, Selvarajah S, Hambridge HL, & Stevens RD. (2014) Functional recovery after moderate/severe traumatic brain injury: a role for cognitive reserve?. Neurology, 82(18), 1636-42. PMID: 24759845
Fay TB, Yeates KO, Taylor HG, Bangert B, Dietrich A, Nuss KE, Rusin J, & Wright M. (2010) Cognitive reserve as a moderator of postconcussive symptoms in children with complicated and uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS, 16(1), 94-105. PMID: 19835663
- June 24, 2014
- 09:05 AM
- 1,178 views
Social Networks May Guide Parents to Particular Autism Interventions
by amikulak in Daily Observations
After receiving a life-changing diagnosis for themselves or a loved one, people often turn to social networks for support and information. Parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) […]... Read more »
Pickard, K., & Ingersoll, B. (2014) From Research Settings to Parents: The Role of Parent Social Networks in the Choices Parents Make About Services for Their Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614534240
- June 23, 2014
- 10:52 AM
- 615 views
Varenicline for Smoking Cessation
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Varenicline is a drug designed to assist smokers in cessation. It is marketed in the U.S. as Chantix.Varenicline is one of the first drugs to target the nicotine receptor. It is classified as a partial agonist, meaning it stimulates the nicotine receptor but to a weaker effect than nicotine itself.The mechanism of action of varenicline differs from that of another smoking cessation drug bupropion marked under trade name Zyban in the U.S.One concern with varenicline is the risk for psychiatric ad........ Read more »
Ebbert JO, Hatsukami DK, Croghan IT, Schroeder DR, Allen SS, Hays JT, & Hurt RD. (2014) Combination varenicline and bupropion SR for tobacco-dependence treatment in cigarette smokers: a randomized trial. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, 311(2), 155-63. PMID: 24399554
Rose JE, & Behm FM. (2014) Combination Treatment With Varenicline and Bupropion in an Adaptive Smoking Cessation Paradigm. The American journal of psychiatry. PMID: 24934962
Anthenelli RM, Morris C, Ramey TS, Dubrava SJ, Tsilkos K, Russ C, & Yunis C. (2013) Effects of varenicline on smoking cessation in adults with stably treated current or past major depression: a randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 159(6), 390-400. PMID: 24042367
Boudrez H, Hoengenaert JP, Nackaerts K, Messig M, & Metcalfe M. (2013) Predictors of quit success in Belgian participants of a varenicline observational smoking cessation study. Acta clinica Belgica, 68(1), 37-42. PMID: 23627193
- June 20, 2014
- 12:07 PM
- 664 views
Maternal Smoking and Child Conduct Disorder Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Conduct disorder is a serious behavioral disorder of childhood characterized by aggression, destruction of property, lying, theft and violation of rules.A significant number of children with conduct disorder go on to adult antisocial personality disorder.Conduct disorder is known to have genetic as well as environmental risk factors.Darya Gaysina from the United Kingdom and colleagues recently published a review of maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring conduct problems.This review exam........ Read more »
Gaysina D, Fergusson DM, Leve LD, Horwood J, Reiss D, Shaw DS, Elam KK, Natsuaki MN, Neiderhiser JM, & Harold GT. (2013) Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring conduct problems: evidence from 3 independent genetically sensitive research designs. JAMA psychiatry, 70(9), 956-63. PMID: 23884431
Cadoret RJ, Yates WR, Troughton E, Woodworth G, & Stewart MA. (1995) Genetic-environmental interaction in the genesis of aggressivity and conduct disorders. Archives of general psychiatry, 52(11), 916-24. PMID: 7487340
- June 19, 2014
- 11:20 AM
- 716 views
Smoking and Abnormal Brain Pleasure Response
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Smoking cessation in those with nicotine dependence is one of the most difficult challenges for patients and their clinicians.Research targeting the neurobiology of smoking cessation provides hope for designing more effective treatments for nicotine dependence.Takeshi Isomura along with colleagues in the U.S. and Japan recently summarized recent findings in the brain pleasure response in nicotine dependence.The brain ventral striatum region is known to be key in nearly all sensations of pleasure........ Read more »
Isomura T, Suzuki J, & Murai T. (2014) Paradise Lost: The relationships between neurological and psychological changes in nicotine-dependent patients. Addiction research , 22(2), 158-165. PMID: 24719610
Peters J, Bromberg U, Schneider S, Brassen S, Menz M, Banaschewski T, Conrod PJ, Flor H, Gallinat J, Garavan H.... (2011) Lower ventral striatal activation during reward anticipation in adolescent smokers. The American journal of psychiatry, 168(5), 540-9. PMID: 21362742
- June 16, 2014
- 09:43 AM
- 1,485 views
People Sensitive to Criticism May Be Biased Toward Focusing on the Negative
by amikulak in Daily Observations
Being on the receiving end of criticism from loved ones is unpleasant for anybody, but for some people, it may go so far as to affect their mental health. Research […]... Read more »
Masland, S., Hooley, J., Tully, L., Dearing, K., & Gotlib, I. (2014) Cognitive-Processing Biases in Individuals High on Perceived Criticism. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614529935
- June 10, 2014
- 10:54 AM
- 966 views
Smoking During Pregnancy and Fetal Growth
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is linked to a variety of adverse effects including increased perinatal mortality, gestational bleeding and placenta abruptio and placenta previa.Newborns of smoking mothers weigh less than newborns of nonsmoking mothers.The specific distribution of target organ growth impairment with maternal smoking is less well studied.Devasuda Anblagan and colleagues in the United Kingdom and Canada recently published a study of fetal organ growth in smoking mothers.Using ........ Read more »
Anblagan D, Jones NW, Costigan C, Parker AJ, Allcock K, Aleong R, Coyne LH, Deshpande R, Raine-Fenning N, Bugg G.... (2013) Maternal smoking during pregnancy and fetal organ growth: a magnetic resonance imaging study. PloS one, 8(7). PMID: 23843995
- June 9, 2014
- 11:04 AM
- 1,160 views
Smoking Linked to Brain White Matter Dysfunction
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Tobacco smoking and nicotine dependence produce harmful effects on the brain.Some of these effects are related to direct effects on vascular health. Vascular changes seen with smoking are known to contribute to increased risk for stroke and dementia.Advances in brain imaging techniques allow for more direct study on smoking's effect on specific brain structures.Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a relatively recent imaging tool allowing for study of brain white matter function.Brain white matter ........ Read more »
Umene-Nakano W, Yoshimura R, Kakeda S, Watanabe K, Hayashi K, Nishimura J, Takahashi H, Moriya J, Ide S, Ueda I.... (2014) Abnormal white matter integrity in the corpus callosum among smokers: tract-based spatial statistics. PloS one, 9(2). PMID: 24516568
- June 5, 2014
- 09:00 AM
- 1,439 views
“Out, Damned Spot!”: Obsessive-Like Behavior Linked to Specific Type of Guilt
by amikulak in Daily Observations
If you’ve ever watched the T.V. show Monk, you know that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by a fixation on certain thoughts and a need to engage in repetitive behaviors, […]... Read more »
D'Olimpio, F., & Mancini, F. (2014) Role of Deontological Guilt in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-Like Checking and Washing Behaviors. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614529549
- June 4, 2014
- 10:12 AM
- 902 views
Types of Mathematics Learning Disorders
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Learning mathematics is a complex process that forms a key element in modern education.Significant mathematics learning difficulties emerge in 5 to 10 per cent of all elementary and secondary education students.Struggling to acquire skills in mathematics is more than a single deficit and appears to involve multiple cognitive skills.Giannis Karagiannakis and colleagures recently summarized what is known about mathematics learning disorders and proposed four subtypes. I will summarize these subtyp........ Read more »
Karagiannakis G, Baccaglini-Frank A, & Papadatos Y. (2014) Mathematical learning difficulties subtypes classification. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 57. PMID: 24574997
- June 4, 2014
- 09:45 AM
- 1,474 views
Spirituality May Help Buffer New Mothers Against Postpartum Depression
by amikulak in Daily Observations
While the birth of a new baby is usually an exciting time for parents, for half a million American mothers each year, childbirth is followed by the onset of postpartum […]... Read more »
Cheadle, A., Dunkel Schetter, C., Gaines Lanzi, R., Reed Vance, M., Sahadeo, L., Shalowitz, M., , ., Vance, M., Minkovitz, C., O'Campo, P.... (2014) Spiritual and Religious Resources in African American Women: Protection From Depressive Symptoms After Childbirth. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614531581
- June 3, 2014
- 11:14 AM
- 810 views
Executive Cognition in Autism Sprectrum Disorder
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Executive functions (EF) of the brain are processes used to make complex decisions and plans.Deficits in EF can produce significant impairment in the ability to successfully many daily life challenges.EF are felt to be primarily a reflection of workings of the frontal lobe although additional brain regions contribute this cognitive skill.Simonetta Panerai and colleagues from Italy recently examined the key components of EF in a group of children with autism sprectrum disorder (ASD). They adminis........ Read more »
Panerai S, Tasca D, Ferri R, Genitori D'Arrigo V, & Elia M. (2014) Executive Functions and Adaptive Behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorders with and without Intellectual Disability. Psychiatry journal, 941809. PMID: 24829905
- June 2, 2014
- 11:52 AM
- 906 views
Brain Resting Connectivity Deficits in Autism
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Resting connectivity is a measure of brain circuitry obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).This technique is relatively new but there is emerging evidence of the potential value in research and clinical assessment.Research in brain connectivity includes looking for distinct patterns in brain disorders compared to health controls.One such type of study in autism has been published by a group of Japanese researchers.Takashi Itahashi and colleagues recruited 46 adult subjects wit........ Read more »
Itahashi T, Yamada T, Watanabe H, Nakamura M, Jimbo D, Shioda S, Toriizuka K, Kato N, & Hashimoto R. (2014) Altered network topologies and hub organization in adults with autism: a resting-state FMRI study. PloS one, 9(4). PMID: 24714805
- May 29, 2014
- 10:45 AM
- 710 views
The Aging Political Brain: Hillary's Advantage
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There has been significant public discussion on the topic of politicians running for office at an older age. I wanted to add a few comments to this discussion from a neuroscience perspective on the aging brain.I think there are three key elements in this topic. The first is pretty universal effect of age to produce a reduction in psychomotor speed. The graph above shows norms for the completion of the Trails B Test by age. This test involves connecting an alternating number/letter series of dots........ Read more »
Tombaugh, T. (2004) Trail Making Test A and B: Normative data stratified by age and education. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 19(2), 203-214. DOI: 10.1016/S0887-6177(03)00039-8
Ganguli, M., Dodge, H., Chen, P., Belle, S., & DeKosky, S. (2000) Ten-year incidence of dementia in a rural elderly US community population: The MoVIES Project. Neurology, 54(5), 1109-1116. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.54.5.1109
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