April, 2010
Binge Eating to Be Added to Mental Disorders Manual
In two hours or less, do you eat an amount of food that is significantly larger than most people would consume in the same time and under similar circumstances? Do you eat until uncomfortably full, and more rapidly than most people would, at least once a week, for a minimum of three months? Do you feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty once you stop?
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People with Depression Eat More Chocolate as Symptoms Increase
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found that women and men eat more chocolate as depressive symptoms increase, suggesting an association between mood and chocolate. Results of this paper, co-authored by Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at UCSD School of Medicine, appears in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Study Finds that a Single Gene is Responsible for OCD-Like Behavior in Mice
Researchers at the Ansary Stem Cell Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College discovered that mice missing a single gene developed repetitive obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors. The genetically altered mice, which behaved much like people with a certain type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), could help scientists design new therapies for this debilitating condition. The researchers made this serendipitous discovery while looking at the role of a gene, called Slitrk5, which they had earlier linked to blood stem cells and vascular cells.
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Victims of Domestic Violence Have Higher Health Costs Years After Abuse Ends
Victims of domestic violence endure significantly higher health costs than other women for three years after the abuse ends, a new study finds. Abuse victims had health care costs that averaged more than $1,200 above non-abused women for the first two years after the abuse ended and about $400 above others in the third year.
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Psychological Acupuncture Helps Reduce Food Cravings
Psychological acupuncture has been shown to be successful in reducing food cravings for up to six months in people who are overweight or obese. The technique combines gentle tapping on pressure points while focusing on particular emotions and thoughts. Psychologist Dr. Peta Stapleton of Griffith University’s School of Medicine said the technique was painless and easy to learn.
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Study Finds Non-Smokers Put on Less Weight
A new study links nicotine poisoning with weight gain, and concludes that active smokers, not only those who stop, put on more weight than non-smokers. After four years of analysis in the University of Navarra, those who put on least weight were those who had never smoked.
Children Who Lose a Parent to Suicide More Likely to Commit Suicide Themselves
Losing a parent to suicide makes children more likely to die by suicide themselves and increases their risk of developing a range of major psychiatric disorders, according to a study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center that is believed to be the largest one to date on the subject. A report on the findings will appear in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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African-American Men with Chronic Pain at Higher Risk for Depression
African-American men with chronic pain related to an accident, injury, illness, surgery, or other causes were more likely to experience depression, affective distress, and disability than white men with chronic pain, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System. The persistent pain black men experienced was more severe which might lead to greater disability, but the study by U-M researchers give clues to other factors that drive the downward spiral to depression and disability.
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Patients Experience More Side Effects from Depression Medication Than Psychiatrists Admit
A study from Rhode Island Hospital shows that patients report side effects from medication for the treatment of depression 20 times more than psychiatrists have recorded in charts. The researchers recommend the use of a self-administered patient questionnaire in clinical practice to improve the recognition of side effects for patients in treatment. The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Volume 71, No. 4, now available online ahead of print.
Biological Link Between Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Scientists at the University of Western Ontario have discovered the biological link between stress, anxiety and depression. By identifying the connecting mechanism in the brain, this high impact research led by Stephen Ferguson of Robarts Research Institute shows exactly how stress and anxiety could lead to depression. The study also reveals a small molecule inhibitor developed by Ferguson, which may provide a new and better way to treat anxiety, depression and other related disorders. The findings are published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
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