Mental Health Research
16 Nov Mental Illness: Elderly Patients and Healthcare Utilization
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Hugh C. Hendrie, MB ChB, DSc
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine
Center Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research
Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: Our findings of higher rates of emergency care, longer hospitalizations and increased frequency of falls, substance abuse and alcoholism suggest that seriously mentally ill older adults remain a vulnerable population.
12 Nov Traumatic Brain Injury: PET Scanning to Detect Amyloid Deposition, Possible Dementia Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof David K Menon MD PhD FRCP FRCA FFICM FMedSci
Head, Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge
Consultant,
Neurosciences Critical Care Unit
BOC Professor,
Royal College of Anaesthetists
Professorial Fellow, Queens' College, Cambridge
Senior Investigator, National Institute for Health Research
Box 93, Addenbrooke's Hospital,
Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for your study?
Dr. Menon: We have known for some time that a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in a significant (between 2 and 10 fold) increase in the likelihood of getting dementia in later life. On possible mechanistic explanation for this comes from the finding that about a third of individuals who died of TBI, regardless of age, are found at autopsy to have deposits of β-amyloid in the brain, often Aβ42, which is the same variant of amyloid seen in the brain of patients who have Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, such detection after death has made it impossible to examine the linkage of such early amyloid deposition to late dementia. More recently, imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) has been used to image amyloid deposits in Alzheimer’s Disease. However, the technique had not been validated in traumatic brain injury.
07 Nov Depression: Usefulness of Patient Engagement Programs
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Richard L. Kravitz, MD, MSPH
Professor and Co-vice Chair (Research)
Interim Director, UC Center Sacramento
Co-Editor in Chief, Journal of General Internal Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for your study?
Dr. Kravitz: Depression in the United States is both undertreated and overtreated. As the de facto mental health care system for many, primary care is at the nexus of this problem. Up to 30% of patients with major depression in primary care go undiagnosed. At the same time, partly as a result of marketing, lots of patients who don’t need meds are started on antidepressants. So we were interested in finding ways to get more truly depressed patients into treatment without overtreating patients who don’t need it.
30 Oct Autism and Language Impairment: Possible Common Genetic Link
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Linda Brzustowicz, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Genetics
Rutgers University,Piscataway, NJ 08854
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Brzustowicz: The objective of this study was to search for locations in the human genome that impact language ability in individuals with autism as well as in their family members without autism. To do this, we recruited families with an individual with autism and at least one other family member without autism but with a language learning impairment. We identified two locations in the human genome that are linked to language ability in these families. Importantly, these locations do not appear to be specific to language impairment in the individuals with autism, but are related to language ability in other family members as well. This suggests that while individuals with autism may have new, or de novo, genetic variations that are important for risk of illness, they may also carry inherited genetic variation that influence the expression of their illness. The effects of these inherited variants can also be seen in the language performance of family members without autism.
24 Oct Memory Performance: Negatively Impacted by Higher Glucose, even in Non-Diabetics
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lucia Kerti MA From the Departments of Neurology Charité–University Medicine, Berlin MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The results of our study on 141 healthy older people suggest that chronically higher blood glucose levels may have a negative influence on memory performance even in the absence of type 2 diabetes or even pre-diabetes. Moreover, our findings indicate that elevated blood glucose levels impair the functioning of brain areas like the hippocampus, a structure particularly relevant for memory. An important novel aspect in our study was the additional analysis of diffusion tensor imaging-based mean diffusivity within the hippocampal, which allowed us to obtain information on microstructure. We here provided first-time data of an association between higher blood glucose levels and lower hippocampal microstructure. Decreased hippocampal microstructure as measured by mean diffusivity may reflect a disruption of neuronal membranes and increased extracellular water content, leading to decreased signaling within and between hippocampal cells. Thus, information transfer between cells, indispensable for memory encoding, storage and retrieval, would be compromised. In sum, our data suggest that chronically higher blood glucose levels even within the "normal range" may decrease memory functions, possibly in part mediated by microstructural changes within the hippocampus.24 Oct Alzheimer disease: Genetic Risk Mitigated by Good Sleep
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Andrew S. Lim MD MMSc FRCPC DABPN Assistant Professor and Clinician Scientist Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lim: Alzheimer disease (AD) is the result of a confluence of genetic, behavioral, and environmental risk factors. The Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele is the most common and well established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer Disease. 10-20% of the US population carries the high risk APOE e4 allele, which confers up to a 30% lifetime risk of AD. Meanwhile, previous work had suggested that poor sleep may be a risk factor for AD and that APOE genotype and poor sleep may amplify each other's negative cognitive effects. We asked the question whether good sleep consolidation (i.e. sound sleep without repeated awakenings) may reduce the effect of APOE on the risk of incident AD and the burden of AD pathology. We studied 698 individuals without dementia participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project - a longitudinal cohort study of aging and risk factors for AD. We measured sleep consolidation using wrist-watch like devices called actigraphs, and followed participants for up to 6 years, examining them annually for the development of AD. Autopsies were perfumed on 201 participants who died during the follow-up period and we quantified the burden of AD pathology. During the follow-up period, 98 participants developed AD. As expected, carrying the APOE e4 allele was associated with a higher risk of AD, faster cognitive decline, and a higher burden of AD pathology (amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) at death. However, better sleep at baseline significantly reduced the negative impact of APOE e4 on the risk of AD, rate of cognitive decline, and burden of neurofibrillary tangle pathology.18 Oct Antipsychotics: Financial Incentives to Improve Medication Adherence
MedicalResearch.com Interview with
Professor Stefan Priebe, Dipl.-Psych., Dr. med. habil., FRCPsych
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development
Queen Mary, University of London
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: Offering modest financial incentives can help patients to achieve better adherence to anti-psychotic maintenance medication.
18 Oct Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities: Heritable and Cultural Influences
MedicalResearch.com Interview with
Dr. Kees-Jan Kan PhD
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University
Department of Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We asked ourselves how well theories of intelligence actually predict empirical results. To this end, we reviewed and scrutinized the predictions from intelligence theories and collected relevant results that have been published in the scientific literature over the last decades. The results pertained to intelligence test scores from thousands of subjects across the world. We found that on essential aspects the empirical results were opposite of the predictions from the mainstream theories of intelligence, in which intelligence is interpreted as a biological trait.
17 Oct Anorexia Nervosa: Optimized Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavior Therapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with Stephan Zipfel MD Professor of Medicine & Dean of Medical Education Head Department of Internal Medicine VI (Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy) University Medical Hospital Tuebingen President of the German College of Psychosomatic Medicine (DKPM) Co-Director of the centre for nutritional Medicine Tuebingen-Hohenheim 72076 Tuebingen / Germany MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Zipfel: Outpatient treatment of adults with anorexia nervosa by either enhanced cognitive-behaviour therapy, focal psychodynamic therapy, or optimised treatment as usual led to relevant weight gains and a decrease in general and eating disorder-specific psychopathology during the course of treatment. These positive effects continued beyond treatment until 12-month follow-up. Most patients completed treatment and the acceptance of both specific therapy approaches was high among both patients and therapists.11 Oct Episodic Memory Impairments and Tip-of-Tongue Experiences
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Timothy Salthouse
Brown-Forman Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400
MedicalResearch.com: What prompted this work?
Prof. Salthouse: I think it is noteworthy that the research originated as an undergraduate project by Arielle Mandell. Ms. Mandell was supported by a University of Virginia Harrison Undergraduate Research Award while she was doing the research, and a report of the research served as her Distinguished Major Thesis.
The research was prompted by the observation that according to self-reports, tip-of-the-tongue experiences occur more and more frequently with increased age, and often seem to be associated with concerns about memory decline and possibly impending dementia. We wondered
- 1) whether these self-reports are valid, and
- 2) if they are valid, do they truly indicate age-related failures of the type of memory used in the diagnosis of dementia.
11 Oct Gene Predisposes Some to Focus on the Negative
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Rebecca Todd
Assistant Professor
University of British Columbia
Department of Psychology
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability
4342A-2260 West Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: What we found, in essence, is that some individuals are genetically predisposed to see the world more darkly than others. We find that a common gene variant is linked to perceiving emotional events --especially negative ones --¬ more vividly than others. This gene variant has been previously linked (by other researchers) to emotional memory and the likelihood of experiencing intrusive, or “flashback” memories following traumatic experience. Our findings suggest that in healthy young adults this enhanced emotional memory may be because individuals are more likely to perceive what’s emotionally relevant in the first place. We've all heard of rose colored glasses, but this is more like gene-colored glasses, tinted a bit darkly.
09 Oct Teenagers: What are the Psychosocial Problems if Parent has Cancer?
Posted at 13:47h
in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Mental Health Research, Pediatrics, Social Issues
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Elisabeth Jeppesen MPH, PhD-fellow
National Resource Center for Late Effects after Cancer Treatment, Department of Oncology, Oslo University, Hospital, The Norwegian Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
mobil +47 951 05271
Wisit: Ullernchaussen 70 (Radiumhospitalet)
www.oslo-universitetssykehus.no
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background of this study?
Answer: Each year a considerable number of parents with children younger than 18 years of age are affected by cancer in a parent. Cancer in one of the parents might represent a potentially traumatic event and thereby may be a risk factor for psychosocial problems in the offspring. So far, teenagers’ psychosocial responses to parental cancer have only been studied to a limited extent in controlled trials. Using a trauma theory perspective many studies have shown significant direct associations between parental cancer and psychosocial problems in teenagers. However, the literature also indicates that most children and teenagers have normal stress reactions to such events. In order to identify the need for eventual prevention and intervention among teenagers exposed to such a stressor, we need more empirical knowledge of their psychosocial situation.
07 Oct Cognitive Effects of Statins
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Seth S. Martin, MD Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital 600 North Wolfe Street Baltimore, Maryland 21287 Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, MD 21287. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Martin: Our systematic review identified 16 studies for qualitative synthesis and 11 for quantitative synthesis. In individuals without baseline cognitive dysfunction, statins did not adversely affect memory when used in the short-term (<1 year). Long-term cognition studies including 23,433 patients with a mean exposure duration of 3 to 24.9 years showed a 29% relative reduction in incident dementia related to statin use (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI 0.61-0.82) and a 2% absolute risk reduction (number needed to treat for 6.2 years: 50).04 Oct Suicide: Impact of 2008 Global Economic Crisis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Shu-Sen Chang, MD, MSc, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention
The University of Hong Kong
2/F, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research, 5 Sassoon Road Pokfulam, Hong Kong
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Chang: The study shows a marked increase in suicide in 2009 following the 2008 global economic crisis, particularly in men in the 27 European and 18 American countries included in the study. There were estimated approximately 5000 excess suicides across all 54 study countries in 2009. The largest increase in Europe was seen in 15-24 year old men and in 45-64 year old men in America.
04 Oct Psychotropic Medication Use Patterns in Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tanya Froehlich, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002
Cincinnati, OH 45229
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Froehlich: In a national sample of 2 to 5 year olds, the likelihood of psychotropic prescription peaked in the mid-2000s (at 1.5%), then stabilized in the late 2000s (to 1.0%). Increased psychotropic use in boys, white children, and those lacking private health insurance was documented.
03 Oct Alzheimer’s and Albumin-Amyloid Beta Complexes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Keiichi Yamamoto, MD, PhD Department of Geriatric Medicine and Neurology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Aβ is normally bound to and transported by albumin in blood. We therefore hypothesized that decreased blood levels of Albumin-Aβ complexes may be associated with decreased Aβ removal from brain to blood, resulting in Aβ accumulation in the brain. This is the first study demonstrated that decreased serum level of albumin-Aβ complexes was strongly associated with a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This association was independent of age, sex, and ApoE4 allele. In addition, decreased serum level of albumin-Aβ complexes was correlated with decreased levels of Aβ42 in the CSF and increased levels of p-tau in the CSF, findings that have been shown to be associated with specific neuropathologic findings and AD progression.02 Oct Cognitive Function and Decision Making: Age-Related Changes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Agnieszka Anna Tymula
Lecturer (Assistant Professor)
School of Economics
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006, Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We found that individual risk preferences as well as consistency and rationality in choice change with age. Just like cognitive abilities, the ability to make consistent and rational decisions considerably declines in older adulthood. Tolerance to risk in the domain of gains follows an inverted U-shaped pattern along the life span, with older adults (65+ y. o.) and adolescents being more risk averse than young or midlife adults. Interestingly, in the domain of losses, older adults are willing to accept significantly more risks than adolescents, young and midlife adults.
02 Oct Statins and Cognitive Function
Neil V. Marrion, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience
Programme Director for BSc and MSci Pharmacology degrees
School of Physiology & Pharmacology
Medical and Veterinary Sciences University Walk
University of Bristol Bristol, BS8 1TD.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Marrion: We tested pravastatin and atorvostatin (two commonly prescribed statins) in rat learning and memory models. Rats were treated daily with pravastatin (brand name - Pravachol) or atorvostatin (brand name - Lipitor) for 18 days. The rodents were tested in a simple learning task before, during and after treatment, where they had to learn where to find a food reward. On the last day of treatment and following one week withdrawal, the rats were also tested in a task which measures their ability to recognise a previously encountered object (recognition memory).
The study’s findings showed that pravastatin tended to impair learning over the last few days of treatment although this effect was fully reversed once treatment ceased. However, in the novel object discrimination task, pravastatin impaired object recognition memory. While no effects were observed for atorvostatin in either task.
30 Sep Early Dementia: Effect of Musical Activities on Cognitive Functioning
MedicalResearch.com:
Teppo Särkämö PhD
Institute of Behavioural Sciences
PL 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 1A), 363
FI-00014, HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO Finland
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We found that caregiver-implemented musical leisure activities, such
as singing and music listening, are beneficial for elderly persons
with mild-moderate dementia (PWD). Compared to standard care, regular
singing and music listening improved mood, orientation level, episodic
memory and to a lesser extent, also attention and executive function
and general cognition. Singing also enhanced verbal working memory and
caregiver well-being, whereas music listening had a positive effect on
quality of life.
22 Sep Alzheimer’s Disease: CSF Biomarker Predicts Preclinical Cognitive Decline
MedicalResearch.com Interview Invitation
Argonde van Harten
From the Alzheimer Center
School for Mental Health and Neurosciences, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We found cerebrospinal fluid biomarker evidence of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) predicted cognitive decline in patients with subjective complaints. These patients have cognitive complaints, but are cognitively normal at baseline. Preclinical AD predicted decline in memory performance, executive functions and global cognition over time. Most patients, however, had no evidence of preclinical AD and their cogntive functions generally remained stable over two years. Their memory performance improved.
19 Sep Parkinson’s Disease: Cognitive Impairment and Plasma Ceramides
MedicalResearch.com: Interview with:
Michelle M. Mielke, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Health Sciences Research
Division of Epidemiology
Mayo Clinic 200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Mielke: Among Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, plasma levels of ceramides and monohexylceramides were higher in patients with cognitive impairment or dementia compared to patients who were cognitively normal. Levels of these lipids were also higher in the combined group of PD patients compared to non-PD controls but the number of controls were small.
19 Sep Cognitive Impairment and Hospital Readmissions
Posted at 13:17h
in CMAJ, Cognitive Issues, General Medicine, Hospital Readmissions, Outcomes & Safety
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mark W. Ketterer, PhD, ABPP
Senior Bioscientific Staff
Henry Ford Hospital/A2
Detroit, MI 48202
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences
Department of Psychiatry Wayne State University
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study:
Dr. Ketterer: A survey of 84 patients admitted to Henry Ford Hospital found 54% to have Moderate-Severe Cognitive Impairment (CI).
18 Sep Obesity: Low Childhood IQ Raises Risk of Midlife Obesity and Late-Life Dementia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Daniel Belsky, PhD NIA Postdoctoral Fellow Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development Duke University Box 104410 Durham, NC 27708 Is Obesity Associated With a Decline in Intelligence Quotient During the First Half of the Life Course? MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Belsky: Midlife obesity is linked with...
18 Sep Dementia: Lewy Body vs Parkinson’s Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Rodolfo Savica, MD, MSc
Department of Neurology, College of Medicine
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study?
Dr. Savica: This study is the first in North America to explore the incidence of DLB and PDD in a population based sample. We found that the overall incidence of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), considered the second leading cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer`s disease, is lower than that of Parkinson`s disease (PD), increases steeply with age, and is markedly higher in men than in women.
11 Sep Diabetes: (Hp) 1-1 genotype Less Favorable Cardiac, Cognitive Profiles
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ramit Ravona-Springer M.D., Psychiatrist Director of Memory Clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In a cohort of elderly, cognitively normal type 2 diabetes (T2D) subjects, those with Haptoglobin (Hp) 1-1 genotype present lower cognitive performance compared to Hp 2 carriers (Hp 1-2 and Hp 2-2). The contribution of cardiovascular risk factors to cognition was significantly higher in subjects with Hp1-1 genotype compared to Hp 2 carriers.11 Sep Methamphetamine: Research Aims to Disrupt Drug-Associated Memories
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Courtney A. Miller, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Metabolism & Aging
Department of Neuroscience
The Scripps Research Institute
Jupiter, FL 33458
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Miller: The relapse rate for drug abusers, smokers and alcoholics is high because abstinence is so difficult. A major factor is the craving that drug associations can trigger. These range from seeing the neighborhood where someone used to buy, in the case of illicit drugs, to social drinking for a smoker. We’ve found a way to disrupt these drug-associated memories without affecting other, more benign memories.
11 Sep Diabetes: Cardiovascular Events and Geriatric Scale Scores
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jean-Pierre Le Floch, MD Diabetology-Endocrinology Villecresnes Medical Hospital 94440 Villecresnes MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study? Answer: The main finding of the study is the association between classical macrovascular complications of diabetes and impaired scores of five geriatric scale scores exploring cognition, activities of daily life, instrumental activities, mood and nutrition.10 Sep At-Risk Patients for Psychosis and Impaired Functional Outcomes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ricardo E. Carrión, PhD Division of Psychiatry Research The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore–Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, New YorkCenter for Psychiatric Neuroscience, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore–Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, New York MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of your study: Answer: Reduced neurocognition, poor functioning, and other behavioral symptoms at baseline were associated with an increased risk of long-term social difficulties and school/work problems in adolescents and young adults at high clinical risk for psychosis.30 Aug Mental Health Disorders Linked To Shortened LIfespan
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Arif Khan, MD Medical Director, Northwest Clinical Research Center Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry Duke University Medical Center and Christine Khan, Psychiatric Nurse 1951 – 152nd Place NE Northwest Clinical Research Center Bellevue, WA 98007 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of your study?- The original idea set in early 20th century that psychiatric patients discharged from mental hospitals had a shortened life span or faced early death was supported by this analysis of psychiatric patients participating in research trials for new medications. There was no increased risk of early death or shortened life span for participating in these research clinical trials.
- Life span shortening or increased risk of early death is highest among patients with schizophrenia, followed by patients with major mood disorders such as Bipolar Mood Disorder and Major Depression.