Counting the Cost of Alzheimer's

In the U.K. a report by the Alzheimer's Society has painted a bleak picture of the care given by the NHS to people with this condition. Based on a survey of 1,291 friends and relatives, 657 nurses and 479 ward managers the Counting the Cost report found that half of the people with Alzheimer's admitted to hospital left with worse health than when they went in. More than three-quarters of relatives were dissatisfied with treatment and one in three had made an official complaint. Poor care was leading to people spending much longer in hospital than was necessary, patients were being left unfed and with nothing to drink and even sitting in their own urine. Patients also suffered from weight loss, dehydration, pressure sores and incontinence after being left in bed for too long. The society found that at any one time people with Alzheimer's occupied one in four NHS hospital beds.

You can download a copy of the Counting the Cost report at

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=787

Meditation lowers heart risks

Researchers from the University of Wisconsis in the U.S. have found that transcendental meditation can have major benefits for people with cardiovascular problems. They studied a sample of 201 African Americans who had an average age of 59 and who had all been diagnosed with heart disease. Half practised transcendental meditation - in which people sit quietly and constantly repeat a mantra to focus their minds - and the other half had a health education class about diet and exercise. At the end of the study the participants in the transcendental meditation group had 47% fewer cases of heart attacks, strokes and deaths; lower blood pressure and significant reductions in their stress levels.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6581495/Meditation-cuts-risk-of-heart-attack-by-half.html

Study points to ketamine risks

Ketamine - which is often used as a tranquiliser for horses - is the fastest growing drug in the U.K. It is used on the dance scene and can produce effects of sedation, hallucinations and dissociation. Researchers at University College London studied 30 long-term users of the drug and found that it can have severe side effects. The study found that ketamine had a 'profound' impact on short and long-term memory, leading users to become 'dissociated' in their everyday lives and leaving them struggling to remember names and conversations. The drug also made people completely unresponsive to events around them making them more vulnerable to accidents. Ketamine was also linked to symptoms of depression and in the past it has been linked to breathing and bladder problems.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6583913/Ketamine-causes-memory-loss-research-finds.html

Absconding from low-secure units. How often does it happen and what are the risk factors?

Researchers from the South London and Maudsley and Oxleas NHS Trusts in London have been looking into the issue of absconding in a low-secure unit for people with 'challenging' behaviour. They found that over the course of 6 1/2 years 22% of the inpatients absconded from the unit. 84% of the incidents occured while the patients were on unescorted leave. Only one person escaped from the unit and there were no serious incidents. The following factors were associated with an increased risk of absconding:

• A history of absconding behaviour
• A history of substance misuse or dependence
• A history of non-compliance with treatment
• A history of sexually-inappropriate behaviour
• A history of bad behaviour in childhood

Beer, M. Dominic ... [et al] - Clinical predictors and patterns of absconding in a low secure challenging behaviour mental health unit Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care December 2009, 5(2), 81-87

Seclusion and restraint in psychiatric intensive care units

Patients in psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) often have to be placed in seclusion or restraint for their own or others' protection. U.K. researchers from NHS services in Suffolk, Hampshire and Oxford studied the patterns of seclusion and restraint in 332 patients admitted to 7 PICUs in England. They found that four of the units used seclusion on a total of 16% of their patients. All of the units used restraint on 28% of the admitted patients. Using seclusion did not affect the length of time patients were being restrained for or how many patients were restrained. The use of seclusion and restraint was significantly associated with patient violence and property damage. Restraint was also associated with higher levels of psychological disturbance and a younger patient age.

Dye, Stephen, Brown, Steve and Chhina, Navjyoat - Seclusion and restraint usage in seven English psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care December 2009, 5(2), 69-79

Genes, OCD and antipsychotics

A number of studies have shown that antipsychotic drugs can lead some people to develop obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There is known to be a genetic link to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and genetic factors are also thought to be involved in the way different people react to antipsychotic drugs. Substances called glutamates (which occur naturally in the body) are thought to play a part in the development of OCD and a gene called SLC1A1 is thought to play a part in how the brain deals with them. A team of researchers from South Korea compared 40 people taking antipsychotics who had developed OCD with 54 people who had taken the drugs but not developed it. They found that the group who had developed OCD were more likely to have variations in the SLC1A1 gene.

Kwon, Jun Soo ... [et al] - Association of the glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1 with atypical antipsychotics-induced obsessive-compulsive symptoms Archives of General Psychiatry November 2009, 66(11), 1233-1241

Talking therapy for chronic depression - does it make any difference

Around 50% of chronically-depressed patients fail to respond to trials of antidepressants or psychotherapy and an additional 20% do not get completely better. Even after partial improvement a residue of depression can affect people's lives and increase their chances of a relapse. Doctors often add psychotherapy to a drug treatment if this fails to work but there is little research on this. A team of researchers from the U.S. working on the REVAMP (Research Evaluating the Value of Augmenting Medication with Psychotherapy) project studied 491 people who were either not responding, or only partially responding, to antidepressants. They compared one group receiving cognitive behavioural analysis, one group receiving brief supportive psychotherapy and one group just receiving medication, all over a 12-week period. They found that although 37.5% of the participants showed at least some improvement over the course of the study there was no significant difference between the three groups. But it could be the case that a longer study would have shown more improvement in the psychotherapy groups or that different kinds of psychotherapy would have been more effective.

Kocsis, James H. ... [et al] - Cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy and brief supportive psychotherapy for augmentation of antidepressant nonresponse in chronic depression: the REVAMP trial Archives of General Psychiatry November 2009, 66(11), 1178-1188

Borderline personality disorder and relationship problems

The changeable moods and unpredictable behaviour of people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can lead to difficulties in relationships. However, there is little actual research to back this up. About 20-30% of people with borderline personality disorder are estimated to be in a relationship at any one time and researchers from the Institut Universitaire en Sante Mentale de Quebec looked into this issue more closely. They studied a sample of 35 couples where neither partner was affected. The partners filled out questionnaires about their personalities and how they thought their relationship was functioning. 68.7% of the couples in which the women suffered from BPD had frequent break-ups and reconciliations and nearly 30% of these couples dissolved their relationship. Nearly half of the men involved with a woman with BPD had at least one personality disorder. Couples with a partner with BPD had lower marital satisfaction, were less secure in their attachment to one another, had more communication problems and had higher levels of violence.

Bouchard, Sebastien ... [et al] - Relationship quality and stability in couples when one partner suffers from borderline personality disorder Journal of Marital and Family Therapy October 2009, 35(4), 446-455

Using virtual reality to beat bullies

Researchers at the University of Warwick have been investigating how virtual reality could help children cope with bullying. They used a programme called FearNot!: a virtual school where children could assume roles as bullies, victims or bystanders. The characters were used to improvise real-life bullying incidents and pupils could interact with the characters and suggest ways to cope with, or resolve, the situation. The study involved 1,129 children aged between eight and nine from 27 primary schools across the UK and Germany. Half the children had three 30-minute sessions with the software over a three-week period while the other half formed a control group. The children who used the computer programme experienced a 26% decrease in victimisation.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105359.htm

Guest Post - 10 Common Myths About Clinical Depression

Angela Peterson has compiled a list of 10 Common Myths About Clinical Depression which aims to clear up some of the misconceptions about this condition. The myths are:

1. Depressives are ingrates who lack empathy for real suffering
2. Depression is not an illness
3. Depression is nothing more than sustained sadness
4. Depression can disappear by just thinking happy thoughts
5. Depression only affects women
6. Depression is a choice
7. If a parent or grandparent suffers from depression, their kids will too
8. Suicide attempts are just a plea for attention
9. Depression is a psychosis
10. Depression is a result of personality flaws and weakness

You can find out more about these issues at

http://onlinepsychologydegrees.org/10-common-myths-about-clinical-depression/

Bang! What goes on in people's brains when they get a shock

Psychologists at the University of Alabama in Birmingham have been startling people in an attempt to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure what went on in people's brains when they heard a loud, unexpected burst of static. When the participants heard the sound there was an increase in activity in the frontal lobes of their brains. The amount of activity in this part of the brain predicted the physiological stress (sweaty palms and racing hearts) experienced by the participants. When the participants expected the sound there was much less activity in this part of the brain. The scientists hope that the discovery of which part of the brain is activated when people are shocked might allow them to develop treatments for PTSD.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110141844.htm

Muscle strength and Alzheimer's

Older people with weaker muscles could be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center at Chicago started following 970 older adults who had an average age of 80 at the start of the study. They were tested for a number of different things including cognitive function and muscle strength. Three-and-a-half years later 138 of the sample had developed Alzheimer's. Those with the highest levels of strength at the start of the study were 61% less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those with the weakest muscles and this was true even when body-mass index and physical activity was taken into account. The researchers thought that this could be because damage to mitochondria - which produce energy for cells - can affect cognition and muscle strength or because the decreased muscle strength could be due to stroke or other central-nervous system disorders which also play a part in causing Alzheimer's.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=news&id=123557&cn=231

Depression and stroke

Researchers at the University of Toronto have been reviewing 56 studies into stroke and depression covering a total of 75,000 people. They found that a third of people developed depression after a stroke and that women were more at risk than men. The researchers pointed out that depression is often seen as a natural reaction to stroke whereas most people do not develop it and it can be treated. This is important as the study also found that post-stroke depression was associated with greater disability, reduced quality of life and an increased risk of death.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110210509.htm

Diagnosing autism in the blink of an eye

Autism affects an estimated 1 in 150 children but there are still no objective medical tests to diagnose it. Researchers at the University of Missouri have been looking at the way children's pupils respond to light. Pupils dilate (widen) when it is dark so more light reaches the retina and contract in bright light to prevent damage. The researchers found that the autistic children's pupils responded significantly more slowly than other children's and a test of pupil reaction time was 92.5% accurate in separating children from autism from other children.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202855.htm

Avatars and amiability

People who play online role-playing games often assume an avatar - a virtual body that may or may not look like them. New research from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that the avatars people choose to assume could actually effect their behaviour. Participants in the study were randomly given avatars with dark or white cloaks, doctor's coats or Ku Klux Klan uniforms or a transparent avatar. They were then given tasks in the virtual world including writing a story about a picture, playing a video game and deciding how to deal with people who broke the rules. Participants who wore a dark cloak or a KKK uniform - remember the participants did not choose their avatars - consistently demonstrated more negative and antisocial behaviour.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm

Homocysteine and Alzheimer's disease

Middle-aged women with high levels of homocysteine in their bloodstream could be at more risk of developing Alzheimer's. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is important for the body's metabolism but too much of it can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of blood clots. Swedish scientists started following 1,500 women aged between 38 and 60 at the end of the 1960s. They took blood samples and can now compare the levels of different substances in people's blood with who went on to develop Alzheimer's later. The study - a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Gothenburg - found that those women with the highest levels of homocysteine had twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's as those with the lowest levels.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095638.htm

Torture, head injuries and mental illness

Hardly surprisingly many people who have suffered torture develop mental-health problems later and new research suggests that head injuries experienced while being tortured might also contribute to the development of mental illness. Researchers from Harvard University compared 42 Vietnamese immigrants who had been tortured in 're-education' camps with 15 Vietnamese immigrants who had not been detained. Those detainees with a history of head injury were more likely to have symptoms of depression and - when their brains were scanned - had significant reductions in the frontal and temporal lobes of their cerebral cortex. Those whose head injuries had been more severe had greater changes to their brains and more severe depression symptoms. Although those people with head injuries were at no greater risk of PTSD their symptoms were more severe.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145304.htm

Antidepressants and premature delivery

A study of over 3,000 women by researchers at the University of Washington, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University has found that using antidepressants during pregnancy could increase the risk of premature delivery. The study found that medication use and depression was strongly linked to delivery before 35 weeks gestation. However, in the women who had depression symptoms but who were not taking medication there was no increased risk of preterm delivery suggesting that it was the medication not the depression leading to premature birth.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211543.htm

Is it depression or is it Alzheimer's? Why multi-tasking could hold the answer

The early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can often be mistaken for those of depression. As a result of this many people with early Alzheimer's often go undiagnosed and miss out on treatment. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared the multi-tasking ability of 89 Alzheimer's patients, people suffering from long-term depression, and healthy elderly people with no memory impairment. They found that the people with Alzheimer's performed significantly worse than the other two groups suggesting that tests of the ability to do more than one thing at once could be a useful way of telling apart people with Alzheimer's from people with depression.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6525302/Multi-tasking-could-help-differentiate-depression-and-early-Alzheimers.html

10 Common myths about bipolar disorder

Adrienne Carlson has compiled a list of 10 common myths about bipolar disorder with lots of useful information aimed at combating some of the stigma around the condition. The myths are:

1. Bipolar disorder is merely mood swings
2. Manic episodes are characterized by extreme happiness
3. Bipolar shifts happen very quickly
4. It is OK to quit taking medication during manic episodes
5. Bipolar disorder is very rare
6. Bipolar disorder is not an illness
7. People with bipolar disorder are inherently unstable or violent
8. Most people with bipolar disorder are women
9. Prolonged drug abuse can eventually lead to bipolar disorder
10. People with bipolar disorder cannot hold down jobs

You can find out more about these issues on Adrienne's blog at

http://www.x-raytechschools.org/10-common-myths-about-bipolar-disorder/