NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Staying physically active can help keep adults fit as they grow older, but, contrary to what some may think, it may not protect against mental decline, according to a new study.
"While participation in physical activity has been shown to have many health benefits for older adults, this study does not provide strong support that it protects against cognitive decline," study author Dr. Maureen T. Sturman, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois and the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, told Reuters Health.
Previous researchers have reported that physical activity may help guard against stroke and coronary heart disease, both of which may be associated with the development of dementia. Other studies have looked at the influence of physical activity on mental status and mental decline...
Life got no porpoise? Try dolphin therapy
A study has revealed that swimming with the friendly mammals can significantly alleviate depression
AS IF to prove that no therapy is too far-fetched to be incorporated into modern medicine, psychiatrists have shown that swimming with dolphins can relieve depression. The results have been published in the British Medical Journal. A team from Leicester University took 30 patients with mild to moderate depression to Honduras and encouraged them either to swim with dolphins or just to swim and snorkel on the reef, unaccompanied by dolphins, for two weeks.
All got a bit better, as might be expected, but those who swam with dolphins showed...
Seniors and baby boomers have most severe cases, have pain more often
Senior citizens and baby boomers with restless legs syndrome (RLS), a common debilitating condition, may be affected physically, mentally, and socially by their disease. Depression and anxiety are cited in this new study, which also found those at risk of RLS were more likely to be overweight, unemployed, daily smokers, and to have issues with work attendance and performance.
There is a strong association...
An interactive and informative web site for people with a psychiatric condition that addresses issues and reasonable accommodations related to work and school. This is the only site designed exclusively to provide information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other employment and education issues for people with psychiatric disabilities.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists may have found a gene for fear -- a gene that controls production of a protein in the region of the brain linked with fearful responses.
Their finding, published on Thursday, could lead to new treatments for mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety.
The gene, known as stathmin or oncoprotein 18, is highly concentrated in the amygdala, a region of the brain associated with fear and anxiety, the researchers report in Thursday's issue of the journal Cell.
"This is a major advance in the field of learning and memory that will allow for a better understanding of post- traumatic stress disorder, phobias, borderline personality disorder and other human anxiety diseases," said Gleb Shumyatsky of Rutgers University in New Jersey, who worked on the study.
"It will provide important information on how learned and innate fear is experienced and processed, and may...
LAS VEGAS, NV -- November 10, 2005 -- Sexual functioning worsened in patients with major depressive disorder treated with Effexor XR (venlafaxine) as compared to patients treated with Wellbutrin XL (bupropion), according to the results of a new study presented yesterday at the 18th Annual U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress.
This is the first head-to-head 12-week study to compare the impact on sexual functioning of Wellbutrin XL, the once-daily norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), to the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine XR among patients with major depressive disorder.
Wellbutrin XL has been previously shown to have a lower risk of sexual dysfunction as compared to...
Insufficient intake of essential fatty acids (EFAs) may contribute to the pathogenesis of mental diseases, while their supplementation may relieve some symptoms, according to researchers who attended the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Workshop on Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders held in Bethesda, Md., in September 1998.
"This is the first time researchers in this field have been brought together," said Joseph Hibbeln, M.D., National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), who organized the workshop. Other organizers were Jerry Cott, Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Sahebarao Mahadik, Ph.D., Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, and the NIH Offices of Dietary Supplements and Research on Women's Health.
Despite having long established that omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in neurosynaptic membranes, Hibbeln said that...
For Americans, Getting Sick Has Its Price
Survey Says U.S. Patients Pay More, Get Less Than Those in Other Western Nations
Americans pay more when they get sick than people in other Western nations and get more confused, error-prone treatment, according to the largest survey to compare U.S. health care with other nations.
The survey of nearly 7,000 sick adults in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Germany found Americans were the most likely to...
A COMPREHENSIVE chart of the genetic differences between human beings has been drawn up for the first time, promising breakthroughs in the hunt for the genes that influence common diseases such as cancer, asthma and diabetes.
The International Haplotype Map, or HapMap, provides an index to the human genetic code, allowing scientists to identify inherited variations that affect human health with much greater speed and simplicity. This will transform the development of new drugs and diagnostic tests, and could open a new era of bespoke medicine in which patients can be prescribed treatments that correspond best to their individual genetic make-up.
There are a lot of useful specific technical interventions that a skilled therapist can offer to clients. Such techniques include assistance with reality testing and education, the offering of helpful perspectives and concepts for thinking about problems and issues, practical techniques for managing emotions, thoughts and behavior, and the provision of direct...