2017/03/13MEDICAL UPDATE
Is ‘online therapy’ making patients worse?
Scientists in Sweden are studying whether web-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is ineffective in some people, potentially making patients worse.
The psychologist behind the research say that while many people who suffer from depression and anxiety are helped by seeing a therapist, psychological treatment can have negative side effects, like any intervention.
2016/07/07MEDICAL UPDATE
Single paediatric anesthesia entails no apparent cognitive risks
by Bruce Sylvester: A single exposure to general anesthesia does not lead to a cognitive risk in healthy children under age three, researchers reported On June 7, 2016 in JAMA/ Journal of the American Medical Association.
2016/05/02MEDICAL UPDATE
Loneliness and isolation increase risk of heart disease and stroke
by Bruce Sylvester: In high income countries, loneliness and social isolation appear to increase the risk of stroke or coronary artery disease by about 30 per cent, researchers reported on April 19, 2016 in the BMJ/British Medical Journal publication Heart.
2016/03/30MEDICAL UPDATE
Mindfulness meditation reduces pain through non-opioid system
by Bruce Sylvester: Researchers report that mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce pain but that it does not employ the endogenous opioid system to do so. The findings appeared on March 15 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
2015/10/29MEDICAL UPDATE
Oxytocin helps young children with autism
by Bruce Sylvester: Treatment with oxytocin, a synthetic hormone, significantly improved social, emotional and behavioral parameters among children with autism, researchers reported on Oct. 27, 2015 in Molecular Psychiatry.
2015/07/22MEDICAL UPDATE
Long-acting antipsychotic medication may improve treatment for schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, which affects 2 million to 3 million people in the U.S., causes hallucinations, delusions and disorganization. Left untreated, the disease can cause a significant loss in quality of life, including unemployment and estrangement from loved ones.
2015/07/10MEDICAL UPDATE
ADHD drug appears to treat cognitive difficulties related to onset of menopause
by Bruce Sylvester: Menopausal women having difficulty with time management, attention, organization, memory, and problem solving (also known as “executive functions”) appear to benefit from treatment with lisdexamfetamine, a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
2015/05/13MEDICAL UPDATE
Psychologists aim to help Dr. Google
Psychologists are to improve online health information on lung cancer after research showed that family members are more likely to search online to encourage loved ones to seek help.
2015/01/22MEDICAL UPDATE
Midlife diabetes onset tied to significant cognitive decline in ensuing 20 years
by Bruce Sylvester: Onset of diabetes raises the risk of significant memory and cognitive problems during the following 20 years researchers reported in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
2015/01/16MEDICAL UPDATE
Internet addiction affects 6 percent of people worldwide
Internet addiction is an impulse-control problem marked by an inability to inhibit Internet use, which can adversely affect a person's life, including their health and interpersonal relationships. The prevalence of Internet addiction varies among regions around the world, as shown by data from more than 89,000 individuals in 31 countries.
