Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Blog

Does a Defective Brain Protein Impair the Ability to Deal With Stress?

Mental health professional have long wondered about the role of the brain in one's ability to deal with stress. An article published in Medical News Today, March 4, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published in the March 1st 2009 online edition of Nature Neuroscience.The researchers "...Using a rat model, ...discovered that neurons in the hypothalamus, the brain's command center for stress responses, interpret 'off' chemical signals as 'on' chemical signals when stress is perceived....Normally, neurons receive different chemical signals that tell them to either switch on or switch off. The off signal or brake only works if the levels of chloride ion in the cells are maintained at a low level....This is accomplished by a protein, known as KCC2....stress turns down the activity of KCC2, thus removing the ability of the brake, a chemical known as GABA, to work properly. A loss of the brain's ability to slow down may explain some of the harmful, emotional consequences of stress." The implications of this study are significant. First, the results of the study open up new thinking about the theories of the stress response and new avenues of research of how to best adapt and prevent and the harmful effects of stress. The researchers note that "..Chronic stress takes a physical and emotional toll on our bodies and scientists are working on piecing together a medical puzzle to understand how we respond to stress at the cellular level in the brain. Being able to quickly and successfully respond to stress is essential for survival." Second, the results of the study show that one's inability to successfully respond to stressful situations is not just a psychological weakness or failing but a  biological inability to adapt to stressful situations.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that a defective brain protein impairs the ability to deal successfully with stress. 

Source: Orginal Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Do Defects in How Brain Cells Communicate Cause Schizophrenia?

Mental health professional have long debated what defects in brain cells cause schizophrenia. An article published in Medical News Today, March 4, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published in the recent issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The researchers studied, "...brain tissue from 23 controls and 28 schizophrenia patients, selected from brains donated by UK patients being treated for schizophrenia and comparing the data to an equivalent study in the USA..The researchers looked at...proteins and DNA as well as mRNA in the samples, which were taken from two brain regions associated with schizophrenia: the frontal cortical area and the temporal cortex. mRNA are copies of small sections of our DNA that cells use to build proteins. Unlike DNA, mRNA varies in different parts of the body, where different proteins are needed." The results of the study were interesting. The researchers found "...49 genes that work differently in the brains of schizophrenia patients compared to controls....Many of these genes are involved in controlling cell-to-cell signalling in the brain." The implications of this study are significant. First, the results of the study support the idea that "...that abnormalities in the way in which cells 'talk' to each other are involved in the disease." And, second, the results of this study point the way for future studies to focus on discovering genetic biomarkers for schizophrenia thus greatly aiding both prevention and treatment. Currently, most patients who are suspected to have schizophrenia are diagnosed on behavior alone. The researchers conclude that "...Most patients are diagnosed as teenagers or in their early 20s, but if they could be diagnosed earlier, they could be treated more effectively and they could have a better quality of life. To have the possibility of transforming someone's life early on instead of having to take drugs indefinitely would be wonderful."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that defective communications between brain cells is linked to the development of schizophrenia. 

Source: Original Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Do What Teens Wear Influence Their Drinking Behavior?

Mental health professional have long been concerned about impact of alcohol advertising on teens' drinking behavior. An article published in Medical News Today, March 3, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published in the March 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.The researchers, "....conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of 6,522 U.S. adolescents age 10 to 14 years in 2003. The teens reported information about their drinking behaviors and drinking susceptibility, measured by items assessing responses to peer offers, intentions to drink and positive expectancies about drinking. At three follow-up surveys conducted every eight months, participants answered questions about changes in drinking habits and ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise." The results of the study were surprising. "The percentage of teens owning alcohol-branded merchandise ranged from 11 percent at the eight-month survey to 20 percent at the 24-month survey. The most commonly owned products were clothing (64 percent) and headwear (24 percent), with the remaining items a wide array that included jewelry, key chains, shot glasses, posters and pens. Most (75 percent) of the brands were beer, including 45 percent that featured the Budweiser label. Among teens who had never drank alcohol, owning alcohol-branded merchandise and susceptibility to drinking were reciprocally related, with each predicting the other during an eight-month period. In addition, owning alcohol-branded merchandise and having a susceptible attitude toward drinking predicted both the initiation of alcohol use and binge drinking, even after controlling for other risk factors." The implications of this study are significant. First, parents of adolescents should greatly discourage their teens from wearing and owning any alcohol branded merchandise. Second, school administrators should set very strict limits on teens bringing into the school alcohol branded merchandise and wearing of alcohol branded clothing. Third, mental health professionals who treat adolescents who have drinking problems should be very vigilant about what their patients wear and own in terms of alcohol branded merchandise. And, fourth, public health professionals should increase their efforts to educate parents about the risks associated with their children owning or wearing alcohol branded merchandise.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that the owning or wearing of alcohol branded merchandise influences teens' drinking behavior. 

Source: Original Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Do Defective Genes Cause Cocaine Dependence and Cocaine Induced Paranoia?

Mental health professional have long wondered about the relationship between cocaine addiction and genes. An article published in Medical News Today, March 3, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published in the March 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.The researchers studied, "...a total of 3,992 individuals from two family-based samples (European American and African American) and two case-control samples (European American and African American) enrolled in studies of drug addiction and classified them as either cocaine dependent, suffering from cocaine-induced paranoia or controls. They were then genotyped for 11 markers spanning the MANEA gene. MANEA encodes an enzyme (a-endomannosidase) that metabolizes complex carbohydrates. MANEA was chosen for further study based on evidence from a low-resolution scan of the entire genome the researchers performed previously to search for genes associated with substance dependence." And what did the results of the study show? "The researchers found cocaine induced paranoia was associated with six of the 11 markers in the European American family sample. They also found these six markers and three other markers were significant in the African American sample. The strongest evidence for association in either population and in the total sample was observed for marker rs9387522, which is located in the 3' untranslated region of the gene. The A allele for this marker was associated with increased risk of cocaine induced paranoia in all four data sets..The findings suggest that cocaine dependence and associated behaviors may involve biological pathways not typically thought to be associated with brain metabolism and now opens a new pathway to understanding these highly prevalent disorders and their psychopathological manifestations." What are the implications of this study. First, certain genes that control specific biological pathways in the brain appear to be strongly associated with cocaine dependence and cocaine induced paranoia. Second, the results of this study point the way for future research to develop biomarkers to identify individuals who may be genetically susceptible to cocaine dependence and cocaine induced paranoia. The development of specific biomarkers would be a great leap forward for the prevention and treatment of cocaine dependence and cocaine induced paranoia. And third, any advances in the prevention and treatment of cocaine dependence and cocaine induced paranoia would be greatly welcome by mental health professionals given that "...Cocaine is widely abused in the United States. The 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that nearly six million Americans age 12 or older used the drug during the preceding year. Compulsive use of cocaine is also common with more than one million individuals considered dependent on the drug."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that defective genes may cause cocaine dependence and cocaine induced paranoia.

Source: Original Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does a Desire for Fame and Success in a Bipolar Patient Indicate An Emerging Manic Episode?

Mental health professional have long debated the relationship between manic episodes and the desire for fame. An article published in Medical News Today, March 2, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published online today, 2nd March 2009, in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology.The researchers studied, "....manic and depressive levels of 103 people including 27 people with diagnosed manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder), and compared with the results of questionnaires designed to assess their ambitious life goals, such as a desire for fame, material success or recognition. Participants rated the likelihood of various things happening to them, such as; 'You will appear regularly on TV', 'You will have 20 million dollars or more'." The results were very interesting. Th researchers found "...that the people who had experienced episodes of mania during their lives had the highest expectations of achieving popular success and financial success. This pattern suggests that people with manic or bipolar tendencies are drawn to focus on success, money and popular fame...mania, along with all of its costs, may also drive people to set higher goals. In some cases they achieve them, giving...a glimpse into the advantages that can accompany this highly painful disorder." There are several implications of this study. First, this study confirms what mental health professionals who treat bipolar patients have seen clinically, i.e., that manic episodes are typically associated with  a strong belief in the importance of achievement, recognition by peers and the public, and an expectation of future success. Second, bipolar patients must remain vigilant about the emergence of a manic episode by monitoring their day to day desires for fame and recognition. Third, mental health professionals who treat bipolar patients should use the patient's increasing desires for fame as a maker for an emerging manic episode. And, fourth, public health professionals should increase their efforts to educate the public about the link between manic episodes and desires for fame in bipolar patients. 

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that increasing desires for fame and success in bipolar patients may be marker for an emerging manic episode.

Source: Original Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com