Mental Disorders

How Defective DNA Repair Triggers Two Neurological Diseases

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have teased apart the biological details distinguishing two related neurological diseases — ataxia telangiectasia-like disease (ATLD) and Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS). Both disorders arise from defects in a central component of the cell’s machinery that repairs damaged DNA, but each disease presents with distinct pathologies. Defects in DNA [...]

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Treating ADHD Symptoms Without Medication

ADDitude magazine released an expert report on the non-medical treatment of ADHD symptoms. Top ADHD doctors and treatment specialists contributed to the free ADDitude Guide to Alternative ADHD Treatment, which investigates and clearly explains the benefits and risks of natural ADHD therapies like fish oil. For the nearly 2 million parents of American children diagnosed [...]

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Mood Disorders Predict Later Substance Abuse Problems

Mood Disorders People with manic symptoms and bipolar disorder type II are at significant risk of later developing an alcohol abuse or dependence problem, a long-term study conducted in Switzerland confirms. The study was published in the January 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Extensive research using retrospective reports has demonstrated a clear [...]

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ADHD Spokesperson, Celebrity Team Up Announcing VYVANSE For Adult ADHD Treatment

Shire Limited (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has launched VYVANSE (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) for the treatment of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This launch of adult ADHD treatment follows the recent FDA approval of VYVANSE to treat ADHD in the adult population. VYVANSE is now available [...]

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More Adults Than Children Taking ADHD Medication

The number of Western Australians being prescribed stimulants for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) continues to fall with an 8.6 per cent reduction over the past year. But for the first time since the introduction of the Western Australian Stimulant Regulatory Scheme in 2004, there are more adults than children taking medication for the disorder. [...]

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Exercise Not Proven As Dementia Treatment

Physical activity is a good thing for nearly everybody and clearly boosts alertness and a sense of well-being. So can we use it as a treatment for elderly patients with dementia? That’s a good question, but existing research doesn’t provide an answer, according to a new Cochrane Library review. “Physical activity may be beneficial for [...]

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Age-Related Decline Of ADHD Symptoms Disrupted By Middle School

Although symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) can last into adulthood, typically they decline as a child gets older. But a new study indicates that the stressful transition from elementary school to middle school complicates this pattern and may even disrupt it. The study, which analyzed data from the NIMH-funded Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA), [...]

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Hypnosis Shown To Reduce Dementia Symptoms

A scientist at the University of Liverpool has found that hypnosis can slow down the impacts of dementia and improve quality of life for those living with the condition. Forensic psychologist, Dr Simon Duff, investigated the effects of hypnosis on people living with dementia and compared the treatment to mainstream health-care methods. He also looked [...]

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CDC: New Data On Epilepsy From Multiple States

A multi-state study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that about one out of 100 adults have active epilepsy, and more than one-third are not getting sufficient treatment. The study, which examined the prevalence of epilepsy or seizure disorder in 19 states, was published in today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. [...]

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Epilepsy Linked To Higher Risk Of Drowning

People with epilepsy appear to have a much higher risk of drowning compared to people without epilepsy. Previous studies have shown a higher risk most likely due to seizures but this study is one of the first to show exactly how high the risk may be. For the study, researchers compiled information from 50 studies [...]

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Video Games Help In Study Of ADHD

Researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine are conducting one of the first double-blind studies in the country to examine the effectiveness of neurofeedback in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, is a method of training the brain to function more efficiently. The study measures the child’s brain [...]

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Rare Genetic Disorder Gives Clues To Autism, Epilepsy, Mental Retardation

A rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is yielding insight into a possible cause of some neurodevelopmental disorders: structural abnormalities in neurons, or brain cells. Researchers in the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Children’s Hospital Boston, led by Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, and Xi He, PhD, also found that normal neuronal structure can [...]

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