A faint waft of men’s cologne in a shopping mall. The smell of a neighbor’s barbecue. A flash of a face on TV: small unexpected sensory cues can trigger extreme reactions in people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), about one quarter of all people who have lived through a traumatic event like rape, [...]
Much of the research surrounding childhood asthma has sought new approaches to managing the disease. However, little was done to address other conditions that often appear along with asthma including depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which can negatively affect a child’s ability to cope. Research completed at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital [...]
As the school bells get ready to ring, parents and other caregivers of children who have asthma should prepare for a possible peak in asthma episodes (also known as attacks or exacerbations). According to the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, the greatest number of asthma hospitalizations occurs in the fall, usually September.
The [...]
Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders (http://www.remudaranch.com), the nation’s leading eating disorder treatment center, reports there’s a new pressure to look perfect while pregnant.
“With the media giving so much focus to pregnant celebrities, there’s an increased pressure to look perfect and thin during pregnancy,” said Brenda Woods, MD, director of medical services [...]
People who have been diagnosed with panic attacks or panic disorder have a greater risk of subsequently developing heart disease or suffering a heart attack than the normal population, with higher rates occurring in younger people, according to research published in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal [1] today (Thursday 11 December).
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The brain can respond to a dummy drug (a placebo) in the same way as it responds to a proper painkiller, according to some recent scans.
Volunteers were exposed to heat and electric shocks at Princeton and Michigan Universities by scientists.
When the volunteers were given what they thought was a painkiller, it [...]
“The increasing number of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) raises the risk of domestic violence and its consequences on families and children in communities across the United States,” says Monica Matthieu, Ph.D., an expert on veteran mental health and an assistant professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis.
“Treatments for [...]
Swedish and British scientists have shown using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that the hormone oxytocin can inhibit feelings of anxiety in specific individuals. Their discovery might lead to a better understanding and the improved treatment of psychiatric affections in which people feel distressed when meeting others, such as in cases of autism and social [...]
High stress levels may contribute to memory loss among people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The a4 variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene contributes to the risk for memory loss related to Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly, high circulating levels of cortisol, associated with high stress levels, also impairs memory. However, the interactive effects of [...]
Almost 100 percent of American Counseling Association (ACA) members who completed a Capella University survey on military mental health issues have taken action to increase their understanding of post-combat and re-entry issues of returning servicemembers. The results also indicated that ACA survey respondents feel better prepared to help post-combat servicemembers than other mental health professionals [...]
