Autism May Have Been Viewed as Positive in Prehistoric Times

People with autism face many challenges in today’s world where interpersonal relationships are valued highly in both a social and a professional context.  However, at another time, autism may have actually led to extremely useful traits among individuals in the prehistoric times of hunting and gathering.  One brain science researcher of the USC Psychology Department, Jared Reser, believes that the autism spectrum may not necessarily stand for conditions of a disease but instead may stem from genes have been maintained because they created beneficial behavior at a time when humans were more entrenched in a solitary environment.

The “autism advantage” that Reser believes in stems from the relatively new perspective that autism can sometimes lead to benefits within certain brain functions.  Studies have shown increased abilities for spatial intelligence, concentration and memory among a significant amount of autistic individuals.  While today the means to survive is largely based on engaging with people in a social setting, the prehistoric era was largely about being able to hunt and find on one’s own.  Reser believes that the “advantage” qualities of autism made these tasks easier for those who had the condition and therefore, what we view as a disorder now may have at one point been viewed as valuable.

It just goes to show that judging mental health can have its complications when examining certain situations across cultures and throughout time.  What one culture may see as a problem, another may see as a positive thing.  Highly individualistic societies still exist, and even today, it is likely that some view autism as an advantage.  Even in the area of mental health, recognizing cultural differences is important!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603122849.htm 


Written by: Greg Weil

“Counting Crows” Singer Reveals Struggle With Mental Illness”

“Counting Crows” frontman Adam Duritz took to Facebook to discuss his struggle with what he refers to as a “severe mental illness.” He explained, “I was...crazy. I needed meds. I took meds. Now I'm less crazy. I need less meds. I'm stopping meds.” He says that he needs medication to remain in balance but claims he halved his dose of the mood stabilizer, Lithium. He also says he is “not so good” and is experiencing “vicious withdrawal symptoms.”

In a 2008 interview, Duritz previously discussed his condition, stating, “I have a form of dissociative disorder that makes the world seem like it's not real, as if things aren't taking place. It's hard to explain, but you feel untethered.”

Doctors agree, however, that weening oneself off medication is extremely dangerous and warns of negative side effects. If not properly monitored by a psychiatrist, stopping medication too quickly can be detrimental to one's health and even life-threatening.

http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/28/counting-crows-singer-adam-duritz-mental-illness-medication-pills-crazy-dissociative-disorder/

Workplace Risks for Burnout Syndrome

Tedious tasks and being overworked or underappreciated in the workplace can all lead to burnout syndrome. Researchers at the Aragon Institute of Mental Health have recently identified work profiles that contribute to this condition: “frenetic”, “under-challenged”, and “worn out”.

The “frenetic” employee clocks in over 40 hours per week, and is heavily involved in their responsibilities.  “Under-challenged” workers do monotonous tasks and lack a feeling of personal development. The “worn out” profile is common with people who have long-standing positions in a job and ignore responsibilities perception of lacking recognition.

A counter balance to these profiles is the social support of family and friends. Jesus Montero-Marin, a psychologist and the author of the study, explains that a person’s social environment can act as a protective cushion that allows people to focus on tasks outside of work. However, he posits that burnout is still a major concern: “This condition is increasing in prevalence in Spain and poses a serious problem to society because of the economic losses it causes and its consequences for health.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624083508.htm

The Link Between Binge Drinking and Brain Damage

According to a new study by Tim McQueeny, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Cincinnati, binge drinking can cause irreparable brain damage. Binge drinking is generally described as heavy episodic consumption of alcohol (four+ drinks for females and 5+ for males) over a short period of time with the primary purpose of becoming intoxicated. The practice is common amongst young adults, particularly on college campuses.

McQueeny studied high-resolution brain scans on a sample of 29 weekend binge drinkers between the ages of 18 and 25. He found that binge drinking was linked to cortical thinning of the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with executive functions, including planning and making decisions, paying attention, processing emotions and controlling impulses. McQueeny also found that cortical thinning occurred as the number of drinks increased.

http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=13846

A Family's Torn Apart by Controversial Autism Therapy

The Detroit Free Press recently published a six-part investigation into a pending case of the Wendrows, a family with two children with autism spectrum disorders. The parents chose to use a highly controversial technique known as facilitated communication (FC). The goal of this technique is to aid communication in autistic people by using a keyboard. Although FC has been proven ineffective, the Wendrows believed it would help their autistic children.

With the use of FC, their daughter seemed to intellectually develop at an astounding rate. Once unable to read, she was suddenly writing poetry and taking difficult exams. A vital thing to note, however, is that an aide's hand is supposedly guided by the child to type what he/she wants to say. The technique has been proven to rely on the aide's projections instead of the own thoughts of the child. FC has shown that, when the aide is typing, there has been a repeated failure to demonstrate that the words are being thought or written by the child.

Although the Wendrows believed that their children were benefiting from FC, it soon became clear that it would be detrimental to their family. The Wendrow's daughter's aide typed allegations of sexual abuse against the child's father and brother, and neglect from the child's mother. The aide truly believed that she was typing the child's words, however complex the language may have been. The children were kept away from their parents for 106 days, even though there was ample evidence against the allegations.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/24/a-controversial-autism-therapy-unravels-a-family/

Turning Memories On and Off

Scientists have recently discovered how to restore, diminish, and possibly enhance memories- by the flip of a switch. By using an electronic system that imitates neural signals associated with memory, researchers were able to switch on and off learned behaviors in rats, and were able to preserve memory even when the rats were drugged to forget.
Using embedded electrical probes, researchers were able to monitor two specific areas within the hippocampus of the rats’ brains, sub regions CA3 and CA1, which are responsible to converting short-term memory to long-term memory. The team was able to develop an artificial hippocampal system that could replicate this activity. The team further demonstrated that the device could be used to strengthen memory being generated in the brain and enhance memory capability.  In the future, this technology may be adapted to develop prosthetics for people with Alzheimer’s disease or stroke.

Active Fathers Encourage Mutual Respect

Just in time for Father’s Day, research out of Brigham Young University suggests that certain types of fathers remain an important influence for children who are leaving home. BYU professor Larry Nelson’s study demonstrated that fathers who showed respect, love, and high expectations for their children’s autonomy enjoyed closer relationships with them. Their children also showed higher levels of kindness and self worth.

According to Nelson, ““If their child is struggling to pick a major in college, these dads don’t tell their kids what they think it should be. Instead they’ll say ‘Have you ever considered this’ or ‘Here’s one advantage of that.’ And when the child makes a choice, they say, ‘I’m proud of you.’”

These dads seem to subscribe to an authoritative parenting style, characterized by responsiveness and the demand for independence and maturity in their children. Authoritative parents maintain an active dialogue about their child’s feelings and needs, without being control or overbearing. This encourages independence, self-confidence, and a relationship of mutual respect between father and child. 

Source: Brigham Young University

Written by Justin Saranovic

A Glaring Problem Within Self-Help Books

When people are in doubt or do not know what to do to better their lives, some will turn to self-help books or pamphlets for guidance.  Psychologists at the University of New Brunswick found that positive self-statements often enmeshed in these books, phrases such as “I will succeed” or “people love me”, actually worsen the attitude of those with low self-esteem when they are told to repeat it to themselves.  Self-help in this manner usually does not work!

The researchers discovered this by using two groups of people who consider themselves to have low self-esteem.  One group gave themselves the positive mantra and actually felt worse after doing it than those who did not use the techniques.  The reason? The individuals who tell themselves unreasonably positive statements, like “I completely accept myself”, begin to have contradictory negative thoughts about themselves.  The negative thoughts in turn become more prominent and overwhelm the effect of positive statements the individual is being told to say to him or herself.  Interestingly, the researchers gave these individuals a negative mantra to tell themselves and it ended up having a positive effect on their self-esteem.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702110503.htm

Written by: Greg Weil

Fatty Diets Can Damage Weight-Regulation Cells in the Brain

Naturally, those who eat high-fat diets are more likely to become obese.  This however may be due to more than the body’s inability to process fatty foods easily.  Presenting author, Joshua Thaler, and his assistants at the University of Washington Obesity Center found using rats that a high-fat diet may cause injury to neurons that are associated with body weight regulation.  The notion that this cell destruction can occur gives a deeper explanation of why those who are obese have more trouble reaching a point of sustained weight loss.

After three days of giving the rats a diet with a fat content similar to the average American diet, the researchers doubled the average amount of daily calories.  Over time, these rodents began to develop inflammation in the hypothalamus, which is where neurons that control body weight are located.  Meanwhile, support cells called the glia and microglia began to form in the area in a process called gliosis.  Gliosis usually occurs in cases of neuronal injury.  Other weight-regulating neurons called POMC cells were also reduced by the eighth month within these mice.

Thaler states that the injury of these cells may not be permanent but may have an effect on those who have become obese from high fat diets. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110608161533.htm

Written by: Greg Weil

Sleep for Success, Study Suggests

According to a new study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, sleep may play an important role in making successful decisions. Psychologist Rebecca Spencer and colleagues studied the role of sleep in affect-guided decision-making, where subjects make decisions on important issues. According to Spencer, “There is something to be gained from taking a night to sleep on it when you’re facing an important decision. We found that the fact that you slept makes your decisions better.”

Two groups were each given a brief preview of a gambling task and were asked to come back 12 hours later. The group that received a preview in the afternoon was able to go home and get a normal night’s sleep, whereas the other group received a preview in the morning and spent the 12 hours before the task awake. The group that slept performed better in terms of understanding the underlying rules of the game and were able to realize the most profit.

Spencer believes this phenomenon may be due to changes in emotional or cognitive processes that occur because of sleep: “Our guess is that this enhanced effect on decision-making is something that depends on rapid-eye-movement or REM sleep, which is the creative period of our sleep cycle.” Spencer and colleagues are now specifically investigating the link between REM sleep duration and success in decision-making tasks.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110607094849.htm

Written by: Justin Saranovic

Is Heartache A Real Ache?

Those who have experienced going through serious heartbreak may be inclined to rank it as one of the most emotionally painful moments of their lives.  But is it painful in the same way that something physical is? The National Academy of Sciences published a study earlier this week that states that the two types of pain register in a similar manner within the brain.  

The researchers brought in 40 participants who felt intensely rejected after a recent breakup.  They had to perform two tasks while inside the fMRI scanner.  One was a social rejection task in which they were shown a picture of their former boyfriend or girlfriend and were told to think about the rejection.  The other was a physical pain task where the left arm was subjected to an uncomfortable amount of heat.  These two sets of data were compared to each other as well as a control task in which the subjects either viewed a picture of a friend and thought of a happy experience with them or felt a warm stimulus on their arm.

           

The results showed that the more extreme social and physical stimuli both led to the activation of the pain regions of the brain as well as a few other similar areas.  From this, we get an idea of how the brain can deal with non-physical pain.  The gathered data allowed the researchers to form the new hypothesis that social hurt has become more involved with the pain regions of the brain through evolution and as more social animals, like humans, began to appear.  This also laid a deeper ground of understanding why somatoform disorders (i.e. feeling nonexistent pain) occur in certain cases.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201103/lost-love-hurtsliterally

Mindfulness Meditation Can Affect Brain

As the age-old practice of meditation continues to expand into Western culture, we are learning more about its actual effects on brain pattern and feelings of wellbeing. The benefits of this practice have caused the recent popularity among politicians, athletes, and celebrities.  In addition, previous studies have shown that meditation techniques have helped people to ease anxiety, chronic pain, and the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Despite this, we do not have a full understanding of how this takes place in the brain.

Mindfulness meditation takes place when an individual takes the time to think about his or her thoughts and emotions as merely passing events, rather than passing judgment on them or weighing their importance.  This practice in turn can ease a person’s emotional stress.  Recently, in order to determine how this happens, psychologists at the University Cape Town in South Africa, had subjects experience an eight-week Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction (MSBR) intervention so that could perform this type of meditation for twelve minutes as neuroscientists scanned the activity of the brain. 

When comparing brain activity during this state with that of a control state where they were asked to memorize random numbers, they found that there was less activity in the insula and the prefrontal cortex.  Because damage to the insula causes an individual to have less intense emotional reactions, it is likely that less activity leads to less reactivity from the subject.  One of the functions of the prefrontal cortex is to provide heightened self-consciousness.  When there is less activity, it means that there is less self-focus.  In turn, mindfulness meditation gives people a way to distance themselves from the self, meaning that people are more inclined to let go of their worries when in this state.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choke/201106/how-mindfulness-meditation-alters-the-brain

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Healthy_Living_g284-Fitness_Woman_Doing_Meditation_p35206.html

Dazzle Camouflage: Messing with Military Minds

An older warfare technique might have some startling modern applications: researchers at the University of Bristol have found that vehicles painted with high contrast geometric patterns alter the perception of speed and may cause attackers to miss their target. During both World Wars, warships were painted with geometric patterns in order to confuse enemies’ perceptions of range, speed, size, and other characteristics in order to prevent torpedo attacks. The effectiveness of such techniques, however, was never empirically proven until recently.

What researchers found, after testing a variety of patterns at various speeds, was that zigzag and checker patterns moving at high speeds caused a reduction in perceived speed around 7 percent. This misperception caused by dazzle camouflage could make the difference between life and death during battle. For example, an insurgent with an RPG may miscalculate the speed of a Jeep and fail to hit it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601171617.htm

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0020233

(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia article on Dazzle Camouflage, which is in the public domain)


Written by: Justin Saranovic

Why do we laugh?

In our world, laughter is second nature.  However, from a psychological standpoint, the phenomenon is deceivingly complicated.  Even before the foundation of modern psychology, several experts have attempted to find a simple explanation for its existence in everyday life.  The famous 18^th century philosopher, Immanuel Kant, stated that laughter is merely a sudden relief of tension.  More recently, Sigmund Freud made the claim that it functions as a method of releasing aggression and libido in a socially acceptable way.   In today’s psychological world, there are a few new ideas on laughter.  Featured in Psychology Today is Alastair Clarke’s published theory of laughter and its relationship to the brain’s ability to recognize normal cognitive patterns.

According to Clarke, what makes something funny or laughable is the element of surprise that is associated with it.  For example, a joke is only usually effective if the punch line is unpredictable.  When the person knows the punch line, whether they figure it out or have heard the joke before, laughter hardly ever follows.  This makes sense in terms of uncomfortable laughter as well.  If a situation makes an individual uneasy, some will let out a laugh.  The feelings associated with this reaction come from a break from the normal mental state.  Whether a clever quip or a quick sensation of being uncomfortable, the mind recognizes a deviation from what is expected and lets out the response of amusement.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-playing-field/200806/why-we-laugh

Skin Cells Transformed into Neurons for the First Time

In what could possibly be a breakthrough of wide-ranging proportions, researchers at Stanford University have turned human skin cells into working neurons. By using a process known as transdifferentiation, researchers were able to transform the skin cells into nerve cells. These new neurons were able to fire and form synapses onto other neurons.

While skin cells have been converted into other types of cells in the past (blood, liver, and heart), they could have a future purpose in regenerative therapies for disease’s such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s given the sheer numbers of skin cells available. Another advantage of these techniques is that it does not involve the use of stem cells, which would be one less obstacle if it were to be used in mainstream medicine.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/researchers-transform-skin-cells-working-neurons-first-time

Written by: Justin Saranovic

Doctor-Patient Relationship Changes with Technology

The easy accessibility and efficiency of technology has made the boundaries between patient and doctor a bit blurred. Many doctors think that communication should simply happen face-to-face and issues should be discussed in the office.  If email exchanges and text messaging occurs, the relationship between doctor and patient can become too personal and friendly. These impersonal exchanges can also become dangerous; some doctors state that they’ve had clients text them suicidal thoughts or email them for advice.

Social networking sites such as Facebook can also be hazardous as information about someone is displayed to “friends.”  Even if a psychiatrist does not accept a “friend request” from a patient, “nonfriends” can still seek information in other ways.  The inevitable and increasing use of technology makes the boundary between doctor and patient incredibly ambiguous. Technology is still changing and becoming more popular, and therefore can confuse both doctor and patient and put them both at risk for overstepping that line.

Boschert, Sherry. "Privacy Boundaries Fade With Social Media." Clinical Psychiatry News (2011): 45. 

Safer Brain Surgery

Brain surgery is a risky business: in order to operate, surgeons must be able to anticipate the risks of surgical intrusion, in order to guarantee the patient’s safety. Now, neurosurgeons have a new tool for evaluation: computer-imaging models based on client-specific information. These models help to account for information such as the location of tumors, functional areas and nerve fiber tracks in the brain, in order to allow the surgeon increased accuracy and information before the patient goes under the knife.

The difficulty with traditional medical imagery is that there are many inaccuracies and ambiguities that surgeons must resolve in order to make sure brain areas are not damaged unnecessarily. Many important items must be addressed prior to surgery, such as where nerve tracts are, or whether removal of some area may result in impairment. By using digital modeling, surgeons will now have a more comprehensive and precise image of the patient’s brain, and will be better informed.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527100134.htm

Written by: Justin Saranovic

Brain Scans Show Relationship between Memories and Imagination

Psychologists at Washington University have found that thought patterns that relate to remembering the past may go hand-in-hand with those associated with envisioning the future.  After giving several participants a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan, they found that both memories and imagination of the future through a first-person point of view cause activity within the same brain network.

The participants were given ten seconds to develop a mental image of themselves or a celebrity participating in common life experiences, such as getting lost or spending time with a good friend.  They were then asked to recall an event from their past, envision the event as if it were occurring to them in the future, or to picture the celebrity participating in the event.

It was originally presumed that all future-related activity took place within the frontal lobe, the area of the brain correlated with planning, anticipation, and monitoring.  While there was neural activity there, it was clear that it extended beyond that area when an individual imagined his or her “self future”.  The envisioning allows the brain to, perhaps, portray signs of visual and location-oriented activity based on information from past experiences.  This gives us a sense that imagination derives, at least partially, from experiences that we have already had.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0710-brain_scans_of_the_future.htm

The Four I’s for Guiding Children into Adolescence

As children get older, parents and adolescents struggle with the concepts of autonomy and dependency. Adolescents strive for independence as a way to grow and evolve into a unique individual, however, up until these teenage years, parents have innately created a dependent role for themselves, constantly caring for their child.

Barbara J Howard explains that adolescents and their parents need to negotiate the “Four I’s” of adolescent development. These include Initiative, Individuation, Independence, and Intimacy. Adolescents need to take the initiative in their activities including how they manage homework and do their chores. If parents try to structure these initiatives, they will receive a lot of pushback. In terms of individuation, adolescence is a time for discovery and the need to feel unique. It is necessary for parents to pick and choose their battles. If a child comes home with an ear piercing it may be more safe to let that go, but if a child comes home three hours past curfew it may be more reasonable to discuss..  

As adolescents strive for independence, it may be difficult for parents to set standards and rules for everything. Sometimes, it is better for adolescents to learn from their mistakes in order to mature. In terms of intimacy, adolescents want and need privacy for the relationships they encounter. Parents need to seem available in order for their child to feel comfortable speaking to them, however, parents should not ask too many questions and get too involved.

These Four I’s are a great rule of thumb for parents when dealing with their kids. They can be used for everyday situations.  It is important for parents to create a balance between supporting dependency and promoting independence.

Howard, Barbara J. "Help Parents Guide Children into Adolescence." Clinical Psychiatry News (2011): 11. Print.

Sight through Sound: Explaining Human Echolocation in the Brain

In an article published by PLoS One, researchers used brain imaging to study blind people who have begun to use echolocation to navigate their environments. Echolocation, most commonly associated with bats, is the use of sounds to detect objects. By interpreting the way sounds are reflected from the surrounding environment, some blind people can traverse their surroundings simply by producing mouth clicks and listening to the echoes. This different type of “sight” has become the target of researchers to see how this phenomenon is realized in the brain.

The study focused on two blind echolocators, and using an fMRI machine, they recorded the participants’ brain activity while they listened to their own pre-recorded clicks and echoes. The blind participants exhibited activation in the primary visual of their brains, whereas sighted echolocators under the same testing conditions did not. While these results support ideas of reorganized brain processing that blind people usually exhibit, more research is necessary to determine how the brain combines sound and sight.

http://www.livescience.com/14327-blind-people-echolocation-brains.html

Written by: Justin Saranovic

Food for Thought

Fatigue, whether mental or physical, is not very uncommon but food researchers offer new ways to combat it. By making better food choices and adapting eating habits, people can change their lifestyles to improve alertness, boost energy levels, and overall improve mood and mind. According to Psychology Today, simple changes such as drinking more water, having a good breakfast, and eating iron-rich foods yield some big brain benefits.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201012/feed-your-brain/fatigue-fighting-foods

Written by: Justin Saranovic

Can I Catch Up on My Sleep Later?

Michael Breus, the self-proclaimed “Sleep Doctor,” printed an article on the Psychology Today website that answers a question that is on the minds of the everyday worker and students alike.  Can we catch up on sleep deprivation we accumulate during the week by allowing ourselves a few more hours to snooze during the weekend?  The answer, unfortunately for many, is no. 

Studies done in 2003 by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research examined the effect of losing sleep for a week and found a decrease in cognitive performance using tests of reaction time as well as other psychomotor tasks.  They then allowed three days of “recovery” sleep and found that the individuals still did not perform tasks at the original control level. 

In 2008, a similar study was done in the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden when the subject pool slept four hours a night for five days and followed it with eight hours of sleep a night for the next week.  Although there was more “recovery” time in this scenario and many of the participants stated that they were not tired by the end of the experiment, they still showed slight cognitive impairment even in the tasks given on the last day.

On the other hand, it is more beneficial to bank on a lot of sleep BEFORE going into a period of deprivation, according to another study by the Walter Reed Army Institute in 2009.  However, taking this measure can only do so much.  That is why it truly is best to avoid sleep deprivation at all costs, but when you absolutely have to stay up to accomplish something, it is best to plan it out beforehand and bank hours of sleep rather than catch up later.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201008/secrets-sleep/can-you-catch-sleep-over-weekend

How Impulsive is Addiction?

Lance Dodes, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and blogger for Psychology Today, discredits the popular belief that addiction is impulsive.  Addictive behavior is not merely one sudden urge after another.  Not only can cravings last days, but they are also derived heavily from the emotional factors that come from feeling and satisfying the addiction.

If this type of dependence truly did stem from impulse, then at the point of planning, the idea would die.  This is because “impulse” is a word that suggests that a given action or feeling is stimulus-driven and not a factor of any thought processing.  Because a craving can take hours to satisfy and the longing to act on it can continue to last throughout, it is clear that the person’s recognition of negativity within the action is not enough to shut down the willingness to proceed.  If addiction was impulsive, then knowing that what causes is negative would be enough reason to inhibit oneself.

In reality, addiction is a product of compulsions.  Compulsions are repeated actions that a person takes that are often triggered by emotional factors and represent the longing of an individual to temporarily feel control of an aspect within his or her life.  These are deep seeded and far more complex than impulses, which is why the strong internal feeling to gratify it lasts over such a long delay.  In a way, it relieves a person to think about performing the action, whether it is gambling, drugs, or drinking.  Individuals who have problems with dependency should not necessarily be viewed as pleasure seeking or mentally weak but rather as people with good functioning who are troubled by a specific psychological ailment.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-heart-addiction/201105/the-myth-impulsiveness-in-addiction