So what exactly is this condition that is being portrayed on these TV shows? Compulsive Hoarding is an anxiety disorder that affects as many as 700,000 to 1.4 million people in the United States. Hoarding is the compulsion to acquire objects but the unwillingness to discard any of them. Those who hoard items say that those items are valuable, they might come in handy one day or they have sentimental value so they cannot be discarded. A bereavement or another significant traumatic life event can trigger this behavior.

There are two major stages to hoarding: clutter and Obsessive Compulsive (OC) Hoarding. At the clutter stage a person has a minor difficulty related to keeping things. A hoarder can no longer function normally. Their way of life has been changed severely.

Hoarding can occur along with other psychiatric disorders but it’s most commonly associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Thirty to forty percent of people with OCD have hoarding symptoms. Because of this, hoarding is being questioned as a subtype of OCD or as a separate disorder all together.

Recent research into this condition has uncovered very strong familial ties. Nine out of ten individuals who suffer from either clutter or hoarding report having a first degree relative who suffers from some level of hoarding. So is this due to genetics? Or is this just due to learned behaviors?

Studies have revealed an area on chromosome 14 that differs from a normal individual. This same change can be seen in the other relatives displaying hoarding behaviors. Such links have also been made to areas on chromosomes 3 and 9. In addition, Hoarders have significantly different brain activity and functioning than non-hoarders. There is  lower brain activity in the brain’s dorsal anterior cingulate cortex compared to non-hoarding patients. Different patterns of cognitive deficits were found, such as more difficulty making decisions and impaired decision making.

Current suggested treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Therapy seems to be the best way to deal with the hoarding symptoms. On the TV shows, a therapist that specializes in these types of anxiety conditions will be on hand to guide the person through cleaning of the home and dealing with the anxiety involved. Perhaps learning more about the genetics involved can help determine new treatment options or can better improve options that are already available.

Well other than the reason to relax, women may have another reason to drink their coffee. In the September 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, there’s a report stating that the risk of depression appears to decrease for women with increased consumption of caffeine. Previous studies have hinted to a possible association between coffee consumption and depression risk. Approximately every 1 in 5 women will experience depression during their lifetime. These numbers make depression in women a public health priority.

In a study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health, women were followed from the study’s start in 1996 through June 2006. Caffeine consumption was measured through questionnaires completed from May 1980 through April 2004. It has been discovered that compared to women who consumed only 1 cup of coffee or less a week, those who consumed two or more cups per day have a 15 percent decrease in risk for depression. Those consuming four or more cups per day had a 20 percent decrease in risk. This was only seen for those consuming caffeinated drinks. No association was found between decaffeinated coffee and depression risk.

Perhaps this study can make some headway into treatments for depression in women.

JAMA and Archives Journals (2011, September 26). Increased caffeinated coffee consumption associated with decreased risk of depression in women, study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 27, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926165904.htm

A diagnosis of ADHD is based on the persistence of several conditions for 6 or more months. Inattention is characterized by a child being easily distracted, missing details, forgetting things, and difficulty in focusing, among others. Hyperactivity can be diagnosed with behaviors such as constant fidgeting and squirming in a seat, talking nonstop or by being constantly in motion. Impulsivity is displayed with impatience, blurting out comments, and often interrupting the conversations or activities of others.

ADHD is persistant throughout life so treatment can be important as if can become more severe over time. The treatment options include psychotherapy, education/ training and a variety of medications including Adderall (amphetamine) and Ritalin (methylphenidate). Most of these medications are stimulants used to suppress the impulsivity and help focus attention.

There has been research into the possible causes of ADHD. Brain imaging studies suggest that the brains of children with ADHD differ from the brains of others. As for a genetic cause, twin and adoption studies show ADHD to be highly inheritable. Some recent research has focused on genes involved in the dopaminergic neurotransmission system of the brain. Two genes have been studied for their possible genetic links: dopamine D4 (DRD4) gene and dopamine 5 (DRD5) gene.

ADHD has also been linked to deficits in the functioning of several brain areas. These deficits have been seen in the prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and the temporal and parietal cortex. These regions are responsible for response inhibition, memory, planning and organization, motivation, processing speed, inattention and impulsivity.

Looking solely into the genetic aspects, it seems that there are many different rare variants, some found in only single families that are responsible for ADHD. These variants have been also associated with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and intellectual disability. “This really gives substance to the argument that there are shared genetic links between neuropsychiatric disorders,” says child psychiatrist Russell Schachar of the Hospital of Sick Children in Toronto who led the study on these variants with Stephen Scerer, a geneticist at the hospital. Up to 75 percent of people with autism spectrum disorder have symptoms of ADHD but it was unsure if the genetic causes were the same.

Past studies have shown that people with autism or schizophrenia often have genes that are missing or duplicated. The addition or subtraction of genes is known as copy number variants. Unlike those with schizophrenia or autism, people with ADHD are no more likely than average to have these missing or copied genes but there is a percentage of people that do have these rare copy number variants. It is possible that these disorders may have some common genetic causes.

In a new study, an examination of DNA from parents of 173 of the children showed that copy number variants associated with ADHD are often inherited from a parent who also has the disorder. This is different than in autism and schizophrenia, where the genes are newly deleted or duplicated and the disorder is not inherited.

This discovery of rare variants can go as far as having a supporting role in the original Hunter vs Farmer Theory proposed by Thom Hartmann. This is a hypothesis about the origins of ADHD and adult attention-deficit disorder (AADD). It suggests that these conditions may be a result of a form of adaptive behavior. Some use this theory as a working hypothesis. Hartmann’s argument has to do with human’s ancestry as nomadic hunters and gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years. Then the times changed gradually to more agriculturally based farmers. Over the years, most humans adapted to the new farming culture- but not everyone. Hartmann speculates that people with ADHD are holding onto some of the original hunter characteristics. Hunters and gatherers had this “hyperfocus” behavior and needed to always be moving with the prey and aware of their surroundings. This Hunter vs Farmer Theory proposes that the high frequency of ADHD in contemporary settings is representing completely normal behavioral settings- just maladaptive in today’s evolutionary novel environments such as a formal school setting.

The genetic variants may have high value in certain social groups- such as those that have migrated. This important view does have genetic backing. These genetic variants confer susceptibility to ADHD and imply that this “disorder” had provided selective advantage in the past. Evolutionary Anthropologist Ben Campbell of the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied the Ariaal, an isolated nomadic group in Kenya. Studies of this group in 2008 suggest that hyperactivity and impulsivity (key traits of ADHD) have distinct advantages to nomadic peoples. Those Ariaal that were nomadic displayed high rates of variants while those that have settled down (representing the “farmers” in the Hunter vs Farmer Theory) displayed low rates of variants.

So it seems that ADHD, something that is seen as a disorder in today’s contemporary environments was a necessary advantage years ago, an advantage that has trickled down to remain in some people now forced to be treated. How this reflects on the incidence of schizophrenia and autism, I’m not sure but it does given some opinions on the basis of ADHD.

A question I have to ask- if these variants that affect our behavior have been passed down from generation to generation from our nomadic ancestors, what other behaviors have been passed down as well? How many are afraid of spiders or snakes even without having a reason to fear them? Our innate fears have also been passed through the generations. Just another interesting behavior to look at.

Tanning is dangerous because it requires the increase of UV radiation exposure in order to produce a tan. A tan is created due to melanogenesis of melanocytes. Melanocytes are skin cells that produce the protein melanin. We produce melanin which creates our skin color. When our skin cells are exposed to UV rays, the DNA of those melanocytes is affected and damaged. This damage creates the development of a tan.

Direct DNA damage due to UV radiation can be seen with a sunburn and by the increased production of melanin (or a tan). Too much of this direct DNA damage will give a painful warning signal- heat and the eventual painful sunburn.

In comparison, indirect DNA damage does not cause a tan or sunburn and there is no painful warning signal. Instead, the radiation creates free radicals which can affect surrounding cells.

So why do so many people go to tanning salons or sit for hours under the sun’s rays? Why do some people install home tanning beds? For many young people, media might play a role. The show Jersey Shore has a motto “GTL- Gym, Tanning, Laundry”. Tanning is a regular occurrence. Why? Because “it makes you look good” as some of the cast explained. But at what cost?

Scientists have studied why some people are “addicted” to the tan. As it turns out, tanning causes brain activity changes that are similar in those seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Tanning causes an addictive neurological reward and reinforcement trigger according to the UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study involved 2 groups of people. One group tanned which the scientists measured brain activity. The other group also tanned, but there UV radiation was filtered out. The group that tanned with full radiation showed more brain activity than the filtered group. When asked about how satisfied they felt about their tanning experience, the group that had the filter expressed that their desire to tan was as high as it was before tanning.

So knowing the dangers of tanning might not be enough to deter people from doing it. Despite the safer alternative (tanning spray) it might be harder to get people choose that option over the more addictive one.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin- Madison conducted tests with rats that were kept up past their normal bedtime. The rats were given objects to play with to keep them awake. During play, electrodes were implanted in their brains to measure brain activity. The results were interesting.

It seems that sleep does not involve the whole brain at once. It was once believed that a central control system determined when the brain would sleep and then later when it would wake. However, due to new research, this doesn’t seem to be the case. It seems that individual cells make the decision to sleep which eventually spreads throughout the rest of the brain.

The rats that were “wide awake” and playing with their toys weren’t “wide awake’ at all! Parts of their brain were snoozing- as the electrodes showed. This means that even though the rats weren’t showing their sleepiness and weren’t nodding off, their brains were not working to their full potential.

The electrodes measured activity in two parts of the brain: the motor cortex and parietal cortex. The rats were given an activity that required them to reach through a plexiglass wall and grasp a sugar cube. The rats that had a napping motor cortex (the part of the brain that controls movement) failed to grasp the sugar cube after many mistakes. The rats that had a napping parietal cortex, however (which was not needed for the task) was able to complete it without any mistakes.

As to how this would apply to the human mind, this could mean that the loss of sleep can be even more dangerous than previously thought. Someone could feel awake enough for tasks without realizing that essential parts of the brain are dozing. This can lead to slips of the tongue, driving mistakes, errors of judgment or other problems. It makes us rethink sleep derivation and how it’s really affecting us.

Just another reason why getting the recommended amount of sleep is important!

Many parents will try to avoid using these words around their young children so that the children don’t pick them up. Surprisingly enough, these words can actually help a child understand new words. At a young age of around 2-3 years, children are trying to constantly pick up new words which can be very difficult. When their parents use disfluencies, the child’s mind knows “the next word is going to be important!” and the brain will focus on that next word. Parent’s speech stumbles help a child learn new words more efficiently. This research was conducted at the University of Rochester’s Baby Lab.

This research is only true for children older than 2 years. Children younger than 2 aren’t aware that the disfluencies will precede new words. This does not mean that parents should use their uh’s and um’s more around their child. This means that it’s okay to use them.

Northwestern Medicine researchers have made a major discovery that can aid in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s. These researchers have taken human embryonic stem cells and transformed them into basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, those that die in early Alzheimer’s. The technology to grow these neurons in a laboratory will enable drug testing for treatment and also testing to study why these neurons die.

Researchers have demonstrated that these newly formed neurons work just like the originals. They were transplanted into the hippocampus of mice and were shown to function normally. The neurons produced axons to the hippocampus and pumped out acetylcholine, a chemical needed to retrieve memories.

These cells can be grown indefinitely in the lab, allowing for heavy amounts of research into these cells, something that’s never been done before. Perhaps now, with these new cells, we can be one step closer to understanding and treating this disease.

The neurons fire pulses with periods of rest in between. This is commonly seen in sleeping adults. These pulses were seen between neurons located in the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is involved in sensory information, thinking, emotion and consciousness. Even when they are not receiving input, the neurons will continue the pattern of firing and resting. When we sleep, our neurons will fire and rest as a way of reminding the rest of the brain that even though those cells are no longer working, they’re still alive! It’s as if the neurons are reminding the rest of the brain that they’re still there. Because this is seen in adults and in fetuses, this suggests that this alternative firing and resting activity is a very basic feature of the brain that starts occurring in very early developmental stages.

But now why are they firing so early in life? A mouse’s neurons will fire in synchronized waves. This plays a role in wiring the nervous system during development in order to link the neurons to corresponding body parts. Could this be the same for the human brain? Researchers are unsure if the developing neurons in lab dishes are in synch. If they are, the firing could be part of a mapping process during development.

Using this research, researchers might be able to soon look into what the result is when these neurons don’t form in the right places. The wrong positions might result in numerous disorders. Autism Spectrum disorders may also be related to improper firing.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that develops after an event that results in psychological trauma, overwhelming the individual’s ability to cope. PTSD causes flashbacks and nightmares, there is an avoidance of the offending stimuli, sleep disturbances (inability fall asleep or stay asleep), and anger. These affects are persistent for more than a month. PTSD can result as an affect from a very traumatic experience including rape, war, terrorist attacks, abuse, assaults, kidnapping, being a hostage, prisoner of war, or a severe automobile accident. It affects a person’s the quality of life. More than 7.7 million Americans suffer from the disorder. It has been predicted that 300,000 soldiers returning from the Middle East would experience PTSD.
Researchers at the University of Iowa have located the part of the brain associated with experiencing fear, hoping to improve PTSD treatment options. This discovery came in the wake of a study of a patient with a rare condition that destroyed her amygdala. The amygdala is a small region of the brain associated with the processing and memory of emotional reactions. It is also the location of fear-learning and coordinates fight-or-flight responses. Because the patient did not have a functioning amygdala, she was unable to experience fear.
The researchers exposed the patient to normal fear-inducing stimuli including haunted houses, horror movies, snakes and spiders. The patient was unable to experience any fear. Any traumatic events leave no emotional imprints on her brain, no lasting effects. The part of our brains that warns us of danger is missing in the patient.
Researchers hope that this can lead to new or improved treatment options for PTSD. New treatments that target the amygdala in perhaps dampening the activity, might help those with the condition.

Over the past several years, many precautions were taken to prevent concussions and further damage to the brain following injury. With the addition of rule changes, or specially formatted helmets and guards, professional sport organizations are making their sports safer. But what about the players outside of professional sports? Student-athletes also play these high contact sports and are just as affected by the risks associated with the sport. So why is this so dangerous? It seems that some athletes aren’t taking concussions seriously enough. A concussion is very different than a sprained ankle or wrist.

The word concussion comes from the Latin concutere meaning “to shake violently” or concussus “action of striking together”. It is a head injury with a temporary loss of brain function which can cause a variety of cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms. A concussion is caused by the striking of the brain up against the inside of the skull. Think of your last ride in a car. When the car stops, your body still moves forward a bit until the body stops completely. With soft braking, your body doesn’t move all that much. Our brains are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid which protects it from light trauma and brain movement, just like this soft braking. The cerebrospinal fluid, however, cannot always protect the brain when it comes to hard trauma.

Now think of hitting your head against the wall. The wall is not moving, but your head is. When you head strikes the wall, it is immediately stopped. Your brain, inside your skull, however, is still moving forward, and strikes the inside of your skull, causing it to completely stop motion. This hard strike, can lead to a concussion.

Concussions don’t always occur during only sport related accidents, but can happen during any accident; a trip or fall, car accident. The symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, lack of motor coordination, difficulty balancing, light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision, confusion, disorientation, and loss of consciousness. A concussion is a diffuse brain injury, meaning that it spreads away from the site of injury. The injury could affect the upper brain stem, the fornix, the corpus callosum, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, midbrain or diencephalon.

The pathophysiology of a brain injury such as this is impaired neurotransmission, loss of ionic regulation, deregulation of energy use and cellular metabolism and reduction in cerebral blood flow.
Upon injury, excitatory neurotransmitters (like glutamate that stimulate nerve cells) are released in excess. This then causes the neurons to fire excessively which then leads to an imbalance of Potassium and Calcium ions across membranes. Too much positively charged ions causes ion pumps to activate to try and restore ionic balance. These ion pumps need energy to run, so now there is an increase in energy use. More glucose must be pumped into the brain to create ATP for the cells. The brain runs like this for days, or weeks, following a brain injury.

Just to add to the chaos, for some unknown reason, the cerebral blood flow decreases, meaning that the cells are not receiving enough glucose to compensate for their increased energy demands. This causes a reduction in mitochondrial activity and a switch over to anaerobic metabolism. This decrease in blood flow can cause some nerve cells to die.
Brain analysis of dead NFL athletes who received concussions in the past, suggest that there may be lasting damage long after the concussion has “healed”. Boxers are extensively studied because of the high occurrence of head related injuries. Up to 20% of professional boxers develop neuropsychiatric issues. Some 10-20% develop persistent neuropsychiatric impairments.

There can be cumulative damage from more than one concussion. This can include longer recovery times (more than the three weeks it can normally take), psychiatric disorders and loss of long term memory. The risk of developing clinical depression has found to be greater. There is also a fivefold chance of developing Alzheimers and a threefold chance of memory deficits.
There is also a chance of what’s called dementia pugilistica. This has also been referred to as “punch drunk” syndrome in boxers. This leads to symptoms of parkinsonism, speech and memory problems, slower mental processes, tremor and inappropriate behavior.

Another complication, called second-impact syndrome is when someone receives another blow to the head before the original damage has cleared up and the brain swells to dangerous sizes. It’s believed that the swelling occurs because the brain arterioles lose the ability to regulate diameter causing a loss of control over cerebral blood flow.  The brain swells and the intracranial pressure rises rapidly. The brain herniates and the brain stem can fail within five minutes. This is rare but is often fatal. Except in boxing, all cases are in athletes under the age of 20.
Dr. Hayley Queller, a primary care sports medicine physicial in East Setauket, Long Island works with many student-athletes. The issue with student-athletes is they often receive a brain injury, shrug it off and go back into the game or play again in a few days, increasing the risk for another, more sreious injury. Dr Queller had developed an idea that is currently being used in about 15 New York school districts. This idea uses baseline testing for all athletes. All athletes must get their neurocognitive status measures including memory, reaction time, and motor speed. If a concussion is suspected, the athlete is tested again and compared to their individual baselines to determine treatment and recovery time.
Better safety measures are necessary and it is not unwarranted that many school districts here on Long Island are looking very closely at concussion incidents and responses to the condition. It’s especially important for those student-athletes with brains that are still developing. Sports may be fun to play, as long as all precautions are taken.