Middle-aged smokers at higher risk of dementia

The Guardian (4 August 2009) -- Middle-aged people who smoke, are diabetic or have high blood pressure are far more likely to suffer from dementia, research reveals today.

Smokers aged between 46 and 70 have a 70% higher risk of developing chronic memory loss, according to a study reported in Britain's Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The chance of people with diabetes getting dementia is more than doubled because of their condition, while in those with raised blood pressure it is increased by 60% compared with people without that problem.

A separate study today shows that people may be able to ward off the onset of dementia by stimulating their brain regularly through everyday activities such as reading, writing and playing card games. That research, in the American journal Neurology, offers further evidence that mental exercise can help delay cognitive impairment.

Denis Campbell, health correspondent

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Autism Study Finds Visual Processing 'Hinders Ability' To Read Body Language

ScienceDaily (Aug. 5, 2009) — The way people with autism see and process the body language of others could be preventing them from gauging people's feelings, according to new research.

With around half a million people in the UK affected by autism, the Durham University study suggests visual processing problems could be contributing to their day-to-day difficulties with social interaction.

The research showed that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) found it difficult to identify emotions, such as anger or happiness, from short video clips of body movements without seeing faces or hearing sound.

Those adults who struggled most with this task also performed poorly when asked to detect the direction in which a group of dots moved coherently on a screen, thought to be due to visual processing problems.

People with autism often have difficulty in attributing mental states to others and this is thought to be one of the main causes of their struggle to know how other people feel. The Durham study, published in the academic journal Neuropsychologia, suggests visual processing problems may also be a contributing factor.

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Treating depression can be hit or miss

Los Angeles Times (August 3, 2009) --George Porter, a 47-year-old engineering librarian from La Cañada Flintridge, first became depressed after his father's heart attack nearly seven years ago. The married father of two was overcome with sadness that wouldn't go away and lost pleasure in activities he'd once enjoyed. "I'd been a voracious reader all my life, and I found it almost impossible to get through a book," he said. He often began sobbing uncontrollably.

Porter followed his doctor's advice to see a psychologist and take medication, cycling through at least half a dozen drugs. Many helped, but none worked completely.

Although doctors have more than 20 medications to choose from when prescribing a treatment for depression, there's still little way to know which drug will work for a particular person. Many people need to try two or three drugs or drug combinations before experiencing relief. Some go through six or more. "It's a hit-or-miss, trial-and-error kind of process," said Dr. Richard A. Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.

By Devon Schuyler

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Hearing Aids: New Software Makes It Easier To Hear The Words Beneath The Noise

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2009) — Hearing aids and cochlear implants act as tiny amplifiers so the deaf and hard-of-hearing can make sense of voices and music. Unfortunately, these devices also amplify background sound, so they're less effective in a noisy environment like a busy workplace or café.

But help is on the way. Prof. Miriam Furst-Yust of Tel Aviv University's School of Electrical Engineering has developed a new software application named "Clearcall" for cochlear implants and hearing aids which improves speech recognition for the hard-of-hearing by up to 50%.

"Hearing-impaired people have a real problem understanding speech," says Prof. Furst-Yust. "Their devices may be useful in a quiet room, but once the background noise levels ramp up, the devices become less useful. Our algorithm helps filter out irrelevant noise so they can better understand the voices of their friends and family."

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Midlife cholesterol levels linked to dementia

San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 2009) -- You might want to think twice about that plate of steak and eggs.

A new study that looked at Kaiser Permanente Northern California members over a four-decade period found that even borderline to moderately high cholesterol levels in your 40s can significantly raise the chances of developing dementia later in life.

The study, published today in the journal Dementia & Geriatrics Cognitive Disorders, found the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease increased by as much as 66 percent among people with high cholesterol in midlife, a level defined as 240 or higher milligrams per deciliter (1.75 pints) of blood.

For those with just moderately high cholesterol - between 200 and 239 milligrams per deciliter - the risk of developing vascular dementia, the second-most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's, increased by 52 percent.

Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer

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Depressed Nation?

Los Angeles Times (August 3, 2009) -- Many Americans are clinically depressed, but are we undertreated or overtreated? Reality might not match the headlines.

Some 16% of adults in the United States have met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. Such rates have not really changed over the last few decades, according to studies -- but rates of treatment have risen dramatically.

Doctors say the wider recognition of depression as a chronic, recurring disease has helped people in need get necessary and helpful treatment. Better insurance coverage of mental health services and the explosion of new medications for depression since the introduction of Prozac in 1987 have helped fuel the rise in treatment rates.

And yet a wave of concern persists about overdiagnosis and overtreatment of depression. Has easy treatment in the form of a pill led to frivolous prescribing habits?

By Jill U. Adams

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Epilepsy Halted In Mice

ETV documentary "Through Deaf Eyes"

ETV will air "Through Deaf Eyes," a new two-hour documentary on
Sunday, August 9 at 9 p.m.:

THROUGH DEAF EYES is a two-hour HDTV documentary that explores 200
years of Deaf life in America. The film includes interviews with
prominent members of the Deaf community, including actress Marlee
Matlin and Gallaudet University president emeritus I. King Jordan.

Interwoven throughout the film are six short documentaries produced
by Deaf media artists and filmmakers. Poignant, sometimes humorous,
these commissioned stories bring a personalized sense of Deaf life in
America to the film. Through first person accounts and the film as a
whole, THROUGH DEAF EYES tells the story of conflicts, prejudice and
affirmation that ultimately reaches the heart of what it means to be human.

For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/weta/throughdeafeyes/, or click on the link above.

Antidepressant Use Increasing In The United States

ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2009) — A marked and broad expansion in antidepressant treatment occurred among Americans older than 6 years between 1996 and 2005, although treatment rates remain low among racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report in the August issue of

Archives of General Psychiatry.

Treatment for mental health conditions is becoming more common in the United States, according to background information in the article. "Several factors may have contributed to this trend, including a broadening in concepts of need for mental health treatment, campaigns to promote mental health care and growing public acceptance of mental health treatments," the authors write. "In parallel with growth in mental health service usage, psychotropic medications have become increasingly prominent in treatment." Antidepressants are now the most commonly prescribed class of medications in the United States.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Regimens: Restrictive Diets May Not Be Appropriate for Children With Autism

The New york Times (July 27, 2009) -- Many parents of autistic children have put their children on strict gluten-free or dairy-free diets, convinced that gastrointestinal problems are an underlying cause of the disorder. But a new study suggests the complicated food regimens may not be warranted.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic reviewed the medical records of over 100 autistic children over an 18-year period and compared them to more than 200 children without the disorder. The scientists found no differences in the overall frequency of gastrointestinal problems reported by the two groups, though the autistic children suffered more frequently from bouts of constipation and were more likely to be picky eaters who had difficulty gaining weight.

The study, published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, is the first to look at the incidence of gastrointestinal problems in an autistic population, according to the paper’s first author, Dr. Samar H. Ibrahim, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. She suggested that autistic children should only be put on restrictive wheat-free or dairy-free diets after having appropriate diagnostic tests done.

“There is actually no trial that has proven so far that a gluten-free and casein-free diet improves autism,” she said. “The diets are not easy to follow and can sometimes cause nutritional deficiencies.”

By RONI CARYN RABIN

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

STAR Network - AT Reutilization for SC

SCATP is working with the STAR network to help facilitate equipment reutilization in South Carolina. STAR has three outreach centers throughout the state where an individual with a disability can access used equipment and assistive technology.

The used items have been cleaned and sanitized through a Washing Mechanism known as the HubScrub. Items redistributed are typically donated items being gifted for availability to persons who can utilize the item(s). Individuals can access the equipment or devices they need for a modest contribution. Individuals from the community can bring their equipment (non electric/no battery) to an nearest outreach center to be cleaned/sanitized and returned to the outreach center at the next scheduled delivery.

Call your closest point of contact from the list below or call Walton Options. If you have a computer to donate, call Walton options directly.

Walton Options

Address: 948 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30901
Contact Person: Anita Howard, STAR Program Assistant
Phone: 803-279-9611
Fax: 706-724-6729

Disability Action Center

Address: 1115 Belleview St., Columbia, SC 29201
Contact Person: Stephen Maglione, Executive Director
Phone: 803-779-5121
Fax: 803-779-5114

DisAbility Resource Center

Address: 7944 Dorchester Rd., Suite 5, North Charleston, SC 29418
Contact Person: Gloria Maurer, Loan Closet Manager
Phone: 843-225-5080
Fax: 843-225-5082

Regained Mobility

Address: PO Box 8576, 9 Saluda Dam Rd, Greenville, SC 29604
Contact Person: Christina Edwards, Community Director
Phone: 864-498-8570
Cell: 864-350-0480
Fax: 864-455-6559

Call the center in your area if you have items to donate for these pickup dates:

8/6/09 – Walton Options, Aiken
8/11/09 – Disability Solutions, Hartsville
8/18/09 – Disability Action Center, Columbia
8/25/09 – Disability Resource Center, North Charleston
9/8//09 – Disability Solutions, Hartsville
9/15/09 – Disability Action Center, Columbia
9/22/09 – Disability Resource Center, North Charleston
9/29/09 – Regained Mobility, Greenville

HubScrub Events: Sponsor a HubScrub event at your business. The HubScrub cleans/sanitizes and disinfects equipment. It’s a wonderful way to support your community. For more information call Kathy Pelletier at 706-724-6262.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Program
USC School of Medicine • Center for Disability Resources
University Center for Excellence, Columbia SC 29208

located at Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia SC 29203
(803) 935-5263 • (803) 935 5342 fax • (800) 915-4522 toll free

To view the webpage, please click on the link above.

Weight Loss Improves Mood In Depressed People, New Research Shows

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2009) — Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) finds that after a 6-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients not only lost 8% of their initial weight but also reported significant improvements in their symptoms of depression, as well as reductions in triglycerides, which are a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The results of this study highlight the need for further research into the effects of weight loss in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders.

“This research is novel because clinically depressed individuals are not usually included in weight loss trials due to concerns that weight loss could worsen their depression,” said Dr. Lucy Faulconbridge, lead author of the study. “These concerns, however, are not based on empirical evidence, and the practice of excluding depressed individuals from clinical weight loss trials means that we are learning nothing about this high-risk population.” The latest findings suggest that depressed, obese individuals can indeed lose clinically significant amounts of weight, and that weight loss can actually reduce symptoms of depression.

To view the article, please click on the link above.

Under A Cloud: Darkness Linked To 'Brain Drain' In Depressed People

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2009) — A lack of sunlight is associated with reduced cognitive function among depressed people. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health used weather data from NASA satellites to measure sunlight exposure across the United States and linked this information to the prevalence of cognitive impairment in depressed people.

Shia Kent, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, led a team of US researchers who used cross-sectional data from 14,474 people in the NIH-NINDS-funded REGARDS study, a longitudinal study investigating stroke incidence and risk factors, to study associations between depression, cognitive function and sunlight.

He said: "We found that among participants with depression, low exposure to sunlight was associated with a significantly higher predicted probability of cognitive impairment. This relationship remained significant after adjustment for season. This new finding that weather may not only affect mood, but also cognition, has significant implications for the treatment of depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.