Ethicist Art Caplan discusses whether doctors need to disclose ethics consults to patients or families. Medscape Business of Medicine
Tag: Psychiatry
Ball Changes Shape with Breath for Mental Health Management
Researchers at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom have developed a shape-shifting ball that can inflate and deflate in response to someone’s breath. The idea is an advancement of many techniques designed to help people de-stress and manage their mental health, which all focus on awareness of the breath. For instance, mindfulness meditation […]
EarliPoint Evaluation System for ASD Diagnosis: Interview with Tom Ressemann, CEO of EarliTec Dx
EarliTec Dx, a medtech company based in Georgia, has developed the EarliPoint Evaluation System for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This common neurodevelopmental condition is often overlooked in affected children, leading to a lack of early intervention and care. Part of the issue is a lack of access to specialists who can diagnose the condition. Another […]
Automated Mass Spec Technique to Detect Antidepressants
Scientists at Brown University have designed an automated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system that allows clinicians to rapidly and easily process patient samples to determine levels of antidepressant drugs in the body. Getting the correct dose of antidepressant drugs into the bloodstream is important to ensure efficacy and avoid side-effects. However, current assays […]
Poor Visual Acuity Linked to Depression, Brain Structure Changes
Difficulty discerning letters or numbers at a given distance is associated with both depressive symptoms and deterioration in certain brain structures, new research suggests. Medscape Medical News
Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat
Researchers at UCLA have developed a fingertip sensor that can rapidly provide data on the levels of lithium in the body. Used as a treatment for bipolar disorder and depression, lithium requires very accurate and sensitive dosing, with too little providing no therapeutic benefit but slightly too much potentially leading to unwanted side-effects. At present, […]
Stress Key to Link Between Computer Vision Syndrome and Migraine
Too much screen time, which can cause vision problems, is tied to both insomnia and migraine — with stress playing a mediating role in the associations, new research suggests. Medscape Medical News
Wearable Tracks Mental States
Researchers at New York University have created a wearable system that can measure electrodermal activity, a property of the skin that is influenced by mental states, such as stress or excitement. The system is called Multimodal Intelligent Noninvasive brain state Decoder for Wearable AdapTive Closed-loop arcHitectures (MINDWATCH) and it can assess electrodermal activity by measuring […]
Thinning of the Eye’s Retinal Layer a Marker of Cognitive Decline?
Thinning of the eye’s macular retinal nerve fiber layer is linked to cognitive decline in older adults, in new findings that may offer an opportunity for early intervention. Medscape Medical News
Hearing, Vision Loss Combo a Colossal Risk for Cognitive Decline
Seniors with hearing or vision loss are at significant risk of cognitive decline, but the risk skyrockets in individuals with both. Medscape Medical News
Hearing, Vision Loss Combo a Colossal Risk for Cognitive Declin
Seniors with hearing or vision loss are at significant risk of cognitive decline, but the risk skyrockets in individuals with both. Medscape Medical News
Smartphone App to Diagnose Neurological Disorders
A team at the University of California San Diego has developed a smartphone app that can precisely measure changes in pupil size as a potential method to assess a variety of neurological conditions and disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and ADHD. The technique relies on the near-infrared cameras that newer smartphones use for facial recognition. The […]
Common Eye Disorder in Children Tied to Mental Illness
Misaligned eyes in children are associated with an increased prevalence of mental illness, results of a large study suggest. Medscape Medical News
Meet Sensate – A Device That Calms Your Fight or Flight Response: Interview Exclusive
A quick way to soothe your nerves sounds too good to be true. There are many methods and techniques used for achieving this “calm” that include breath work, visualization, meditation, and other individualized activities. However, what intrigued us was that there is a device on the market, the developers of which claim is be able […]
Robotic Cat Improves Mood and Cognition for People with Dementia
A research team at Florida Atlantic University has tested a robotic cat in its ability to influence the mood and cognition of patients with dementia. The furry device moves and make realistic noises, and can provide a source of companionship and entertainment for patients, without the commitment of caring for a real animal. As patients […]
Microchip Nanosensor Detects Stress Hormone from Drop of Blood
Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a microchip that can perform real-time measurements of stress hormone levels in a drop of blood. The technology could provide a replacement for bulky and expensive lab tests for such hormones, and allow patients to monitor their stress levels more easily. The chip includes tiny wells that contain antibodies, […]
Hope, Resilience & Healing in the COVID-19 Era: A Virtual Conference Report
Well-being and health cannot solely rely upon symptomatic treatment. In fact, “good health” cannot be truly achieved unless the root causes of dis-eases are addressed. Even more ideal is the approach of preventative and integrative medicine, in which lifestyle and behavior changes are made holistically, in conjunction with any necessary treatments, such that balance and […]
The ‘Awful but Necessary Distance’ of COVID-19
COVID-19 is causing significant fissures on the home front and revealing systemic economic inequalities among healthcare workers. Medscape Psychiatry
Monitoring Cognitive Performance Using Smart Devices: Interview with Maha Radhakrishnan, CMO, Biogen
Biogen, a medtech company based in Massachusetts, has announced that is partnering with Apple in a research study to determine if it is possible to identify and develop biomarkers of cognitive decline, using data from smart devices, including the iPhone and Apple Watch. Biogen has a neuroscience focus, and the company hopes that it may […]
Meru New Standards for Mental Health: Exclusive with CEO Kristian Ranta
2020 has been a challenging year in many ways, including for everyone’s mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a spike in mental health problems with cases tripling in the number of adults experiencing depression. Existing sentiments and situations drag on now into 2021. Today, the mental health care system is not very efficient and in many […]