Treating the Winter Blues

Treating the Winter Blues
In my last blog we began a discussion of seasonal affective disorder or SAD.  We will pick up where we left off.   There is actually some debate in the psychiatric community whether or not SAD is actually a separate diagnosis, apart from general depression.  Those who claim it is not suggest that it is no more than a seasonal coincidence that occurs in someone with recurring episodes of depression.  As support to this idea...

Memory, Brain Function, and REM Sleep: Are They Related?
In my last blog we discussed at length the different stages of sleep, namely non-REM and REM, the biological need for sleep to stay alive, and started discussing what some researchers believe may be the function of some portions of non-REM sleep.  We reviewed how there is some evidence linking declarative memory (memory of facts and figures) to slow wave sleep and procedural memory (the ability to perform tasks like riding a bike or playing...

Drugmakers pour $40 million into healthcare reform debate
Statistics show that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a lobbying group that represents 32 brandname drug companies, and its member companies have spent $40 million lobbying Congress as the lawmakers work to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.

Doctors judge patients by their looks, studies show
Several studies have found that doctors treat patients differently depending on their race and body weight.

Internet-based therapy may treat insomnia
A new software that uses quizzes, stories, and games may help people who suffer from insomnia, experts say.

Vitamins and herbs that can harm you
Natural remedies such as St. John's wort and fish oil can cause harm if taken in the wrong doses or in conjunction with other drugs, experts say.

The unsolved mystery of sleep
Despite the fact that humans will spend roughly one-third of their lives asleep, scientists still don't know why we do it.

Sleep training helps insomnia in arthritis patients
According to a new study, a type of therapy known as cognitive behavior therapy may ease pain and sleep problems in older people who suffer from both arthritis and insomnia.