Menopause is known to bring a variety of unpleasant symptoms ranging from hot flashes to insomnia. Yet, for those who have a condition known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), it is much worse, researchers report. The new study examined the impact of POI, in which ovarian function stops and leads to menopause before the age of 40. The researchers investigated menopause symptoms in women with POI and compared them with the severity and prevalence of similar symptoms in women who experienced natural menopause. The study included nearly 300 women. The investigators found that women with POI experience a high prevalence of menopause symptoms, especially psychological and sexual symptoms. This included mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue and sexual dysfunction, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and decreased libido. These symptoms are often more severe than those experienced by women who undergo natural menopause. “This study of Chinese women showed that those with POI had more prevalent menopause-related symptoms than women with menopause at the average age,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the North American Menopause Society, said in a society news release. “It is important to note that, regardless of the prevalence or severity of symptoms, women with POI should receive hormone therapy at least until the average age of menopause unless there are contraindications to its use, in order to mitigate potential long-term…  read on >

Noninvasive electrical stimulation of the brain, fine-tuned to specific “circuitry” gone awry, might help ease obsessive-compulsive behaviors, an early study hints. Researchers found that the brain stimulation, delivered over five days, reduced obsessive-compulsive tendencies for three months, though in people who did not have full-blown obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s too early to say whether the approach can be translated into an OCD therapy, said researcher Shrey Grover, a PhD student in psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. “We need more research to replicate these findings. It will take time before this is widely available.” But the work, described online Jan. 18 in Nature Medicine, builds on a body of research into the underpinnings of OCD. Research has shown that people with OCD have difficulty processing “rewards” from the environment, Grover explained. So they become reliant on certain rituals, whether it’s compulsively washing their hands, making sure household items are placed a particular way or checking that appliances are turned off. Scientists have also found that certain brain activity patterns are associated with those symptoms. In fact, abnormalities in the brain’s circuitry are involved in a number of psychiatric conditions, according to Dr. Alon Mogilner, director of the Center for Neuromodulation at NYU Langone Health, in New York City. “Neuromodulation” is a broad term for therapies that use electrical pulses to alter the firing patterns…  read on >  read on >

Marijuana addiction increases the risk of death by suicide, homicide and other causes (such as car crashes) in youth and young adults with mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, a new study warns. For the study, the researchers reviewed data on nearly 205,000 young people, aged 10 to 24, in Ohio who were diagnosed with mood disorders from July 2010 through December 2017. Marijuana addiction (“cannabis use disorder”) was reported in more than 10% of people in the study. It was most common among those who were older, male, Black, and those with bipolar or other mood disorders, and a prior history of self-harm and previous mental health service use, including psychiatric hospitalization and emergency department visits. “We also found that cannabis use disorder was significantly associated with self-harm,” said study author Cynthia Fontanella, as well as “death by unintentional overdose and homicide.” She stressed however that the study couldn’t prove cause and effect. Fontanella is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at Ohio State University, in Columbus. “Marijuana use and addiction is common among youth and young adults with mood disorders, but the association of this behavior with self-harm, suicide and overall mortality risk is poorly understood in this already vulnerable population,” Fontanella said in a university news release. “These findings should be considered as states contemplate legalizing medical…  read on >  read on >

Noninvasive electrical stimulation of the brain, fine-tuned to specific “circuitry” gone awry, might help ease obsessive-compulsive behaviors, an early study hints. Researchers found that the brain stimulation, delivered over five days, reduced obsessive-compulsive tendencies for three months, though in people who did not have full-blown obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s too early to say whether the approach can be translated into an OCD therapy, said researcher Shrey Grover, a PhD student in psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. “We need more research to replicate these findings. It will take time before this is widely available.” But the work, described online Jan. 18 in Nature Medicine, builds on a body of research into the underpinnings of OCD. Research has shown that people with OCD have difficulty processing “rewards” from the environment, Grover explained. So they become reliant on certain rituals, whether it’s compulsively washing their hands, making sure household items are placed a particular way or checking that appliances are turned off. Scientists have also found that certain brain activity patterns are associated with those symptoms. In fact, abnormalities in the brain’s circuitry are involved in a number of psychiatric conditions, according to Dr. Alon Mogilner, director of the Center for Neuromodulation at NYU Langone Health, in New York City. “Neuromodulation” is a broad term for therapies that use electrical pulses to alter the firing patterns…  read on >  read on >