While thinking declines can be a common symptom of multiple sclerosis in women, new research suggests sleep, or lack of it, could be making matters worse. “Sleep disorders have gained substantial recognition for their role in cognitive [thinking] decline, which affects up to 70% of people with multiple sclerosis,” explained study author Dr. Tiffany Braley, director of the Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology Division and the MS Fatigue and Sleep Clinic at University of Michigan Health. “Our results highlighted important pathways between sleep and perceptions of cognitive function in women with MS,” Braley said in a university news release. “We have previously identified important associations between objective cognitive performance and sleep in people with MS, but little is known about how sleep and MS interact together to impact long-term cognitive outcomes, particularly among women who are less likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders.” Using data for more than 60,000 women in the 2013 and 2017 waves of the Nurses’ Health Study, the reseachers found that women with MS were more likely than those without MS to report sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia and sleepiness. Sleep disorders identified in 2013 contributed to thinking problems reported by women with MS in 2017, including memory and ability to follow instructions and conversations, according to the authors. Sleep apnea accounted for 34% of the total effect between MS…  read on >  read on >

While some gamble socially and others do it for a living, it’s a serious addiction for those who have an uncontrollable urge to keep going at the risk of losing everything. “In our brain, the centers involved with gambling addiction are the same centers involved with substance addiction,” said Dr. Asim Shah, professor and executive vice chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “The warning signs can be the same as any addiction,” he said in a college news release. Gambling stimulates the brain’s reward center, resulting in a rush that makes someone want to keep doing it. Shah said there are three types of gamblers. While skilled professional gamblers demonstrate self-control, patience and rational thinking, problem gamblers are compulsive, rely on the habit for their livelihood and have no self-control around it. A social gambler, meanwhile, spends a moderate amount of time and money in casinos or enjoys occasionally making bets. While problem gamblers may think they fit in one of these other categories, there are warning signs of gambling addiction. They may feel helpless or hopeless, become restless or edgy. A problem gambler may max out their credit cards to feed this behavior. A problem gambler may also bet more to recover money lost, lie to hide the problem or have others suggesting they should cut back.…  read on >  read on >

Endless worry, irritability and insomnia are all symptoms of a possible anxiety disorder. Luckily, there are numerous anxiety medications that can help ease the condition. Joy Alonzo, a specialist in the pharmacotherapy of mental disorders at Texas A&M’s College of Pharmacy, said recently, “If you understand the different types of medication, then you can become a better advocate for your anxiety treatment. Anxiety is one of the most under-treated mental illnesses, and we need to talk more about it.” So, what medications can bring relief from crippling anxiety? According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), the most common classes of drugs for the treatment of anxiety include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) Benzodiazepines Tricyclic antidepressants Here is a rundown on medications for anxiety. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) SSRIs work by preventing the body from reabsorbing serotonin, which leaves more available for use. The ADAA describes serotonin as a neurotransmitter that plays a role in feelings of well-being and happiness. SSRIs are considered the first-line treatment for all types of anxiety disorders. A higher dose may be required when treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Common side effects: Insomnia Sleepiness Sexual dysfunction Weight gain Dry mouth Common SSRIs: Citalopram (Celexa) Escitalopram (Lexapro) Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva, Brisdelle) Sertraline (Zoloft) What else you should know about SSRIs:…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Sen. John Fetterman, who checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital for depression five weeks ago, should be back at work soon, his aide said Thursday. The Pennsylvania senator suffered a stroke last May that nearly killed him, and depression strikes one in three stroke survivors. Still, Fetterman’s depression recovery is going well, spokesman Joe Calvello said Thursday. “He’ll be back soon, at least over a week, but soon,” Calvello told the Associated Press. While hospitalized, Fetterman continues to receive daily briefings from his Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson, Calvello added. He is also issuing statements through his office and sponsoring legislation, the AP reported. “We want to give him the space to recuperate,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said during a Wednesday news conference, the AP reported. “He needs it, it’s fair, it’s right. There are other people in the Senate who have taken their time to recuperate but I’m confident he’s going to come back and be an outstanding and fine senator.” Prior to his hospitalization, Fetterman had been withdrawn and not showing an interest in talking or eating, the AP reported. He saw Capitol physician Dr. Brian Monahan, who recommended he be admitted to Walter Reed, just weeks into his time as a senator. After his stroke, he also had surgery to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator because he…  read on >  read on >

Women with mental illness have a risk for cervical cancer that’s twice as high as that for others, according to new research. Swedish researchers noted that women with mental illness, neuropsychiatric disability or substance abuse were also less likely to get screening tests that can detect cervical cancer. “Our results suggest that women with these diagnoses participate more seldom in screening programs at the same time as they have a higher incidence of lesions in the cervix,” said co-author Kejia Hu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden. “We thus found that they have twice the risk of developing cervical cancer.” The study included more than 4 million women born between 1940 and 1995. Researchers calculated their risk of cervical cancer and precancerous cervical lesions, as well as women’s participation in screening programs. They compared women diagnosed with a substance use or mental health disorder or disability with women who did not have these diagnoses. Cancer risk was elevated with all of these diagnoses, researchers found, most of all with substance abuse. In 2020, the World Health Organization announced a global strategy for eliminating cervical cancer. It aims to screen 70% of women for the disease at least once before age 35 and twice before age 45. Unequal care is a major obstacle to reaching this goal,…  read on >  read on >

Ask your teen about their day and try to spend more quality time together. It matters, a new study found. Teens who report better relationships with their moms and dads are healthier both mentally and physically and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as young adults, according to researchers. “Teens who reported higher levels of warmth, communication, time together and satisfaction with relationships and communication with parents — when re-interviewed 14 years later in young adulthood — reported higher levels of general health, optimism and quality of romantic relationships,” said study author Dr. Carol Ford, chief of adolescent medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These teens also reported lower levels of stress and depression, as well as lower use of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, she said. Exactly why or how close relationships with parents protects teens is not fully understood. “We suspect that strong positive connections between adolescents and mother and father figures are broadly protective and promote resilience even into adulthood,” Ford said. For the study, her term reviewed data from a nationwide health study of 15,000 adults who enrolled in the mid-1990s when they were 12 to 17 years of age. They were asked 14 years later about their current levels of stress, depression, optimism, nicotine and substance use, as well as other general health measures. Overall, folks who reported…  read on >  read on >

More American children have autism than previously thought, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. It also finds that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed diagnosis for many, which could have lasting impact. Data from 11 communities in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which tracks the number and characteristics of children with autism and other developmental disabilities, revealed that at age 8, about 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That’s 2.8% of 8-year-olds, according to an analysis published Thursday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A previous estimate, done in 2018, pegged prevalence at 1 in 44 children, or 2.3%. A second report found that progress in early detection of autism among 4-year-olds in the same 11 communities slowed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were less likely to be screened or identified with ASD than current 8-year-olds were at the same age. “Disruptions due to the pandemic in the timely evaluation of children and delays in connecting children to the services and support they need could have long-lasting effects,” said Dr. Karen Remley, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “The data in this report can help communities better understand how the pandemic impacted early identification of autism in young children and anticipate future needs as these…  read on >  read on >

Global warming is fostering the spread of a deadly flesh-eating bacteria along the northeastern coast of the United States, researchers report. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria grow in warm shallow coastal waters and can infect a person via a cut or insect bite during contact with seawater. The bacteria is found as far north as Philadelphia and is spreading even further north as ocean waters warm. Between 2041 and 2060, infections may spread to waters around New York, the investigators said. “Climate change is likely to lead to Vibrio vulnificus wound infections being found in more northern states along the U.S. East Coast. Case numbers of these serious and potentially fatal infections will increase,” said lead researcher Elizabeth Archer, a postgraduate researcher at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. There needs to be increased awareness of V. vulnificus infections among people who take part in coastal activities and health care professionals, she said. “This is especially the case in Northeast states where infections are currently rare or do not occur,” Archer said. “It is very important that any suspected Vibrio vulnificus infections receive medical attention quickly, as cases can become severe very quickly. Although the number of cases in the U.S. is small, someone infected with Vibrio vulnificus has a one-in-five chance of dying.” Many people who survive a…  read on >  read on >