Bipolar Spectrum Disorder May Be Underrecognized And Improperly Treated

Greetings, more in the news about panic disorder and anxiety for today.

Possible Mechanistic Link Between Stress And The Development Of Alzheimer Tangles
Subjecting mice to repeated emotional stress, the kind we experience in everyday life, may contribute to the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. (Read More)

'Virtual Iraq' Simulation To Study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Researchers are using a virtual reality simulation called Virtual Iraq to better understand how symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develop. In their ongoing research trial, participating Iraq War and Gulf War veterans with and without PTSD are shown a brief, 3-D virtual-reality simulation of an urban combat scenario. They wear a headset, through which they hear, see, and — using a keypad — "move" through a 'virtual world' in which images change in a natural way along with head and body movement. (Read More)

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Effective For Panic Disorder
Psychoanalytic therapies have been in professional use for over a century, but a new study from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first to show that a classic psychoanalytic talk therapy is efficacious in treating panic disorder. (Read More)

Pre-Existing Psychological Conditions Can Be Aggravated By Reduced Sleep Quality
Disturbed sleep is a commonly reported symptom among individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders. However, the direct cause of disrupted sleep is poorly understood. Proper sleep is critical for cognitive and daily functioning, and reduced quality of sleep has the potential to exacerbate pre-existing psychological conditions, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). [click link for full article] (Read More)

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