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By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 16, 2013

 

Although the notion of listening to music to improve mood may not come as a surprise, researchers at the University of Missouri found that an individual can indeed successfully try to be happier, especially when cheery music aids the process.

 

Experts say the study highlights that people can actively improve their mood if the process is gone about in the correct manner.

 

“Our work provides support for what many people already do – listen to music to improve their moods,” said lead author Yuna Ferguson, Ph.D.

 

“Although pursuing personal happiness may be thought of as a self-centered venture, research suggests that happiness relates to a higher probability of socially beneficial behavior, better physical health, higher income and greater relationship satisfaction.”

 

In two studies by Ferguson, participants successfully improved their moods in the short term and boosted their overall happiness over a two-week period.

 

During the first study, participants improved their mood after being instructed to attempt to do so, but only if they listened to the upbeat classical music of Copland, as opposed to the more somber Stravinsky.

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/05/16/upbeat-music-helps-improve-mood/54898.html

 

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 18, 2013

 

Long-acting antipsychotic Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate) is under scrutiny after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) turned up two deaths following the injection of the drug.

 

The two patients received the appropriate dose of Zyprexa Relprevv, then died 3-4 days later.

 

Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate) is manufactured by Eli Lilly and first approved for use in the United States in 1996. It is an extended release injectable suspension, meaning it is injected only once every 2 or 4 weeks in most patients.

 

After injection, patients are typically monitored for a 3-hour post-injection period — required under the Zyprexa Relprevv Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (also known as REMS). According to the FDA, “patients are required to receive the Zyprexa Relprevv injection at a REMS-certified health care facility, to be continuously monitored at the facility for at least 3 hours following an injection, and to be accompanied home from the facility.”

 

It’s not clear that the REMS protocol was followed in both patents who died.

 

According to the FDA, “Both patients were found to have very high olanzapine blood levels after death. High doses of olanzapine can cause delirium, cardiopulmonary arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, and reduced level of consciousness ranging from sedation to coma.”

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/06/18/fda-investigating-2-deaths-after-zyprexa-injections-for-schizophrenia/56226.html

 

Article Date: 18 Jun 2013 – 1:00 PDT

 

A study from investigators at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) found that African-American or Hispanic children diagnosed with autism were significantly less likely than white children to have received subspecialty care or procedures related to conditions that often accompany autism spectrum disorders. While previous studies have documented that minority children with autism tend to be diagnosed at a later age than white children, this report – which will appear in the July issue of Pediatrics and has been released online – is the first to describe disparities in the use of specialty services in gastroenterology, psychiatry or psychology.

“We think there are probably many reasons for these differences,” says Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD, of MGHfC and the Center for Child and Adolescent Health Research and Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), lead author of the report. “Many autism-related medical symptoms – including gastrointestinal issues like constipation and neuropsychiatric issues such as anxiety or sleep disorders – are not well understood, so doctors may not realize children are having those symptoms.”

The research team reviewed records for more than 3,600 patients ages 2 to 21 with a diagnosis of autism who received care at the MGH or its affiliated health centers from 2000 through 2010. Data on each clinical visit was analyzed, with particular attention to specialty care in gastroenterology, psychiatry and psychology and to procedures including endoscopy, ultrasound, EEG, brain imaging and sleep studies. Among the patients identified, 81 percent were white, 5 percent were African-American and 7 percent, Hispanic.

The analysis revealed that minority children were significantly less likely to have received either subspecialty care or procedures, with some of the most significant differences in gastroenterology services, which were accessed by almost 14 percent of white children but only 9 percent of African-American children and 10 percent of Hispanic children. Minority children were less likely to have received an endoscopy or colonoscopy, and Hispanic children were much less likely to have had sleep studies or other neurological or neuropsychiatric tests.

“We know that many children with autism have gastrointestinal or sleep issues, and if those problems are not being diagnosed or treated, they can lead to additional behavior difficulties that can inhibit development,” says Broder-Fingert, who is a clinical fellow in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “Combining the challenges of accessing specialty services for any child with autism, regardless of race or ethnicity, with the recognized difficulties minority communities have accessing medical care in general can lead to these major disparities in the use of services.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/262045.php