Study suggests that adolescent exposure to alcohol can negatively affect learning, memory and behavior in adulthood

A study at Duke University suggests that repeated exposure to alcohol during adolescence causes long-lasting changes in the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. The study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, helped explain how exposure to alcohol before the brain has fully developed can cause cellular and synaptic abnormalities and negatively affect behavior. Kentucky is ranked 9th in the nation for the percentage of children who drank alcohol before age 13 (25.1 percent), according to the state Department for Public Health.

"In the eyes of the law, once people reach the age of 18, they are considered adult, but the brain continues to mature and refine all the way into the mid-20s," said lead author Mary-Louise Risher, a post-doctoral researcher in Duke's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "It's important for young people to know that when they drink heavily during this period of development, there could be changes occurring that have a lasting impact on memory and other cognitive functions.

Studies had shown that animals exposed to alcohol at an early age do not perform as well in memory tasks as those not exposed to it. The new study, which involved exposing young rodents to alcohol and waiting for them to grow into adulthood, found that the exposure also affects the hippocampus, the area of the brain that controls memory and learning. The researchers measured a cellular mechanism called long-term potentiation, which involves the strengthening of brain synapses being used to learn new tasks or bring up memories. Ideally, LTP should be high, especially in young people. The researchers found that the adult rodents exposed to the alcohol during adolescence had higher levels of LTP, which may seem to be a positive outcome but is actually not.

"If you produce too much LTP in one of these circuits, there is a period of time where you can't produce any more," said senior author Scott Swartzwelder, a Duke professor. "The circuit is saturated, and the animal stops learning. For learning to be efficient, your brain needs a delicate balance of excitation and inhibition—too much in either direction, and the circuits do not work optimally."

The researchers also observed a structural change in individual nerve cells: those exposed to alcohol at a young age have brain cells that appear immature, even in adulthood. "It's quite possible that alcohol disrupts the maturation process, which can affect these cognitive functions later on," Risher said. She also noted that the immature appearance of the cells might be associated with behavioral immaturity.

Pain and fever reducer acetaminophen, most-used drug in U.S., is found to reduce positive emotions and reduce psychological pain

Ohio State University researchers discovered a new side effect of acetaminophen, a leading over-the-counter pain reliever: it also blunts positive emotions. Other research revealed that it helps reduce psychological pain. The drug has been used in the U.S. for more than 70 years and is best known by the brand name Tylenol.

In the Ohio study, participants took Tylenol or a placebo, then looked at very pleasant or very disturbing photos. Those in the experimental group reported weaker emotions than those in the control group. On average, those who took the placebo rated their level of emotion when viewing the photos at 6.76 on a scale of 10, while people who took the pain reliever averaged 5.85.

"Rather than just being a pain reliever, acetaminophen can be seen as an all-purpose emotion reliever," said Geoffrey Durso, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in social psychology.

Balwin Way, an assistant psychology professor who conducted the study with Durso, said those who took Tylenol didn't seem to be aware they were reacting differently. "Most people probably aren't aware of how their emotions may be impacted when they take acetaminophen," he said.

Acetaminophen, found in more than 600 medicines, is the most common drug in the U.S., according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Every week approximately 52 million American adults, 23 percent of the population, use a medicine with acetaminophen in it. Durso said researchers don't know if other pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin have similar effects, but they plan to study that question.

Study: Loneliness increases risk of dying more than obesity

Kentucky Health News

Loneliness increases your chance of dying, according to a study by Brigham Young University and published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science. It found that the subjective feeling of loneliness increases risk of death by 26 percent, social isolation increases mortality risk 29 percent and living alone, 32 percent.

"The heightened risk for mortality from a lack of social relationships is greater than that from obesity," the study report says.

“This is something that we need to take seriously for our health,” Julianne Holt-Lunstad, an author of the study, told Justin Worland of Time magazine. “This should become a public-health issue." 

The researchers noted the difference between feelings of loneliness and the state of being socially isolated or alone and found that "both are potentially damaging."  Even those who said they were happy being alone had an increased risk of death, as did those who had many social connections, but said they were lonely. And though more conclusive data is needed,  those who felt lonely and were alone "may be at the greatest risk of death," Holt-Lunstad told Worland,

“If we just tell people to interact with more people, that might solve the social-isolation issue, but it might not solve the loneliness issue,” she told Worland. “I think we need to acknowledge that both of these components are important.”

Research shows that relationships improves health by "helping us manage stress, improving the functioning of the immune system and giving meaning to people's lives," Worland writes.

But with more Americans living alone than ever before and technology like texting and social media minimizing "flesh and blood" social connections, opportunities for loneliness and social isolation have increased.

Holt-Lunstad  told Worland that policy interventions for this issue might be difficult, but suggested that health-care providers need to begin identifying at-risk patients and communities need to re-think how neighborhoods are designed to help combat this problem.

Got the winter blues? Many treatments are available

(image from kidshealth.org)

For some, winter is more than just a season characterized by shorter, colder days; it is a time of year that brings on the "winter blues," Jill U. Adams reports for The Washington Post.

Officially, it's called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and is a type of depression. It begins during the late fall or winter of each year and disappears with the onset of spring. Common symptoms include: tiredness,even though the person is getting enough sleep; a loss of interest in usual activities; feeling sad, grumpy, moody or anxious; craving carbohydrates, eating more and gaining weight; and trouble concentrating, according to WebMD. Some even have suicidal thoughts.

SAD occurs in 1 to 2 percent of the population, with a milder version, "the winter blahs," occurring in 10 to 15 percent, Raymond Lam, a psychiatrist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told the Post.

Therapy with light is the most common treatment for SAD and has proven effective, although many doctors and insurance companies still don't recognize it as effective. The disorder is also treated with medications and talk therapy, Adams notes.

Light therapy involves sitting near a very bright, broad-spectrum light for at least 30 minutes every morning, Adams reports. WebMd cautions that the fluorescent lights used in light therapy are not the same as ultraviolet lights, full-spectrum lights, tanning lamps and heat lamps, all of which should not be used for this purpose.

Experts are still trying to figure out exactly why light therapy works, but some evidence suggests that not getting enough light is the main trigger for SAD, which is more common in areas where the daylight hours are shorter, Teodor Postolache, a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told the Post.

Another study found that healthy people's eyes are more sensitive to light in the wintertime, while those with SAD have less sensitivity, University of Pittsburgh psychologist Kathryn Roecklein told Adams.

Experts told Adams that it is important that SAD not be self-diagnosed and that light therapy not be experimented with. They said a person may have health conditions that mimic these same symptoms or have untreated or under-treated depression that is not seasonally influenced, and some people take medications or have conditions that make them more sensitive to light.

“If your symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily functioning, get an assessment at a mental health clinic or by a doctor,” Lam told Adams. “There are many causes and lots of treatments.”

Paul Hokemeyer, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Manhattan, offered nutritional suggestions to help those with SAD in an article for Fox News.

He suggests that people with SAD eat foods that will increase their serotonin levels: those high in Omega-3 fatty acids and tryptophan, which he says is "linked to mood regulation, and a deficit leads to depression." Some foods high in Omega-3 are trout, salmon, and walnuts; those high in tryptophan include lean turkey, chicken, milk, eggs, nuts and bananas.

Hokemeyer also suggests that those with SAD supplement their diet with foods rich in vitamin D because studies have found a correlation between depression and low levels of vitamin D. Foods high in vitamin D are egg yolks, fortified dairy products and cereal, beef liver and cod fish oil.

And finally, he suggests those with SAD eat whole, unprocessed foods to decrease mood swings caused by the "spikes and crashes" in blood sugar levels commonly associated with eating processed foods that are high in simple sugars and white flour.

Medicaid managed-care forums for health-care providers to be held around Kentucky in next six weeks

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services has scheduled a new round of forums for health-care providers in each of the eight Medicaid regions during August and September.

The forums will be attended by senior officials from CHFS, including cabinet Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes, Medicaid Commissioner Lawrence Kissner, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Stephanie Mayfield and Behavioral Health Commissioner Mary Begley, among others.

 “Our first series of forums for health providers were so successful in opening the lines of communication and making connections that allow us to work better together,” Haynes said in a press release. “We decided to not only repeat but expand the scope of the forums this year, bringing new topics to the forefront like behavioral health, which is particularly timely due to improved access allowed by the Affordable Care Act. Once again, we will also allow time for private meetings with the managed-care organizations,” or MCOs.

Medical providers will be able to meet with MCO representatives, the Department of Insurance and the cabinet to discuss concerns about proper billing, appeals processes and any specific regional issues, in addition to a general conversation about how to improve the overall system of health care delivery in Kentucky. Sessions will also discuss behavioral-health opportunities, improving overall health and community workforce capacity, among other topics, according to the release.

The sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m., with an optional second day of workshops running from 9 a.m. to noon. The dates and locations are:
 · Aug. 5-6: Adron Doran University Center, Morehead State University
 · Aug. 11-12: Frankfort Convention Center
 · Aug. 20-21: Hazard Community College
 · Aug. 25-26: James E. Bruce Convention Center, Hopkinsville
 · Aug. 27-28: Owensboro Convention Center
 · Sept. 3-4: Northern Ky. University METS Center, Erlanger
 · Sept. 10-11: University of Louisville Shelby Campus
 · Sept. 15-16: Center for Rural Development, Somerset

Providers who would like to register or get additional information should visit the Department for Medicaid Services website.