Malingering Brain Damage And Mental Illness

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 01:21 Written by Natural Health Team Tuesday, 25 October 2011 01:21

Health Information about Malingering Brain Damage And Mental Illness

Malingering of brain injury or damage, and malingering of mental illness are common concerns that must be considered in all litigation involving mental health professionals. Malingering in a forensic mental health context is a word which usually refers to deception intended to fake or exaggerate symptoms of a genuine mental illness, brain injury, or brain damage. That is the basic meaning, but in actual practice it is more complicated than that. Malingering is actually an inference made about someone’s motivation when there is an indication the information they are providing is not reliable or consistent with what is known about them and the condition.

The possibility of malingering must be considered in every forensic mental health evaluation because there is always the potential for a person to try and “beat the system” by attempting to exaggerate their symptoms, or present with symptoms of a condition that they do not actually suffer. The process of assessment of malingering has come a very long way since the time of professionals just going on their “gut feelings” and their clinical experience. In current forensic mental health practice there are a wide variety of techniques available to mental health professionals to assess the issues related to possible malingering.

The issue of possible malingering of mental illness or brain damage is present in both criminal and civil proceedings. In criminal proceedings it is most often seen in competency to proceed and mental status at the time of the offense issues. In civil proceedings the possibility of malingering brain damage is often seen in personal injury cases involving accidents and malpractice which may have resulted in brain damage. Malingering of other types of mental illness in civil proceedings are also common concerns in claims of post traumatic stress disorder and other conditions which may arise out of traumatic events or loss of independence.

The frequency of malingering found in the available literature indicates that it is neither prevalent nor particularly rare. There is considerable variation from one setting to another, but overall the frequency of malingering mental illness or brain injury in legal proceedings is probably between 15-18 % of cases. Most people involved in litigation do not exaggerate or fabricate their conditions, but the problem is common enough that it cannot be ignored.

Attorneys on both sides of any case involving mental health issues should be aware of the issues associated with malingering, and be certain that any mental health expert they use understands and considers such issues in the context of giving a professional opinion in legal proceedings. It almost goes without saying that mental health professionals, such as forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, should be familiar with the issues associated with possible malingering, and be prepared to answer questions about how they addressed the possibility of malingering.

Find More Mental Health Articles

Ready to Measure Your Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health?

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 October 2011 07:21 Written by Natural Health Team Thursday, 20 October 2011 07:21

Health Information about Ready to Measure Your Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health?

Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

You know your weight. And your physical fitness. And a variety of health-related metrics.

What about your brain fitness?

In years to come, we can expect a growing number of assessments to help each of us address that precise question, using tools that today are only available to researchers and clinicians, raising both opportunities and concerns.

Two recent announcements bring out important events in that direction:

1) Last week, OptumHealth announced an exclusive 3-year agreement (estimated at $ 18m) with the Australian company Brain Resource.

Quote: “OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions will work with Brain Resource to provide clinicians with a Web-based assessment that measures general cognition (how people process information) and social cognition (how people manage their emotions). This 40-minute assessment is based on well-known and validated tests of memory, attention, executive function, and response speed, and mood, social skills and emotional resilience.”

2) A few weeks ago, we could read that U.S. Troops To Get Cognitive Screening

Quote: “The military will begin giving cognitive tests this summer to troops heading to war, in an effort to get a baseline measure of their reaction time, memory, concentration and other brain functions, which could be referenced in case they are injured.”

I see these instruments as a critical part in the brain fitness puzzle. Neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and fMRI are very important to support clinical and research work, but are not mature or scalable enough to help measure brain functions in millions of healthy individuals. Neuropsychological testing is still today often done with pen and paper, administered by a trained expert, and very resource-intensive.

Brain scientists don´t recognize one overall “brain age” or “intelligence”. We can view our brain functions or cognitive abilities as a variety of skills, some more perception-related, some more memory-related, some more language-related, some more visual, some more abstract-thinking and planning oriented. There is no general “brain age” that can be measured or trained in a meaningful way.

Now, the use of these new technologies also raises concerns, and not just about their reliability and validity.

John Moore of Chilmark Research just commented on the Brain Resource-OptumHealth announcement, pointing out that “it is fairly well-known that many chronic diseases have a high comorbidity factor with mental health, OptumHealth’s partnership with Brain Resource, and its success (or lack thereof) will be an interesting one to follow. And while I applaud this effort, it also raises some pretty scary privacy concerns. How will these assessments be used beyond the confines of the clinician’s office?, What access will OptumHealth have to the data? And what about the employers who have OptumHealth’s parent, United Health Group as an insurer for their employees? Will employers have access to this data, particularly if they start embedding it within HealthAtoZ?”

These are excellent questions. Humana, a health insurance company, recently announced that they were discontinuing their agreement with Posit Science under which they had been offering the Posit Science Brain Fitness Program to their Medicare members. Whereas a number of reasons were offered for that decision (ranging from low uptake rates of the promotions given the legal complexities of reaching out to Medicare users, to low utilization of the product), another concern was mentioned to us during a set of interviews with Humana members: they were concerned about whether a program that had been given to them for free by their insurance company would somehow transmit data back on the mental performance of the user.

Furthermore, we can expect clear public policy implications in this area. Art Kramer recently explained that “the NIH is preparing an “NIH Toolbox” to provide valid, reliable instruments to researchers and clinicians, to solve the problem that exists today, namely, the lack of uniformity among many measures used. The initiative was launched in 2006, and it is a 5-year effort, so we’ll need to wait to see results”.

A with any new tool, we´ll need the define the rules of the road.

1) First of all, we´ll need to make sure it measures what it is supposed to, and with high degrees of reliability.

2) Second, there need to be clear policies in place as to whom can access which data and for which purpose.

3) Finally, we expect the assessments will lead into actionable personalized recommendations to improve if not help maintain cognitive functions.

The question, “Are You Ready to Measure Your Brain Fitness”, may become relevant earlier than we expect.

Eric Youngstrom, Ph.D., spoke at the NYU Child Study Center’s Grand Rounds on October 14, 2011. Here, he discusses the Bipolar Spectrum, the range of forms that Bipolar Disorder may take. Dr. Youngstrom is acting director of the Center for Excellence in Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Find More Mental Health Articles

Sport Your Mental Muscle With Brain Training

Last Updated on Monday, 17 October 2011 07:21 Written by Natural Health Team Monday, 17 October 2011 07:21

Health Information about Sport Your Mental Muscle With Brain Training

As Baby Boomers grow older, one of their foremost concerns is maintaining peak brain performance. At any age, good cognitive function is the mark of mental health. A fit brain continues to be sharp in the areas of memory, reasoning, language and both spatial and visual acuity.

Are all these vital functions just a matter of chance or do we actually exert some control over them? Let’s take a look at the latest studies on brain fitness.

Forget the time-worn adage to the contrary. Studies cited in the July 2009 Scientific American show that “the older brain is more ‘plastic’ (capable of reorganizing neural pathways based on new experiences) than is commonly known.”(1) Older adults may learn a bit more slowly than younger people do, but they can still improve cognition and enhance the quality of life.

There’s no one secret to keeping your grey matter going at full throttle – rather, there are a variety of things you can do to keep your mental edge.

Everyone knows that when it comes to fitness, you have to “use it or lose it”. Well, it turns out that physical exercise gives your brain a boost. Regular exercise, especially cardio, keeps your arteries strong, which then supply adequate oxygen to your brain. And trust me, your brain thrives on oxygen!

In 2005, Suvi Rovio of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden led a team to study the relationship between physical activity in middle age and the risk of dementia 21 years later, when the test group was aged 65-79. Those who had exercised to the point of sweating and breathlessness for 20-30 minutes at least twice a week during midlife were 52% less likely to develop cognitive disorders.(2) Another study comparing men who walked 2 miles per day to those who walked less than a mile determined that the non-walkers had a 71% higher risk of developing dementia.(3)

Your brain hates being bored. That’s why you should never become routine and robotic – your mental health depends on novelty and challenge. The key is intellectual stimulation and constant curiosity. Once any game or activity becomes boring to you, it’s time to switch to something new. The best way to keep brain neurons actively firing is to keep them on their toes.

Beside games and puzzles, one of the best brain fitness activities is learning a new language. Research shows that people who are bilingual have a 4 year delay in the onset of dementia.(4) And if you put yourself on a program of learning not just a language, but another culture – and toss in some travel plans – you’ll be busy learning new things for years! Who needs crosswords with a program like that?

No, I don’t mean marriage and honeymoons – although those are great things at any age. I’m talking about staying engaged with life. Engaged socially with family and friends. Your brain craves social interaction.

Isolation is a killer because it fosters self-focus and depression. All you have to do to engage with other people in your life is to be interested. Most people love talking about themselves and when you spend time communicating with others, learning their perspective on life, remembering all the details of who is who and who did what – your brain is getting a valuable workout.(5) Plus, it keeps you “connected”. You get to share and be part of the give and take that makes the world go round. It’s good stuff.

We’ve talked about things you should do to stay mentally alert, but the basics are always there, too. Along with exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction, you must take good care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, get quality sleep and supplement as necessary. Your brain needs good fuel, so check out Clear Function. It’s a powerhouse formula that energizes your brain with targeted nutrients and vitamins.

Please consult your personal physician before making any adjustments to your diet, exercise or supplement program.

Until next time…

Sources:

Hertzog, C, Kramer, A, Wilson, R, Lindenberger, U, “Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter”, July 2009 Scientific American
Hertzog, C, Kramer, A, Wilson, R, Lindenberger, U, “Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter”, July 2009 Scientific American
Stibich, Mark, Ph.D, “Brain Games for Brain Fitness” Feb 2009, About.com
Bialystok, E, Craik, F, Freedman, M, “Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia”, Neuropsychologia, Volume 45, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 459-464
Stibich, Mark, Ph.D, “Brain Games for Brain Fitness” Feb 2009, About.com

Find More Mental Health Articles

Exercising The Brain For Mental Health

Last Updated on Sunday, 2 October 2011 01:21 Written by Natural Health Team Sunday, 2 October 2011 01:21

Health Information about Exercising The Brain For Mental Health

The neural structure of the brain begins developing in the human foetus and continues to expand and develop throughout life; a constant and unending learning and computing process that begins with the task of hunting for food for survival and ends with the struggle to stay sharp and efficient until death.

The brain has an amazing ability to adapt to circumstances, learning new skills to cope with life’s changes and with the natural process of ageing.  As we live our lives, our brains perform countless and multiple calculations in response to our environment.

This may be demonstrated by a simple effort to write with the other hand – left handed people might try writing with their right hand, for example.  It is uncomfortable and the writing quality is poor but with practise the writing will improve as the brain learns the skills required to produce the desired results.  Other simple day to day skills may be attempted to strengthen one’s ambidexterity, such as hair brushing or telephone dialling.

Stimulation is the key to a healthy brain, both mentally and physically.  Healthy physical exercises such as aerobics help baby boomers in turn to promote healthy brain muscle: allowing a slow down in physical processes can result in a poor mental performance.

Mental stimulation for baby boomers should involve learning something new as often as possible, forcing the mind to explore new concepts.  A person with set hobbies and interests is less likely to retain a sharp perception than someone who actively seeks new challenges by learning how to conquer new motor skills or perhaps a new language.

]]>

Extensive reading is a highly recommended brain stretcher.  However, reading the same old romances over and over is not going to contribute to the health of anyone’s brain!  Reading should be prolific, sweeping a wide range of topics, encouraging the mind to expand to engulf new ideas and perceptions.

The finest way to ensure baby boomers’ bodies and brains remain healthy is to pursue both mental and physical activities for as many hours in the day as possible.  Manual skills that require an element of hand and eye coordination and a certain amount of mental calculation are excellent leisure hour fillers – hobbies that fall into this category are knitting and sewing; wood crafts; modelling; painting; sculpting and pottery.

Games that require an amount of brainwork are excellent for keeping the mind active and alert with:

Scrabble
crosswords
the baby boomer website, BoomerYearbook.com’s Concentration Game
Sudoku
electronic games
Social card games such as Bridge or Whist

All enforce an amount of calculation and reasoning, some of which are outside one’s ‘comfort zone’.  It is the boundaries of the comfort zone that must be confronted to ensure the mind is made to work significantly harder.

The left and right side of the brain control different skills: simple tests can determine which side of the brain an individual favors, such as the dancing girl featured on BoomerYearbook.com.  It is important that both sides of the brain are exercised – trying to see the dancing girl turn in both directions is the challenge!

Taking an hour or two to browse titles in the local bookstore that one would normally pass by can be enlightening.  Selecting a book that is totally outside one’s usual interest and determinedly reading it from cover to cover can open doors in the mind previously shut tight while one’s brain vegetated happily for years!  Start with something factual and set targets to read certain passages each day.

Some baby boomers actively seek opportunities to participate in general knowledge quizzes in retirement, or begin to keep a regular journal to sharpen their writing skills.  It does not matter how the brain is stretched, provided that it somehow is!

With advancing years, the baby boomers’ need to exercise the brain increases.  As retirement approaches, too many of us are prepared to ‘give the brain a rest’ – brains do not need a rest!  They actually need just the opposite kind of therapy to stay happy and healthy and to avoid shut down.

Find More Mental Health Articles

Online Brain Puzzles For Improving Your Mental Health

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 October 2011 04:20 Written by Natural Health Team Saturday, 1 October 2011 04:20

Health Information about Online Brain Puzzles For Improving Your Mental Health

The brain is what helps humans to function and is what keeps us superior from animals and any problem we have with our brain can completely change our daily living life. By receiving external stimuli, the brain works as an internal computer, receiving data and processing it to help us with our daily functions. In order for our brain to function in a proper manner we need to be sure we are constantly feeding it with information that’s where online brain puzzles come in. You will see that even after a few short minutes a day you function grows at fast speeds and you will keep your brain engaged and healthy for years to come.

There is nobody on the planet that does not want to be able to perform at top functions all through their life. The slowing of the brain function really should not have to occur in adults as recent studies have shown. Showing your intelligence makes you a person that is automatically respected and seen as important. You can keep your brain function at top peak by playing online puzzle games.

]]>

It only takes a few short minutes a day to see quick improvement of your short term memory. You can vastly improve intelligence, concentration and learning abilities and improve your overall brain health by the simple use of online brain puzzles and you can be any age to enjoy them. These puzzles are not only for adults but the kids will find joy while playing these games too, helping them to also improve the functions of their brain!

It is an exciting fact that with today’s technology you can easily access online brain puzzles and they are offered totally free of charge. There are so many places to go and so many games to play you will enjoy a new past time besides the typical television to occupy your free time. Now there is no excuse to not jump in and start playing online brain games today! Use your time wisely and allow yourself the time to play online brain puzzles and see what you have been missing.

Once you start checking online, you will see all of the different choices you have in online brain puzzles and there is definitely something for everyone and something for each interest. You can find trivia games, brain teasers, riddles, math games, quizzes, IQ tests, checkers, chess and so much more! Try one of these many online brain puzzles and you will see how quickly you can improve your brain function after just one game.

There are so many different games you are sure to find yourself amused and playing for hours keeping your television time to a minimum and your brain functioning at its maximum. You may even find that you have more function than you ever thought you had just by playing these fun and exciting online brain puzzles that can keep you and your family enjoying for hours.

Find More Mental Health Articles