How Brain Research and New Technology Are Going to Revolutionize Brain Care and Mental Health

Last Updated on Friday, 16 September 2011 07:20 Written by Natural Health Team Friday, 16 September 2011 07:20

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Dr. John Docherty is an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Weill Medical College, Cornell University and Chief Medical Officer of Brain Resource. Trained as a clinical research fellow in neuropsychopharmacology at NIMH, he later returned as Chief of the Psychosocial  Treatments Research Branch, responsible for all federally supported psychosocial treatment research in mental health nationwide. Dr. Docherty has wide experience in successfully implementing innovation in both clinical operations and managed health care.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Dr. Docherty, it is a pleasure to be with you today to discuss the main theme of SharpBrains’ 2010 market report,  Transforming Brain Health with Digital Tools to Assess, Enhance and Treat Cognition across the Lifespan. Can you first briefly discuss your  career trajectory and your current roles?

Dr. John Docherty (JD): Sure. The main theme of my work since the 1960s has remained the same, “How do we put knowledge into effective use  to improve mental health?” Over the last century, medicine made tremendous progress in generating scientific and clinical knowledge. Basic  research, discovery science, and clinical treatment development science have made great progress. The study of psychotherapy, however,  lagged in development.  In my role of Chief of the Psychosocial Treatments Branch of the NIMH , I supported the efforts of an extraordinary  group of individuals to make possible the effective scientific study of the efficacy of psychotherapies.

I would say that my major interest, however, has been in the next step, the science of knowledge transfer.  There has been and remains a  long and costly (in terms particularly of unnecessary suffering) lag between the development of new knowledge and its common and effective  use in practice.

Right now I am working on a plan to provide  personalized,  performance-based support for mental health professionals to progressively  expand their range of competencies and to stay current in those areas of established competence.  As  Chief Medical Officer of Brain  Resource, my role is to ensure the integrity of the clinical data in our platforms and systems.

AF: Based on those experiences, and also the companies you have been involved with, what are your reflections on how to put knowledge to  good use?

JD: I may suggest the following. One, that putting good evidence to work in practice requires more than publishing good research. I’d say  that scientific evidence is directly relevant to perhaps 15% of clinical decisions,. The remaining 85%, demands some degree of inference  where we need other translational tools such as well-done quantitative studies of expert opinion.

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Second, we require technologies that translate emergent knowledge into practice.  Continuously updated Expert Decision Support systems  embedded in EHR’s are absolutely necessary to close the gap between the development of new knowledge and its effective use.

In Psychiatry, another specific technology that is required is one that provides a reliable and valid assessment of  brain health at an  affordable price. Psychiatry has unfortunately badly lagged behind other areas of medicine in evaluating and diagnosing the health of the  major organ that it treats. In my opinion an assessment of basic neurocognitive function should be an essential part of any psychiatric  evaluation.  To do this, however, requires a technology that makes such an assessment convenient and affordable. Fortunately, we now have  some technologies such as the Brain Resource WebNeuro program, among some others, that makes this possible.

Once we have recognized the fundamental importance of underlying brain function to mental health, the need for technologies, drugs and   other lifestyle interventions and considerations to protect and improve brain health gains saliency and urgency.  Cognitive enhancement and  remediation technologies are now emerging. This is a nascent area of innovation and industry — and a welcome one.

Finally, in order to truly encourage continuous innovation and improvement, we need to preserve both creativity and integrity. We need soft  touches to guide the field in the right direction more than strict regulations that may be premature at this point.

AF: We see the opportunity to improve brain care through the life course by upgrading the very basic framework for care, moving from the  prevention and treatment of a collection of symptom-based diagnoses towards the enhancement and maintenance of underlying brain-based  functions. Do you see any progress in that direction?

JD: First, let me say that I fully share that point of view. As I noted, today’s diagnostic framework is outdated in its limitation to  symptom based diagnosis. All the organs in the body have a function, and the brain is no exception. Let’s think of this analogy: the main  function of the heart is pumping blood — and when that function starts to fail a variety of symptoms appear, and may end in heart failure.

Cardiovascular health has seen major improvements over the last 50 years precisely because of its understanding of the heart as a system  with a function. The brain’s main function is information processing, yet psychiatry basically ignores it. It doesn’t take into account  that so-called disorders, which are diagnosed and treated as if they were each separate and binary (you have them or you don’t) illnesses,  are primarily signs of decompensation, By that I mean, when the brain gets overwhelmed and can’t perform its function well.

What we have learned from neuroscience over the last decade is that we can, to a significant extent, start to identify the brain-based  cognitive and self-regulation dysfunctions that often precede disorders. So, we should be asking, what are the brain-based risk factors,  the main reasons underlying the appearance of mental health problems? at what point of dysfunction do problems -and which ones- appear?

In short, the mental health field should adopt a brain-based model for diagnosis  and treatment.

AF: What would be key next steps in that direction?

JD: Today we have brain-based models for most mental illnesses. What we need, to put that knowledge into practice, are useful tools that  help us provide best care at the individual level, selecting from the  broad types of interventions available and systematically and  quantitatively monitoring their impact. Heretofore, a doctor who wanted to  evaluate neurocognitive function had to  refer his or her  patient to a neuropsychologist which is very expensive. It can cost ,000, and insurance coverage is highly variable. WebNeuro, the  clinical decision support system by Brain Resource, helps automate an informative basic form of that evaluation. Since it is cheaper to  administer and  easier to obtain than a full evaluation by a neuropsychologist , it opens a whole new realm  of possibilities. For example,  you could measure and track the brain health of a whole population. A doctor  or healthcare system could easily monitor the brain health of  several hundred patients, identify who is experiencing dysfunctions and would benefit from specific interventions, track progress over  time, and refine his or her own clinical practice based on data.

I believe that, the more doctors we have using practical tools like this, the more obvious it will become that we need to change our  existing diagnostic model and adopt a brain-based model of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

AF: Dear John, thank you very much for a very stimulating conversation.

JD: My pleasure.

Alvaro Fernandes

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Autism Research Institute – 5 Areas To Pursue When Your Child Is Diagnosed With Autism

Last Updated on Saturday, 14 August 2010 04:00 Written by Natural Health Team Saturday, 14 August 2010 04:00

Health Information about Autism Research Institute – 5 Areas To Pursue When Your Child Is Diagnosed With Autism

Autism Research Institute

Do you have a young child who has recently been diagnosed with autism? Do you feel lost and don’t know where to start? Then this article is for you! This article will discuss what 5 areas to concentrate on, when your child is diagnosed with autism. The good news is that autism is now considered treatable; but treatment must start as soon as possible, to be the most effective.

The first thing to do if your child has been diagnosed with autism is to call the Autism Research Institute located in San Diego Ca, and ask for that a free parent packet be sent to you. The phone number is 1-619-563-6840. This packet will contain a lot of important information on autism and how to effectively treat it.

Also, contact your local Autism Society of America (look in your phone book for contact information), who can help you find service providers in your area, as well as other parents for support.

These four areas should be pursued together (if possible) and as soon as possible:

1. Health; Determine if your child has health concerns. Many children with autism have gastrointestinal difficulties (yeast overgrowth, high levels heavy metal), food allergies or sensitivities, or seizures. A lot of children with autism have one or more of these. Try and find a doctor in your area that treats children with autism. Or try Defeat Autism Now (DAN) that has a list of DAN doctors. Autism Research Institute

2. Investigate and consider using bio medical treatments of autism. The DAN group has an approach to bio medical treatments of autism. The book is called; Autism: Effective Bio Medical Treatments and can be found at http://www.autism.com.

3. Special Education is available for children with autism when they turn 3 years old under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Early Intervention from birth to 3 years of age is available under Part C of IDEA. This should be pursued as early as possible, for the best outcome. Just understand that you will have to fight for your child, to receive a free appropriate public education, which is their right under IDEA. Unfortunately parents are the main enforcement mechanism of IDEA, but your child’s life is worth it.

4. The educational treatment for autism is applied behavioral analysis (ABA). ABA is a well documented and effective teaching method for a lot of children with autism. This teaching method involves 1 on 1 instruction and utilizes educational tasks that have been developed for children with autism. O. Ivar Lovaas is the person who developed this method many years ago.

ABA should be started as close to 3 years of age as possible, but definitely by 5 years of age. It should continue at least until the child is 7, but depends on the level of disability. ABA is expensive, but there are many court cases where parents have won the right, for the school district to pay for this educational program. If your child receives ABA for at least 25-40 hours per week, with qualified staff they could receive major benefit by age 7.

5. Educate yourself about Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), and seek treatment for your child if they have it. Sensory integration refers to our ability to take in information through our senses, interpret that information and respond to it. Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses. People with SID may misinterpret everyday sensory information such as touch, sound and movement. Treatment is usually occupation therapy, with a qualified Occupational Therapist. Autism Research Institute

Pharmacy in Vegetables: Home Remedies Acknowleged by the Newest Scientific Research

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 May 2010 03:04 Written by Natural Health Team Wednesday, 19 May 2010 03:04

Today the science behind the health benefits of vegetables is growing rapidly.

Researchers have discovered that in addition to nutrients, vitamins and minerals, vegetables contain a various group of natural biologically active plant substances, so-called phytonutrients or phytochemicals, which plants produce to protect themselves against stress. Health experts believe these natural substances are also beneficial for human health.

The natural pigments that give vegetables and fruits their characteristic colors is just one important group of phytochemicals. Some of the pigments in vegetables, for example beta carotene in carrots and sweet potatoes, lycopene in tomatoes and lutein in spinach, have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants have the ability to block or reduce damage of cell’s DNA from harmful free radicals produced in the body. Each color group has a unique combination of nutrients and phytochemicals that has been associated with specific health benefits, such as heart health, vision health, bone health, a healthy immune system, and risk reduction for different kinds of cancers.

Some phytochemicals, like Indoles, which are found in cabbages, stimulate enzymes that make the estrogen less effective and could reduce the risk for breast cancer. Allyl sulfides, another group of phytochemicals found in onion and garlic, stimulate enzymes that help the body get rid of harmful toxins and strengthen the immune system.

Phytochemicals modulate hormone metabolism, stimulate the immune system, and have antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-carcinogen, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

Scientists are learning more about the role that diet plays in disease prevention, the interactions among foods and their elements, such as fiber, nutrients, and phytonutrients that strengthen their health-promoting abilities and continue to discover other benefits as well, which makes vegetable and fruit research a very exciting field.

You can prevent many disorders and delay aging by just following the simple guide line: every time you eat, fruits and vegetables should be half of what you eat.

In the new report Pharmacy In Vegetables you will learn how to use the science behind the health benefits of vegetables to improve your health, delay aging and cure major diseases. It filled with over 140 home and beauty remedies, acknowleged by the newest scientific research.

Yulia Berry also offers an affiliate program that pays 100% commissions immediately to your PayPal account for every report you sell.

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Uric Acid – A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References

Last Updated on Saturday, 24 April 2010 10:07 Written by Natural Health Team Saturday, 24 April 2010 10:07

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In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: “The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading.” Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members… More >>

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Ovarian Cysts – A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References

Last Updated on Sunday, 11 April 2010 10:40 Written by Natural Health Team Sunday, 11 April 2010 10:40

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Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: “The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading.” Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members… More >>

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Ovarian Cysts – A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References