Questioning brain health status quo in depression and Alzheimer’s

Two good recent pieces in The New York Times bring to the forefront the need to question status quo mindset and practices about how to measure and enhance brain health. Sleep Therapy Seen as an Aid for Depression “Curing insomnia in people with depression could double their chance of a full recovery, scientists are reporting. The findings, based on an insomnia treatment that uses talk therapy rather than drugs, are the first to emerge from a series of closely watched studies of sleep and depression to be released in the coming year…If the figures continue to hold up, the advance will be the most significant in the treatment of depression since the introduction of Prozac in 1987.” “The therapy that Dr. Manber, Dr. Carney and the other researchers are using is called cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I for short. The therapist teaches people to establish a regular wake-up time and stick to it; get out of bed during waking periods; avoid eating, reading, watching TV or similar activities in bed; and eliminate daytime napping.” Alzheimer’s Anxiety “In April 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s radioactive molecule for patients who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of cognitive decline that result in forgetfulness or disorientation.” “The question patients and their families should be asking is, what does this test really offer? …Let’s be clear: it does not cure the disease or affect sympt...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neurologists Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Alzheimer’s test Alzheimers-disease amyloid cognitive behavior therapy cognitive-decline depression insomnia talk-therapy Source Type: blogs