Providentia

Can Electric Shock Erase Unpleasant Memories?

Remember Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? 

The 2004 science fiction movie starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet featured a bickering couple dealing with the consequences of having their respective memories of each other erased through a radical procedure.     While no real-life equivalent exists, yet,  a new research study in Nature Neuroscience suggests that electroshock therapy (ECT) can be used to reduce negative memories in patients suffering from depression.    Though ECT has long been linked to reports of memory loss in patients undergoing treatment, the procedure described in the new study involved strategically timed ECT bursts that could target and disrupt disturbing memories. 

According to lead researcher Marijn Kroes of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands,  the study is based on the theory of memory reconsolidation in which specific memories are retrieved from storage each time they are used and then "re-written" back into the brain's memory over time.   According to previous  memory reconsolidation research,  memories being reconsolidated are vulnerable and can even be erased by electric shock.  Using 42 patients who had been prescribed ECT for severe depression, Kroes and his team presented two disturbing slide-shows, one of  a car accident and the other of a physical assault.   They then "reactivated" the memory by playing part of one of the slide shows for each patient.    Afterward, during the period when the memory was being reconsolidated, the patient received the prescribed ECT session.  

When tested on the following day, patients were given a multiple choice memory test for both slide shows.    Though patients were able to recall the non-reactivated story, their memory for the story for which they had received the reactivating slideshow (and subsequent ECT) was significantly poorer.      When the memory test was given only 90 minutes after the ECT however, recall for both stories was essentially the same.   Based on these results, ECT appears to block memory reconsolidation rather than simply causing memory loss.   It also suggests that there may be a "window of opportunity" for dealing with unwanted memories.

While Kroes stresses that ECT may not be the best therapy for most patients, these results could lead to less invasive ways of blocking memory reconsolidation and may even be used to block memories associated with posttraumatic stress disorder,  addiction, and other disorders linked to unwanted memories.   

"The ability to permanently alter these types of memories might lead to novel, better treatments," Kroes stated.

For more information

Psychology, Law, and Same-Sex Parenting

There seem to be few debates more hotly argued these days than whether same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children.   Whether involving foster care or formal adoption,  people opposing lesbians, gays, and transsexuals raising children often invoke religious or legal arguments highlighting many of the misconceptions that still surround the issue of same-sex parenting.

A recent article published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity provides an overview of the current status of same-sex parenting across the United States.  Written by Charlotte J. Patterson of the University of Virginia,  the article is based on a presentation she made at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Psychological Association when she received the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy. 

 

In her article, Dr. Patterson drew a distinction between families in which children were either born or adopted into a heterosexual marriage that later dissolved when one or both children came out as gay or lesbian and families in which the children were born or adopted by parents who openly acknowledged their sexual orientation.   For both types of families, children’s needs can be very different depending on how they became part of the same-sex family.

 

To read more, check out my new Psychology Today post.

Substance Abuse and Crime in a Canadian Prison

Abundant research confirms a high prevalence of substance use and mental disorders in correctional samples. It is unclear, however, how these contribute to the risk of repeat offending. A study published recently in Psychology, Public Policy and Law examined offense trajectories within a Canadian Provincial offender population (N = 31,014), and observed that offenders with non–substance-related mental disorders were at no greater risk of recidivism than those with no diagnosis. In contrast, odds of recidivism were significantly higher among those with substance use and/or co-occurring disorders. These findings add strength to the emerging conclusion that non–substance-related mental disorders are, as a group, less likely to predict recidivism than substance use disorders. Notably, nearly 50% of repeat offenders had a physician-diagnosed substance use disorder in the 5 years prior to their index offense. Results are discussed in relation to the necessity for targeted evidence-based partnerships between health and corrections sectors that are responsive to both public health and safety.

For the abstract.

Happy Holidays

I'm taking my usual blogging break this week as I celebrate the holidays with family.   May your holiday season be full of glad tidings and I'll be back next week with more blog posts to launch the new year.  

Painfully Shy

We're all a little shy at times when meeting other people.   It's hardly surprising that shyness can often interfere with how we interact in social situations.    For some people however, shyness can lead to social anxiety and a crippling fear that results in deliberate isolation to avoid associating with others.    Extremely shy individuals are typically low in self-esteem and largely preoccupied with what others think of them.    Driven by a fear of rejection, shy people often engage in self-sabotage to prevent themselves from growing closer to others and avoid social situations when possible.  

Research into shyness has suggested different causes including genetic influences,  prenatal influences, environmental factors (including the effects of emotional abuse in childhood), or as the result of a traumatic social episode.   While usually not severe enough to merit a diagnosis of social phobia or social anxiety, shyness can have a powerful effect on a person's sense of well-being along with being linked to depression or other emotional problems due to isolation. 

 

To read more, check out my new Psychology Today post.

 

 

Do Mothers Who Work At Night Have Children with Behaviour Problems?

Many mothers work in jobs with nonstandard schedules (i.e., schedules that involve work outside of the traditional 9–5, Monday through Friday schedule); this is particularly true for economically disadvantaged mothers. In an article published in Developmental Psychology, researchers used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey (n = 2,367 mothers of children ages 3–5 years) to examine the associations between maternal nonstandard work and children’s behavior problems, with a particular focus on mothers’ night shift work.  The authors used 3 analytic strategies with various approaches to adjusting for observed and unobserved selection factors; these approaches provided an upper and lower bound on the true relationship between night shift work and children’s behavior. Taken together, the results provide suggestive evidence for modest associations between exposure to maternal night shift work and higher levels of aggressive and anxious or depressed behavior in children compared with children whose mothers who are not working, those whose mothers work other types of nonstandard shifts, and, for aggressive behavior, those whose mothers work standard shifts.

For the abstract

Delusional Patient Carries out "Car Buying Rampage"

An Alberta Hospital psychiatric patient is at the centre of a financial quandary after buying a luxury SUV on credit despite being on a disability  pension.   Sean Amer, a 46-year old diagnosed schizophrenic has suffered from mental illness for the past twenty years.   Subject to frequent delusions, he has recently become convinced that he is a millionaire businessman despite having a monthly income of only $1588.  

On November 25 of this year, Amer left Alberta Hospital claiming that he was going to get some items from his apartment.   Instead, he went on a "car buying rampage" going to different dealerships trying to buy cars.   According to his sister and legal guardian, Renee Tessman, Amer has always had a fixation with cars despite being unable to afford one. 

After being turned down by different dealerships, he was able to purchase 2014 Jeep Cherokee Laredo for a total of $65,580 including optional warranties.  The only security he was able to offer the dealership wasaa prepaid credit card with $500 on it.  Despite knowing that he was a mental patient, and even visiting him in the hospital to confirm the financing arrangements, financing was approved.   He then took possession of the vehicle and drove it off the lot. 

It took six days for workers at Alberta Hospital to void the deal so that the SUV could be returned.   Crosstown Auto Centre initially tried to hold Amer to the agreement despite his inability to pay and insisted that the debt was in the hands of the Royal Bank of Canada which had approved the financing.     In commenting on what she described as unethical behavior by the car dealership, Renee Tessman said she was "flabbergasted" on hearing that the deal had gone through.   “It’s awful. I mean, obviously they know he’s a mental patient, he’s in Alberta Hospital. They should have clued into that.   They have no ethics,” she said. “I think they’re just interested in selling cars. If they’re doing this to my brother Sean, who else are they doing this to?”

According to the salesman who sold Amer the SUV, there was nothing usual about his request to purchase the Jeep as well as two Chrysler vehicles for family members.  When he came in for a test drive, he asked that the paperwork be completed quickly so he could drive the vehicle home that night.    They even agreed to a $4000 down-payment of which the balance would be paid later by his business partner.  “He said he owned this company.” the salesman said. “Fine. Who are we to say that doesn’t sound right? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it really didn’t.”    When they were later contacted by the hospital to cancel the deal, Amer insisted that he still wanted the SUV and the salesman visited him at the hospital to finalize the deal.

Under the Alberta Fair Trading Act, car dealerships are not allowed to "take advantage of the consumer as a result of the consumer’s inability to understand the character, nature, language or effect” of the transaction."    The Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council has launched an investigation into the case and the car dealership could face a fine over their conduct.    The SUV has since been reclaimed.

For more information

Texting Under Stress

 The rise of modern telecommunications has transformed the way  people communicate, especially young people.    Recent surveys show that 96 percent of college undergraduates own smartphones (vs 82 percent of adults overall).  Since 2004, smartphone use has grown by more than 5000 percent and the demand for more voice and data services is still greater than ever.    For college undergraduates, text mesaging remains the single most popular way of communicating and many students view it as a key part of social life.   In 2011 alone, cell phone owners between the age of 18 and 24 reported sending more than 100 texts a day on average and adolescents are becoming increasingly dependent on texting as well.

But what does the rise of texting as a form of social communication mean in terms of the overall quality of life?    Despite news stories warning about the dangers of texting (including texting while driving,, "sexting", and texts sent while under the influence of drugs or alcohol),  text messaging seems here to stay.     Research looking at the impact of texting on social relationships, academic performance, and personal safety suggests that being able to communicate digitally helps foster those relationships that are important in a texter's life.    While personal cell phones have already promoted a sense of perpetual access (in which people are available to communicate at any time, day or night),  texting places even more stress on people to be always available.

To read more, check out my new Psychology Today post. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Starvation Doctor (Part 1 of 2)

When Dorothea and Claire Williamson arrived in Seattle, Washington on February 27, 1911, they were eager to begin a radical new treatment program that would help them both overcome assorted "female troubles".   They had no idea that the "treatment" would result in one of them dying a  gruesome death and propel them both to the centre of a bizarre medical scandal that would generate international outrage. 

Born and raised in England, the sisters had inherited a fortune from their Scottish grandfather.    Being independently wealthy, they used their money to fund a long odyssey to various medical clinics around the world as they searched for a cure to  assorted medical complaints.   Although the complaints were largely minor (and possibly imaginary), they could afford the best care and try any fad cure that happened to be in vogue at the time.

In the course of their travels, they came across a new book, Fasting For The Cure of Disease, which argued that many diseases were due to the eating of meat and assorted nutritional problems that could be cured by fasting.   The author, Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, was one of the few women doctors of that era which made her seem even more remarkable to the Williamson sisters.    After Claire Williamson wrote to Dr. Hazzard, both sisters received a brochure describing how well-to-do patients under her care could undergo the radical fasting cure and receive the full benefits offered in her book.  

From the very beginning, there were warning signs which the Williamson sisters chose to ignore.   Though Linda Hazzard freely used the "Doctor" title, she did not actually have a medical degree.   She was allowed to practice medicine in the state of Washington because of a legal loophole in the licensing law "grandfathering" practitioners of alternative medicine (she was actually trained as an osteopath).    Despite her questionable credentials, Linda Hazzard was able to launch her own medical practice in Seattle beginning in 1907,   She then established herself as a "fasting specialist" offering medical treatment following the principles laid down by fasting pioneers Edward Hooker Dewey and Henry S.. Tanner.   Dewey (under whom Hazzard reportedly trained)  became famous for his "No Breakfast Plan" while Tanner was notorious for his forty-two-day fast at New York's Clarendon Hall.    

Expanding on the therapeutic fasting principles laid down by her predecessors, Linda Hazzard proclaimed in her assorted books and pamphlets that fasting could cure anything from cancer to hysteria.    That her medical colleagues were condemning her as a quack hardly deterred patients traveling from across the United States and even as far as Europe to try the fasting cure for themselves.    Linda Hazzard enjoyed the notoriety and wrote pamphlets describing the "organized persecution from newspaper and physicians".   She even claimed to be the victim of a colossal conspiracy by medical doctors trying to suppress the truth (sound familiar?).    Prospective patients heard nothing about the various deaths that had already been attributed to her since 1903 when she first began starving her patients. 

Not that the adverse publicity did anything to deter people desperate for a miracle.  In fact, the demand became so great that Linda Hazzard gave up her Seattle office and established a larger clinic in nearby Olalla, Washington.   There, the new clinic which Hazzard named "Wilderness Heights" could provide the fasting cure to patients to purge their body of "toxins".  

It was about this time that Linda Hazzard first took on the Williamson sisters as patients.   When they arrived in Seattle on February 27, 1911, they went straight to Hazzard's Seattle office where the treatment was explained to them.    Dorathea and Claire both enthusiastically agreed to to begin the treatments which would involve systematic fasting, enemas, baths, and vigorous massages.   At first, their treatment was at the Seattle location while they stayed in a nearby apartment and saw Linda Hazzard five times a week.

Despite the adverse symptoms that developed, including their growing steadily weaker and light-headed (which they attributed to "euphoria"), the Williamson sisters continued with their treatments and were even among the first patients at the new Olalla clinic when it opened soon afterward.    Their faith in Linda Hazzard was unshakeable, even when both Williamsons became so emaciated that they could barely walk.    A full-time nurse was hired to care for them both but that was not enough for Linda Hazzard. 

While they were still living in Seattle, Hazzard's control over the sisters became tighter than ever.   She even convinced them to grant her control over their sizeable estate during their "recovery."   Though their nurse was alarmed enough at what was happening to go to another doctor for help, there was nothing anyone could do without having the sisters declared incompetent.    By mid-April, Hazzard had moved the Williamsons to her newly-built clinic in Olalla and her power over them became absolute.     Since both sisters were completely bedridden by this point, Hazzard arranged for their transfer to Olalla in a special ambulance. 

Once there, Dora and Claire were moved to a private cabin to join all the other patients at Wilderness Heights.   From the outside, it appeared to be a palatial spa where well-off patients could enjoy the expensive treatment they were receiving.   Inside, the reality was very different.   Patients at the clinic were kept on a restricted diet of tomatoes, oranges, and asparagus juice which continued for  months.  They also had daily enemas and vigorous massages to accelerate the process.   Due to the odd stories about the type of treatment patients there received, local residents of Olalla gave the clinic the nickname of "Starvation Heights."  

Linda Hazzard and her husband had total control over all communications between the patients and the outside world, including their mail.   She also made it standard practice to persuade patients to grant her control over their assets (in order to "protect their property" while the patients were convalescing).     Both Hazzards even managed to convince patients to change their wills making the doctor their beneficiary.    

Perhaps sensing that she was on the verge of death, Claire Williamson managed to crawl off the property with a message asking for help which she gave to a local village boy.   The message was to a family nurse, Margaret Convey, who was in Australia at the time.   Delivered by telegram, the message said "Come SS Marama May 8th, first class. Claire."     Though there were no other details, Convey set sail for Vancouver, Washington and arrived on June 1.   It was Sam Hazzard who met her when the ship arrived telling her that Claire had died and that Dora was "hopelessly insane."    

Convey was immediately suspicious and those suspicions seemed confirmed when she met Linda Hazzard (who happened to be wearing one of Claire Williamson's dresses at the time).    When she insisted on seeing Dora, she found her reduced to skin and bones, pleading with Convey to take her away.    

What followed was a bizarre battle of wills with Linda Hazzard refusing to release Dora whom she insisted was insane.    She also claimed power of attorney over the Williamson sisters' assets and  she was demanding payment for the medical bills both sisters had racked up at her clinic.   As for Claire's death,  Hazzard maintained that the death was the result of the treatment Claire had received before becoming her patient. 

To be continues

 

To be continued

Are There Suicide Clusters in Universities?

Suicide clusters at Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) prompted popular and expert speculation of suicide contagion. However, some clustering is to be expected in any random process.  A study published in Crisis tested whether suicide clusters at these two universities differed significantly from those expected under a homogeneous Poisson process, in which suicides occur randomly and independently of one another. Suicide dates were collected for MIT and Cornell for 1990–2012. The Anderson-Darling statistic was used to test the goodness-of-fit of the intervals between suicides to distribution expected under the Poisson process. Results: Suicides at MIT were consistent with the homogeneous Poisson process, while those at Cornell showed clustering inconsistent with such a process (p = .05).   The authors concluded Anderson-Darling test provides a statistically powerful means to identify suicide clustering in small samples. Practitioners can use this method to test for clustering in relevant communities. The difference in clustering behavior between the two institutions suggests that more institutions should be studied to determine the prevalence of suicide clustering in universities and its causes.

For the abstract