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Brain Games "Not A Panacea" For Preventing Dementia, Says Neurologist

While computerized brain games are often advertised as a way of keeping your mind sharp and to avoid cognitive decline (especially in older adults), the evidence that they have any real benefit is sadly lacking.  According to a recent consensus statement by members of the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, "“there is no compelling scientific evidence to date” that brain games actually reduce or reverse cognitive decline.   The statement, which has been signed by many of the leading experts in how the brain works, also warned that "“exaggerated and misleading claims exploit the anxiety of older adults about impending decline.”   

Brain games typically involve working on a computer to complete certain cognitive tasks.   Along with versions that are completely online, many of the hundreds of commercial brain training programs being offered now can be purchased separately or even downloaded as mobile apps for use on smartphones or tablets.   Though developers admit that the actual research supporting the use of brain training is mixed concerning their value, they often insist that regular use can improve working memory, concentration, and other cognitive skills that tend to decline as we grow older.  With more and more people reaching retirement age and worrying about developing dementia, it's hardly surprising that brain training programs are so popular these days.

According to Dr. Xabier Beristain, a Loyola University neurologist who treats dementia patients,  brain training is "not a panacea" and there is little evidence that it will actually enhance cognitive skills in older adults.   The best evidence suggests that level of education, staying socially active, learning  new skills, and regular exercises are more effective ways of staying mentally active as people grow older.   While brain games may make people more skilled at those tasks that are part of the games themselves, there is no indication that this can generalize to broader cognitive skills such as problem-solving.  

Though staying mentally and physically active can be a challenge for older adults who might prefer to find a simpler alternative, there is no "quick fix" that can eliminate the need to stay active.   As the Stanford consensus statement says in conclusion:

"Do not expect that cognitively challenging activities will work like one-shot treatments or vaccines; there is little evidence that you can do something once (or even for a concentrated period) and be inoculated against the effects of aging in an enduring way. In all likelihood, gains won’t last long after you stop the challenge"

 

Why Do We Take Risks?

Why Do People Take Risks?

Does knowing someone who does something risky make you more likely to try it?

Published on December 20, 2014 by Romeo Vitelli, Ph.D. in Media Spotlight

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"If all your friends jumped off a bridge then would you too?"  

Though this mantra of frustrated parents through the ages seems like a cliche, it touches on one of the central paradoxes of risky behavour: the existence of "risk gaps" between the kind of risky behaviour we would recommend for others versus the kind we engage in personnally. As one example, while nine out of ten drivers support laws banning texting while driving,  up to eighty percent of the population has done it occasionally. The same gap exists for many other risky behaviours,  things that we know are illegal or dangerous but which we might engage in all the same. This can include impaired driving, not wearing a seatbelt while driving, smoking, etc.   

Research into risky decision-making suggests that we are more impartial when asked to evaluate risk for other people than we are when we do these risky behaviours ourselves. Not only are we less likely to be swayed by cognitive biases in weighing risks for others, but we are less likely to let our emotions get in the way. For researchers looking at how we made decisions about risks, the process is often regarded as an economic model in which we compare costs and benefits involved.  Still, we are also prone to cognitive biases that can influence us into doing things that we might not ordinarily consider doing.  Among the most important of these biases is knowing that others are engaging in that same risky behaviour.

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

 

 

 

 

 

On Psychologists and Torture

Where should clinical psychologists draw the line when it comes to using torture to extract information during interrogations?

The newly released report from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has provided graphic revelations about the true extect to which torture has been widely used at "black sites" operated by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).   One of the most shocking revelations provided by the report is that the CIA's torture program was created, implemented, and supervised by two clinical psychologists, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen.   

Along with being psychologists, both Mitchell and Jessen are former members of the  United States Air Force and trainers for the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Program (SERE) School at the Fairchild Air Force Base near Washington, D.C as well as serving as chief psychologists on the base.   The SERE program includes a training module to teach military personnel to resist torture.    Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Mitchell and Jessen were asked by the CIA to help convert the SERE simulated torture tactics into actual techniques to be used to extract intelligence from detainees.   The primary rationale for using these particular techniques was that they could not legally be considered torture since they were identical to the techniques used in SERE training.

In 2005, Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Jessen founded a company called Mitchell Jessen and Associates, now based in Spokane, Washington.  The  contracts their company received have earned them more than 81 million over the years through their active role in supervising interrogations and training interrogators.   James Mitchell, now 62, has also personally conducted countless interrogations using waterboarding and other techniques which he developed.   In an interview with the Daily Mail, James Mitchell described being "moved around a lot" as he conducted interrogations around the world and that foreign intelligence officers were also present at many of  his interrogations. 

What was the rationale for using psychologists to interrogate detainees?   A recent article in Slate Magazine pointed out that the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) determined that having psychologists and physicians on site to monitor the condition of prisoners undergoing "enhanced interrogations"  helped protect the CIA and the Bush government from legal liability and potential prosecution.   The OLC later applied the same rules to the Department of Defence's "enhanced interrogation" program which was eventually overseen exclusively by clinical psychologists.

By using the SERE program in an offensive way rather than its original purpose of protecting military personnel from the effects of torture, Mitchell and Jensen reportedly hoped to develop new ways of extracting truth during interrogations.  Their techniques drew on  a wide range of established psychological research studies including work into "learned helplessnes" and persuasion.   Though behavioural research consistently demonstrated that torture is largely ineffective as a means of extracting useful information,  Mitchell and Jessen reportedly persuaded the Justice Department that the techniques were safe and that they did not constitute torture. 

James Risen, whose book Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War described the systematic human rights abuses linked to the new War on Terror.  In discussing Mitchell and Jessen's role in adapting SERE for use with interrogations, Risen points out that this largely stemmed from other psychologists remaining silent about this involvement.   "Mitchell and Jessen’s great achievement was to bend the accepted narrative of how SERE affects the mind and body," Risen wrote.  "They made two important and related claims— that SERE could force prisoners to tell the truth, and that SERE did not constitute torture."   Eager to secure CIA and Pentagon contracts, many psychologists showed little hesitation in helping to develop, and later justify, enhanced interrogation techniques.   Even the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest professional group of psychologists in the world, would eventually put its seal of approval on what Mitchell and Jessen were doing.

Risen bases his allegations on a series of emails found on the computer of a CIA consultant who died in 2008.  These emails show the secret, close relationships among many of the nation's leading psychologists and officials at the CIA and Pentagon.  These include Susan Brandon, behavioural science advisor to the White House, and Kirk Hubbard, the CIA's chief behavioural scientist (it was Hubbard who publicly admitted bringing Mitchell and  Jessen into the CIA enhanced interrogation program in the first place).  Risen also detailed how other psychologists such as Andy Morgan, whose research showed that SERE simulated torture techniques promote false memory, were systematically ignored by psychologists in the SERE program who insisted that their techniques could obtain real information.   

According to a CIA auditor report, CIA psychologists were raising ethical concerns about how Mitchell and Jessen were conducting interrogations as early as 2004.   It was in that same year that the International Committee of the Red Cross released a report on treatment at Guantanamo Bay that mentioned concerns about psychologists conducting enhanced interrogations.   After the Red Cross report was leaked to the New York Times, CIA and Pentagon officials met with APA's director of science policy Geoff Mumford and APA's ethics director Stephen Behnke.  Although the official purpose of the meeting was to discuss domenstic law enforcement, the emails uncovered by James Risen indicate that they also discussed the ethical issues surrounding interrogations.   

In the years since that 2004 meeting, the APA has been rocked by controversy over allegations that it turned a blind eye to psychologists conducting enhanced interrogations.  Not only has this led to mass resignations, but also strong criticism from groups such as Psychologists for Social Responsibility.  Due to the new revelations about psychologists and torture described by James Risen, as well as questions about high-level collusion between the APA and intelligence agencies, the APA has agreed to an independent investigation to be conducted by former federal prosecutor David H. Hoffman.   This investigation follows years of denials and evasion by the APA over questions relating to possible complicity in the CIA's enhanced interrogation program. 

Will this investigation be effective in unraveling years of denials, secrecy, and evasion?   The Coalition for an Ethical Psychology has already raised concerns about the investigation and how it will be conducted.    Despite the cautious optimism about the investigation,  the controversy will likely be with us for years to come.

Volunteering and the Elderly

There is an urgent need to identify lifestyle activities that reduce functional decline and dementia associated with population aging. A article recently published in Psychological Bulletin reviewed  the evidence on the benefits associated with formal volunteering among older adults, propose a theoretical model of how volunteering may reduce functional limitations and dementia risk, and offer recommendations for future research. Database searches identified 113 papers on volunteering benefits in older adults, of which 73 were included. Data from descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective cohort studies, along with 1 randomized controlled trial, most consistently reveal that volunteering is associated with reduced symptoms of depression, better self-reported health, fewer functional limitations, and lower mortality. The evidence provides the basis for a model proposing that volunteering increases social, physical, and cognitive activity (to varying degrees depending on characteristics of the volunteer placement) which, through biological and psychological mechanisms, leads to improved functioning; we further propose that these volunteering-related functional improvements should be associated with reduced dementia risk. Recommendations for future research are that studies (a) include more objective measures of psychosocial, physical, and cognitive functioning; (b) integrate qualitative and quantitative methods in prospective study designs; (c) explore further individual differences in the benefits associated with volunteering; (d) include occupational analyses of volunteers’ specific jobs in order to identify their social, physical, and cognitive complexity; (e) investigate the independent versus interactive health benefits associated with volunteering relative to engagement in other forms of activity; and (f) examine the relationship between volunteering and dementia risk.

For the abstract

Accused Witch Burned at the Stake in Paraguay

After 45-year-old Adolfina Ocampos was sentenced to death for sorcery last November in the Paraguayan village of Tahenyi where they lived, she was tortured, submerged under water, and beaten.  She was then led to a stake where she was shot with several arrows before being burned alive.   Paraguayan authorities investigating the killing have arrested nine men in the village, all of whom have confessed to the killing and with little indication of remorse.   Police have also rescued a fourteen-year-old girl who was accused of witchcraft as well.

Ocampos had been accused of being a witch after the relatives of one of the village elders became ill.  She was then banished from the villiage for a month but was sentenced to death when the relative failed to improve.     The inhabitants of the village located 180  miles for the Paraguayan capital of Assuncion.are members of the indigenous Mbya Guarani community.  Belief in witchcraft and evil magic remains strong throughout the region. 

"I've been working in Paraguay for 40 years and I can't remember a similar episode of an execution for alleged sorcery," said José Zanardini, an Italian anthropologist and Catholic priest. "The tragic death of this woman is isolated and out of the ordinary within the coexistence of Paraguay's 20 ethnic indigenous groups. In general, the Indians are very peaceful and tolerant."   

Witchcraft accusations are on the rise in many parts of the world.  According to a 2009 UNHCR report titled Witchcraft Allegations, Refugee Protection and Human Rights: a Review of the Evidence, thousands of people are accused of witchcraft every year.   They are often subjected to starvation, torture, and lethal violence by families of witchcraft "victims".  "The phenomenon of witch persecution is still very much alive," says report author Jill Schnoebelen.  “Those in the refugee field may be better prepared to pre-empt or respond to the associated violence and provide protection as needed.”  

Incidents of witch-killings have occurred in other parts of Central and South America.   “In Bolivia, there are reports that alleged witches are burned or buried alive, particularly in ‘indigenous communities in areas with little or no central government presence,’” the report states. “Accused sorcerers have been killed by violent mobs in rural areas in both Guatemala and Haiti…About 80 cases of witchcraft were documented in a Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico in the late 1960s.”

Witch killings are also commonly seen in India as well as many parts of the Middle East and Africa.  Many countries in eastern and central Africa operate "witch camps" where refugees driven out of their communities due to witchcraft accusations are forced to live.  Even in industrialized countries, accusations of witchcraft are not uncommon in immigrant commmunities and can also occur due to the influence of extremist religious groups.  The recent murder of Jacob Andrew Crockett in Oklahoma by someone who suspected him of sorcery demonstrates how widespread witch-killings have become.

Can Irrational Health Beliefs Be Bad For Your Heart?

Why do so many people with heart problems have trouble sticking to a rehabilitation program?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in most industrialized countries.  For people experiencing heart problems, participating in a cardiac rehabilitation(CR) program can be one of the most effective ways to ensure a longer life.   In a comprehensive program, heart patients can learn about potential risk factors,  develop healthier lifestyle habits,  and establish an exercise schedule that can ensure proper fitness. 

Studies show that heart patients who successfully complete a CR program have lower mortality rates, reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and better lifestyle habits.  CR programs can also reduce psychological problems linked to coronary artery disease.   Having had a mild heart attack myself two years ago, I consider the CR program I attended afterward to be one of the most valuable educational experiences in my life. 

Still, despite the clear benefits that a CR program can produce, an estimated twenty to fifty percent of all heart patients either fail to stick to the full CR program or drop out completely.  Research studies looking at different factors that can influence heart patients to drop out of CR program suggest that depression and emotional distress may play a role.    Another potential explantion for poor compliance with CR programs deals with cognitive distortions relating to health care.

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

Legalizing Marijuana and the Worst-Case Scenario

An opinion piece published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management discusses the legalization of recreational marijuana in United States. One of the key unknowns in the debate over legalization concerns the relationship between alcohol and marijuana use. Researchers have attempted to produce causal estimates of this relationship by exploiting cross-sectional policy and price variation. Because the social costs associated with the consumption of alcohol clearly outweigh those associated with the consumption of marijuana, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana is likely to improve public health, although plenty of unanswered questions remain. Based on existing empirical evidence, the authors expect that the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington will lead to increased marijuana consumption coupled with decreased alcohol consumption. As a consequence, these states will experience a reduction in the social harms resulting from alcohol use. While it is more than likely that marijuana produced by state-sanctioned growers will end up in the hands of minors, the authors predict that overall youth consumption will remain stable.

For the abstract

Cynicism, Paranoia and Stress Can Dramatically Impact Your Health

As the average lifespan of people in most industrialized countries slowly increases, we are seeing a sharp rise in new cases of dementia. According to World Health Organization forecasts, there are already the equivalent of 7.7 million new dementia patientss diagnosed every year and the number of new cases will likely skyrocket in coming decades. Given the critical shortages that are already being seen in trained support staff to care for dementia patients, it is hardly surprising that global health experts consider dementia to be a "ticking time bomb" that could overwhelm the health care systems in most countries over the next thirty years.

Along with the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, we are also seeing more older adults being diagnosed with dementias linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease (also called multi-infarct dementia). Although the risk of dementia rises with age and as new medical problems emerge, it is still unclear why some people develop dementia while many others do not. Are there specific risk factors that can increase the chances of developing dementia? Since cardiovascular disease can increase the risk of stroke-related dementia, researchers have been taking a closer look at lifestyle factors that can reduce the body's ability to cope with stress. One factor in particular that has been attracting more attention deals with what is known as the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP).

To read more, check out out my latest contribution to the Huffington Post.

Russian Government Charges LGBT Support Group For Suggesting Gay Youths are Brave

In its latest attack on sexual minorities, the Russian government has formally accused Lena Klimova of "illegal gay propaganda."   Klimova is the founder of Children 404, an online support network for LGBT teens, who has come under fire for a series of articles she wrote in 2013 defending sexual minorities against the increasing persecution they face in Russia.   

According to the Children 404 mission statement,  "Our society believes that gay teenagers do not exist in nature, as if gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people arrive from Mars as adults. Meanwhile, one family in twenty has an LGBT-child in it, and those children are society’s invisible "Children-404" (404 refers to the Internet error message for "Page not found.").   Their online network is modelled after the "It Gets Better" campaign in the United States and attempts to provide LGBT youths with an online community to keep them from feeling alone.    Along with open pages on Facebook and the Russian social network VContacte, the project also has a "closed" page to provide LGBT teens with counseling.

According to Klimova, police visited her home last week and asked her to come to Moscow to face charges.  Since she lives more than one thousand miles away, she has attempted to have the charges moved closer to her home but this has been denied.   Writing on LiveJournal, she has been providing ongoing coverage of the case against her and her group.  

Among the highlights (translated into English) are:

The materials [on Children-404] can cause children to believe that being gay means being a person who is brave, strong, confident, tenacious, and someone with a sense of dignity and self-respect.

and:

This community contains almost no information about the fact that this [sexual] orientation is untraditional according to the norms, customs, and practices of the Russian Federation.

Facebook comments left by Russian censors also argue that Children 404 endangers LGBT minors because of "amateur psychological support."   Another anti-gay politician stated that "Children-404 is a semi-criminal clique... such projects should not be allowed in Russia... they seduce young people and bring them round to the mistaken view that homosexuality is acceptable and not a sin."

Despite the popularity of anti-gay legislation in Russia, some journalists have spoken out in favour of Children 404 and Lena Klimova.  In writing about Children 404, Russian journalist Valery Panyushkin wrote:

"To be honest I had not thought about those children. I had not realised that the new law would kill them. But Lena Klimova, a journalist with the "Rosbalt" agency, has realised. She has conducted a survey among these children, gathered several hundred letters, and it is impressive reading... Deputies, Senators, Mr. President and anyone else involved in the adoption of the law on the "promotion of homosexuality"! You are killing children. Henceforth, all the boys who have been beaten up behind the garages, and all the girls who have jumped out of windows, holding hands together, will be on your conscience"

At this time, it remains unclear whether the Russian government will ban Children 404 completely.   The fate of Lena Klimova is still very much up in the air.

For more information

Learning to Live Together, Jaffa Style

Considering the political tensions and violent outbreaks throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories,  it is hardly surprising that relations between Israelis and Palestinians is at an all-time low.  Surveys show that Israeli-Jews regard Israeli-Palestinians (who are often referred to as "Arabs") with suspicion and 40 percent feel that they should be stripped of their right to vote.  Even from a young age,  Israeli and Palestinian youths have negative steretypes that fuel the political situation by representing the other side as treacherous and untrustworthy. 

As one of the few mixed cities in Israel today, the port of Jaffa on the outskirts of Tel Aviv is a perfect example of political uncertainty with its 20,000 Arab and 35,000 Jewish residents. With growing tension threatening to shatter the  peaceful co-existance in Jaffa, creating new programs to encourage greater understanding of both sides has become more important than ever. One of these new initiatives is the Arab-Jewish Class Exchange Program (CEP).  According to its Facebook page, the recently-founded program involves "helping Arab and Jewish youngsters in Israel learn together to promote mutual understanding, respect and friendship through joint classes in arts, music and drama at the unique Arab-Jewish Center in Jaffa."

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