Electroconvulsive therapy shown to significantly reduce suicide risk in Bipolar patients

One of the largest ever studies of patients with untreatable bipolar disorder has shown that ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) was able to reduce suicide risk by 84% in high-risk patients, as well as giving effective treatment to around 72% of sufferers. Bipolar disorder, where patients exhibit emotional instability and may experience very severe mood swings, is…

Measuring brainwaves while sleeping can tell if you should switch antidepressants

Scientists have discovered that measuring brainwaves produced during REM sleep can predict whether a patient will respond to treatment from depression. This enables patients to switch to a new treatment rather than continue the ineffective treatment (and the depression) for weeks without knowing the outcome. As study leader, Dr Thorsten Mikoteit said, “In real terms…

Getting Wise to Fake News

Lindsay Dina wasn’t fooled by a photo on Facebook that supposedly showed masses of dolphins frolicking in the canals of Venice. Ms. Dina, 75, ventured onto the social media platform roughly a decade ago, and has developed some savvy. She mostly shares information from established news organizations. She has deleted posts making bizarre claims about…

Missed Vaccines, Skipped Colonoscopies: Preventive Care Plummets

ImageLast month in New York City, drug stores were already advertising flu shots, which health officials were urging people to get early. Demand for vaccines and other preventive care has declined sharply since the arrival of coronavirus.Credit…Bryan R. Smith/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Americans vastly scaled back their preventive health…