MUSC Mental Health Podcast

Heart Care: Anxiety Disorders May Increase Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 8 Sep 2010 -211:-246:-232 EST

Anxiety disorders may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death in people with heart disease. Very few studies have looked at the role of anxiety, even though researchers have more often studied depression in patients with coronary heart disease. Learn more about anxiety disorders and increased heart attack and stroke risks in this heart care podcast.

Depression: Collaborated Study of Epidural Prefrontal Cortical Stimulation

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 -215:-213:-254 EST

Dr. Istvan Takacs collaborated with Dr. Ziah Nahas to study the use of epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation for intractably depressed patients. Dr. Takacs discusses how this study began, the challenges turning their concept into a reality and the advantages of prefrontal cortical stimulation verses deep brain stimulation.

Depression: Epidural Prefrontal Cortical Stimulation

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 -29:-210:-220 EST

Dr. Ziad Nahas describes a ground-breaking treatment for severe, treatment resistant depression. In a study funded by NARSAD, Dr. Nahas and his colleagues implanted four small 'paddles' directly on the dural layer of the cortical brain surface, and over a period of seven months applied intermittent electrical stimulation through wires implanted beneath the skin connected to batteries. Four of the five patients had significant improvement in their symptoms of depression.

Longevity: Links with Stress Management and Sociability

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 -215:-20:-212 EST

A recent study found that the children of centenarians tend to be more outgoing and social than the average person. Stress management and sociability might have a role in longevity, according to researchers.

Heart Failure: Psychological Needs of Patients and Caregivers

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Thu, 9 Jul 2009 -215:-29:-223 EST

A recent study indicates that patients with heart failure, and those who care for them, want more attention paid to their psychological needs.

Social Anxiety Disorder and Phased Treatment

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 -215:-247:-232 EST

This study is being conducted with qualified individuals 18 – 65 years old suffering from social anxiety disorder. The study explores how the FDA-approved medication paroxetine (Paxil) affects coping behaviors men and women typically use to deal with anxiety in social situations. Participants will be asked to attend 10 sessions over the course of 22 weeks, as well as two follow-up visits at 3 and 6 months following the medication phase. 80 subjects will be recruited – 40 at the Medical University of South Carolina and 40 at the University of Minnesota.

Alcoholism: Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin Test – Part 2

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 27 May 2008 -214:-232:-237 EST

In part two of this podcast series on the carbohydrate deficient transferrin marker for alcohol abuse, Dr. Raymond Anton discusses the clinical uses and usefulness of this test. He explains various medical issues exacerbated by heavy drinking for which a physician may want objective information on alcohol consumption. He notes that an objective blood test for ascertaining information on alcohol intake is beneficial for both patients and clinicians.

Alcoholism: Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin Test – Part 1

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 27 May 2008 -214:-227:-229 EST

Dr. Raymond Anton, an expert in substance abuse, talks about biological markers for alcoholism. He points to the merits of blood tests in accurately obtaining measures of alcohol consumption, noting that self-reports involving substance abuse tend to be inaccurate. In this mental health podcast, Dr. Anton focuses on the carbohydrate deficient transferrin test, explaining how it works to identify excessive alcohol consumption.

Clinical Trials at MUSC: Institutional Review Board

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 -29:-215:-211 EST

Dr. Suzanne Thomas, a psychologist with her PhD in experimental psychology, discusses the important role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure ethical and relevant research, proper clinical protocol, safety of participants, as well as informed consent for all clinical trials. She indicates common obstacles for investigators in gaining IRB approval. To conclude this podcast, Dr. Thomas points to the particularly stringent requirements of confidentiality for substance abuse research.

Substance Abuse: Stress and Alcohol Addiction

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 -29:-211:-235 EST

Dr. Suzanne Thomas,a psychologist with her PhD in experimental psychology, talks about the connection between stress and alcohol consumption. In this mental health podcast she focuses on stress as a major contributor to addiction relapse. Dr. Thomas talks about the underlying brain mechanisms linking alcohol with stress and offers advice on how to make oneself more resilient to the ill effects of stress.

Substance Abuse: The Disease of Addiction

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 -214:-219:-239 EST

Dr. Suzanne Thomas, a psychologist with her PhD in experimental psychology, talks about addiction as a disorder of the brain. She defines addiction and describes the actual neurological changes that occur when a person develops substance addiction. She focuses on the hypersensitive motivation pathway and explains that cessation in substance use allows for some recovery of the affected brain systems. Dr. Thomas concludes this mental health podcast by addressing the notion of food addiction, explaining that research is not yet conclusive on this topic.

Depression: Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 9 Jan 2008 -210:-235:-248 EST

Dr. Ziad Nahas, Director of the Mood Disorders Clinic at MUSC, discusses vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which is the only FDA approved brain stimulation treatment for depression to date. He describes who is considered a good candidate for VNS and also explains the steps taken for a patient to undergo this treatment technique.

Depression: Alternative Treatments – Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 9 Jan 2008 -210:-229:-251 EST

Dr. Ziad Nahas, Director of the Mood Disorders Clinic at MUSC, describes the neurosurgical intervention technique of deep brain stimulation (DBS). He discusses the rare use of this technology for treating major depression and notes the type of patient who is a good candidate for DBS technology. He offers details of how the implantation occurs and also talks about future research trials being planned at MUSC.

Depression: Alternative Treatments – Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 -211:-219:-231 EST

Psychiatrist Dr. Mark George, who specializes in neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology, explains how vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may lead to an amelioration of depressive symptoms in some patients. In this mental health podcast, he describes his research on VNS for patients who have failed all other conventional therapies, noting that VNS is an efficacious technique, though currently financially costly.

Depression: Alternative Treatments – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 -211:-216:-218 EST

Dr. Mark George, a psychiatrist who specializes in neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology, discusses the direction of new research for alternative treatments of depression. He describes the method of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which involves discrete stimulation of effected brain regions, to battle depression. Dr. George compares TMS to conventional antidepressant medications as well as to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), distinguishing techniques on the basis of side effects, treatment efficacy, and accessibility. Dr. George elaborates on the accessibility issue, offering information on how a patient can currently undergo TMS therapy.

Brain Imaging: Deception

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 -211:-211:-221 EST

Dr. Mark George, Director of the Magnetic Brain Stimulation Laboratory at MUSC, explains the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe subtle changes in blood flow in order to determine if a person is lying. He discuses how this procedure was developed and enhanced, noting why it is more reliable than a conventional polygraph test. Dr. George concludes by articulating his predictions for the future applications of the brain imaging method in deception recognition.

Psychiatric Problems: Visiting a Family Medicine Doctor

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 -214:-214:-226 EST

Dr. John Freedy, a family medicine doctor with his PhD in psychology, talks about the presentation of psychiatric problems in a family medicine setting and describes common physical complaints corresponding to various psychiatric illnesses. He says that family doctors are “specialists in common conditions” and thus reasonable places to start if a person suspects he or she has, for instance, depression. Dr. Freedy concludes by mentioning substance abuse problems among patients visiting family medicine doctor.

Depression: Links to Cardiovascular Disease

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 -214:-211:-234 EST

Dr. John Freedy, a family medicine doctor with his PhD in psychology, discusses the relation between depression and heart and vascular disease, explaining that depression in early adulthood increases the risk of heart disease later in life as well as the likelihood of complication after a heart attack. Dr. Freedy offers different possibilities for the underlying link between the depression and cardiovascular disease in this heart disease podcast.

Cancer Survivorship: Coping After Chemotherapy

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 -214:-257:-29 EST

Dr. Cindy Carter, a clinical psychologist who specializes in psycho-oncology, describes the difficulty experienced by patients after the first round of chemotherapy treatment as they wait for follow-ups with their doctors. She explains that this transition from high medical surveillance and social support to limited outside involvement is stressful for some people. She also describes the potential lingering side effects of chemotherapy, focusing on “chemobrain.”

Cancer Survivorship: Response to Diagnosis

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 -214:-253:-28 EST

Dr. Cindy Carter, a clinical psychologist who specializes in psycho-oncology, elucidates the nature of responses expressed by people after a diagnosis of cancer. She notes that, although manifested differently among individuals, anxiety is a universal reaction. Dr. Carter also explains that depression and insomnia may onset after a cancer diagnosis, offering information on treatments and pointing out that social support is found to be a significant tool for coping.