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For people who suffer from various psychiatric and neurological conditions, brain stimulation has become an increasingly important treatment option in the recent decades.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation

Brain simulation techniques can be divided into two broad categories, invasive and noninvasive. Both of them work by targeting specific sites in the brain to adjust the overall brain activity. Among the most well-known invasive techniques is the deep brain stimulation (DBS) which requires a brain surgery and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This process is typically used for treated Parkinson’s disease and this process requires an electrode to be inserted in the brain. Among the noninvasive techniques is the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which can be administered from outside the head. This treatment is currently approved for treating depression.

Brain stimulation has resulted in dramatic benefits to patients with such disorders, which has motivated researchers to test if it can be useful in treated patients suffering from other diseases. The problem is that doctors have been unable to pinpoint which are the ideal sites to administer simulation in a given patient for a given condition.

A new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggest that brain networks which consists of the interconnected pathways that link brain circuits to one another can assist in selection of ideal spot for brain stimulation therapies.

Michael D. Fox, MD, PhD, First author of the study, an investigator in the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and in the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at BIDMC remarked that although different types of brain stimulation are currently applied in different locations, it has been found that the targets used to treat the same disease are nodes in the same connected brain network. This can have a direct implication on how brain stimulations are administered to treat diseases.

For example, in order use brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease or tremor an electrode need to be inserted deep in the brain. Getting the same effect with noninvasive stimulation is difficult, as the spot is deep in the brain. However, by looking at the brain’s network connectivity, sites can be identified on the surface of the brain that is connected with the deep spot site. Hence, that deep spot can also be stimulated noninvasively.

For this study Fox’s team conducted a large-scale literature search to find out all neurological and psychiatric diseases where brain stimulation via both invasive and non-invasive techniques had shown improvement. The search found 14 such conditions namely addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia, depression, dystonia, epilepsy, essential tremor, gait dysfunction, Huntington’s disease, minimally conscious state, obsessive compulsive disorder, pain, Parkinson disease and Tourette syndrome. In the next step, they listed the stimulation sites, both deep in the brain or on the surface of the brain that was found to have been effective for the treatment of each of the 14 diseases.

In order to test the hypothesis that the various stimulation sites in the brain are different spots within the same brain network, Fox’s team used a data base of functional MRI images and a technique that enabled them to see correlations in spontaneous brain activity. These correlations helped the investigators in creating a map of connections from deep brain stimulation sites to the surface of the brain. When this map was compared to sites for noninvasive brain stimulation on the brain surface, the two matched.

The study suggest that understanding the brain networks can help in understanding why brain stimulation works and how these therapies can be improved by identifying the best place to stimulate the brain for a given patient suffering from a given disease. These findings also suggest that resting-state functional connectivity can be useful for translating therapy between treatment modalities, optimizing treatment and identifying new stimulation targets.

References

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-09/bidm-srn092514.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140929153935.htm

spin bike

A spin bike enables you to train indoors without having to go to a gym facility. The equipment also comes in handy when the weather is not favorable for outdoor activities. The bike is actually ideal for anyone that wants to burn fat or keep warm by engaging in cardio exercises. Once you have acquired the bike, you can train at your own convenience without being limited by time like is the case in the gym. In fact, the bike is much better than outdoor bike. This is because it reduces chances of getting injured or being exposed to extreme elements of weather to zero. The other advantage is that the equipment doesn't occupy much space like a motorcycle or a car. However, buying a spin bike for the first time can be a huge challenge because you don't know what to look out for. Here is a list of the things that you should consider when buying a spin bike for your fitness goals.

1. Price

 Whether you are filthy rich or damn broke, there is a spin bike for every budget. In fact, you should narrow down to a bike that matches with your budget. However, you will only get what you pay for. If you are looking for a top of the range bike, you should be prepared to pay more. This is because such bikes come with a wide array of features. Fortunately, there are also bikes that are tailored for buyers that are on a low budget. Although these bikes are not generous with features, they are equally good. You can also save some bucks by shopping in stores that offer discounts via coupon codes. It's therefore important you first check some of their latest promos before buying the bike. Alternatively, you can buy second hand spin bike that looks good just like the new ones. However, make sure the store you buy it from has a return policy so that you can take it back in case you are not satisfied with its condition.

2. Warranty

Every spin bike that's made by a reputable manufacturer comes with a limited time warranty. The warranty usually offers some form of security on your purchase. When a manufacturer includes a warranty in a package, it's a guarantee that the equipment will function like it's supposed to without failure. Most warranties range between 2 to 3 years. What it means is that if the bike malfunctions due to a mechanical problem, you can take it back to the dealer and get a new one without being asked any questions. And if the dealer doesn't give you a replacement bike, they will have to cater for the cost of repairing it.

3. Weight Limitations

Your stability while riding a spin bike is determined by whether your weight is proportional to that of the equipment. In fact, every bike has the recommended weight that it can support. It's therefore advisable you first confirm that your weight doesn't exceed what is specified by the manufacturer. If you pick a bike that's not ideal for your weight, it will definitely wear out much faster. The frame of the bike will eventually start to bend and you will no longer be able to use the bike.

4. Adjustable Seat

By the rule of thumb, you should never compromise on your comfort when shopping for a spin bike. For a start, the seat should be well padded with foam material. Besides that, the seat should not come with a permanent height because you might want to try riding at different heights. This means you will have to raise it or lower it to avoid straining your hands and legs. Some bikes come fitted with a tray behind the seat that's reserved for holding a bottle of water.

Dozens of mental disorders or illness can affect you as an individual. This has motivated a lot of research on the same. This has resulted in a lot of debate on what should be classified as mental illness/disorder and what should not be classified as such. This debate, however, does not mean that everything is thrown into total confusion.

Mental Or Psychiatric Facility

What this debate does is that it paves the way for more profound and fruitful research that is geared up to helping you get your mind and thoughts back on track. If you are probably not the victim of such mental illnesses/disorders, but a loved one is, it is vital to help them seek or see a specialist. Doing so, will by a significant percentage dilute the possible adverse effects.

One such facility that dedicates their time and expertise in helping you solve these mental or psychological issues is the mental and psychiatric hospital. It is paramount to identify the best facility that will ultimately help you solve or alleviate such problems. Doing so can prevent risks such as relapses and or other complications.

But how exactly do you identify the best facility? The following are the tips you should look out for when identifying such facilities.

Look out for experienced facilities and staff

Established facilities are there for a good reason, excellent services. Experience is a good quality, but it is not always restricted to an old institution. Experience of the staff or specialist will also count; in fact, this is the most crucial aspect that you should look out for. If you are unsure about it, feel free to ask politely.  If you can’t ask openly, get online, and dig out for the information.

Experienced psychiatrists, like the best psychiatrist in San Diego, will give you the confidence that you need when looking forward to getting over whatever it is that would be bothering you.

You want a facility that will make you feel like family

When having any psychological or mental issues chances are, you are likely going to feel like the whole world is against you. Stepping into a psychiatric facility and leave feeling like they were against, you can sometimes worsen your problem. That should not happen to you or a loved one.

You want a facility that gives you a warm welcome and in a very natural way. They should also make you feel like they are a part of you and your problem.

You want a specialist that maintains healthy boundaries

Visiting mental or psychiatric facilities means that you have a specific issue that could be bothering or affecting you. At that point, the only thing that you would need will be a specialist that will not drag their issues and throw them to you. If such a thing happens, it would mean that your recovery would be distorted or will fail to take off all together.

Helping you should be the prime reason why they took that line of work. And in case they have issues themselves, they should at least seek help before trying to help you.

Can accurately identify your problem

As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of mental and psychological issues that can affect you as an individual. Some of these issues have similar or almost similar symptoms. If you are assessed in a rush or based on assumptions, you might end up receiving wrong therapy or medication. This can be described as zero work for lack of a better word.

 You might also end up receiving the wrong medication, which might lead you to waste money and time. The right way to go about it is that you will need a facility who takes their time with you and can accurately diagnose your issue and help you.

Staff should have excellent communication skills

As much as you will be walking into these medical facilities in need of help. It would not be automatic that you will outright pour out your heart. If that is the case, the doctors or specialists should be able to get you talking without making you feel threatened. This starts by making you feel at home and talking to either a close friend or family. Then gradually build your confidence in them and eventually opening up.

Follow-ups

A facility that makes regular calls to check up on you is friendly. This should not, in any way, be a public relations or marketing strategy. They should be dedicated to making sure that you completely recover.

too much time in front of the screen

Because of the easy availability of different mobile devices and Internet, more and more people are using such devices and using them for a longer duration. Technology has made our lives easier – but all of these come at a cost.

Recent findings

A survey conducted by Vizulize, eye care experts, found that 40% of 18-24 year-olds use their phone between 4-5 hours a day. This is a lot of time. The same study also found that 65% of 18-24 year-olds were worried about the effects on their eye health, whilst 77% of those between 18-24 were worried about the effects on their mental health from their phone usage. And they are right because there are so many negative impacts of too much screen time.

Whether it's Instagram, which is probably the most popular at among the 18-24 age brackets; or Facebook, Tiktok YouTube or any other app, young adults are spending more and more time glued to their mobile phone and tablets.

Such actions have negative consequences. Let's find out how to much screen time can result in both mental and physical negative consequences for anyone, especially those in the 18 to 24 age brackets.

Negative effects

Obesity

When you're using your phone more, you're likely to become sedentary and as a result of that, the probability of becoming obese will increase.

Behaviour problems

If you're using your computer, mobile phone or tablets more and more, you're likely to have emotional, social and attention problems. They may arise because of different reasons but such problems are often seen in children and adults spend more of their time glued to the screen.

Sleep problems

Too much screen time before bed can cause insomnia and other sleep problems. If you have tried that before bedtime, probably you already know how it can delay falling asleep and you may not be able to get the required amount of sleep necessary for normal functioning.

Educational problems

Academic testing found that children who spend more time in front of the TV, computer or mobile phone do poorly in school and college.

Damage to your brain

Grey matter atrophy, compromised white matter integrity, reduced cortical thickness and impaired cognitive functioning are some of the problems which can be caused by too much screen time. Such problems generally happen because children, young adults and adults who spend too much in front of the screen often suffer from sensory overload, lack of restorative sleep and a hyper-aroused nervous system. All of that can be called electronic screen syndrome and they can damage your brain and its functioning.

Eye problems

This is one of the major concerns of anyone worried about the negative impacts of too much of screen time. Spending too much time in front of the screen can damage your retina through phototoxicity and may result in other physical damages to your eyes. Some of them include eyestrain, tired eyes, irritation and dry eyes and there are long-term effects which may play plague you for a long time creating other health conditions. According to some ophthalmic scientists, the blue light, more screen time, eye strain and other related factors can increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

alcohol addiction

Alcohol addiction is an issue which millions of people around the world are dealing with and for many this addiction can tear apart their lives. There are many stages of alcoholism and whilst many people enjoy a drink, it can be very easy to cross the line into dependency. Alcoholism isn't just used to describe those who drink from morning until night, many people who function well during the day have a dependency on alcohol which can start from a bottle of wine per night, and very quickly grow into something bigger. If you feel that you have an addiction, here is how to overcome it.

Honesty

The first step in overcoming any addiction is facing up to the fact that you have an issue, only then will you be able to reach out for the right support. It can be difficult for many to admit that they do have a problem, but doing so is the first step to your recovery.

Talking

It is important that you tell your family and friends that you have an addiction, this will be very difficult but it will encourage them to help you in overcoming your demons. Trying to quit on your own isn't possible if you have friends and family members offering you a night out or a drink, so make sure that everyone in your close network knows what is going on.

Pros and Cons

A simple pros and cons list for your drinking habits can really help you to learn why you drink and in doing so you can make a plan for how you will stop. Think about when you drink and how it makes you feel, do you drink more when you are in a certain mood or after a certain event? This list will help you drill down into the root of the issue and then help you to overcome them.

Set Goals

The road to recovery will be a bumpy one which is why it is important that you set yourself milestones. You could start gradually by cutting out alcohol between Monday and Friday, then start to limit the weekend consumption and gradually move towards a quit date. Following this you must celebrate success when you have had a period of time without drinking.

Replacing

Try to replace your drinking with other activities such as playing sports or attending classes or clubs on an evening. If you don't replace your drinking time with activities then you may slip back into drinking again.

Rehabilitation

Treatment for alcohol addiction has many components and if you feel that the problem is too big or you don't feel confident in your own ability to quit, you can reach for help at a rehab centre who can address each of these areas. Here you will find trained professionals who will help you to understand why you drink and they will help you to formulate a plan which will hep you to curb your habits.

sleep

If you haven't read the news, or the scientific journals to be precise, sleep is a big talking point right now. It was once regarded as something that we just had¯ to do in order to survive, and various high-profile anecdotes almost promoted the notion that you should stay out of bed whenever possible.

Of course, as time has progressed, so have opinions. A lack of sleep has been associated with a whole host of nasty conditions, while it also wreaks havoc with the way that you look as well. In relation to the latter, it can lead a lot of people to a facelift, for the simple reason that it can make your face look a lot older than you really are.

So, sleep has become a real minefield over the last few years. It's also attracted plenty of misinformation and through today's post, we will take a look at some of the key myths that have arisen which surround it.

Myth #1 “ You don't need sleep

Well, this first myth has almost been covered. We have already spoken about all of the anecdotes that have historically done the rounds about famous individuals who survived on as little as five hours sleep per night.

Now is the time to banish such thoughts from your mind. While these individuals certainly did survive, it wasn't doing them any good. A lack of sleep has been associated with umpteen different long-term health problems “ so quit believing this first myth before it's too late.

Myth #2 “ Count sheep

OK, there's more to this next myth than the subtitle might suggest. For people who are struggling to sleep, one suggestion has been to persevere in a bid to eventually get to the land of nod (and a lot of people supposedly count sheep to achieve this result).

As it turns out, this couldn't be further away from the truth. If you do follow this approach, you are much more likely to develop an association between your bed and insomnia. Ultimately, in the future, it can become even harder to fall asleep.

Instead, it's time to get up, do something, before reverting back to your pillow at a later time.

Myth #3 “ Alcohol before bed makes you sleepy

Well, it does, but that doesn't mean to say that having alcohol before bed is a good idea. Sure, it might help you drop to sleep on the sofa, but that's where its benefits¯ stop. From a longer-term approach, alcohol wreaks havoc with the quality of your sleep. It won't give you sufficient amounts of REM and ultimately, the quality of your sleep has eroded. The result? You'll be more tired than ever by the next morning.

Myth #4 “ TV should not be used as a relaxing tool

By a similar token, your TV is also commonly used as a method to relax. However, the blue light side effects are there for all to see “ these lights emitted from devices like TVs signal to the brain that it should be staying awake. Less melatonin is produced, and the result is that it can be more difficult to fall asleep.

smoking pipe design

Hand pipes have a certain novelty attached to them as they are considered a very classical way of smoking marijuana. Along with providing a very subtle high, they are portable and easy to hide, which makes them a very popular choice among the smoker's community. Smoking cannabis with a pipe is relatively easier as it requires fewer skills than rolling up a joint, and none of the herbs is wasted in the process.

Moreover, there is a wide range of smoking pipes you can choose from. You will find many unique pipe designs out there to buy for novelty purposes or to gift a fellow smoker. Here is a list of the most special pipe designs in the market.

Sherlock Pipe

The first in my list, Sherlock pipe, is a classical glass pipe that is modeled after the pipe smoked by the legendary Sherlock Holmes himself. Sherlock pipes have a large bowl with an arched stem leading to a mouthpiece that allows a clean and smooth hit. The arched stem cools down the smoke and lessens the harsh hits standard with regular smoking pipes.

If you want to feel like Sherlock Holmes while having a smoke, grab yourself a Sherlock pipe and solve some mysteries of the world.

Corn Cob Pipe

Made from genuine pieces of corn, nothing beats the smooth smoking experience of a classic corn cob pipe. The corn keeps the flame soaring and allows the user to get some very potent hits. Buy your corn cob pipe from Grasscity now and enjoy a unique blend of flavor to smooth the harsh taste of herbs.

Gandalf Pipe

For all you Lord of the Rings fans out there, a Gandalf pipe has an extra-long stem pipe modeled after the pipe Gandalf the Grey smoked. The stem glass of this pipe is very thin to replicate Gandalf's pipe so you must have some wisdom to handle them with care, or else YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

Santa Feo Pipe

This wooden geared pipe is a cannabis equivalent to a puzzle piece, and after solving it you enter a world of euphoria and fairies. The uniqueness of this pipe is that it has three different chambers, a hallmark of craftsmanship, where all you have to do is turn and burn.

Glow Spoons

Glow spoons are an aesthetic piece of wonder and light in the dark for smokers who have their nightly cravings. With shining LED light on the spoons, you can choose from a lot of colors ranging from neon blue to white, all giving off a peculiar sensation.

The glow factor of these pipes will entertain you and your friends while having a smoke and they are one of the best weed pipes currently available.

Solopipe

It is an all you need in one pipe¯ kind of a thing. If you are one of those who forget where they have put their lighter, this one's for you because let's be honest “ no one lets their smoking pipe out of their sight.

It has a built-in lighter and an area to insert cannabis. All you need to do is fill up the cannabis, hit the button, and you're good to go.