The FDA has recently approved a new sleep medication – Suvorexant – which works as a orexin receptor blocker. What is orexin? This is a key switch that keeps us awake, and is low in people with narcolepsy – so temporarily blocking it will put you to sleep. Because orexin is “the master switch” for […]
Published in the JAMA Psychiatry in Apr. 2014
tDCS – Transcranial direct current stimulation; involves the application of a very mild current for 20 minutes to the frontal lobes of the brain, through electrodes placed on the skin. Much to my surprise, this extremely simple and non-invasive technique is proving to have lasting effects on learning and cognition – in some instances, lasting as […]
Published in the New York Times on Jan. 11, 2014
Published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in December 2012
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2011 showed that we can actively modify the gene for the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with simple exercise. The investigators looked at 120 elderly nondemented individuals over a 1-year period who either stretched or did aerobics. They measured 3 variables: serum BDNF levels, memory […]
The bread rolls at restaurants may actually help you eat less… Serotonin is an essential neurotransmitter – and acted upon by many commonly known anti-depressants which boost its levels. It has a myriad of effects- ranging from creating a feeling of satiety, sleep, mood, anxiety, pain, blood pressure, and sense of overall calm. The highest […]
From the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Below is the current recommendations for behavioral treatment of insomnia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2576317/ Common Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies for Chronic Insomnia Stimulus control (Standard) is designed to extinguish the negative association between the bed and undesirable outcomes such as wakefulness, frustration, and worry. These negative states are frequently conditioned in response […]
Published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine on Aug. 15, 2007
