Anxiety

Hyderabad, April 11 (IANS) Depression and anxiety could be the symptoms leading to Parkinson's disease, says doctors on the occasion of World Parkinson's Day on Sunday.Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects the movement of the human body. Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.While proper diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is difficult, particularly in the early stages, it may take years before the ailment is accurately diagnosed. The fact that symptoms and progression of symptoms vary between individuals adds to the complexity of diagnosing Parkinson's disease."Though Parkinson's disease causes slowing of overall body movements, mental health issues are quite common (70-80 per cent) in such patients. Not often the disease manifests with mental disorders (anxiety, depression) rather than physical slowing. These mental disorders have a greater impact on the overall quality of life than the physical disability. Depression is the commonest mental disorder presenting as reduced interest and motivation along with fear of socialising among Parkinson's disease victims," said Abhinay M. Huchche, Consultant Neuro-Physician, Sree Lakshmi Gayatri (SLG) Hospitals.According to him, various types of sleep disturbances, visual hallucinations, thoughts filled with paranoia are also noticed in the patients.Screening for mental health issues in the first visit to the neurologist is a must. In the busy clinics, the caretaker must proactively bring up issues pertaining to mental health so that they could be addressed. Usually a multidisciplinary approach is needed to tackle mental health issues."An exercise programme for victims of Parkinson's disease helps boost their motivation and support groups help them overcome the depression. Appropriate medicines are added as per the need. Psychosis (hallucinations and delusions) wherein Parkinson's disease individuals lose touch with reality has to be dealt with sensitively. Caregivers and society need to be told that it is their faulty mind and not the original person that is behaving abnormally. Psychology, therapy and drugs form the core of therapy," added Abhinay Huchche.Commenting on the ailment's frequency, Kailas Mirche, Consultant Neurologist, Continental Hospitals, pointed Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. The ailment is witnessed more commonly in men than in women. "The prevalence of Parkinson's increases with age and only 4 per cent of Parkinson's cases are diagnosed before the age of 50. While approximately 1 per cent of the population above 60 years suffers from Parkinson's, its instance increases to 5 per cent among those above 86 years.""Parkinson's disease is already the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world; and some international studies suggest that the number of people with Parkinson's has increased by over 35 per cent in the last 10 years. Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, it is important its victims know about the condition at an early stage which could be managed using medications. Occasionally, doctors may suggest surgery to regulate certain regions of brain to improve the symptoms," Ketan Chaturvedi, Senior Consultant, Neurology, Wockhardt Hospital at Nagpur."Mental health issues are underrated, stigmatised and unaddressed in our society; and such conditions could be linked to more serious complications like Parkinson's disease. It is important we take a sympathetic approach to the victims of Parkinson's disease, and the social circle around such individuals promptly identifies these symptoms and provides help in improving the overall quality of life of these individuals," added Praveen Changala, Consultant -- Neuro Physician, Aware Gleneagles Global Hospital, LB Nagar.--IANSms/khz

New York, April 9 (IANS) Exercise and a healthy diet in childhood leads to adults with bigger brains and lower levels of anxiety, a new study suggests. The mouse-model study determined that early-life exercise generally reduced anxious behaviors in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. "During the Covid-19 lockdowns, particularly in the early months, kids got very little exercise. For many without access to a park or a backyard, school was their only source of physical activity," said researcher Marcell Cadney from the University of California - Riverside. "It is important we find solutions for these kids, possibly including extra attention as they grow into adults," Cadney added. The researchers determined that early-life exercise generally reduced anxious behaviours in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. When fed "Western" style diets high in fat and sugar, the mice not only became fatter, but also grew into adults that preferred unhealthy foods. For the study, published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, the researchers divided the young mice into four groups -- those with access to exercise, those without access, those fed a standard, healthy diet and those who ate a Western diet. Mice started on their diets immediately after weaning and continued on them for three weeks, until they reached sexual maturity. After an additional eight weeks of "washout," during which all mice were housed without wheels and on the healthy diet, the researchers did behavioural analysis, measured aerobic capacity, and levels of several different hormones. One of those they measured, leptin, is produced by fat cells. It helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required. Early-life exercise increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.

New York, April 6 (IANS) Insomnia -- a sleep disorder -- is likely to increase suicidal thoughts and actions, as well as anxiety and depression in people with schizophrenia, finds a new study.Insomniacs have trouble falling and/or staying asleep. It is a common problem among patients with schizophrenia -- a mental disorder where people interpret reality abnormally.Waking up too early was associated with suicidal thoughts, and more severe schizophrenia, including symptoms like anxiety and depression. Trouble falling and staying asleep significantly increased the odds of a suicide attempt, revealed the study, detailed in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry."We are now aware that significant insomnia is putting our patients at even higher risk for suicide, so if they are having changes in sleep patterns, if they are having significant insomnia, then we really need to hone in on those questions even more related to suicidal thinking and do what we can to help," said Brian Miller, psychiatrist and schizophrenia expert at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, in the US.Schizophrenia is clearly associated with an increased risk of suicide, with a 5-10 per cent lifetime risk of death by suicide, that is likely the greatest within the first year of diagnosis, Miller said.Better sleep, on the other hand, showed improvements in schizophrenia, he noted.The study suggests that insomnia is an important treatment target in schizophrenia. Other interventions include avoiding caffeine, as well as blue light from common sources like televisions and smartphones, particularly in the hours before bedtime, as well as prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids.Making adjustments to antipsychotic medication used to treat their schizophrenia since some, like clozapine, also have sedative effects can also help. The team looked at associations between insomnia, suicidal thoughts and attempts and disease severity in 1,494 individuals diagnosed at 57 sites in the US, and enrolled them in a comparative study of five different antipsychotics.Nearly half of patients reported problems falling asleep or broken sleep, termed initial and middle insomnia, and 27 per cent reported terminal insomnia where they wake up too early and cannot get back asleep.--IANSrvt/sdr/

London - UK mental health experts have warned that the easing of coronavirus lockdown and the subsequent return to schools, workplaces and social events could trigger stress and anxiety for many people. Those with mental health issues will be particularly anxious about the readjustment of life coming with the lifting of restrictions, they said on Saturday. "Lockdown has given people with mental health conditions like anxiety and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders) permission to stay at home, and knowing that at some point you'll have to go out again can actually trigger stress and anxiety," Xinhua news agency quoted Tine Van Bortel, a senior research associate in public health at the University of Cambridge, as saying to The Guardian newspaper. Rosie Weatherley, an information content manager at mental health charity Mind, said: "Some of us might have found there were some unexpected plus points to lockdown, and therefore feel uneasy or anxious at the prospect of it being lifted. For example, we may be worried about 'normality' resuming, or not wanting to return to a faster pace with busier daily lives, and less downtime to ourselves." It was "really important" for government and employers to provide empathy and support for those who need it "beyond lockdown lifting", she said. On February 22, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his long-anticipated "roadmap" exiting the lockdown. The March 8 reopening of schools in England was the first part of the four-step plan, which Johnson said was designed to be "cautious but irreversible". The "roadmap" is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June. Other parts of Britain, including Wales and Scotland, have also unveiled plans to ease the restrictions. Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the risks of the public breaching restriction rules. (IANS)