Respectable Boys

“Getting the permission of their mother and father, they came and touched the guru’s feet. They then put on yellow garments, tied a quiver around their waist, and held arrows and a bow in their hands.” (Janaki Mangala, 27)

pāi mātu pitu āyasu gurū pāyanha pare |
kaṭi niṣaṃga paṭa pīta karani sara dhanu dhare ||

“Mom, do I have to go? Dad, can’t I stay home? Why do I have to do this? You always make me do things I don’t want to do. I’d rather stay home and play. I don’t want to go to that place.” That parents would compel their children to do things they don’t want is not out of the ordinary. And that children would protest vehemently to doing chores and travelling to places to accept responsibility is also not uncommon. With one king in particular, however, his children were so well behaved that even when they were sent to escort an innocent sage and protect him from vile attacking creatures in the wilderness, they were respectful, honorable, and eager to the task. The description of the scene where they prepared for leaving is delightful to the heart, with each aspect infused with transcendental goodness.

Normally, if you hear about someone getting ready to go somewhere, the words of description aren’t necessary. If a fighter is preparing for a large conflict, what is the big deal about them putting on their clothes or preparing mentally? The real action occurs when the conflict starts. In the scene in Ayodhya many thousands of years ago, two youths were getting ready to leave home, and they wouldn’t face danger until later on. Nevertheless, the personalities in question were divine, beautiful sons of King Dasharatha. Any time the mind can remember those two youths there are countless benefits received. Every aspect of their behavior, including their dedication to one another, is remarkable.

Why were divine personalities roaming the earth as children? Why not wield tremendous power and show off your true ability? This way people could then know who you are and worship you properly. With the Supreme Lord, the more amazing His displays of affection, kindness, compassion, honor, chivalry, and dedication, the greater the chances that others will take up worship in earnest.

To use a simple example to see the principle in action, we see that many athletes and celebrities rise to the top of their profession. Yet the ones who struggled in the beginning, who defied the odds, are given more attention. If someone who is considered less likely to succeed ends up winning in the end, their victory is more appreciated; it garners more attention. The person struggling through poverty, overcoming family adversity, dealing with debilitating diseases and handicaps, and then eventually rising to the top of their profession serves as a role model for others. If they can do it, why can’t anyone else?

When the Supreme Divine Being appears on this earth, He rarely displays His awesome powers immediately. Instead, He shows that even in the tiniest of forms, which normally wouldn’t have success in difficult ventures, He can succeed and live up to His role as the ultimate protector of the surrendered souls. Why protect only the surrendered and not everyone else? If someone doesn’t want protection, how are they going to be protected? For instance, we may have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, but when the next fire arises, if we don’t use the extinguisher how can we be protected?

If the protection is not used, it cannot be blamed for anything bad that happens. With the Supreme Lord, His energy is everywhere. The energy belongs to Him, so it is an extension of His mercy. Yet depending on how the target living entities utilize that energy, there can be either benefits or harm. Under the spell of maya, or illusion, the external energy is utilized for personal gain, for trying to become the most successful enjoyer in the absence of God’s association.

From consulting Vedic wisdom it is revealed that the essence of identity is the spirit soul. One of the soul’s properties is blissfulness. In the constitutional state, the bliss arises from voluntary, unmotivated and uninterrupted service to the Supreme Lord. Accepting that constitutional position is difficult for one deluded by maya. The illusory energy of the material world belongs to God, but it is described as external because it can have different uses. If one wants to live in illusion, they can. For illusion to have a detrimental effect, the Lord’s internal potency cannot be used. Instead, maya turns into the temporary presiding deity, as she fosters lust, anger, greed and vice. Through her agents of wine, women, animal flesh and gambling she deludes the otherwise pure soul into searching after contaminated happiness.

For the Supreme Lord there is never a chance of association with maya. The energy belongs to Him, so when He appears on earth it acts under His direction to give the appearance of fallibility to others. The material energy provides no protection from calamity; that is why she is known as durga, or difficult to overcome. The spiritual energy is present within all of us, and it is a positive force. Yet unless we know how to utilize that energy, how to connect with it and take direction from it, maya remains the sole benefactor. You can think of maya as the horrible boss who makes you work like a dog and pays you very little. At the same time, your job is always threatened; never is there a moment of peace.

The Supreme Lord offers protection in different ways to those who sincerely desire it. In the most basic exercise, just thinking of the Lord’s personal form is protection enough, as the mental image creates peace within the consciousness. The ability to develop consciousness is unique to the human being; hence the species is considered superior by the Vedas, the original scriptural tradition of India. In no other form of body is there the chance for becoming fully Krishna conscious by the end of life.

In His original form God is known as Krishna because He is all-attractive. Attractiveness is coupled with a form, or spiritual manifestation. Sometimes this form is described as nirguna or avyakta, which can mean without qualities or unmanifested. The spiritual manifestation is unknown to us; it is a concept that cannot be conceived by the mind. For instance, if Krishna were to stand before us, He might appear to be a certain height. Yet there is no height limit for the Lord. He is both larger than the largest and smaller than the smallest. In this way He is not manifested. We are graced with His visible presence in the form of the avatara every now and then to get a slight idea of His features.

In the Treta Yuga, Krishna came as Lord Rama. The servitor God, the most dedicated servant of Krishna in His unmanifested, spiritual form is Baladeva, who is also known as Lord Ananta Shesha Naga. That divine personality appeared simultaneously with Rama as His younger brother Lakshmana. Dasharatha was their father, and the two boys had two other brothers. One time the venerable Vishvamitra Muni visited Ayodhya and asked to have Rama accompany him in the forest. It was not revealed to anyone that Rama was God. Rather, everyone just had a natural attraction to Him. The Lord was so pious that He could only be Dasharatha’s son. There was not a hint of sin in Him, and His three younger brothers looked up to Him like a father. Lakshmana was closest to Rama in affection, as he would always follow his elder brother around.

When Dasharatha finally allowed young Rama to go with Vishvamitra, Lakshmana was told to accompany them as well. The king was worried about his eldest son, for He was not even twelve years of age yet. There were many mature fighters that were part of the royal army, but Vishvamitra specifically told them to remain where they were. The enemy forces in the forests were a unique breed of man-eaters, capable of changing shapes at will. They were careful in their attacks, waiting until religious ceremonies were taking place. They were thus the vilest creatures who required an expert bow-warrior to be handled.

In the above referenced verse from the Janaki Mangala of Goswami Tulsidas, the actions of Rama and Lakshmana right before they left for the forest are presented. Many things would happen while protecting Vishvamitra, and indeed the main subject matter of the poem is the eventual marriage that would take place between Rama and the daughter of King Janaka, Sita Devi. Nevertheless, something as simple as Rama and Lakshmana’s preparation while leaving home is presented to give the mind something wonderful to think about. This mental image provides just as much protection as Rama and Lakshmana’s arrows did to Vishvamitra.

Why is this the case? We see that the two boys first got the permission of their parents and then touched the guru’s feet. Rama is God and Lakshmana is practically identical to Rama. They don’t need permission to do anything. With a simple exhalation, Lord Krishna’s form of Vishnu creates this and many other universes. To show just how much they loved their caretakers, Rama and Lakshmana set an example of ideal children. This behavior is more heartwarming coming from children because there is innocence. An adult showing respect in this way has the ability to discriminate, so perhaps they are following protocol to receive a benefit later on. Rama and Lakshmana innocently loved their parents and would do whatever they asked. They weren’t being sent off to camp or to a local playground either. They were to act as guardians for someone who was so exalted that the king himself took direction from him.

The boys did not hesitate in going. They showed respect to the people that deserved it. They next put on yellow clothes. Generally, Lord Rama wears a yellow robe and Lakshmana a blue one. When the brothers appear as Krishna and Balarama they follow the same tendency. The matching colors are also present with their appearance as Lord Chaitanya and NItyananda Prabhu. The brothers then tied their quivers around their waists. Again, they weren’t preparing for playing laser-tag or a day of innocent fun. Though youths at the time, they were getting ready to battle the world’s strongest fighters. Vishvamitra, as an expert teacher, would give them powerful mantras that could turn their arrows into weapons with the ability to create devastation like a nuclear weapon.

To complete the picture, they took bow-and-arrow sets in their hands. This wonderful scene of the two brothers readying for their journey with Vishvamitra cannot be contemplated enough. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and since Rama and Lakshmana are transcendental, just creating a mental picture through hearing has a similar, if not greater, effect. From this one scene we see how to properly respect our elders and spiritual guides. We see how dedicated to protecting the innocent the Supreme Lord is. We also see just how much Lakshmana loves Rama. Wherever the Lord goes, Lakshmana is right behind Him to act as protection. Rama doesn’t require this, but then Lakshmana doesn’t need anything except his brother’s association in life. As Akampana, a fierce Rakshasa fighter, would later point out, Rama is like a raging fire and Lakshmana a powerful wind that extends the reach of that fire.

“Rama’s younger brother, Lakshmana, has reddish eyes and a voice that resounds like a kettledrum. His strength matches that of Rama’s, and his face shines like a full moon. Just as wind gives aid to a raging fire, Lakshmana has joined forces with his brother. It is that best of kings, Shriman Rama, who has brought down the Rakshasas fighting in Janasthana.” (Akampana speaking to Ravana,Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 31.16-17)

The same protection offered to Vishvamitra exists in the image of Rama and Lakshmana and also in the holy name itself. The Supreme Lord has thousands of names which describe His transcendental features, and they are best sequenced together in the maha-mantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The holy name is the transcendental fire to burn up the sinful effects of the dark age of Kali, and the spiritual master, following Lakshmana’s lead, is the powerful wind to spread those flames throughout the world. With that combination, how can maya ever stand a chance against the sincere devotee?

In Closing:

In elders transcendental love swells so much,

When their feet the two young boys touch.

Bow and arrows carry in their hands so soft,

As to the woods with muni they are off.

Love for their parents the scene does reflect,

And Lord’s dedication to the brahmanas protect.

Brothers not leaving home to have days of fun,

Went to put pain in sage’s side on the run.

Wherever Rama goes Lakshmana by His side,

For attacking demons, from arrows nowhere to hide.

The Top Five Songs Sung by S.D.Burman

My five favourite S. D. Burman sung songs

Either I am just too indecisive or I love all his songs, which makes a list of 10 favourite S. D. Burman songs so difficult. That is why I took the easy way out and went off to make a list of 10 favourite songs sung by him. That in turn would have been too easy, because I found only around 13 songs where he has lent his voice and only eleven of them were solos.

The first song sung by him for a Hindi film I found was for Eight Days [1946]. (Anu informed me later that he sang for the film Taj Mahal [1941] under the baton of Madhavlal Damodar. The song was ek prem ki pyaari nishani.) After that it looks like he took a 12 years break and lent his voice to Dev Anand in Kala Pani [1958] for the song dil laga ke kadar gayi pyaare. He sings dhin ta ta between the stanzas. The first Hindi solo of his after Eight Days is most probably sun mere bandhu re for Sujata [1960]. After this nearly all of his songs appear as background songs. Mere saajan hai us paar, although sung by a waysider, the camera stays on this character only at the beginning of the song, giving it a feeling of background song. While compiling this list, I realised the big impact this singer has left on us. He sang around ten solos in Hindi films and still one has at least five songs of him at the tip of the tongue.

Sun Mere Bandhu Re – Sujata [1960]
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Bimal Roy has opens the scene with Sujata and Adhir admitting their love to each other and in distance one hears the boatman singing. When Adhir starts to speak their track is silenced and the boatman’s song takes over. Even though they are exchanging sweet nothings, it is Sujata’s feelings and emotions (in the boatman’s voice) which colour the atmosphere. Lovely piece of direction! Though we hear the boatman singing we never see him. This gives the song the character of a background song.
Although I knew this song for a long time, it took me years to understand the lyrics. In my best gaane ka kachumbar tradition I had thought the line hota tu peepal me hoti… (if you were the peepal tree, I would be…) as tota tu peepal me hoti (you a parrot and I the peepal tree).

Mere Saajan Hai Us Paar – Bandini [1963]
Lyrics: Shailendra

Kalyani caught in choice between Deven and Bikash. On one side she has the young lover, who is not only good-looking but also loyal and true to her. On the other side she feels bound to Bikash through love and her feelings. But Bikash babu is sick, ailing from tuberculosis. Choice between life in afflunce and poverty, health and sickness, beauty and love. Is the author or the director telling us something through the names of the characters? Kalyani (Auspiciousness) choosing between Deven (God) and Bikash (development)?
My earliest memory of the song is from Chhaya Geet on Bombay DD. I might have been eight or nine years old. I didn’t understand anything that was being sung. The plaintive voice, if I remember right, irritated me. But still I knew that this person was singing about a deep emotion and love, which though I couldn’t understand, knew that it was something fundamental.
There is something about this song which touches me at different levels of my existence. I think words are just not enough for that.

Wahan Kaun Hai Tera – Guide [1965]
Lyrics: Shailendra

Raju released from the jail, has no destination in front of him any more. He used to be the guide in the city. He used to lead the tourists their destinations and now left with none for himself. The singing voice (his inner guide, his ego, his survival instinct) puts him on a path of self-realisation.
This never fails to move me to tears. S. D. Burman has composed it quite differently than many of the songs which he usually sang. There is no plaintiveness about it. Though the words of the song give a feeling of presenting facts, the way Burman sings it in staccato, it reflects the self-doubt of the character.

Piya Tune Kya Kiya – Zindagi Zindagi [1972]
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Again a woman at cross roads. Unlike Kalyani who had to choose between two men, for her it is the fundamental question of to stay or to go away. She faces somewhat the same predicament like Hirabai inTeesri Kasam [1967], but Meeta decides to stay.
The song though it has two stanzas, is carried by the refrain. Burmandada plays with the it, he changes it, he modulates it high and low, gives it a re at the end or takes it away, he even turns tune (you did) to maine (I did) and every time he gives it a different colour. The way he extends the last vocal in a line gives it a doleful effect.
I came across this song three years back and since then it has remained with me.

Doli Me Bithai Ke Kahaar – Amar Prem [1972]
MD: R.D.Burman; Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Pushpa married and thrown out of the house by her husband, pines to return back to him when she sees a bridal procession. Little does she know that she will soon be taken to a different world altogether.
This is the only song as far as I know, which Burmandada sang for another music director. The composition was not foreign to him, because although it was directed by his own son Rahul, it was his own melody, which he allowed his son to use.

                              The details of the songs are as follows:-

1. Sun mere bandhu re Film. Sujata (1959)

2. Mere sajan hain us paar Film. Bandini (1963)

3. Vahaan kaun hai tera Film. Guide (1965)

4. Mere duniya hai maa Film. Talash (1968)

5. Safal hogi tere aradhana Film. Aradhana (1969)

Medley ----- Another three songs.

Study reveals how anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains

The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced. In a study that will appear inAnnals of Neurology and has received early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that administration of isoflurane impaired the performance of mice on a standard test of learning and memory – a result not seen when another anesthetic, desflurane, was administered. They also found evidence that the two drugs have significantly different effects on mitochondrial function.

"These are the first results indicating that isoflurane, but not desflurane, may induce neuronal cell death and impair learning and memory by damaging mitochondria," says Yiying (Laura) Zhang, MD, a research fellow in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine and the study's lead author. "This work needs to be confirmed in human studies, but it's looking like desflurane may be a better anesthetic to use for patients susceptible to cognitive dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's patients."

Previous studies have suggested that undergoing surgery and general anesthesia may increase the risk of Alzheimer's, and it is well known that a small but significant number of surgical patients experience a transient form of cognitive dysfunction in the postoperative period. In 2008, members of the same MGH research team showed that isoflurane induced Alzheimer's-like changes – increasing activation of enzymes involved with cell death and generation of the A-beta plaques characteristic of the disease – in the brains of mice. The current study was designed to explore the underlying mechanism and behavioral consequences of isoflurane-induced brain cell death and to compare isoflurane's effects with those of desflurane, another common anesthetic that has not been associated with neuronal damage.

In a series of experiments, the investigators found that the application of isoflurane to cultured cells and mouse neurons increased the permeability of mitochondrial membranes; interfered with the balance of ions on either side of the mitochondrial membrane; reduced levels of ATP, the enzyme produced by mitochondria that powers most cellular processes; and increased levels of the cell-death enzyme caspase. The results also suggested that the first step toward isoflurane-induced cell death was increased generation of reactive oxygen species – unstable oxygen-containing molecules that can damage cellular components. The performance of mice on a standard behavioral test of learning and memory declined significantly two to seven days after administration of isoflurane, compared with the results of a control group. None of the cellular or behavioral effects of isoflurane were seen when the administered agent was desflurane.

In another study by members of the same research team – appearing in the February issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia and published online in November – about a quarter of surgical patients receiving isoflurane showed some level of cognitive dysfunction a week after surgery, while patients receiving desflurane or spinal anesthesia had no decline in cognitive performance. That study, conducted in collaboration with investigators from Beijing Friendship Hospital in China, enrolled only 45 patients – 15 in each treatment group – so its results need to be confirmed in significantly larger groups.

"Approximately 8.5 million Alzheimer's disease patients worldwide will need anesthesia and surgical care every year," notes Zhongcong Xie, MD, PhD, corresponding author of both studies and director of the Geriatric Anesthesia Research Unit in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine. "Developing guidelines for safer anesthesia care for these patients will require collaboration between specialists in anesthesia, neurology, geriatric medicine and other specialties. As the first step, we need to identify anesthetics that are less likely to contribute to Alzheimer's disease neuropathogenesis and cognitive dysfunction." Xie is an associate professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School (HMS)

Provided by Massachusetts General Hospital

"Study reveals how anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains." March 1st, 2012.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-reveals-anesthetic-isoflurane-alzheimer-like-mammalian.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

How marijuana impairs memory

A major downside of the medical use of marijuana is the drug's ill effects on working memory, the ability to transiently hold and process information for reasoning, comprehension and learning. Researchers reporting in the March 2 print issue of the Cell Press journal Cell provide new insight into the source of those memory lapses. The answer comes as quite a surprise: Marijuana's major psychoactive ingredient (THC) impairs memory independently of its direct effects on neurons. The side effects stem instead from the drug's action on astroglia, passive support cells long believed to play second fiddle to active neurons.

The findings offer important new insight into the brain and raise the possibility that marijuana's benefits for the treatment of pain, seizures and other ailments might some day be attained without hurting memory, the researchers say.

With these experiments in mice, "we have found that the starting point for this phenomenon – the effect of marijuana on working memory – is the astroglial cells," said Giovanni Marsicano of INSERM in France.

"This is the first direct evidence that astrocytes modulate working memory," added Xia Zhang of the University of Ottawa in Canada.

The new findings aren't the first to suggest astroglia had been given short shrift. Astroglial cells (also known as astrocytes) have been viewed as cells that support, protect and feed neurons for the last 100 to 150 years, Marsicano explained. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that these cells play a more active role in forging the connections from one neuron to another.

The researchers didn't set out to discover how marijuana causes its cognitive side effects. Rather, they wanted to learn why receptors that respond to both THC and signals naturally produced in the brain are found on astroglial cells. These cannabinoid type-1 (CB1R) receptors are very abundant in the brain, primarily on neurons of various types.

Zhang and Marsicano now show that mice lacking CB1Rs only on astroglial cells of the brain are protected from the impairments to spatial working memory that usually follow a dose of THC. In contrast, animals lacking CB1Rs in neurons still suffer the usual lapses. Given that different cell types express different variants of CB1Rs, there might be a way to therapeutically activate the receptors on neurons while leaving the astroglial cells out, Marsicano said.

"The study shows that one of the most common effects of cannabinoid intoxication is due to activation of astroglial CB1Rs," the researchers wrote.

The findings further suggest that astrocytes might be playing unexpected roles in other forms of memory in addition to spatial working memory, Zhang said.

The researchers hope to explore the activities of endogenous endocannabinoids, which naturally trigger CB1Rs, on astroglial and other cells. The endocannabinoid system is involved in appetite, pain, mood, memory and many other functions. "Just about any physiological function you can think of in the body, it's likely at some point endocannabinoids are involved," Marsicano said.

And that means an understanding of how those natural signaling molecules act on astroglial and other cells could have a real impact. For instance, Zhang said, "we may find a way to deal with working memory problems in Alzheimer's."

More information: Han et al.: "Acute Cannabinoids Impair Working Memory through Astroglial CB1 Receptor Modulation of Hippocampal LTD."

Provided by Cell Press

"How marijuana impairs memory." March 1st, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-marijuana-impairs-memory.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Online treatment reaps rewards for teenagers with chronic fatigue

Teenagers who were able to consult therapists by email reported a drastic reduction in symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Credit: Flickr/Ev0luti0nary

A web-based therapeutic program for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome is at least three times more effective in reducing symptoms of the disorder than regular treatment, one study has found.

Researchers who studied the impact of the Fatigue In Teenagers on the interNET (FITNET) program on a group of adolescents found that the web-based treatment dramatically reduced fatigue, school absence, and physical dysfunction in just six months.

Under the FITNET program, patients can log in and send e-mails to trained cognitive behavioural psychotherapists at any time. Therapists respond to the e-consultations on set days, but also reply immediately to emergency emails.

The patients are expected to keep diaries, answer questionnaires, and take part in reviews of each step in their treatment.

For the study, researchers from The Netherlands recruited 135 adolescents who had suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for almost 2 years; 68 were randomly assigned to FITNET and 67 to usual care, which consisted mainly of individual and group cognitive behavioral therapy or graded exercise therapy.

After six months, 85% of adolescents in FITNET group reported that they no longer suffered from severe fatigue, compared with 27% in the second group; 78% reported normal physical functioning, compared with 20%; while full school attendance was attained by 75% of students, compared with just 16%.

The results of the study are published online today in the journal The Lancet.

It is estimated that between 40,000 and 140,000 Australians suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, a mysterious illness of unknown cause that may be linked to a virus. Patients complain they are routinely humiliated and ostracized by people who do not take their physical suffering seriously, because they regard the condition as a psychological, rather than a biological, one.

Sanne Nijhof from the University Medical Centre Utrecht in The Netherlands, and lead author of the research, said that with e-consultations, “effective treatment is within reach for any adolescent with [chronic fatigue syndrome]. These findings stress the need for proper and rapid diagnosis and making medical professionals aware of adolescent chronic fatigue and the treatment options.”

“Web-based treatment has general advantages: it is available at any time, avoids face-to-face treatment barriers – [such as] treatment delay due to poor accessibility, inconvenience of scheduling appointments, missing school or work, travelling to or from a clinician’s office – and reduces treatment time and costs.”

The report concluded that it was unclear which aspect of the FITNET program – “such as being readily accessible soon after diagnosis, 24-hour availability, anonymity, or professional feedback by a trained psychotherapist, is the reason for this increased effectiveness.”

Rosanne Coutts, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Southern Cross University, said the results demonstrated the importance of the psychological aspects within treatment processes.

“By using the internet, which adolescents are very familiar with, they have met them "where they live”,“ Dr. Coutts said. "The patients also seemed fairly involved in what they did, it was quite self-driven, putting patients back in charge of their own recovery. Further detail about the actual physical activity conducted in both groups would be of interest and would assist with understanding any physiological changes that had also occurred.

“The study also relied on self-report, however even with consideration for some self-reporting bias the school attendance is a clear indicator of levels of recovery. Previous studies report a good prognosis for adolescents and this study again supports this.”

Professor Anthony Cleare, a consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, said that although the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome was beyond doubt, the lack of suitably trained therapists could limit benefits for patients.

“That an internet based therapy is so effective is very good news for patients who either cannot access a therapist, or who prefer therapy delivered over the internet,“ Professor Cleare said. "Indeed, the internet may be a particularly attractive medium for adolescents who have grown up accustomed to using it regularly.

“No one would suggest that the internet can replace face-to-face therapy, but this study suggests that it can certainly be a highly effective alternative in some patients."

Provided by The Conversation

This story is published courtesy of the The Conversation (under Creative Commons-Attribution/No derivatives).

"Online treatment reaps rewards for teenagers with chronic fatigue." March 1st, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-online-treatment-reaps-rewards-teenagers.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

WU researchers breakthrough with minimally conscious state patients

(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from Western University have utilized their own game-changing technology – previously developed for use with patients in a vegetative state – to assess a more prevalent group of brain-injured patients, those in the minimally conscious state (MCS). Their findings were released today in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study, led by Adrian Owen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging, and Damian Cruse of Western's Brain and Mind Institute, is a follow-up to the team's groundbreaking Lancet publication from November 2011 that used electroencephalography (EEG) to show that some vegetative state patients were able to reliably follow commands, even though this ability was entirely undetectable from their external behaviour. 

In the new paper, titled "The relationship between aetiology and covert cognition in the minimally-conscious state," the MCS patients showed some inconsistent but reproducible external signs of awareness, such as being able to follow their eyes in a mirror.  Cruse says, however, that currently very little is known about their 'internal' state of awareness that may be hidden from their external behaviour. 

"Using our EEG approach, we found that 22 per cent of 23 MCS patients were able to complete a complex task which required them to imagine particular types of movement," says Cruse, a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Brain and Mind Institute and the lead writer of the paper. "This tells us that these patients have a much higher level of cognitive ability than what you could detect from their behaviour."

Cruse adds that the cause of the brain injury was a determining factor in finding these cognitive abilities as 33 per cent of traumatically injured patients (e.g. traffic accident, fall) returned positive EEG results compared to zero per cent of non-traumatically injured patients (e.g. heart attack, stroke).

The research team, in collaboration with Steven Laureys at the University of Liège, Belgium, asked patients approximately 100 times each to imagine moving his or her right-hand and toes. By making recordings of the patients’ EEG, a measure of the electrical activity of the brain, the team showed that 22 per cent of the MCS patients were able to produce patterns of brain activity that were indistinguishable from a healthy individual following the same commands. 

"There are a large number of patients in the MCS worldwide, and our approach highlights the importance of using EEG and other forms of brain imaging when assessing the mental capabilities of patients following brain injury," says Cruse "It reinforces our understanding that the externally observable abilities of a patient are not necessarily a true reflection of their internal state."

Provided by University of Western Ontario

"WU researchers breakthrough with minimally conscious state patients." March 1st, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-wu-breakthrough-minimally-conscious-state.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Study: Sleep gets better with age, not worse

Aging does not appear to be a factor in poor sleep, a new survey of more than 150,000 Americans shows. In fact, subjective sleep quality seems to improve over a lifetime, with the fewest complaints coming from people in their 80s.

"This flies in the face of popular belief," said Michael Grandner, PhD, lead author of the study. "These results force us to re-think what we know about sleep in older people – men and women."

The study, appearing in the March edition of the journal Sleep, examined rates of sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue reported by 155,877 adults participating in a randomized telephone survey. Respondents were asked about sleep disturbances and daytime tiredness. The survey also asked about race, income, education, depressed mood, general health and time of last medical checkup. All responses were weighted so that they matched U.S. Census data.

Health problems and depression were associated with poor sleep, and women reported more sleep disturbances and tiredness than men. But except for an uptick in sleep problems during middle age – more pronounced in women than men – sleep quality improved consistently over a lifetime. Or at least that's how people reported their sleep.

"Even if sleep among older Americans is actually worse than in younger adults, feelings about it still improve with age," said Grandner, Research Associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "Once you factor out things like illness and depression, older people should be reporting better sleep. If they're not, they need to talk to their doctor. They shouldn't just ignore it."

Grandner said the study's original intent was to confirm that increased sleep problems are associated with aging, using the largest and most representative sample ever to address this issue. Instead, the results challenge the conventional wisdom that difficulty sleeping is perceived more by older adults, and challenge the general clinical practice of ignoring sleep complaints from older adults as a normal part of aging.

More information: "Age and Sleep Disturbances Among American Men And Women: Data From the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System," in journal Sleep.

Provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine

"Study: Sleep gets better with age, not worse." March 1st, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-age-worse.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Fear factor isn't enough: Ads have to gross you out to work best

(PhysOrg.com) -- We've all seen the ads meant to scare us into buying products like protective sunscreen or to avoid doing something like drugs. Well, it turns out those advertisements may only freeze us with fear and inaction. New research from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University shows, in order to work best, these ads also have to disgust and gross us out.

“Fear creates uncertainty and insecurity over what to do, but disgust gives us a very strong impulse to avoid and distance ourselves from the item or situation as quickly as possible,” explains Andrea Morales, W. P. Carey School of Business marketing professor, lead author of the work. “When you add a disgusting message or image to an advertisement, it can significantly increase the ad’s effectiveness.”

The new research from Morales and her colleagues was just posted online by the Journal of Marketing Research. It points to successful, disgusting campaigns, such as one by the New York City Department of Health that centered on images of soda turning into gobs of fat. Department officials say sugar-rich beverage consumption in the area dropped by 12 percent after the campaign. Other popular advertisements in the disgusting category include a medication ad with a creepy yellow rat-like creature attacking a human toenail, a pain-medication ad featuring a pair of feet covered in fire ants, and an anti-smoking matchbook with graphic images of decayed, blackened teeth.

“Disgust dramatically enhances persuasion and compliance above and beyond just fear appeals,” says Morales. “You have to go beyond scare tactics to produce a strong and immediate avoidance reaction or a change in behavior. For example, disgust is especially good at motivating people toward losing weight, quitting smoking or changing another behavior to improve their health.”

In particular, the research discusses a real ad campaign in Britain that showed graphic images linking cigarettes with fat-filled arteries. The 2004 campaign by the British Heart Foundation and the local Department of Health was so successful that the United Kingdom’s government is planning to print these pictorial-warning images on all tobacco products sold in the U.K.

“We’ve also seen several recent ads for cleaning products that disgust viewers by talking about and showing the dirt, grime and germs left behind when you use other, less effective mops, cleansers, even toothpaste,” says Morales. “A new series of Febreze commercials shows people in filthy rooms, but smelling pleasant odors thanks to the spray.”

In a series of five experiments, the researchers repeatedly found the same thing. When people looked at ads with neutral messages or those simply meant to induce fear, they didn’t work as well as those using disgust.

For example, 155 undergraduate students looked at various versions of a real anti-meth ad with the same words and format, but different, altered images. The version with a teen whose face was covered in open sores was found to be much more effective than the versions with a picture of a coffin or two teens sitting side by side. The coffin, while scary, didn’t portray an immediate, imminent, disgusting threat.

Another experiment involved showing participants a sunscreen ad with identical images, but different text in each case. The most persuasive version talked about “open sores that crust and do not heal for weeks,” “scaly red patches” and “wart-like growths that ooze and bleed.” The reaction to it was far more significant than a neutral ad version and one that simply talked about “a severe sunburn” and the “possibility of heat stroke.”

Morales’ co-authors are Eugenia Wu, assistant professor at Cornell University and Gavan Fitzsimons, professor at Duke University.

More information: The full write-up called “How Disgust Enhances the Effectiveness of Fear Appeals,” is available at theJournal of Marketing Research website at http://www.journal … /jmr.07.0364 .

Provided by Arizona State University

"Fear factor isn't enough: Ads have to gross you out to work best." February 29th, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-factor-isnt-ads-gross.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

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Go-getters fall short in happiness and health, new study shows

People who are considered ambitious attend the best colleges and universities, have prestigious careers and earn high salaries, but they don’t necessarily lead more successful lives, according to new research by Timothy Judge, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

The lead author of “On the Value of Aiming High: The Causes and Consequences of Ambition” forthcoming from the Journal of Applied Psychology, Judge seeks to create a better understanding of ambition — a commonly mentioned but poorly understood concept in social science research — and its consequences.

Is it a virtue, or is it a vice? Both, says Judge.

“If ambition has its positive effects, and in terms of career success it certainly seems that it does, our study also suggests that it carries with it some cost,” Judge says. “Despite their many accomplishments, ambitious people are only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and they actually live somewhat shorter lives.”

Tracking 717 high-ability individuals over seven decades, Judge uses multiple criteria to measure ambition during periods of participants’ lives ranging from childhood to young adults just beginning their careers. Their education ranged from attending some of the world’s best universities — Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, Berkeley, Oxford and Notre Dame — to more modest educations, including high school diplomas and community college degrees.

“Ambitious kids had higher educational attainment, attended highly esteemed universities, worked in more prestigious occupations and earned more,” Judge says. “So, it would seem that they are poised to ‘have it all.’ However, we determined that ambition has a much weaker effect on life satisfaction and actually a slightly negative impact on longevity (how long people lived). So, yes, ambitious people do achieve more successful careers, but that doesn’t seem to translate into leading happier or healthier lives.”

Specializing in personality, leadership, moods, emotions and career and life success, Judge has published more than 130 articles in refereed journals, including more than 80 in top-tier journals. His study “Do Nice Guys — and Gals — Really Finish Last?” published last year, was widely cited in the media.

Judge’s new ambition study tracks individuals born in the early part of the last century and continued to follow them throughout their lives, which is how the mortality measure was derived; however, it doesn’t address the underlying reasons for the higher mortality of ambitious people.

“Perhaps the investments they make in their careers come at the expense of the things we know affect longevity: healthy behaviors, stable relationships and deep social networks.”

Most parents want their kids to be ambitious, attend the best schools and eventually have successful careers, and while it certainly isn’t wrong to have those parental hopes and dreams, Judge cautions that we shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking they will make our kids happier.

“If your biggest wish for your children is that they lead happy and healthy lives, you might not want to overemphasize professional success. There are limits to what our ambitions bring us — or our children.”

Provided by University of Notre Dame

"Go-getters fall short in happiness and health, new study shows." March 1st, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-03-go-getters-fall-short-happiness-health.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek