Will we ever disentangle how nature and nurture contribute to mental health? — Long ago, biologists, psychologists, and neuroscientists settled the debate about whether nature or nurture shapes human behavior and dysfunction. For every condition we can think of, both our biology and our psychosocial environments play major roles. Yet despite the increasing power of our scientific tools and our mathematical ability to…

Can anyone adequately diagnose ADHD over the Internet? — This month (March 2023), the DEA is accepting feedback regarding proposed changes to rules for prescribing controlled substances over the internet. To the disappointment of many, several of the provisions adopted during the COVID public health emergency will be rolled back. But why is the DEA enshrining the importance of…

Will keto diets really cure depression, ADHD, and dementia? — For the better part of the last decade, psychiatric experts have been extolling the potential for ketosis to treat a broad range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, OCD, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, and dementia. They’ve published a wealth of overviews and thought papers, along with a handful of case reports. But…

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy works fast, well, and cheaply to vanquish nightmares — Thirty years ago physician and sleep specialist Barry Krakow published the first papers on Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT), a technique for banishing nightmares. But despite the approach being quick, cheap, highly effective and endorsed by panels of experts, it remains widely underutilized. Almost anybody can obtain relief from nightmares by…

Does cadmium or lead contamination outweigh the benefits? — For the last decade or more, nutritionists and candy companies have been trying to get us to swallow the idea that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, has health benefits. Chocolate might improve cardiovascular health, help ward off diabetes and dementia, boost mood, and help with attention and other executive functions of…

Marathon #13: Less Than Ideal Race Prep — I was cycling through Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, headed down a hill that was small by San Francisco standards. Even before the accident, I was a cautious, verging on timid, biker. I had some momentum but was probably going less than 15 mph as I entered the intersection crossing…

A clinical evaluation remains the gold standard for making diagnoses — Bothered by mistakes you’ve made on your business accounts, and missing deadlines at work, you turn to the internet to learn whether you have ADHD. You’re deluged by ads for online surveys, neuropsychological testing, genetic assays, EEGs and PET scans. They all tell you that they can help diagnose your…

Only accurate diagnoses are helpful — On the surface, ADHD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) don’t seem to have much in common. ADHD is a neurodevelopment condition arising in childhood that causes inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. BPD is a personality disorder found in older adolescents and adults, consisting of pervasive patterns of instability in interpersonal…

Does intermittent fasting improve mental or physical health? — Lots of people are promoting intermittent fasting. They claim that it will help you lose weight, be stronger, faster, smarter, or stop aging. But much of the research has been conducted on animals, with unclear implications for humans. While the results to date are less than the advocates tout, they’re…