Mind & Mood Archive

Many of us have always shared a home with someone else. We grew up with our parents and siblings, moved in with friends during college, and then created a household with our spouse or partner.

Later in life, our living arrangement changes. Nearly 40% of older women (8.1 million) live alone—more than twice the number of older men in the same living situation, according to the Administration on Aging. Much of the reason for women's solo habitation is our longevity.

Persistent sadness might be more than just a mood problem—it could be a warning sign of memory impairment.

You can't sleep. You feel irritable and restless. Foods you once loved look unappetizing. These are signs that you may be depressed, but they might also warn that you're at greater risk for dementia.

New research shows long-term benefits.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) promptly improves movement problems in many people who have Parkinson's disease. Now, a study in the June 20 issue of Neurology finds that DBS continues to reduce symptoms for up to three years. It's no surprise to Dr. Alice Flaherty, co-director of the movement disorders DBS program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. "The technique has been around for 20 years, and many patients have had more than 10 years of benefit," says Dr. Flaherty. "I've seen it change people's lives."

DBS uses a surgically implanted medical device similar to a pacemaker to deliver electrical stimulation to areas of the brain affected by Parkinson's disease that control movement. DBS blocks the nerve signals that cause tremor and other symptoms. Implantation requires two surgeries and then 3–10 office visits to ensure the electrodes are adjusted to their ideal settings. The results can be impressive. "DBS helps some symptoms very quickly, such as tremor. It also helps involuntary movements called dyskinesias. DBS helps rigidity and walking too, but the effect is slower." The device also helps many people to reduce their medications.

Don't get frustrated by forgetfulness. Use these simple tricks and tips
to boost your ability to learn and remember.

Do you often find yourself marching around the house in a huff, searching for misplaced car keys or eyeglasses? Does the name of someone you just met at a party dangle at the tip of your tongue as you try to remember it?

Reducing your salt intake may help.

You've heard for years that too much salt can raise your blood pressure and is dangerous for the heart. A new study finds that salt may also be a threat to your brain. The study, published in the journal Stroke, finds that among older adults, a high-sodium diet can significantly raise the risk of stroke. "The findings are associations and don't prove causality," says Dr. Helen Delichatsios, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "But I don't think the concerns about excess salt intake are overrated."

Stroke and salt

A stroke occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked or bursts. Without blood, brain cells go without oxygen and begin to die.

"Bad" fat may affect memory and cognitive function.

If you need further proof that what contributes to a healthy heart also makes for a healthy brain, a Brigham and Women's Hospital study published in Annals of Neurology offers evidence. Researchers found that one bad dietary fat in particular—saturated fat, found in foods such as red meat and butter—may be especially harmful to your brain.

Learning you're cancer-free is only the first step in a lifelong process.

If you've lived through a cancer diagnosis and treatment, you've spent months—or possibly years—worrying about your disease. You've done everything you had to do—traveling to one doctor's appointment after another, undergoing scans and biopsies, and putting your body through the rigors of surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatment regimens.

Take advantage of proven therapies.

If you are a migraine sufferer, then you undoubtedly long for something, anything, to keep these painful episodes from recurring. Migraines affect about 15% of the adult population, but only a relatively small percentage of those people take advantage of preventive medications.

Migraine prevention guidelines released earlier this year by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society note that about 38% of people who have migraines could benefit from preventive medications, but less than a third of those people actually utilize these treatments. Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, suggests that one explanation may be that these drugs must be taken every day to be effective, even though migraines might only be "an intermittent problem."

How diet can help—or harm—your cognitive fitness.

Before you cut into a big T-bone steak with French fries, here is some food for thought: Research suggests that what we eat might have an impact on our ability to remember and our likelihood of developing dementia as we age.

Q. I have been taking an SSRI (paroxetine HCl) for many years for chronic anxiety and, at times, panic attacks. What are the side effects of the long-term use of SSRIs?

A. Fortunately, SSRIs are generally safe drugs. Like all medicines, they can produce side effects in some people: insomnia, rashes, headaches, joint and muscle pain, stomach upset, nausea, and diarrhea are most common. They also can diminish sexual interest, desire, performance, satisfaction, or all four.