Kendall Bache, M.D., Kanwarjeet Brar, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Catatonia has been a condition commonly associated with schizophrenia, but it exists in a number of other psychiatric disorders. Diagnostic criteria for catatonia involves at least three of these twelve findings: catalepsy, waxy flexibility, posturing, mutism, negativism, mannerism, stereotypy, grimacing, stupor, agitation, echolalia, and/or echopraxia. However, […]
Leo Sher, M.D. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults aged 18–60 years should sleep at least 7 hours each night. Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, psychiatric disorders, and all-cause mortality. […]
Kavitha Srinivasan, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Alpha pyrrolidinopentiophenone (a-PVP) commonly known as “flakka” or “gravel” is fast emerging as a new and dangerous drug of abuse. Initially gaining prominence in Florida, it is now frequently abused throughout our country. It belongs to the class of synthetic cathinones, commonly marketed as bath salts, plant food, or […]
Manasa Enja, M.D., Suneela Cherlopalle, M.D., Melanie Lippmann, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Cocaine is a frequent drug of abuse and a common precipitant of health emergencies. Recently, cocaine has become an even more dangerous public health concern since being adulterated by the addition of levamisole. It is hard to detect levamisole when mixed with cocaine; the […]
Yulin Chu, D.N.P. Millions of years ago, walking on two legs became a key attribute to human development, which distinguished humans from other animals. Since then, we have attained many benefits from walking. Is walking also beneficial to human’s mood? Numerous evidences suggest that physical activity (PA)/walking is a protective factor against depression (Robertson, R., […]
Leo Sher, M.D. On behalf of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Task Force on Men’s Mental Health I would like to congratulate Professor Shih-Ku Lin, a Member of the Task Force on becoming the President of the Society of Biological Psychiatry of Taiwan and wish Professor Shih-Ku Lin the best success […]
Leo Sher, M.D. The ideal body weight is usually described as a weight that is assumed to be maximally healthful for an individual, based mostly on height but modified by factors such as gender, age, build, and degree of muscular development. Ideal body weight is a definition originally introduced by life-insurance companies to describe the […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Vitamin D, also called calciferol is a lipid soluble vitamin which exists in two major forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, which is largely ingested) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, which is synthesized in human body). Both forms are inactive form which are converted into active form by two enzymatic hydroxylation reactions, first in liver […]
Sándor Kalmár, M.D., Ph.D. Introduction In the past decades the acceleration of the changes in our society puts an increasing burden on the mental mechanisms of people and the mental development of the youth. Unfortunately, in spite of the huge advances in neuroscience, the family and school rearing of children, the child psychological and the […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Blood is a complex fluid which consists of plasma and of formed elements: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The volume of blood in an average human adult is about 5 liters. Females generally have less blood volume than males. People who live at high altitudes, where the air contains […]
