Friday Facts - Western State Hospital Internship Program

July 07 2022

Friday Facts: Examining the Link between Folic Acid Levels and Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

Folic Acid deficiency is considered to play a role in patients with Schizophrenia. Serum or plasma concentration of folic acid is substantially lower in individuals with Schizophrenia than in the general population (Cao et al., 2016).

Mutations in key enzymes that regulate folic acid levels have been demonstrated as a moderator between folic acid levels and severity of negative symptoms in individuals with Schizophrenia (Nishi et al., 2014).

A systemic review of meta analyses revealed substantial improvements in negative symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia who were given folic acid supplementation (Sakuma et al., 2018).

References
Cao B., Wang D.F., Xu M.Y., Liu Y.Q., Yan L.L., Wang J.Y., Lu Q.B. (2016) Lower folate levels in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 245:1–7

Nishi A., Numata S., Tajima A., Kinoshita M., Kikuchi K., Shimodera S., Tomotake M., Ohi K., Hashimoto R., Imoto I., Takeda M., Ohmori T. (2014) Meta-analyses of blood homocysteine levels for gender and genetic association studies of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin 40:1154–1163

Sakuma, K., Matsunaga, S., Nomura, I., Okuya, M., Kishi, T., & Iwata, N. (2018). Folic acid/methylfolate for the treatment of psychopathology in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychopharmacology, 235(8), 2303-2314. doi:10.1007/s00213-018-4926-4

Blake Palmer,
WKPIC Intern

July 07 2022

Friday Facts: Exercising in Winter Months (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

Ugh. It’s *that* time again…

As we begin to head into the winter months, it is important to consider how our exercise and fitness habits might change, and the benefits of exercising.

Exercise can be weather-dependent for many people, as they may not want to exercise out in bad weather (i.e. rain, cloudy, snow, etc.) and they may not want to exercise when it is dark outside (i.e. early morning or late evening. This can leave limited amounts of time to exercise during the winter months when the length of the days becomes shorter and there are more possibilities for rain or snow.

<Nooooo, not jogging in snow!>

<But…>

There are many benefits to exercising other than just an increase in endorphins, and these benefits just might nudge you toward exercising even during the winter months, up to and including, yes, jogging in the snow. The Mayo clinic reports that physical activity can “reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight, and even boost your self-esteem.” The Mayo clinic also recommends a combination of strength training and aerobic activity and they even provide examples and videos of various exercises to help get individuals started!

So as we enter in these next few months of decreased sun exposure, sunny days, and lower temperatures, consider looking for exercises to do inside your home! Below are some resources to help you get started.

References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/basics/fitness-basics/hlv-20049447

Hannah Sutherland, MA, LPA (Temp)
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

July 07 2022

Friday Facts: Psychology for Dogs (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

For many dog parents, we all know the struggle of training new commands to puppies or new dogs. We might have tried different techniques, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, verbal signs, or visual signs. However, there are many dogs for which some techniques do not always work–or your dog does not always respond to the command. So why is it that some dogs are able to learn faster than others, and is there really a difference among verbal and visual cues that go along with commands?

If you have ever taken a dog to a pet training course at a place like PetsMart, you will see that their animal trainers will pair a command with a visual cue. For instance, they will give a hand signal while they are telling the dog to ‘sit’ or point to the ground while they are saying ‘down’.

New research conducted at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia might shed some insight on the dog’s brain and the types of signals they perceive when learning a new command. This research supports the theory that visual commands can be more effective when training a dog. The fMRI data supports this notion as well.

References
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201810/do-dogs-learn-more-quickly-verbal-or-visual-signals

Hannah Sutherland, MA, LPA (Temp)
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

July 07 2022

Friday Facts: Screen Time Controls (Originally Published October 12, 2018)

When was the last time you looked at your phone? How recent was it? Do you remember what you were looking at or did you just check it out of habit?

Many technology companies are starting to come out with more controls to monitor how much we look at our phones, or our “screen time.” The companies are designing these controls for both adults and kids to help reduce the amount of time we use our electronic devices without thinking about it. The new monitors will even help set limits for the amount of time we can use for different apps. The monitors can also use a password to set, in case you do not have much self-discipline and keep adding extra time.

It can also be helpful to set limits for how much time kids are on their phones or tablets. These screen time controls may become a naturalistic, non-invasive way of reducing children’s obsessions with their devices, and model healthy limits for younger users of electronics.

So the next time you see yourself checking your phone for the 30th time today, remember that you can set limits for yourself to help improve productivity!

References
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/too-much-screen-time-new-phone-controls-for-you-and-kids/23301326

Hannah Sutherland, MA, LPA (Temp)
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

July 07 2022

Friday Facts: October is Depression Awareness Month (Original Post Date 10/8/2018)

As we start into the month of October, we typically think of the pumpkins, scary movies, trick ‘r treating, and costume parties. However, something that we should keep in mind is that it is also Depression Awareness Month. This should be considered especially because many horror films are based off of the Hollywood view of how an individual in a psychiatric hospital would be and act–and it’s pretty terrifying–and it’s wrong.

We need to reject stereotypical and inaccurate portrayals of mental illness, and help other people become more aware of how these views add to the stigma and biases about mental illness, and how individuals with mental illnesses should be considered “dangerous.” We should aim to help people truly understand these illnesses and how they can impact an individual’s life. We should also work towards educating people about how individuals with mental illness are not always dangerous, and that most conditions, such as depression, can be successfully treated.

References
https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/october-depression-awareness-month#1

Hannah Sutherland, MA, LPA (Temp)
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

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Category Archives: Friday Facts

Friday Facts: Examining the Link between Folic Acid Levels and Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

Friday Facts: Exercising in Winter Months (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

Friday Facts: Psychology for Dogs (Originally Published 11/6/2018)

Friday Facts: Screen Time Controls (Originally Published October 12, 2018)

Friday Facts: October is Depression Awareness Month (Original Post Date 10/8/2018)

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