UPDATE: Grades Will be POSTED Sunday NIGHT

Teen smoking could lead to adult depression: study

WASHINGTON, Jan 29, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Teenagers who smoke could be setting themselves up for depression later in life, according to a groundbreaking new Florida State University study.

Psychology Professor Carlos Bolanos and a team of researchers found that nicotine given to adolescent rats induced a depression- like state characterized by a lack of pleasure and heightened sensitivity to stress in their adult lives.

The findings, published online on Thursday in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that the same may be true for humans.

"This study is unique because it is the first one to show that nicotine exposure early in life can have long-term neurobiological consequences evidenced in mood disorders," Bolanos said. "In addition, the study indicates that even brief exposure to nicotine increases risk for mood disorders later in life."

The Florida State University researchers injected adolescent rats twice daily with either nicotine or saline for 15 days. After the treatment period ended, they subjected the rats to several experiments designed to find out how they would react to stressful situations as well as how they would respond to the offering of rewards.

They found that behavioral changes symptomatic of depression can emerge after one week of nicotine cessation and -- most surprising -- that even a single day of nicotine exposure during adolescence can have long-lasting effects.

"Some of the animals in our study were exposed to nicotine once and never saw the drug again," Bolanos said. "It was surprising to us to discover that a single day of nicotine exposure could potentially have such long-term negative consequences."

The rats that were exposed to nicotine engaged in behaviors symptomatic of depression and anxiety, including repetitive grooming, decreased consumption of rewards offered in the form of sugary drinks and becoming immobile in stressful situations instead of engaging in typical escape-like behaviors. The researchers were able to alleviate the rats' symptoms with antidepressant drugs or, ironically, more nicotine.

Interestingly, adult rodents that were exposed to the same nicotine regimen as the adolescents did not display depression- like traits. It is not known exactly how nicotine works on the brain and nervous system to induce these effects, but exposure has toxic effects in several brain regions and neurotransmitter systems at distinct periods of development, Bolanos said.

Because various neurotransmitter systems in the brain continue to develop throughout adolescence, the researchers theorize that nicotine may negatively influence these systems resulting in altered functionality later in life. The study's findings underscore the need for further research into how this process occurs.

Scientists have long known there is a connection between smoking and mood disorders, but they have not been able to say for sure that one causes the other because there are so many factors influencing human behavior. This study provides support for the idea that smoking can induce symptoms of depression, and paradoxically, can also be a way of managing those same symptoms and enhancing the risk for addiction.

"The message to young people of course is don't smoke and don't even try it," Bolanos said. "If they do smoke, they need to be aware of the potentially long-term effects that recreational or even occasional cigarette smoking can have on their systems."

Coffee May Be Linked to Better Mental Health

The New York Times

Drinking coffee may do more than keep you awake. A new study suggests a potential link to mental health later in life as well.

A team of Swedish and Danish researchers tracked coffee consumption among 1,409 middle-age men and women for an average of 21 years. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia and 48 Alzheimer's disease.

After controlling for numerous socio-economic and health factors, the scientists found that the people who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two or fewer cups . Those who drank more than five cups a day also were at reduced risk of dementia, but there were not enough people in that group to draw statistically significant conclusions.

Dr. Miia Kivipelto, an associate professor of neurology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and lead author of the study, does not as yet advocate drinking coffee as a preventive health measure. "We have no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking will have a protective effect," she said.

Kivipelto and colleagues suggest some possibilities for why coffee might reduce the risk of dementia . Earlier studies linked coffee consumption with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, which has been associated with a greater risk of dementia. And coffee may have an antioxidant effect in the blood-stream, reducing vascular risk factors .

The new study appears this month in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Below is the coffee shop in Seattle I spent many hours at studying, doing homework, socializing, etc., etc.

The Final Update

Below is the final video for your review. I hope it is somewhat helpful.

As you have heard, you are allowed to use ONE page (one side) of handwritten notes. I have made this decision due to the fact that you are limited by time (less than 90 minutes) with a demanding essay.

I will be at school all day Friday so please feel free to drop by and hand in assignments or to just say hello! I wish you all the very best next semester. I hope your time in IB Psychology was enjoyable and that you feel that you got something out of it! Please e-mail me any suggestions for next year (and what not to change!). Every year I go back to the "lab" and redesign the course.

Sunday night the blog will shift to world history, BUT, there will be plenty of postings relevant to psychology AND those of you testing in psych should check it often!

Final Outline

A few notes for the final exam:

1. DO NOT go crazy with tons of memorized details. This is not the focus of the essay. I know you are feeling stressed because it seems like a lot. PLEASE, the intent of the final is for you to showcase what you have learned by focusing on two disorders. DO NOT spend a lot of time on details (such as listing every characteristic, or cause, or therapy, etc.)
2. I will post a sample outline via video tomorrow AM.
3. Below is a more general sample outline -- I altered what I did in the review session today. THIS IS NOT what the essay must be like for everyone.
4. Tie in c/g/e/m where possible

Outline:

P1: Introduction
--Define what is considered "abnormal" behavior
--Identify the disorders you will cover
--Theme/Thesis -- what these two disorders have in common

P2: Explain the theme/thesis
--Here you can also define both of the disorders

BE SURE TO CONNECT BACK TO YOUR THESIS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE!

P3: Characteristics of disorder 1

P4: Explain two causes of disorder 1

P5: Analysis of causes - (diathesis-stress model might help here)

P6: Therapy

P7: Characteristics of disorder 2

P8: Two causes of disorder 2

P9: Analysis of causes - (diathesis-stress model might help here)

P10: Therapy

P11: Tie it all together

P12: Conclusions

Keeping Things in Perspective

Schizophrenia

Tomorrow is our final day together! I must say that this has been an incredibly wonderful semester for me. I have had so much fun. You all have been wonderful students and I truly consider myself very lucky to have been your teacher. PLEASE stop in and say hello!


Tomorrow's topic is schizophrenia (the above image is a drawing done by a person with schizophrenia). Like eating disorders, I will try and condense a great deal of information into one lecture! There will be a few video clips along with a demonstration. WARNING: the demonstration can be rather disturbing to some students.

Tomorrow I will also handout the final exam essay. You will have next Monday and Tuesday to review in class. You will turn in STAMPED outlines along with peer review comments.

Monday night I will post the FINAL EXAM video. It will be the last video of the class. The video will outline the final exam as well as review a few key concepts from the semester.

In Case You Missed Genie!

Go here to see the video on Genie online.

Do great in tomorrow's socratic seminar!

An Evolving View of Depression

In the world of therapy, Dr. Aaron T. Beck is a rock star.

Considered the father of cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of psychological treatment that has swept the country in recent decades, he has been so famous for so long that some are surprised to find out that he is still, at 87, hard at work.

Beck has recently come out with a new, overarching theory of depression, the mood darkness that in any given year afflicts an estimated 5 percent of Americans (and probably a higher percentage this year).

More than a generation ago, Beck helped overturn the classical idea that depression was "anger turned inward," a form of self-punishment.

Instead, back then he put forth a cognitive model of depression - that it is a problem of negative bias and habits of thought. Any failure means "I am a loser." A rejection means "Nobody loves me."

Now, he has updated his cognitive model with the latest advances in brain science and genetics, and published it in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Beck, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, cautions that much of the research he cites is still preliminary. But he sketches out a coherent overview of converging psychology and biology that goes roughly like this:

Begin with genes. Beck and others used to speculate about a "blue gene." Researchers are now beginning to identify specific genes that could make the brain "hyperreactive to negative experiences," leading to depression, he writes.

For example, a gene that affects the brain chemical serotonin appears to influence how likely it is that a major stressful event will lead to depression. Studies suggest this serotonin gene is also linked to a tendency toward negative thinking.

How could a gene lead to negative thinking? Well, to continue the example, that serotonin gene appears to make the amygdala, an emotional center of the brain, hyperactive.

Studies have found that a hyperactive amygdala is linked to extra sensitivity to negative stimuli, such as unpleasant images or events.

People end up viewing the world negatively - noticing the weeds, not the flowers.

Other studies suggest a biological pathway to depression involving stress hormones that Beck summarizes this way: Stressful events trigger the hypersensitive amygdala to overact, producing a distorted negative reaction, which prompts excessive stress hormones, leading to depression.

There is also a "top-down" piece of the puzzle: brain scans have found that in depressed people, the prefrontal cortex, known as the seat of rational thought, tends to be underactive.

They are not getting the needed reality check that says "Things are not really so bad." That may help explain how therapy that encourages depressed people to "reappraise" things, to challenge their negative responses, can act to lift mood. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to help patients by focusing on problems in their thinking and teaching them ways to improve it.

There's more. But it seemed the easiest way to sum it up was to ask Beck what he would say these days if a patient asked, "Why am I depressed?"

His answer: "I would say that there is an interplay of genetic, developmental, and stress factors, and the contribution of each of these factors varies from individual to individual. Some individuals, for example, are depressed only if there is overwhelming stress. Others are vulnerable because of their genetic make up and become depressed with minor stressors."

And how does that answer differ from, say, 20 years ago? Back then, he said, he would have emphasized only the psychological factors, and left the genetic and biological factors "up in the air."

He believes, he said, that even a patient who is biologically vulnerable to depression can be helped by effective therapy. For severely depressed patients, he recommends cognitive therapy in conjunction with medication.

Beck's model of depression has evolved admirably, but it does not make the problem of depression simpler, said Philip Levendusky, director of the psychology department at McLean Hospital in Belmont.

The model reflects the fact that depression is complex and has many dimensions, Levendusky said.

Brain science has made amazing advances in recent years, but it is still light years away from understanding mental illness. Beck's theory is a snapshot of the state of the science - it is, Levendusky said, "a quantum jump beyond where we were once upon a time, and probably three quantum jumps from where we'll ultimately be."

Still, Beck ends his August 2008 American Journal of Psychiatry article, which he said brought him a far greater response than anything else he had written, with optimism.

"I have reason to hope that future research will perhaps provide a new paradigm which for the first time can integrate findings from psychological and biological studies to build a new understanding of depression," he wrote.

And in the meanwhile, said Michael W. Otto, director of Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, depression can be treated even without a full understanding of its origins.

However it starts, he said, it has a life of its own. "It's a pattern that needs to be broken," he said, "and the evidence is that it can be broken."

--NYT

Cognitive Essay::::UPDATE

Grades are slowly coming in and should be complete by Saturday night (hopefully sooner!).

There will be a curve along with the adjustments made given the testing circumstances. So even if you see your grade on eSIS, please wait for the final curve to take effect!

Cheers!
Caro

Intervention: extra credit option

Below is an episode of Intervention on anorexia. Please view ALL parts below and post your analysis of her case here for EXTRA CREDIT! You have until Monday night for any comments to count as credit.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5

Happy Friday!

It was great seeing everyone!
I will post the Intervention episode on anorexia Saturday.

Cheers!

Enjoy this classic 1980s song and video!

Friday: Eating Disorders

WARNING: Disturbing images are in the below video


PREVALENCE

• It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
• An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males

MORTALITY RATES

• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
• A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
• The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.
• 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems

ADOLESCENTS

• Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
• 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
• 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight
• 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight

RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES

• Rates of minorities with eating disorders are similar to those of white women
• 74% of American Indian girls reported dieting and purging with diet pills
• Essence magazine, in 1994, reported that 53.5% of their respondents, African-American females were at risk of an eating disorder
• Eating disorders are one of the most common psychological problems facing young women in Japan.

Statistics taken from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health

Change of Plans for Next Week: Genie Returns

Hello Everyone,

A few changes are here to the course plan for next week. The readings are the same but the class time will be rather different! SPREAD THE WORD!

FRIDAY: I will be handing out a new agenda for the rest of IB Psychology. I will also post the adjusted plan on mrcaro.com and link to it from the blog.

Click Here for the new plan! E-mail with questions!

Cognitive Essay Update

Due to the week missed to snow and my absence, the tests will be slightly pre-curved.

I will try and have all essays graded by mid to late next week.

I will post scores on eSIS as I grade them after I do the first set to allow for grading moderation (I like to grade them all and then go back and control for any unintended grading variance).

Psych News: Unique male sweat has sexual message: Rice experts find female brain reacts in study

Chicago Tribune - January 11, 2009

A woman may not consciously think of a man's sweat during intimate moments. But her brain appears to recognize the scent and the significance of the emotions it conveys right away.

That's the conclusion of a Rice University study that exposed 19 twentysomething women to various scents, including "normal" sweat from males as well as so-called "sexual" sweat -- more on this in a moment.

Although the research doesn't have immediate implications for male-female relationships -- don't put away the cologne just yet, fellas -- it does advance scientists' understanding of how humans communicate chemically.

Everyone pretty well understands how people communicate through talking and facial expressions. But elsewhere in the animal kingdom, chemicals such as pheromones are commonly used to communicate, be it to attract a mate or warn a competitor.

The question Rice psychologist Denise Chen and her colleagues set out to better understand is how people might communicate chemically and, more specifically, how the brain processes chemical signals from other humans.

The experiment they devised involved the collection of sweat from men who wore rayon/polyester pads under their armpits. For normal sweat, they watched 20-minute educational videos and, for sexual sweat, 20-minute erotic videos.

As it happens, humans have a variety of sweat glands. The sweat produced after a long day's work is different from that after a workout, which is different, in turn, from that produced by a roll in the hay.

Chen and her colleagues then devised settings in which female participants were exposed to different sweat "scents" while being monitored by brain-scanning, magnetic resonance imaging equipment. The women didn't know what they were smelling and couldn't differentiate among the various types of sweats.

But their brains could.

"The sexual sweat lit up different regions of their brains," Chen said.

She said the work suggests the brain can recognize an emotional component in sexual sweat, somehow differentiating it from normal sweat.

The research is part of an emerging scientific discipline that aims to determine whether human brains can process pheromones -- chemicals that trigger a natural behavioral response in animals of the same species.

"This is a very hot and controversial area of research," said Dr. Jay Gottfried, an assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University.

The Chen study, Gottfried said, adds to the scientific debate, because it used natural scents rather than synthetic ones.

The next step, he said, is to determine whether sweat scents trigger behavioral changes in woman, such as making them feel more or less attracted to a man.

The Killers cover a great Joy Division song. The video takes clips from the movie "Control":

Anxiety Disorders

This Week
The primary focus for this week is the class of anxiety disorders. As you make your way through the readings, be sure to take close notes of research mentioned. You should be done with all anxiety disorders by Thursday/Friday.

There are some questions regarding the case study part of the project. Here are some new instructions:

In a small group, each member should select ONE kind of anxiety disorder and make up a case study. For instance, say I was in your group, I might select PTSD. I then follow Appendix II and make up a person suffering with PTSD. I will report the case to the group. The group will then analyze the case for causes of the PTSD and best therapy.

Below are three interviews with people suffering from anxiety disorders. As you listen to the interviews, be sure to consider the characteristics of the disorder. Keep in mind that these are not actors/actresses.

Panic Disorder


OCD


PTSD


Eating Disorders
Friday I will be guest speaking on eating disorders. I will try and integrate a few video clips into the lecture.

Be sure to check eSIS throughout the week for frequent grade updates!

PLEASE e-mail me any questions or concerns you have!

IAs are DONE!

Friday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Just a few notes:
1. I will be posting a video on anxiety disorders this weekend. I hope it helps you with the project! The video will have three interviews as well as some notes.
2. I am very close to finishing the IAs. Be sure to check eSIS by Sunday night. AND e-mail me to schedule a time to meet and walk through the IA for your testers!
3. Let me know if you have any questions about the project. Sorry for any confusion.

The Doves: there goes the fear

Updates 1/8

The follow is the information you need if you would like to apply for college credit from PCC. WARNING: if you do not want the grade to be transferred to your college, do not apply for the PCC credits. (So if you have a D in the class and do not want it to affect your college GPA, do not apply for the PCC credits.)
Teacher: Frank Caro

High School Title: IB Psychology

HS ID# 2774A

PCC Course: PSY 201

Credits: 4

PCC CRN: 18369

Prerequisite: Placement in WR 121
Don't worry about the back side of the form for my signature to override the pre-requisite, PCC made a note that I was out and they will override it on my behalf.
The form is DUE to Mrs. Watkins by the 23rd of January!

IA NEWS::::
IAs for those Testing in Psychology this Spring
--PLEASE e-mail me to schedule a time and day in February to go over your IA prior to sending it to IB. OR
--Upon my return on January 30th, 2009, PLEASE see me to schedule a meeting to go over your IA prior to IB grading. It is critical that we meet to go over any edits prior to submission. It makes a big difference in your IB score! OR
--I will be at THS next Friday to guest lecture on eating disorders. That would also be a good day to schedule a time in February for us to go over your IA!

NEWS

Hello Everyone!

I hope the cognitive exam went well! I have a few updates for you all:

For College Credit
1. Those students who would like to receive PCC credit for your articulated class this semester, need to complete the PCC Dual Credit Registration Form. -- this form will be handed out Thursday.
2. It is DUE on the 20th to Mrs. Watkins.

IAs
Monday: IA Grade Sheets will be returned. Please look it over and e-mail me with any questions. In general, the IA grades are looking great!

Dysfunctional Psychology
Check the blog for videos on abnormal behavior. This weekend I will post a video on anxiety disorders.

COGNITIVE ESSAY UPDATE

Questions 1 AND 4 are the potential questions

The Week Ahead (1/5 - 1/9)

Welcome Back!!!

Although I will be out of the class this month, I will be online! So please e-mail me or post questions!

Given some of the constraints we are under, we will be covering Dysfunctional Psychology instead of Developmental. Chapter Five in the Reader is on Developmental Psychology. Therefore, I have copied off for you a new Chapter Five: Abnormal Psychology! The sub, Mrs. Watkins, will distribute the sections of the chapter to you as you need them. DO NOT PANIC regarding the amount of reading. Here is why: you will have plenty of class time to work through it AND basically all month for homework.

Cognitive Essay Outline 4



Monday (1/5)
1. Turn in extra credit assignments: dream study AND movie analysis -- NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED
2. Review the Plan for January
3. Begin review for Cognitive Essay Exam (scheduled for Wednesday)
--You should develop DETAILED outlines for each of the essay questions.
--Each outline needs to have peer editing and signatures
--Redo the outlines given the feedback and repeat this processes through Tuesday.
HW: STUDY for Cognitive Exam
3pm: Review Session

Tuesday (1/6)
Same agenda as Monday
HW: Study for Cognitive Exam

Wednesday (1/7)
Turn in the following:
--ALL Dream JAS forms
--ALL outlines
Cognitive Exam
--I instructed the sub, Mrs. Watkins, to allow for five minutes of over time if you need it.
HW: Obtain "Chapter Five: Abnormal Psychology" from class. The following readings will be NOT from the Reader but from the packets!
Read pages 9-16 AND:
1. Defining Abnormal Behavior
2. A general history of how abnormal behavior was treated – consider cross cultural differences
3. WARNING: be sure to read page 18

Thursday (1/8)
1. STAMP HW
2. Understanding the complexity of classifying and defining abnormality is CRITICAL to understanding dysfunctional psychology.
3. Discuss:
--Discuss criteria for determining abnormality (page 6-9) AND Cultural bases for abnormal behavior.
--Discuss (in brief) the history of how societies have treated abnormal behavior
--Lastly, discuss “Critical Thinking” questions on page 18.
3. Video: Abnormal Psychology
HW: Read pages 69-76 (in same packet) and take notes on the classification system of assessment of abnormal behavior

Friday (1/9)
1. STAMP HW
2. Discuss Culture-Bound Syndromes – pages 73-74 AND Discuss evaluation of the DSM system – pages 74-76.
3. Cognitive approach to treating abnormality -- readings (ABC and Beck) and worksheet
4. Discuss project: Case Booklet
HW: Anxiety Disorders: begin project and complete work for panic disorder.

Cognitive Essay 2

Xavier

Hey Everyone! I am looking forward to meeting you all in January!

Cognitive Essay Review

Essay Question 1

Stay tuned for videos for essay options 2 and 4...