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Brainstorming: What is the aftermath of a brain injury?
Colleen Butler Mental HealthcareColleen Butler, author of "Concussion Recovery: Rebuilding the Injured Brain," is offering practical advice to help with the recovery from brain injury. We hope you find this Q&A helpful, and we look forward to hearing from you. If you have a question or comment, we want to hear from you at colleen@brainnavigators.com.
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Infant study highlights need for early identification of autism
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Mental HealthcareA diminished ability to socially interact with eye contact is recognized as a diagnostic marker for autism. A study published Nov. 6 in Nature reported that social engagement using eye contact starts at birth for all infants, but can start to decline as early as two months of age in children later identified with autism.
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Identifying symptoms of acute depression
Dr. Abimbola Farinde Mental HealthcareDepression can develop in any individual regardless of age or gender. It is a common mental disorder, and the incidence of depression increases each day. In order to improve the changes of a positive outcome, the symptoms should be identified almost immediately upon onset, but there are cases where it can sometimes take years to identify.
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Food for thought: Continuous career development
Karen Childress Medical & Allied HealthcareWatching medical dramas unfold on television, one might conclude that doctors are never bored. How could they be when they're constantly solving rare and complex medical mysteries, sharing their wealth of knowledge with eager medical students and residents, and duking it out with administration as they advocate for patients in need?
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Employee wellness programs boost employee satisfaction and productivity
Joy Burgess Civil & GovernmentMany companies have been turning to employee wellness programs to help reduce employee healthcare costs. In fact, statistics from the American Institute for Preventive Medicine show that 91 percent of organizations now offer some type of wellness program, a percentage that has risen substantially in the last decade.
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Conversion disorder or misdiagnosis in the ED?
Maria Frisch Medical & Allied HealthcareConversion disorder presents as a physical disorder, but is instead thought to be a manifestation of underlying psychological conflict or need. The American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition" (DSM-5) classifies conversion disorder as one of the somatic symptom and related disorders. Formerly, the DSM-IV-TR categorized the disorder as simply a somatoform disorder.
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The role of manganese and astrocytes in brain toxicity
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied HealthcareThe interactions between the astrocytes and neurons play a central role in brain functioning via neurotransmitter recycling, and disruption of this recycling is associated with several neuropathological conditions. Manganese-mediated toxicity helps in better understanding about cycling between the neurons and astrocytes, and this knowledge about the brain function might highlight potential molecular tools for neurotoxicity.
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From uninsured to covered: PAs at the forefront of the ACA
Maria Frisch Medical & Allied HealthcareIn September, the U.S. Census reported rates of uninsured during 2012. A reported 15.4 percent (48 million) of people were uninsured, down from 15.7 percent in 2011. Medicare covered 15.7 percent of the population in 2012, compared with 15.2 percent in 2011. Since 1999, the proportion of people insured through private insurance has declined, while the proportion of those insured through public insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, state programs, etc.) has risen, from 24.2 to 32.6. This has added significant burden to an already over-extended government.
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Online physician reviews mostly positive, but reliability questioned
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationA new survey finds a large number of doctors regularly monitor reviews written about them online. But that may not equate to an overwhelming endorsement of physician review websites.
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Brainstorming: Knowing when it’s safe to return to athletic activity
Colleen ButlerColleen Butler, author of "Concussion Recovery: Rebuilding the Injured Brain," is offering practical advice to help with the recovery from brain injury. In the fourth edition of Brainstorming, readers have asked about returning to athletic activity as well as biofeedback and brain mapping.
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