A chance discovery now a (P.T.S.D) recovery
 IN this article Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunga MD (Trained in Eye Movement
Desensitisation Reprocessing) explains how an American doctor's (Dr.
Francine Shapiro) chance happening of her rapid eye movement relieving
her of an apparent distress memory which had been bothering her for
sometime, led to the discovery of EMDR therapy to combat Post Traumatic
Stress Diseases (PTSD).
Discovered while walking
EMDR was discovered by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., clinical psychologist
and a senior research fellow at the Mental Research Institute in Palo
Alto, California USA. Like many great theories, EMDR was discovered
accidentally in 1987 by Shapiro while walking in a California park.
While walking her eyes spontaneously moved rapidly from side to side
and it helped her to erase an apparent distress that she experienced on
that day. This finding ultimately led her to believe that rapid lateral
eye movements' help to release metabolise and reprocess traumatic
memories.
Tested on Vietnam veterans with PTSD
Dr. Shapiro tested this newly found method on Vietnam veterans with
PTSD. After 60-90 minute sessions there were significant reduction in
PTSD symptoms and the patients did not experience high terror and
distress any more. EMDR started to boom gradually.
In 1989 Shapiro reported in the Journal of Traumatic Stress her new
method EMDR which is effective in treating trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is indicated in
anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, post traumatic stress and many
other emotional problems. Research indicate that EMDR is the most
effective and rapid method for healing PTSD.
More effective
The control studies of EMDR reveal that this mode of therapy is more
effective. Fourteen controlled studies support the efficacy of EMDR,
making it the most thoroughly researched method ever used in the
treatment of trauma. Research shows that EMDR is rapid, safe and
efficient.
Brains information processing system
Dr. Shapiro developed the adaptive information processing model to
help explain the success of EMDR.
According to Dr. Shapiro's assumption, humans have an information
processing system in the brain. While memories of an ordinary event are
processed completely and normally, memories of a traumatic event may be
insufficiently processed and remain trapped in the processing system.
The information processing system processes the multiple elements of
our experiences and stores memories in an accessible and useful form.
Memories are linked in networks that contain related thoughts, images,
emotions and sensations.
Learning occurs when new associations are forged with material
already stored in memory. When a traumatic or very negative event
occurs, information processing may be incomplete, perhaps because strong
negative feelings or dissociation interfere with information processing.
Moreover, the initial emotions, perceptions and physical feelings
existing at the time of the trauma may also get trapped, and can be
triggered by events in the present. The result can be a range of
psychological problems.
Why traumatic memories cause distress
Professor Robert Stickgold of Harvard says EMDR mimics REM sleep.
Dreams are safety valves. We experience dreams in the REM sleep.
Traumatic memories do not process sufficiently. Therefore these memories
can cause continuous distress. EMDR which acts like induced REM sleep
helps to process traumatic memories.
After exposing to a traumatic incident people psychologically get
stuck. Shapiro uses the example of rape to illustrate how people can get
stuck in trauma.
A rape survivor may know that rapists are responsible for their
crimes, but this information does not connect with her feelings that she
is to blame for the attack. The memory is then dysfunctionally stored
without appropriate associative connections and with many elements still
unprocessed.
When the individual thinks about the trauma, or when the memory is
triggered by similar situations, the person may feel like she is
reliving it, or may experience strong emotions and physical sensations.
The EMDR unlocks the negative memories and emotions stored in the
nervous system, and it helps the brain to successfully process the
experience.
20th century's one of the best
EMDR could be one of the best discoveries of the 20th century. Dr.
Shapiro's discovery serves not only Americans but lots of people from
different countries in different ethnic and cultural groups. It was
discovered accidentally like the theory of gravitation or the theory of
relativety. EMDR made a big impact among the mental health clinicians.
After Freud's Psychoanalysis, EMDR may be the most discussed topic
among the clinical population. But unlike the Psychoanalysis EMDR is
more scientific and effective. It can be considered as a great discovery
like Penicillin which saved millions of lives. EMDR will heal millions
of traumatised people in the years to come.
Down's syndrome, what we need to know
Prof Rohan JAYASEKERA, Prof of Anatomy and Director
Human Genetics Unit, Colombo Medical Faculty
DOWN'S SYNDROME: "I am afraid I have some news for you, which is not
so good". A familiar phrase that straddles a genetic condition, heard by
some who have had the blood sample of their newborn analysed for
chromosomes.
The next sentence to follow will be "your child has Down's syndrome".
Five little words that attempt to shatter the lives of those who hear
it. Many years ago such news was relatively uncommon but in the present
time the rates of detection of this disorder seem to have risen
significantly.
Flick over this page of disappointment and despair and you will peek
at a new slate of hope and great expectations for those parents.
An adjustment to ones life style and a positively focused parental
response, is all that is necessary to shake off the dust of depression
and start living again.
The story began much earlier, when your doctor examined your baby and
found some unusual signs. The baby was floppy and weak.
There was something unusual in the baby's face; the nose looked flat,
the eyes were slanted upwards, the ears were small and the baby had a
tendency to keep the mouth open with the tongue protruding at times.
When he looked at the baby's hands, the little finger looked very
short and there was only a single crease across the palm instead of the
usual two. Finally he turned to the baby's feet and found a wide gap
between the first and second toes.
These signs made the doctor suspicious, as these are some of the
features of a baby affected with a genetic disorder called Down's
syndrome.
What is Down's syndrome?
Down's syndrome occurs due to an abnormality in the number of
chromosomes. A normal baby has 46 chromosomes in every cell of the body.
23 chromosomes come from each of the father's sperm and the mother's
ovum that fertilized to produce the baby.
Sometimes, due to an accidental error in the production of sperms or
ova, the father's sperms or mother's ova may end up with 24 chromosomes
instead of the usual 23. When such a sperm or ovum unites with a normal
ovum or sperm, as the case may be, the baby will have 47 chromosomes
instead of the usual 46.
A baby with 47 chromosomes is said to have Down's syndrome. This can
be confirmed by a blood test (a Karyotype test) to study the baby's
chromosomes.
Your doctor will refer your baby to a geneticist for this test. So
remember, your baby did not get Down's syndrome because of anything you
did or anything that happened during the pregnancy. It simply a genetic
disorder.
What does the future hold for our baby?
Babies with Down's syndrome grow up to be good babies and happy
children. They tend towards mimicry, are friendly, have a good sense of
rhythm, and enjoy music. They are slow starters. As they grow older,
their muscles become stronger, they will walk and talk.
However, the rate of development slows down with age. As a result
they remain mentally subnormal. Mischievousness and obstinacy may also
be characteristic and some of them may have emotional problem.
Their adolescent sexual development is usually somewhat less complete
than normal. Those who do not develop any major illness could be
expected to have a normal lifespan.
There is no cure for Down's syndrome. However, a lot of love from the
immediate and extended family, dedicated support and special attention
in the early years will help them improve considerably.
They need special support such as speech therapy, physiotherapy,
specialized educational support and vocational training to reach their
full potential and to enable them to lead independe's syndrome babies
may have heart defects or other congenital abnormalities.
These are usually identified at birth. So if your doctor says that
your baby does not have these problems then don't worry. As they grow up
they may experience thyroid dysfunction, respiratory tract infections
and other health problems. Regular medical checkups are useful to detect
and treat these problems early.
Most of the time, the extra chromosome results from an accidental
error in the production of sperms and ova. If this is how your baby got
down's syndrome, then the chance of recurrence is very low.
However, rarely, there can be a hidden abnormal chromosome in the
father or mother that could be passed down to their children.
So doing a Karyotype test on your baby is important if you are
planning to have any more children. This test will enable doctors to
determine the origin of the extra chromosome and give you more accurate
advice.
How can we meet with other families with Down's syndrome babies?
The "Parents' Association for the Advancement of the Special Person"
situated at No: 28, De Alwis Place, Dehiwala is a support group for
parents of children with special needs.
They invite you and welcome you to join them. The support,
encouragement and the sense of confidence the members of this group
provide will help you to adjust your life to not only cope with your
baby but also enjoy this new member of your family.
You can contact them on 0112732676 and they will be happy to be of
assistance to you at all times.
Who can give us more advice and genetic counselling?
Your family physician, who knows you and your family best, is the
ideal person to advise you and to provide you with genetic counselling.
However, if you do not have a family physician, you can contact any
other doctor or a member of the staff of the Human Genetics Unit of the
Faculty of Medicine, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8.
This Unit provides a complete service which includes the examination
of the child, diagnosis of the condition using a karyotype, which
involves the culturing of chromosomes, followed by counselling to the
parents and where relevant to the extended family members.
The Unit also takes upon itself the responsibility of long-term
follow up and monitoring of the progress of the baby with accompanying
referrals to appropriate specialists as and when health complications
arise.
Dr. Eileen Tan on hair transplanting
Irangika RANGE
 HAIR LOSS: "Hair transplant is the ultimate permanent solution to the
hair loss and it is the trend in the world among men and women who
desire to have their own naturally grown hair", said Dr. Eileen Tan a
Singaporean Consultant Dermatologist, on her visit in Sri Lanka
recently.
Dr. Eileen Tan graduated from National University of Singapore in
1991 and was awarded specialist accreditation in dermatology in 2001. A
fellowship in dermatology surgery, lasers and hair disorders and hair
transplantation at the University of British Columbia was conducted in
2002.
Dr. Tan said that this method has been popularised in the world. It
is a permanent surgical solution would work whether person's hair is
only starting to recede, is thinning or is mostly gone from the top of
scalp. She said hair loss would happen due to hereditary, scars from
radiotherapy, infections or scars. This method is also performed to grow
sideburn, eyebrow, chest and pubic hairs.
She said that strips of hair bearing skin are surgically removed from
the 'donor area' and cut into very small grafts containing 1-2
hairs(micrografts) and minigrafts containing 3-6 hairs. These grafts are
then placed meticulously and undetectable into the bald and thinning
areas.
The donor area consists of hair on the back and sides of the scalp
that are genetically programmed to grow for life.
The newly transplanted hair will quickly take root, and after a short
resting period, will grow and keep on growing. As hair growth is a very
slow process, the transplanted hair growth become obvious four to five
months after the procedure and will grow about 1cm per month.
Potato lovers may have higher diabetes risk
DIABETES: Holding that side of fries might help thwart type 2
diabetes, new research suggests.
In a long-term study of nearly 85,000 U.S. women, researchers at
Harvard University found that those with the highest potato intake had a
modestly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The link was strongest among obese women, who are already at
increased risk of the disease, suggesting that heavy potato consumption
may pose a particular problem for them, the researchers point out. The
findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Though potatoes have healthful attributes, they also have a high
glycemic index (GI) - meaning they cause a rapid, strong rise in blood
sugar. Over time, these surges may damage the pancreatic cells that
produce the hormone insulin, which is needed to metabolize blood sugar.
Overweight or sedentary adults may be particularly vulnerable to the
effects of high-GI foods because they often have underlying insulin
resistance - a precursor to diabetes in which body cells lose their
sensitivity to insulin.
So it would make sense for these individuals to lay off the french
fries, Thomas L. Halton, the lead author of the new study, told Reuters
Health.
He and his colleagues found that women with the highest potato intake
were 14 per cent more likely than those with the lowest intake to
develop diabetes over 20 years.
And women who ate the most french fries, specifically, had a 21 per
cent greater risk of diabetes than those who ate the fewest. NEW YORK
(Reuters) |
