This timely volume reviews current data on the effects of estrogen on the central nervous system, highlighting clinical aspects of this topic. Experts from the fields of psychiatry, pharmacology, neurology, and geriatrics collaborate to clarify the known risks and benefits of hormone therapy and explore questions that remain to be elucidated.

Among the topics discussed:” Preclinical data on estrogen’s effects on cognitive performance” The short-lived effects of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function” Structural and functional brain imaging data regardingestrogen’s effects on the central nervous system ” Preclinical efforts to develop effective NeuroSERMs for the brain ” The effects of estrogen on mood

Citing the ongoing confusion over the risks and benefits of estrogen therapy, the contributors emphasize the need for additional research on medication, doses, preparations, methods of administration, alternative therapies, and supplements.

This volume educates researchers, clinicians, and students on the current knowledge — including the effects of estrogen on mood, cognition, and brain metabolism — and provides guidelines for clinical practice and future research.

Contributors: Roberta Diaz Brinton, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Cheri L. Geist, B.A., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Robert B. Gibbs, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; Eva Hogervorst, Ph.D., University of Loughborough and University of Oxford; Pauline M. Maki, Ph.D., Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of Illinois–Chicago; Peter J. Schmidt, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health; Daniel H. S. Silverman, M.D., Ph.D., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Katherine E. Williams, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine; Kristine Yaffe, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco VA Medical Center; Laurel N. Zappert, B.A., Stanford University School of Medicine; Liqin Zhao, Ph.D., University of Southern California

Pheochromocytomas are rare but treacherous catecholamine-producing tumors, which if missed or not properly treated, will almost invariably prove fatal. Prompt diagnosis is, therefore, essential for effective treatment, usually by surgical resection. The manifestations are diverse and the tumor can mimic a variety of conditions, often resulting in either erroneous diagnoses or a delayed diagnosis.

Reflecting the recent leaps in understanding this condition, Pheochromocytoma: Diagnosis, Localization, and Treatment provides a comprehensive update on the improvements in the diagnosis, localization, management and treatment of pheochromocytomas – providing you with the latest cutting edge science alongside best clinical practice. Written by the leading names in the field, the text details the significant developments in understanding the genetics and biology of the tumors, coupled with technological advances in the fields of analytical chemistry, genomics, molecular biology and nuclear medicine.

The most comprehensive book on pheochromocytoma

• Provides cutting edge science and clinical guidance
• Written by the leading names in the field
• Authors present their recently developed novel biochemical test for the diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma

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Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that includes: abdominal obesity, a decreased ability to process glucose (insulin resistance), dyslipidemia (unhealthy lipid levels), and hypertension. Patients who have this syndrome have been shown to be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and/or type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a common condition that goes by many names (dysmetabolic syndrome, syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome, obesity syndrome, and Reaven’s syndrome).

This is the first book to fully explain the relationships between psychiatric illness, Metabolic Syndrome, diet, sleep, exercise, medications, and lifestyle choices. Metabolic Syndrome is a major risk factor in Major Depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, Sleep Disorders, Sexual Dysfunction, Fibromyalgia, and several other illnesses of psychiatric significance. Conversely, some psychiatric illnesses tend to predispose patients to Metabolic Syndrome. Of further interest is the fact that some of the medications used in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses have been found to cause or exacerbate Metabolic Syndrome.

The author here provides basic information about what genetic predispositions, medical conditions, and lifestyle choices make Metabolic Syndrome more likely to occur. Among the contributing factors that are discussed are genetics, habitual intake of high glycemic index carbohydrates, fructose, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, vitamins, micronutrients, obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise.

The author describes the actual mechanisms by which Metabolic Syndrome progresses and causes damage in the body, including the action of insulin and the pathophysiology of insulin resistance. Details are provided on what occurs in the liver, pancreas, muscle, fat cells, and immune system as Metabolic Syndrome progresses. New findings are presented on fat cells, including the fact that they are beginning to be considered as endocrine cells. There is a substantive discussion of leptin, which is one of the important adipocytokines. Also carbohydrate, ‘bad fats’, inflammation, oxidative damage, over-stimulation of the ‘fight or flight’ system, and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can actually cause the manifestations of Metabolic Syndrome. These explanations set the stage for an explanation of the inter-relationships between Metabolic Syndrome, psychiatric illness, dementia and effects of not only diet and life choices, but also the effects of psychiatric medications.

Finally, there is an important and unique section on the relationship between Metabolic Syndrome and various psychiatric illnesses, and how they exacerbate each other. The significance of Metabolic Syndrome in Major Depression, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Schizophrenia, fibromyalgia and Polycystic Ovary Disease is vast and it is important to realise the effects of psychiatric medications on Metabolic Syndrome. The author discusses antidepressants, mood stabilizers and the new atypical antipsychotics. There are dramatic differences among medications in the way they affect Metabolic Syndrome and pharmaceutical companies will want to promote patient awareness with this book.

* Provides an understanding of Metabolic Syndrome and how this syndrome is a major risk factor in depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, Sleep Disorders, Sexual Dysfunction, and other illnesses of psychiatric significance.
* Places specific emphasis on the connection of Metabolic Syndrome with Psychiatric illnesses, and how these conditions exacerbate each other.
* Discusses the actual mechanisms by which Metabolic Syndrome progresses and causes damage to the body.
* Explores the relationship between Major Depression, Heart Disease and Metabolic Syndrome.
* Includes supplementary section which discusses and critiques many current dietary supplements that are thought to be helpful for Metabolic Syndrome.
* Discusses the roles of diet, genetics and supplements in managing Metabolic Syndrome.

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Presents a comprehensive picture of care, including diagnostic, therapeutic, and psychosocial aspects. The contributors cover basic science and epidemiological aspects of the public health challenge, but maintain a focus on the day to day issues encountered in dealing with affected people.

Containing clear, practical advice, this text is an essential, practical resource to bridge the gap between expensive reference texts and smaller manuals.

Practical Management of Haemoglobinopathies is an ideal for;

• Trainees and residents in haematology
• Hematologists in practice
• Healthcare professionals treating those with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia

Why Buy This Book?

• Deals with practical problems encountered in the comprehensive care of affected individuals
• Each chapter written by an expert in the field
• Comprehensive coverage of basic science, laboratory diagnosis, psychosocial support and community care

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Rehab Notes provides quick-reference information to students and clinicians for normative values, medications, evaluation information, treatment guidelines, and appropriate outcomes. Part of F.A. Davis’s popular Notes Series, this innovative , easy-to-access pocket guide of essential assessment and treatment information is the ideal tool that students need to improve their clinical knowledge and productivity.

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Relying on religious traditions that are as old as their faith itself, many devout Christians turn to prayer rather than medicine when their children fall victim to illness or injury. Faith healers claim that their practices are effective in restoring health - more effective, they say, than
modern medicine. But, over the past century, hundreds of children have died after being denied the basic medical treatments furnished by physicians because of their parents’ intense religious beliefs. The tragic deaths of these youngsters have received intense scrutiny from both the news media and
public authorities seeking to protect the health and welfare of children.

When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law is the first book to fully examine the complex web of legal and ethical questions that arise when criminal prosecutions are mounted against parents whose children die as a result of the phenomenon known by experts as religion-based medical
neglect. Do constitutional protections for religious liberty shield parents who fail to provide adequate medical treatment for their sick children? Are parents likewise shielded by state child-neglect faith laws that seem to include exemptions for healing practices? What purpose do prosecutions
really serve when it’s clear that many deeply religious parents harbor no fear of temporal punishment? Peters offers a review of important legal cases in both England and America from the 19th century to the present day. He devotes special attention to cases involving Christian Science, the source
of many religion-based medical neglect deaths, but also considers cases arising from the refusal of Jehovah’s witnesses to allow blood transfusions or inoculations. Individual cases dating back to the mid-19th century illuminate not only the legal issues at stake but also the profound human drama of
religion-based medical neglect of children.

Based on a wide array of primary and secondary source materials - among them judicial opinions, trial transcripts, police and medical examiner reports, news accounts, personal interviews, and scholarly studies - this book explores efforts by the legal system to balance judicial protections for the
religious liberty of faith-healers against the state’s obligation to safeguard the rights of children.

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Emotional and cognitive disorders are common in Parkinson’s disease, but are frequently overlooked or undertreated. This book provides a comprehensive account of these aspects of Parkinson’s disease, based on the neurological and psychiatric assessment of hundreds of patients by the authors. It also offers a thorough survey of the published literature on the topic. Readers will find a complete and helpful overview of the clinical features and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, followed by discussion of associated depressive disorders, anxiety, phobias, apathy, hallucinations, delusions and sleep disorders. Specific cognitive deficits are also discussed, and the mechanisms for these disorders explored. The book also addresses the psychiatric and cognitive side effects of anti-parkinsonian medications and new surgical treatments. Offering sufficient scientific detail for the specialist in neurology and psychiatry, the clear practical guidelines, case studies and rating scales will meet the needs of all clinicians working with Parkinson’s disease patients.

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This book is about understanding and managing patients with severe personality disorders. It covers biological, psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural approaches and provides a pragmatic guide to best practice, based on the published evidence, where this is available. As well as discussing issues of severity, treatability and the range of appropriate management options, the content explores the common elements of effective interventions and covers early prediction, countertransference, disruptions of the therapeutic alliance, suicidal crises and what to do when dealing with dangerous, refractory and stalking patients. The chapters are authored by an international cast of distinguished investigators and innovators from the field. This is a holistic, practical guide to the treatment of patients with the range of these disorders and it should be read by all the members of the mental health team dealing with this challenging clinical group.

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Why do racial and ethnic controversies become attached, as they often do, to discussions of modern genetics? How do theories about genetic difference become entangled with political debates about cultural and group differences in America? Such issues are a conspicuous part of the histories of three hereditary diseases: Tay-Sachs, commonly identified with Jewish Americans; cystic fibrosis, often labeled a “Caucasian” disease; and sickle cell disease, widely associated with African Americans.

In this captivating account, historians Keith Wailoo and Stephen Pemberton reveal how these diseases — fraught with ethnic and racial meanings for many Americans — became objects of biological fascination and crucibles of social debate. Peering behind the headlines of breakthrough treatments and coming cures, they tell a complex story: about different kinds of suffering and faith, about unequal access to the promises and perils of modern medicine, and about how Americans consume innovation and how they come to believe in, or resist, the notion of imminent medical breakthroughs.

With Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease as a powerful backdrop, the authors provide a glimpse into a diverse America where racial ideologies, cultural politics, and conflicting beliefs about the power of genetics shape disparate health care expectations and experiences.

Catatonia is a syndrome of motor dysregulation found in as many as 10% of acutely ill psychiatric in-patients. Treatments are well defined and catatonia has an excellent prognosis when they are used. Two leading neuropsychiatrists describe the features of catatonia; teach the reader how to identify and treat the syndrome successfully; and describe its neurobiology. Patient case histories from the authors’ clinical practices, as well as from classical literature, illustrate the principles of diagnosing and treating patients.

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