Halting Esophageal Cancer in its Tracks with Sugar

Expensive Egos & Narcissism

(American Health Newswire) -- Narcissism is a personality trait that is defined by an inflated sense of grandiosity, self-importance, and overestimations of uniqueness. A University of Michigan psychologist, Sara Konrath, was quoted as saying in a recent study published in PLoS One, "Narcissistic men may be paying a high price in terms of their physical health, in addition to the psychological cost to their relationships." The study shows that the level of narcissism is rising in the United States and tends to be more prevalent in men.

One hundred and six undergraduate students were examined by Sara Konrath, David Reinhard of the University of Virginia, William Lopez and Heather Cameron of the University of Michigan. They measured the students' levels of cortisol, a marker of physiological stress, based on the role of narcissism and sex. They measured the levels of cortisol through gathered samples of salvia at two points in time to assess a base. They were not allowed to be stressed at the time. If levels were elevated at a non-stressful state of mind, then the result would be chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activation and would increase the risk of cardiovascular problems.

The researchers had to assess students' narcissism by administering a 40 question survey that measures five personality trait components: exploitativeness, entitlement (more unhealthy), leadership/authority, superiority/arrogance, and self-absorption/self-admiration (the more adaptive or healthy components). They found that higher cortisol levels and the more dangerous aspects of narcissism were associated in males, but not females.

"Even though narcissists have grandiose self-perceptions, they also have fragile views of themselves, and often resort to defensive strategies like aggression when their sense of superiority is threatened. These kinds of coping strategies are linked with increased cardiovascular reactivity to stress and higher blood pressure, so it makes sense that higher levels of maladaptive narcissism would contribute to highly reactive stress response systems and chronically elevated levels of stress," David Reinhard was quoted as saying,

SOURCE: PLoS One, January 2012

Treating Tremors With An Ultrasound

BALTIMORE (American Health Newswire) --Millions of Americans suffer from tremors. Patients with constant shaking can have trouble with some of life's everyday activities. Things like eating and drinking or holding a pen to write, are almost impossible. Now, learn about a breakthrough procedure that could help some patients get a steady hand.

"My hand shook constantly, as it's shaking now, it would never stop," Billy Williams, a tremor patient told American Health.

For the past 10 years, Billy Williams suffered from a tremor in his hand.

"Constantly, it never, never quit," Williams said.

No one knows why he shakes, but the tremor was so bad, Billy stopped eating out in public and his writing became illegible.

"I had trouble writing my name, I couldn't sign anything," Williams explained.

Now, neurosurgeons are using a new procedure called MRI guided focused ultrasound that stops some types of tremors.

"It involves high resolution MRI scanning as well as ultrasound technology," Jeff Elias, M.D., neurosurgeon at the University of Virginia Medical Center told American Health.

Other procedures involve invasive brain surgery, but the new scalpel-free surgery is the first to use ultrasound in the brain to treat tremors.

"We really have to be precise to within a millimeter to stop the tremor," Dr. Elias said.

The procedure is done in an MRI scanner that allows doctors to aim pulses of harmless ultrasound waves through a patient's skull to a targeted region within the brain known to be effective for treating some types of tremors. Thousands of ultrasound waves converge, heating up the area being treated, so that tremor-causing cells die.

"One of the real advantages of this technology is that it allows us the opportunity to test the patient during the treatment," Dr. Elias explained.

Billy and his doctors watched his tremor get better, and better during treatment. The end result?

"Almost immediately after the procedure my hand was as it is right now," Williams said.

It's an immediate fix to help get patient's back to a steady, normal life. Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound is currently in clinical trials at the University of Virginia Medical Center to treat patients with essential tremor - or ET, a progressive neurologic movement disorder. In the future, researchers plan to investigate the use of MRI guided focused ultrasound to treat other tremor disorders like Parkinson's, epilepsy and stroke.

Meghan Bradley
UVA Health System
Marketing Communications