BBC News (7/29, Gallagher) reports that according to research published July 26 in the journal Genome Biology, investigators report progress in the development of “a blood test that could diagnose Alzheimer’s.” The test, which in trials involving 202 people showed an accuracy rate of 93%, “showed differences in the tiny fragments of genetic material floating in the blood” may be used to help identify patients with Alzheimer’s. In particular, the test focuses on “12 microRNAs in the blood which were present in markedly different levels” in patients with Alzheimer’s.

Related Links:

— “Alzheimer’s blood test edges closer, “James Gallagher, BBC News, July 28, 2013.

Time (7/26, Groden) reported on a study by the Harvard School of Public Health in “The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry” showing a decreased chance of suicide attempts among caffeine users, primarily coffee drinkers. The study reportedly followed 200,000 people for over 16 years and found suicide risk cut by 50 percent. Head researcher Michel Lucas said caffeine may act like “a mild anti-depressant.” Additionally, a “2011 study found that women who drink coffee cut their risk of depression by 15 percent compared to those who don’t.”

Forbes (7/28) contributor David DiSalvo explained the scientific link to coffee and antidepressants. “By mimicking adenosine, caffeine blocks receptors in the nervous system from receiving the signals to decrease energy expenditure. When that happens, levels of the brain’s homegrown neuro-stimulants – dopamine and glutamate – increase, and we experience the brain stimulating effects associated with drinking” coffee.

FOX News (7/26) reported on the study, saying “During the 20-year study period, 277 deaths in the cohort were linked to suicide.” The article concludes by noting that researchers found “little further benefit” in consumption above 400 mg, or 2-3 cups, per day.

The CBS News (7/27, Castillo) website listed other studied benefits of coffee, including “a 20 percent lower stroke risk” and “a 50 percent lower chance of dying from oral and pharyngeal cancers” among those who had four or more cups a day.

“The research was designed to analyze all forms of caffeine consumption, but coffee was the main source of caffeine, making up 71 percent across the three studies,” reported theSyracuse (NY) Post-Standard (7/28, Axelson), which incorporated the study into an analysis of which factors contribute to the happiest people in society.

The Daily Mail (UK) (7/27, Robertson) pointed out that the limit on the benefit is unsupported by a previous study, which observed “a maximal effect among those who drank four or more cups per day.”

The Daily Telegraph (UK) (7/27, Gray), Daily Caller (7/26, Cohen), and the New York Daily News (7/26, Settembre) also reported on the story.

Related Links:

— “How Coffee Could Save Your Life, “Claire Groden, TIME, July 26, 2013.

The New York Times (7/30, Belluck, Subscription Publication) reports that an analysis published in the American Journal of Psychiatry has found that New York’s controversial Kendra’s Law, which requires patients with severe mental illness “to receive treatment when they are not hospitalized, has had positive results,” leading to reductions in readmissions, arrests, and increased medication compliance, and associated mental health and Medicaid costs have dropped by more than half. The program costs New York State $32 million annually to treat around 2,000 to 2,500 court ordered patients each year, providing “intensive monitoring by caseworkers,” and an additional “$125 million a year for enhanced outpatient mental health services for others.”

Related Links:

— “Program Compelling Outpatient Treatment for Mental Illness Is Working, Study Says, ” Pam Belluck, The New York Times, July 30, 2013.

Medwire (7/26, McDermid) reports that adult males “with psychosis tend to have lower than average IQ, along with evidence of learning difficulties in childhood,” according to a study published online July 22 in the journal Psychiatry Research. After studying about 50,000 military draftees in Switzerland, researchers “found that the 61 men who had psychotic disorders diagnosed, based on their responses to a psychiatric screening questionnaire, had a significantly lower average IQ than those without mental disorders.”

Related Links:

— “IQ may forewarn of psychosis vulnerability, “Eleanor McDermid, Medwire News, July 26, 2013.

Bloomberg News (7/26, Gerlin) reports that patients taking ACE inhibitors to treat high blood pressure and heart failure “had lower rates of deterioration caused by certain types of dementia, according to researchers who reviewed Canadian hospital records.” The researchers, led by William Molloy of University College Cork in Ireland, “examined records of past treatment of 361 dementia patients at two memory clinics in Ontario, Canada,” finding that those who were taking ACE inhibitors showed a smaller drop in their score on a test measuring cognitive ability than those who weren’t on the drug. The study, published in the online journal BMJ Open, “indicate that ACE inhibitors hold promise as an inexpensive way to ease the burden of dementia, Molloy said.”

Related Links:

— “Dementia Slowed in Patients on Blood-Pressure Drugs, “Andrea Gerlin, Bloomberg News, July 25, 2013.

CQ (7/24, Adams, Subscription Publication) reports that a new national campaign focusing on mental illness awareness has been launched by the National Association of Broadcasters [NAB]. The campaign will “publicize a national crisis hotline and provide an online community for people affected by mental illness.” To publicize the campaign, television and radio public service announcements will be run across the US. CQ notes that “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made brief remarks in the Rayburn office building at the launch of the campaign,” in which she pointed out that 20% of Americans will end up with a mental health diagnosis at some time in their lives and that the ACA will help by expanding mental health coverage.

Reuters (7/24, Doyle) reports that psychotic symptoms in teenagers may predict a greater risk for attempted suicide, according to a study of 1,112 teens aged 13 to 16 published online July 17 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Medwire (7/24, Piper) reports that of the 7% of teens who reported having psychotic symptoms at the start of the study, “7% reported a suicide attempt by the three-month follow up, and 20% by the 12-month follow up, giving odds ratios of 10.01 and 11.27, respectively, compared with the rest of the group.”

Related Links:

— “Kids ‘hearing voices’ may be at high suicide risk, “Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, July 23, 2013.

Actress and author Kristen Johnson writes a first-person essay on addiction in the New York Times (7/21, Johnston, Subscription Publication) and laments how little is done about it in the US. Johnson, who also founded SLAM, NYC to create a “recovery high school” in New York City, describes a culture that views addicts largely as part of a running reality show of celebrities instead of “an epidemic that now claims more lives per year than car accidents” and “kills more people per year than guns.” She adds, “Yet there is zero government financing for research” and “no swanky benefits to raise funds.” She also laments that “a minuscule percentage of those who suffer can afford to get help,” while addicts are imprisoned rather than treated. She says addiction deserves “some respect.”

Related Links:

— “Turning Addiction Into a Sideshow, “Kristen Johnston, The New York Times, July 19, 2013.

USA Today (7/20, Weintraub) reported that, being that there are currently no treatments to stop or cure Alzheimer’s, “researchers believe prevention may be key to avoiding its memory and quality of life [QoL] challenges. Taking preventive measures against dementia involves common sense, healthy activities – exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping enough – as well as keeping your brain active and challenged.” The article went on to summarize research on Alzheimer’s recently presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Related Links:

— “Keys to preventing Alzheimer’s disease, “Karen Weintraub, USA Today, July 20, 2013.

The Washington Post (7/22, Schulte) reports that a new report from the nonprofit research center Child Trends shows that while children under the age of 6 “are resilient, war can take a steep and potentially long-lasting toll during their critical early years, when the brain is growing rapidly and children are developing a sense of trust in the world.” The report notes that children “can exhibit the same anxiety, depression, stress and aggression that some older children and adults experience” after “multiple deployments, long separations, and often tense and awkward reunions with parents returning from war, particularly when the parent has been physically or mentally traumatized.”

Related Links:

— “Strain on military families affects young children, report says, “Brigid Schulte, The Washington Post, July 21, 2013.