The Daily Caller (2/7, Callahan) reports that according to the results of the four-year Marine Resiliency Study published in the February issue of JAMA Psychiatry, “soldiers who experience brain trauma in combat are more likely to experience symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” The study of 1,648 Marines revealed that “moderate to severe brain trauma raised PTSD symptom scores by 71 percent.” The study authors concluded, “Probability of PTSD was highest for participants with severe pre-deployment symptoms, high combat intensity, and deployment-related” traumatic brain injuries.

Related Links:

— “What causes PTSD? Researchers come closer to finding out, “Katie Callahan, The Daily Caller, February 7, 2014.

In the “Blog” for the Huffington Post (2/6), Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, observes, “Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) put forth a proposed rule that would make unprecedented changes to the six classes of medication that are specifically protected under Part D.” According to Dean, “Patients suffering from mental illness are likely to suffer the consequences of this rule more than any other populations.” He asserts, “The proposed rule would make significant changes to the availability of antidepressants and antipsychotics.” Such changes, made to reduce costs, would have the unintended consequence of making some mental illnesses even more difficult to manage and may result in more lengthy periods of disability for some patients.

Related Links:

— “Containing Health Costs Is Good But Not at the Expense of the Mentally Ill, “Howard Dean, The Huffington Post, February 5, 2014.

HealthDay (2/6) reports that according to research published in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal Sleep, “too much or too little sleep can increase the risk of depression.” One study, which involved some 1,700 adult twins, found that “inappropriate amounts of sleep may activate depression-related genes.” The second study, which involved some 4,100 children ranging in age from 11 to 17, revealed that “sleeping six hours or less per night increased their risk for major depression, which in turn increased their risk for too little sleep.”

Related Links:

— “Risk of Depression May Rise With Too Much or Too Little Sleep, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, February 5, 2014.

The Los Angeles Times (2/5, Mohan) “Science Now” blog reports, “Memory can be altered by new experience, and isn’t nearly as accurate as courtroom testimony might have us believe,” according to a study published online Feb. 4 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

USA Today (2/5, Weintraub) reports, “Using brain scans of 17 healthy volunteers as they were taught new data and recalled previously learned information,” researchers demonstrated “for the first time precisely when and where new information gets implanted into existing memories.” They found that when people recall “an old memory, the bits of information get melded with new bits relevant to [one’s] present life.” In other words, memories can be modified when retrieved.

Related Links:

— “Remembrance or revision? Brain study shows memory misleads, “Geoffrey Mohan, Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2014.

On its front page, the New York Times (2/5, A1, Kaufman, Subscription Publication) reports in a 1,200-word article that crisis hotlines have adopted texting as a means to communicate with callers, particularly with those aged under 20. Hotline centers have found that texting offers privacy. Callers can contact the center when a caller feels threatened by somebody nearby, and staff members can deal with multiple callers at once or “introduce experts into a conversation without transferring or placing a caller on hold.” Conversational records also exist, allowing staff members to refer to discussions that took place earlier if necessary. Organizations such as the National Dating Abuse Helpline and National Human Trafficking Resource Center have already adopted this means of communication.

Related Links:

— “In Texting Era, Crisis Hotlines Put Help at Youths’ Fingertips, “Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, February 4, 2014.