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Bright Nights Community Forum: Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy
Depression is a brain disease that is pervasive in our population, affecting over 20 million American adults. When detected early, it can have high recovery rates.
However there remain a small percentage of patients with serious psychiatric illnesses for whom typical medication or psychotherapy treatments are not effective. One potential treatment option for patients with severe depression who fail to respond to medications or who are unable to tolerate the side effects associated with the medications is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Developed over 75 years ago, use of ECT declined in the 1960s and 1970s due to misperceptions about the treatment and the advent of modern antidepressant medications. ECT, however, never went away because of the profound effect it has on the most severe mental illness syndromes. Due to significant improvements in the way the treatment is administered, it is safer and more tolerable for patients as modern strategies help cut down on memory side effects. Depression is the most common condition treated with ECT, but other syndromes such as bipolar mania, psychosis, or catatonia symptoms also respond well to ECT.
To learn more about ECT and how it may be used to treat severely ill patients, the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library present this Bright Nights forum. Daniel Maixner, MD, Associate Professor and ECT Program Director at the University of Michigan, will give a brief overview presentation outlining the current research, advancements, and the benefits and side effects of the procedure. This will be followed by questions and discussion with a panel of experts including Tricia Suttmann, a retired attorney who had successful ECT treatment at U-M over the course of almost a year; Wael Shamseddeen, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry; and David Belmonte, MD, MS, Clinical Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry.
For more information about the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org , or contact Stephanie Salazar, 232-0330, or sawaters@umich.edu.
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Nerd Nite #36 - Memory Systems and Motor Learning
As we learn motor skills we use two memory systems. These systems are separate and can compete with each other. My talk will go over some evidence of this interaction within the brain.
About Lorraine: Lorraine is a PhD candidate in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Genetics from the University of Western Brittany (Universit de Bretagne Occidentale. She now works on understanding how learning new motor skills affects brain networks.
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Adults with ADHD: Life Beyond Diagnosis
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ADHD or are living with its challenges, chances are you've felt confused, overwhelmed, and stuck at some point along the way. We are here to help! To recognize ADHD Awareness Month, this presentation led by Dr. Michelle Frank and Sari Solden, M.S, of Sari Solden & Associates features a team of nationally-recognized local experts who work together to provide various pieces of the supportive puzzle that help adults with ADHD move toward fulfilling and meaningful lives.
This talk gives an understanding of ADHD in adults and provide guidance for those diagnosed with ADHD or those experiencing the challenges, even if not formally diagnosed. A main focus is to help adults with ADHD, and those who support them, navigate the challenges in a way that leads to an informed, empowered view of oneself as a unique adult who focuses on his or her strengths. This talk is for anyone affected by adult ADHD, including college students, parents of college students, men and women with ADHD, family members, friends, educators, mental health and health professionals, employers and colleagues, and disability specialists.
The presenters then highlight of several local nationally-known experts who all provide different critical treatment supports, including an educational psychologist, professional organizer, ADHD coach, and an ADHD support group.
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Nerd Nite #35 - Un-sticking your Brain: OCD and its Treatment
Obsessions are “sticky” thoughts, images or impulses that occur over and over again and feel uncontrollable. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or rituals that someone uses to get rid of the obsessions. Together they make up obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. Hear about OCD and exposure and response prevention (ERP), an evidence-based treatment for the mental health disorder that affects approximately 3.3 million people in the United States.
About Sara: Sara is a clinical social worker in the department of outpatient psychiatry at the University of Michigan Health System. She has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University (Go Green! Sorry, Ann Arbor) and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. She completed her internship and fellowship at the University of Michigan Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry clinic, where she is now a staff social worker. She provides psychotherapy for children of all ages and their families. Besides OCD, her clinical interests include anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, depression, and trauma/grief. She was born and raised in Southeast Michigan and lives with her partner, Alex. Together they have two beautiful (furry) “children” — Phoebe the dog and Bu the cat, whom she talks about constantly.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Personalized Treatments for Depression and Bipolar Illnesses: Why ‘One Size’ Will Never Fit All
Depression and bipolar illnesses can affect anyone: you, a family member, a neighbor, or a friend. Some disorders are mild, while others are more serious and long-lasting, but almost all of these conditions can be diagnosed and treated, and most people can live better lives after treatment. However, no two people have exactly the same kind of depression or bipolar illness.
Medications are an important element in the successful treatment of mental illness, often in combination with psychotherapy, or “talk therapy.” New research about the brain has given scientists hope that in the near future they will be able to personalize the approach to medical management for depressive illnesses, which will treat an individual’s particular symptoms based on their specific genetic background and other biological markers.
Vicki Ellingrod, Pharm.D., BCPP, a Professor in the U-M College of Pharmacy and Medical School, presents a brief overview of the latest research on the emerging field of “pharmacogenetics,” which refers to the genetic basis of response to medications. This is followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with experts Jolene R. Bostwick, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, Associate Chair, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy; and Srijan Sen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and Depression Center Member.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library.
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Nerd Nite #34 - Predator vs. Prey: A Micro Tail
Bacteria are feared by humans for their ability to cause diseases that can’t always be treated with antibiotics. But do bacteria have a predator of their own? Come learn about the virus that uses its “tail” to prey on bacteria, turning them into zombies. Predator versus prey may be a familiar story, but hear it with some new “micro” characters.
About Ada: Ada Hagan is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan in the department of Microbiology and Immunology. She does recon on the sneaky ways bacteria find nutrients (like iron!) when they are invading our bodies. Ada is a co-founder of the graduate student science communication blog MiSciWriters. Originally hailing from the mountains of East Tennessee, Ada spends her spare time writing, walking her dogs, cooking, and comparing strollers. Follow her on Twitter @adahagan.
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Nerd Nite #33 - 50 Shades of Sweet: How Sugar Dominates the Brain
We like to think we can resist life’s temptations, but ever tried saying no to a cookie? It whispers to you, it calls to you. Sugar is a powerful force: it hijacks your brain and wins nearly all the time … I’ll talk about how this happens and also how, even if your mouth is fooled by fake sugar, your brain is not.
About Monica Dus: I got my first microscope at age 7 and had an idyllic childhood in Italy pulling hair off Barbies and legs off bugs and looking at them under the microscope. What really drew me to science, however, was the pervasive beauty of the natural world. I still remember my first encounters with molecular biology: I was awed by its beauty and complexity. Nearly twenty years later, I still haven’t found something that is man-made and more beautiful than the natural world, not even a Dolce&Gabbana dress. I am currently a professor at University of Michigan where I head a research lab and teach genetics and neuroscience. My favorite things in life are dogs, desserts, philosophy and post-modern literature, pastel colors, unicorns, and of course, teaching.
Find her on Twitter as @Hardkandy000
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Nerd Nite #31 - Anxiety Disorders: When Worrying Gets in the Way
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health diagnosis in the United States. This talk will outline how anxiety is manifested in our bodies, common medications used to treat disorders, and therapeutic techniques used to manage (or alleviate) symptoms.
About Elizabeth Block: Elizabeth is a third year psychiatry resident at the University of Michigan, set to begin a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in July. In addition to anxiety disorders, her professional interests include psychotic disorders and increasing mental health awareness.
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Teens, Stress, and Depression
Experiencing sadness, anxiety, and moodiness during adolescence is common, if not the norm. This is expected given that adolescence is often a highly stressful period that involves multiple biological and psycho-social changes. However, while most teens “survive” their adolescence unscathed, over 10% of teens develop clinical depression or severe anxiety disorders, which can be chronic and highly impairing.
How do we know if a teen is simply going through a “moody” phase or is instead displaying signs of a more concerning mental health problem? Why do some teens seem to be resilient to the stress of adolescence while others struggle?
Dr. Nestor Lopez-Duran, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan, and a leading researcher in adolescent stress and depression, discusses factors that increase the risk for depression during adolescence, suggests how to identify early signs of teen depression, and offers guidance on what to do if you suspect that your teen may be depressed.
This program was co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Department of Psychology.
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Controlling Your Emotions
Both common wisdom and findings from multiple areas of research suggest that it is helpful to understand and make meaning out of negative experiences. However, people’s attempts to do so often backfire, leading them to ruminate and feel worse. In this talk, Ethan Kross attempts to shed light on these seemingly contradictory sets of findings by examining the role that self-distancing plays in facilitating adaptive self-reflection. After briefly describing the “self-reflection paradox” and defining self-distancing, he presents evidence from multiple levels of analysis that illustrate how this process facilitates adaptive self-reflection, and discuss the basic science and practical implications of this research.
Ethan Kross, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the U-M and the Director of the U-M Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory. He is also a Faculty Associate at the U-M’s Research Center for Group Dynamics, Center for Cultural Neuroscience, and Depression Research Center. The goal of his research is to shed light on the psychological and physiological processes that allow people to control emotions that undermine their goals and compromise their health. He uses a variety of tools (e.g., behavioral, diary, physiological, neuroscience-fMRI methods) to address this issue and focuses on both normal-healthy and clinical populations. Ethan received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. This program was co-sponsored by the U-M Department of Psychology.