Can Coffee Rev Up Your Workout?

Can Coffee Rev Up Your Workout?

See my New York Times letter commenting on the effects of caffeine on exercise! Your inherent (genetically coded) rate of metabolizing caffeine has an influence on its effect on exercise.  That rate is determined by how rapidly or slowly working the enzyme is...

New Antidepressant

A new medication, vilazodone, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression. It is going to be marketed under the brand name “Viibryd.” It acts as an SSRI (see blog dated June 27, 2010 for an explanation of SSRIs), plus modifies a serotonin...

Caffeine, Depression, and Anxiety

Caffeine is a stimulant. This means it can make people feel more awake and alert. Other effects caused by activating the nervous system can include an increase in heart rate and feeling shaky. Caffeine works by blocking the docking station, or receptor, on nerve cells...

Personality Disorders

The term “Personality Disorder” (PD) is, unfortunately, steeped with pejorative connotations. In fact, it sounds more like an insult than a therapeutic label. Nonetheless, the concept of a PD in its clinical terms is helpful in recognizing enduring...
ADHD and Genetics

ADHD and Genetics

A recent study discovered a genetic variation associated with ADHD. The study found a greater likelihood of missing or duplicated segments of DNA (known as copy number variations) in children with ADHD. Therefore, rather than being perceived as being lazy or acting...