Broadly stated, cognitive-behavior therapy is based on learning theory which has shown that as we practice new behaviors and thoughts in response to familiar emotions or situations, our brain’s physical structure actually changes, too. We develop new neural pathways and, with repetition, the new behavior becomes an automatic response.
One form of treatment for Trichotillomania is Habit Reversal Training. Many patients who pull their hair don?t realize that they are doing this; it is a conditioned response. With Habit Reversal Training doctors train the individual to learn to recognize their impulse to pull and also teach them to redirect this impulse. Patients who feel the urge to pick at their hair are taught to visualize something that will get their mindset off of picking at their hair. Once they are aware of what they are doing then they are able to focus and stop themselves from the urge of picking.
Prostate problems are common in older men, particularly those aged 50 and older. A man may have prostate problems for a number of reasons, including an infection of the prostate, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, or prostate cancer.
In a dermatology clinic of a large university-based hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, a study was conducted to determine whether targeted UV-B phototherapy is efficacious and safe in the treatment of localized psoriasis and whether there is a dose-response relationship.
Researchers studying learning disabilities associated with neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, have traced the problem to excessive activity of a crucial signaling molecule and have successfully reversed the disabilities in mice by giving them an experimental drug. The findings provide hope that these learning problems may one day be treatable in humans.
The source of the name “lupus” is unclear. All explanations originate with the characteristic butterfly-shaped malar rash that the disease classically exhibits across the nose and cheeks.
Impetigo is a skin disorder caused by bacterial infection and characterized by crusting skin lesions. It is a superficial skin infection most common among children age 2-6 years (rare among people not in this age group).
A small study has shown that the osteoporosis drug raloxifene, sold as Evista, helps maintain bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are on corticosteroids.
Unigen Pharmaceuticals has launched a new naturals-based skin care line that claims to provide heightened protection against environmental hazards such as toxins and UV radiation.
Researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center have reported that the combination of Rituxan? (rituximab) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (Leukine?, sargramostim) is well tolerated and very effective in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The results of this phase II clinical trial were presented at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in December, 2005.