Annot. Biblio Revised.docx - Understanding Neuroscience

 IntroductionStudying psychology and biomedical sciences at the University of Central Florida has exposed me to a diversity of pursuable career fields in medicine. In the last four years, I have dabbled in a number of medical disciplines, from simple research to days of volunteering at clinical environments at attempt to find my true calling. Finally, I decided on pursuing a career in neuroscience, a perfect choice for someone interested in both how the mind worked and it’s capabilities. However, narrowing my choice to neuroscience was just the first step in many as the field of neuroscience was almost as vast and diverse a topic as the career field enveloping it. To face this dilemma, I decided to choose three of my interests in neurology to research, ultimately hoping to better my understanding of the field in a whole, as well as resolve my future profession in that discipline. My three choices were three of the most discussed disorders in neurology: Alzheimer’s Disease, Schizophrenia and Depression, I chose these three specifically in hopes that they would give me the most accurate look into the field. My search yielded fruit as I found that the three disorders had some connections to each other in terms of symptoms and treatment. I also learned that there existed a debate between different practitioners of neurology, whether patients should be treated with psychotherapy or rather with medication. This therapy vs. medicine debate helped me understand that my choice of career within neurology would affect my scope of treatment for my potential patients.Cramer PE, Cirrito JR, Wesson DW, et al. ApoE-directed therapeutics rapidly clear beta-amyloid and reverse deficits in AD mouse models. Science 2012;335:1503-1506Dr. Paige Cramer, in her 2012 researcher paper: “ApoE-directed therapeutics rapidly clear beta-amyloid and reverse deficits in AD mouse models” claims that oral administration of bexarotene (Targretin) results in enhanced clearance of beta-amyloid plaques in brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease. Cramer supports her claim with the results of her research study where she tested the effectiveness of bexarotene on mice and observed increased clearance of over 50% of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain within 72 hours of treatment. Her purpose was to present the successful results of her study and to promote bexarotene from preclinical to clinical trials in order to eventually find a successful treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Her intended audience are fellow researchers interested in upcoming experimental treatments of Alzheimer’s disease as well as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) if future trials are successful, she targets said audience by publishing successful results, clean charts and precise explanations of her procedures in her article published in scientific journals.“ApoE-directed therapeutics rapidly clear beta-amyloid and reverse deficits in AD mouse models” reveals to one the laborious processes and trials involved in drug-testing prior to distribution. Drugs must first be tested in “preclinical” trials with laboratory animals such as mice multiple times before even considering “clinical” trials on human beings. Cramer’s study was just one success on the long road for a drug to be approved for treatment and bexarotene must prove successful on many more research studies before it will reach the shelves. Nevertheless, Cramer’s article brings hope to Alzheimer’s patients as Cramer claims that bexarotene reverses 75% of senile plaques produced by the disease and restores over half of cognitive functions in mice (2012). Senile plaques are defined in Shoghi-Jadid’s study as accumulated beta-amyloid deposits found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, those responsible for impairing a plethora of cognitive and physical functions (Shoghi-Jadid et al, 2002). If the drug is half as successful in human testing as with mice, the world might finally have a cure for the now incurable Alzheimer’s disease. Cramer’s article also shares common ground of animal testing with Meyer’s study, the main difference, however is the nature of their research. Meyer’s study involves testing toxins on mice to check if mental disorders can be predetermined as early as birth (2012). Her research, as it was successful, would most likely not be in any rush to be replicated whereas Cramer’s will be scrutinized and rerun repetitively. The main difference is that Meyer is searching for the problem while Cramer seeks the cure. Ultimately, both are necessary for advancing studies in neurology.Hollon & Sexton. (2012). Determining what works in depression treatment: Translating research to relational practice using treatment guidelines. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. 1(3). 199-212.Steven D. Hollon, in his 2012 paper: “Determining what works in depression treatment: Translating research to relational practice using treatment guidelines” implies that present treatment of depression doesn’t involve enough therapist-patient interaction rather focuses on a more pharmaceutical approach. Hollon supports this implication by juxtaposing case studies utilizing both types of treatments in his writing while analyzing the pros and cons of both. His purpose is to highlight the treatment options of depression in order to increase awareness of a more overlooked practice. His intended audience are fellow researchers and scientists working with patients suffering from depression as well as anybody interested in said subject. He reaches his target audience by publishing in an academic journal dealing with research and practice of patient therapy; he lists his points clearly and precisely so people searching for depression treatment will arrive at his article.“Determining what works in depression treatment: Translating research to relational practice using treatment guidelines” discusses the various treatment types of major depressive disorder while overtly introducing the reader to one of the major debates in neurology, being whether psychotherapeutic approach is better when treating patients or a pharmaceutical one. While psychologists’ primary focus is psychotherapy, psychiatrists prefer drugs and a pharmaceutical approach. However, Hollon says in his paper that both are required to have an efficient cure. “Although these [drug] interventions are often efficacious, they are far from a cure (2012),” Hollon says, “Their effects might well be enhanced by incorporating a more relational perspective with respect to how they are delivered and the outcomes they address” referring to psychotherapy as the “relational perspective”. His concerns are shared in Swerdlow’s article where he voices the same opinion as Hollon stating “medications that specifically target cognitive mechanisms [should be] engaged by rehabilitative psychotherapies (2011).” Swerdlow further cements his statement by explaining his personal ideal three-step treatment plan to schizophrenia which we cover later. However, while the ideal solution according to both these doctors are both, financial and material limitations may result in the choice of either one treatment or the other, unfortunately in that situation, both doctors hold neither side. Meyer & Louilot. (2012). Early Prefrontal Functional Blockade in Rats Results in Schizophrenia-Related Anomalies in Behavior and Dopamine. Neuropsychopharmacology. 37. 2233-2243Francisca Meyer, in her 2012 article: “Early Prefrontal Functional Blockade in Rats Results in Schizophrenia-Related Anomalies in Behavior and Dopamine” suggests that schizophrenia can result from prefrontal impairment as early as in utero in mice. Meyer supports her claim with the results of her research study where she tested a dopamine boosting toxin, tetrodotoxin, on brains of prenatal mice and observed schizophrenic symptoms in adulthood. Her purpose was to show that issues in brain development before birth can lead to mental illness in the future. Her intended audience are students, researchers and physicians interested in the etiology of schizophrenia as well as anyone interested the acting behavior of mental illness, she targets her audience by publishing clear results in neuropharmaceutical journals.“Early Prefrontal Functional Blockade in Rats Results in Schizophrenia-Related Anomalies in Behavior and Dopamine” explains in detail about one of the many animal studies used in neuroscience today. In her paper, Meyer explains how she discovered a prenatal connection of brain development and schizophrenia using mice in her study. Her research revealed that mental illness can be predetermined as early as fetal life. As discussed before, animal studies in neurology are a very common practice, however their uses can vary (See: Cramer (2012).) Meyer’s article also shows similarities with Shoghi-Jadid’s article on the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease, where the Dr. Shoghi-Jadid and his team revealed for the first time to the world one of the major causes of Alzheimer’s disease (2002), while Meyer’s article doesn’t bring to the table quite as revolutionary of a discovery, it provides a great gateway for intrauterine research regarding mental illness. Millan, M.J. (2000). Improving the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Focus on Serotonin (5-HT) Receptors. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 295. 853-861.Mark J. Millan, in his 2000 paper: “Improving the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Focus on Serotonin (5-HT) Receptors” suggests that future treatments of schizophrenia should include medication boosting serotonin levels in patients. Millan supports his claim by using previous research studies and medication trials to show serotonin’s role in symptoms of schizophrenia. His purpose was to improve treatment of schizophrenia as well as promote new types of medication to clinical trials (one of which actually got FDA approved two years after the publication of this article). His intended audience are fellow researchers and physicians interested in treating schizophrenia as well as members of the FDA, he targets this audience by using heavy jargon, organic models of drugs as well as multiple references to previous studies. He also reaches his audience by publishing his writing in medical journals concerned with experimental therapeutics.“Determining what works in depression treatment: Translating research to relational practice using treatment guidelines” is a petition for the use of numerous experimental drugs in treating schizophrenia. The main focus of the article is the drug, clozapine, which got approved 2 years after the Millan’s article was published. Millan’s article can be related with Swerdlow’s papers, both discussing the variety of treatments used for combating mental illness. The articles share almost a complementary relationship as Swerdlow advocates the use of psychotherapy and frowns upon sole drug use (2011). Millan doesn’t even contemplate psychotherapy in his article, failing to even mention it, instead relying on various drug effects. Which one is in the right, no one can say, as both have produced results. The use of serotonin in treating mental illness was also echoed in Torrente’s paper 12 years later for treating depression as will be discussed later.Mintzer and O'Neill. (2011). Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Consequence or contributing factor? Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 11(11). 1501-1503.Jacobo Mintzer, in his 2011 article: “Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Consequence or contributing factor?” suggests that dementia and depression share a connection. Mintzer supports his suggestion by using the results of a case study and experiment to elaborate his point. His purpose was to improve awareness of the relationship between depression and dementia in order to improve treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. His intended audience are all persons interested in Alzheimer’s disease, and he targets this audience by using soft language, using an easier medium (news article) as well as publishing in a neurotherapeutics journal solely concerned with the disease.“Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Consequence or contributing factor?” is a very short news article publicizing a new finding in Alzheimer’s disease. This article can be seen as a representation of the public view on neuroscience as it has no graphs and simple charts illustrating written points rather than conveying data. Compared with the rest of the articles in the bibliography, Mintzer’s work uses much softer language and is presented in a way for all audiences to understand with minimal effort regardless of study. He defines the current issues surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and depression and explains the highlights of the research it is based on. “Recently, neuroimaging studies have supported the concept of a relationship between depression and cognitive impairment.” Mintzer states in his paper, summing up the results of a case study regarding depressions role as a symptom of Alzheimer’s (2011). However, this article lacks the details of research paper such as Mulholland’s where he fully explains the symptoms of the disease and side-effects of medication used in the studies surrounding it. The main difference between the two is that Mintzer’s article acts as a summary or an abstract of the result of multiple research studies and Mulholland’s study is just one, albeit detailed article. Nevertheless, both articles serve their respective purposes; Mintzer’s article, similar to Thies’s article, helps the public stay updated on the progress of treating mental disorder without much hassle while Mulholland’s article explains the impact of depression of schizophrenia patients.Mulholland and Cooper. (2000). The symptom of depression in schizophrenia and its management. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. 6. 169-177Ciaran Mulholland, in his 2000 research article: “The symptom of depression in schizophrenia and its management” claims that better treatment of the symptom, depression, in schizophrenia patients can result in better recovery and lower suicide rates. Mulholland supports his claim by using case studies and organized facts to provide the reader with information linking depression and schizophrenia. His purpose is to increase awareness and petition better treatment for schizophrenic patients suffering from depressive episodes. His intended audience are mainly physicians and psychiatrists specializing in treating schizophrenic patients as well as students interested in pursuing a career in schizophrenia research. He reaches his target audience by presenting facts neatly, providing multiple-choice questions for the students to improve comprehension. He does this all while publishing in a well-known psychiatric journal regarding recent mental disorder research.“The symptom of depression in schizophrenia and its management” like “Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Consequence or contributing factor?”, Mintzer’s article discussed above, suggests that major depressive disorder could be found as a result of mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. However, Mulholland explains in his research how certain medication can result in depressive episodes in schizophrenic patients and “can present as an early sign of impending relapse (Mulholland and Cooper 2000) with “association of increased risk of attempted suicide.” Going into more detail than Mintzer, he continues by stating that depression could also be found as a side-effect to certain medications used to treat schizophrenia and that doctors should exercise more caution. This hints once again to the psychotherapy vs. medical debate discussed above, however Mulholland doesn’t go into detail of alternate therapies and remains impartial to the issue.Shoghi-Jadid et al. (2002). The Localization of Neurofibrillary Tangles and Beta-Amyloid Plagues in the Brains of Living Patients with Alzheimer Disease. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 10(1), 24-35Kooresh Isaac Shoghi-Jadid, in his 2002 research paper: “Localization of neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of living patients with Alzheimer disease” suggests that the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques in the brain results in lower memory performance, which is a leading symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Shoghi-Jadid supports his suggestion using the results of his research study in which he monitored the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and tested for memory changes. His purpose was to draw a correlation between neurofibrillary tangles/beta-amyloid plaques and memory performance in Alzheimer’s patients. His intended audience are students, professors or fellow researchers interested in the physical and mental symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, he targets said audience by releasing his work in medical journals specializing in mental illness.“Localization of neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of living patients with Alzheimer disease” is a research study which revealed a revolutionary discovery about Alzheimer’s disease in 2002. Shoghi-Jadid’s study opened up many new treatment options to a previously very mysterious mental disorder. One such treatment is Cramer’s study of 2012 which uses the information from “Localization of neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of living patients with Alzheimer disease” as the basis for her tests in her study with the drug bexarotene. Without Shoghi-Jadid’s information about senile plaques, her study would hold no ground today. Shoghi-Jadid and his colleagues definitely improved the quality of subsequent research with their results.Swerdlow, N.R. (2011). Are we studying and treating schizophrenia correctly? Schizophrenia Research 130(1-3), 1-10Dr. Neil R. Swerdlow, in his 2011 article: “Are we studying and treating schizophrenia correctly?” suggests that due to new findings, future treatments of schizophrenia should shift from genetic treatment to a more practical symptom-targeted treatment. Swerdlow supports his claim through a combination of cited articles and a detailed argument of the “cons” of today’s treatment options, specifically sole drug treatments without use of psychotherapy. His purpose was to change the course of treatment of schizophrenia patients by suggesting alternate methodology in order to better treat schizophrenia in general. His intended audience are other physicians and researchers interested in the different types of treatment regarding schizophrenia, he targets this audience by publishing in a research magazine as well as use jargon recognizable by persons in that field.“Are we studying and treating schizophrenia correctly?” lists the pros and cons of many known treatments of schizophrenia and ultimately speaks of utilizing psychotherapy in tandem with traditional drug treatment to ideally treat schizophrenia. Swerdlow introduces his own three guidelines to treating schizophrenia incorporating increased patient-therapist interaction as well as controlled medication administration. One of the main steps is that “medications that specifically target cognitive mechanisms [should be] engaged by rehabilitative psychotherapies (Swerdlow, 2011),” he states the problem with today’s treatment is that researchers are too focused on prevention and not enough on treatment. In layman’s terms he says to leave etiology behind and deal with what’s on your plate first, in this case, the millions of patients suffering from schizophrenia.Thies & Bleiler. (2012). 2012 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s and Dementia, 8(2), 131-168William Thies, in his 2012 annual article: “2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” claims that Alzheimer’s disease is becoming a greater threat, physically as well as fiscally in the United States in the coming years. Thies supports this claim by providing statistics and demographics proving his point as well as background information on the disease to catch readers up to speed on the upcoming threat. His purpose is to present up-to-date information regarding Alzheimer’s disease in order to improve awareness for the disease. His intended audience are students, professors or anyone interested in facts and figures surrounding Alzheimer’s disease, he targets said audience by releasing his articles publicly every year.“2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” acts as a keystone for Alzheimer’s disease, explaining the symptoms, risks, issues and treatment all in one article. Very similar to Mintzer, Thies uses softer language so his publication can be read and understood by anyone, regardless of academic standard. This article can be seen as the reference sheet for all three papers about Alzheimer’s disease (Shoghi-Jadid, Cramer and Mintzer) as it details all the information the authors of those three articles expect their readers to already know. Unlike any other article used in the bibliography, Thies does not refer to any new knowledge on his topic, rather presenting statistics and known etiology to the public, he leaves the treatment to doctors such as Cramer and Mintzer. Thie’s article is the perfect place to begin when trying to understand Alzheimer’s disease and he keeps his date updated, publishing a new article of the same name every year.Torrente, M.P. (2012). Boosting serotonin in the brain: Is it time to revamp the treatment of depression? Journal of Psychopharmacology. 26(5). 629-635. Mariana Torrente, in her 2012 paper: “Boosting serotonin in the brain: Is it time to revamp the treatment of depression?” suggests that the use of serotonin synthesizing catalyst, Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) can improve treatment of patients suffering from major depressive symptoms. Torrente supports her suggestion by thoroughly explaining the production of serotonin and it’s effect on the brain as well as TPH’s role in depression. Her purpose is to bring to light TPH’s potential to treating depression in order to improve pharmaceutical management of depression overall. Her intended audience is pharmacists and researchers interested on using serotonin based drugs for treating depression and she targets this audience by publishing in a well-known pharmaceutical journal concerned with mental illness.“Boosting serotonin in the brain: Is it time to revamp the treatment of depression?” focuses on the pharmaceutical aspect of neuroscience, emphasising drug treatment over psychotherapeutic options. Torrente’s work relates with Millan’s paper: “Improving the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Focus on Serotonin (5-HT) Receptors” as both suggest using serotonin agonist drugs to improve conditions. “Abnormalities in serotonin systems are presumably linked to various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and depression ” states Torrente (2012) in her article, emphasizing to her readers the importance of serotonin to mental health. Millan cements her point in his article, pointing out that the “stimulation of 5-HT1A (serotonin) autoreceptors facilitates their control by neuroleptics, raising the possibility of improved management of refractory patients (2000).” This means that drugs affecting serotonin production can improve mental health on patients. Both doctors agree that a focus on drugs relating to serotonin levels may improve conditions for patients suffering from schizophrenia and depression. Alternatively, Torrente’s paper can be contrasted with papers criticizing sole drug use such as Hollon’s (“Determining what works in depression treatment: Translating research to relational practice using treatment guidelines”). However, Torrente’s paper do not seem to condemn psychotherapeutic practices used in tandem with serotonin stimulating drugs, she just the world to have “newer, more selective generation of antidepressants, able to regulate the levels of serotonin in the brain with fewer side effects (Torrente, 2012).” ................
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