INTERESTING TIMES

notes from an article in the Boston Globe by Emily Anthes
Inside the bullied brain; The alarming neuroscience of taunting
( notes )

The "rare syndromes" that are associated with multiple lipomas, according to my minor surgery notes, are "Gardner's syndrome and two benign conditions--multiple symmetrical lipomatosis and Dercum's disease. In the latter, the lipomas are painful". I had to look it up because my sister's husband is covered in them, and because in the last 2 years I've begun to develop them all over my body including strange locations such as over the biceps femoris tendon in my posteriolateral popliteal area--very small so far--I suspect a hormonal etiology. More occur in women after menopause, and familial types onset at adolescence. With some types there is an increased incidence of breast, endometrial and thyroid cancer. Sounds like it may be related with estrogen dominance. This would be supported by the increased incidence with obesity. There is also an association with multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (lipomas and pancreatic, parathyroid, pitutitary tumors). The list of hormonal associations increases the deeper I dig. There are also fat deposits associated with spina bifida. Looks like nobody has studied hormones in lipomatosis patients, but based on my short survey I have just now formed the opinion that is expressed in the title of this entry.
( notes: fyi, when something is marked with triple questionmarks it means that the source is not convincing and I kinda doubt it, but I'm recording it for future reference anyway )

postpartum depression is common
new neurobiological model to explain:
decr estrogen-->incr MAO-A binding-->low mood & risk for depression
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67:468-474.
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“Although the bromide ion is widely distributed in nature, the main route of exposure in humans stems from bromide residues in food commodities as a result of the abundant use of bromide-containing pesticides, like methylbromide and ethylene dibromide, for soil fumigation in intensive horticulture and for postharvest treatment.” --van Leeuwen
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Last night I listened to This American Life on NPR, and as usual, the program was fascinating and well done. This particular program was the story of how homosexuality transitioned from being considered a pathology (a result of "close binding mothers" and "detached rejecting fathers") to being seen among psychiatrists as a "normal variant".
( more, originally posted 5/14/07, moved forward to 2/10 )

Why progesterone causes mood changes
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