Breaking The Barriers Of Depression
According to a 2009 report by the U.S.
Mental Health
Tragic Result: Sniper Tries To Help Troubled Veteran
Chris Kyle was one of the deadliest American military snipers in history. In February, the former Navy SEAL was shot and killed — not on the battlefield, but on the homefront at the hands of a fellow veteran. David Greene talks to Nicholas Schmidle, who reports in the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine how these two men and their invisible scars of war intersected tragically.
Studies Question Potential Alzheimer's Treatment
Last year scientists reported that a skin cancer drug appeared to reverse the effects of an Alzheimer's-like disease in mice. But four studies out this week in Science question the original results. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, talks about the new findings, and the hunt for Alzheimer's drugs.
Oliver Sacks: Hallucinations
In his latest book Hallucinations, neurologist Oliver Sacks collects stories of individuals who can see, hear and smell things that aren't really there--such as strange voices, or collages of unrecognizable faces--and explores the disorders and drugs that can produce such illusions. This interview was originally broadcast on November 9, 2012.
Alzheimer's Cases Rise, But Hope Remains
More than 5 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease, and the number is only going to increase — in part, due to aging baby boomers. But researchers say increased awareness and early detection is helping patients live with the disease.
Why Is Psychiatry's New Manual So Much Like The Old One?
Unlike cardiology and most other fields of medicine, psychiatry still hasn't developed discrete, biological tests for diagnosing illnesses of the mind. That's because the brain "hasn't yielded its secrets yet," one psychiatrist says.
Analyzing The Language Of Suicide Notes To Help Save Lives
About a third of people who attempt suicide leave a note. John Pestian and others at Cincinnati Children's Hospital are merging psychology and computer analysis to see if such notes can help diagnose suicidal tendencies in the living.
The Myth Of Multitasking
How long can you go without checking email, or glancing at your smartphone? Clifford Nass, a psychology professor at Stanford University, says today's nonstop multitasking actually wastes more time than it saves--and he says there's evidence it may be killing our concentration and creativity too.
Microexpressions: More Than Meets The Eye
David Matsumoto, a psychology professor at San Francisco State University, trains national security officials and police officers to recognize "microexpressions"--fleeting, split-second flashes of emotion across someone's face. Matsumoto says those subtle cues may reveal how an interview subject is feeling, helping officials to hone their line of questioning.
Colorado Weighs Reopening Psychiatric Hospital For Homeless
Colorado's Democratic governor wants to move mentally ill homeless people to Fort Lyon, a former psychiatric hospital and prison in the southeast corner of the state. Critics say it would make more sense to rent apartments for the people in the neighborhoods where they are now.