Does the patient have Lewy body dementia or Alzhiemer’s?

Dementia is an umbrella term for diseases that deteriorate cognitive functions making it difficult for patients to perform simple daily tasks. Lewy bodies are small deposits of protein in brain cells, called alpha-synuclein. In the early 1900’s, neurologist Dr. Freiderich H. Lewy accidentally discovered Lewy body dementia while conducting research on Parkinson’s disease.

Lewy body dementia is a condition where the patient’s mental and physical abilities rapidly decline. Its effects are a kind of combination of the effects of Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s. One of the first symptoms of Lewy body dementia is visual hallucinations. Patient may see animals, shapes or even people that aren’t there. Hallucinations can also extend to sound, smell or touch. The patients’ autonomous nervous system begins to glitch. Our pulse, blood pressure and sweat glands are regulated by a part of the nervous system which is severely affected by Lewy body dementia causing frequent falls, dizziness and bowel issues. Patients also face difficulties sleeping or paying attention. They may also suffer from depression and apathy. Patients experience cognitive symptoms of Alzhiemer’s such as confusion, visual-spatial issues and memory loss. They also go through Parkinsonian signs such as slowed movement, rigid muscles and difficulties walking.

The demographic at risk are statistically men, over the age of 60 and the condition is hereditary. If complications persist, patients can suffer severe dementia and depression as well as aggressive behaviour and worsened Parkinson’s symptoms. On average, the patient may pass away approximately eight years after symptoms start.

Looking at how complicated the symptoms of this disease are, one can easily understand how it can be misdiagnosed. Surveys show that 80% of lewy body dementia patients are misdiagnosed! Out of this percentage, 50% were misdiagnosed with Alzhiemer’s. 15% of patients had to consult over five doctors before getting the right diagnosis. Only 27% were diagnosed correctly within three months after their symptoms began to show. 23% received the right diagnosed within a year. 50% patients got the correct diagnosis after over a year and 20% had to wait for a whole three years before being accurately diagnosed.

This is a fatal situation to be in for a disease that directly and quite severely affects its victim’s brain. Late diagnosis is extremely harmful. Recent studies have shown that Alzhiemer’s and Lewy body disease can be differentiated through the patients walking patterns. Research shows that although both diseases affect the brain, they affect different parts of the brain. Alzheimer's attacks the hippocampus which is responsible for brain formation while Lewy body disease attacks the part of the brain that controls movement and certain fragments of memory. When a study was conducted, it showed that patients with Alzheimer’s rarely showed variation in their walking pattern while Lewy body dementia patients all had unique walking patterns with variation in the time it took to take a step or the amount of steps they could take at a time. The researchers, through this study, could differentiate between the disease with an accuracy of 60%. This is the very first study that has come through with these findings that could prevent misdiagnosis before it’s too late.

Science continues to advance in their findings to combat and cure life-threatening diseases so humans can live a long and healthy life. SMBT continues to educate their audience about the latest research in the medical field. Stay tuned for more interesting and informative blogs on www.smbt.edu.in

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The Origin of Violent Behavior

In recent times, a commonly noticed pattern in our society are cases of common men turning against their own families or the most unexpected next-door neighbour or even a family member you have known for years turning out to be an abuser. No matter what the day is, your local news will have at least a couple of violence-related crime stories to report. Why is it that when a man is a little more than slightly inconvenienced, their instinct is to react violently? This week, SMBT looks into the reason behind one’s aggressive and violent behavior.

The Early Years

Taking into consideration the case study of any serial killer ever to exist, we can safely conclude that the environment and people involved in the upbringing of a child are vital to the person they grow up to become.

Children are highly impressionable and learn quickly from their surroundings in their formative years. If they are brought up in an abusive household, it is obvious that they would pick up similar patterns of behavior. Even if we observe violence at a basic level, children who are exposed to TV shows or video games portraying aggressive and/or destructive behavior or a parental figures who frequently solve issues via aggression, their young minds are conditioned to think that it is a normal way of dealing with situations or a common coping mechanism.

Mental Disorders

Mental disorders are severely damaging to their victims as well as their victim’s surroundings. As we mentioned in our previous blog, poor mental health can lead to extreme measures such as suicide. Suicide could be considered a violent act inflicted on oneself. Individuals project this behavior onto others too. Victims of severe schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder and more have the possibility to develop psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies. These tendencies, if allowed to strengthen can deem to be extremely harmful for the society they exist in.

Mental illnesses, stemming from severe imbalance in brain chemicals, if left untreated can truly turn man into monster. Research shows that severe aggression is linked to alarmingly low levels of serotonin chemical in the brain. It is also said that prolonged unchecked aggression can change serotonin levels and the brains’ functioning, increasing violent tendencies.

Self-image

It is common for individuals to project their insecurities onto others. They like to make people feel inferior to mute their insecurities and feel better about themselves. Exerting violence is a way of asserting dominance for many. This is the pattern seen in bullies. They treat people like they have a lower worth or value to combat an internal struggle for attention and confidence. The need to assert dominance is also seen in sexual predators.

People who battle with self-worth and confidence issues are probably victim to one or both of the themes discussed previously. It could be parental negligence, mental disorders or a combination of the two that lead to their inferior self-image.

The human mind is powerful and complex. This is a boon and a curse as this power can be used to train the mind for the better or for worse. One may notice that the aforementioned causes of aggression and violence are often times interlinked with one another. There are numerous internal and external factors that drive human beings to become the people they do. What’s important is that one is self aware where they come from and recognizes unhealthy patterns of behavior and seeks help for themselves or a loved one to make sure their in their healthiest state of mind.


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The Suicide Stigma

There is a lot of conversation around the concept of suicide in our society. The overall institution of mental health is not openly talked about in many regions of India. One may say that the prolonged ignorance of deterioration mental health could result in suicide. This Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, SMBT takes a closer look into the status of suicide in India.

“But he was so happy, why did he do it?”

“She was always the life of the party. Makes you wonder why she would make this decision.”

“He had everything, why would he kill himself?”

The most common question that people have is, “why?” The simplest answer to this question is the popular saying, “Everything is not what it seems.” One can never be sure about what really goes on in someone else’s mind. But of course, there are reasons that are more explanatory. This blog is meant to focus solely on abolishing the stigma around mental health, but to achieve that we must first understand the institution of mental health and answer the ‘why’ question, scientifically.

In the medical field, suicide is linked with depression. In our society, symptoms of depression are often mistaken for laziness or disinterest in things. In theory, these are real symptoms, but they are not excuses for one’s incompetence. Patients suffering from depression are physically unable to bring hope, happiness or basic interest in their lives. There is an extensive amount of research being conducted about the physical tell-all signs of the illness. The most common diagnosis of depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, but there seems to be a lot more to it. Studies show a difference in brain structure, glitches in the functioning of neurotransmitters and more. This helps us better understand how mental illnesses can physically affect its victim. Mental illnesses are not always triggered by external life events, they can also, like many physical illnesses, be hereditary.

From the information above, we can successfully answer the ‘why’ surrounding suicide. An individual’s financial or family status does not determine what is going on in their mind and their brain activity. y We can also understand that suicide isn’t a conscious choice or as most say, ‘the easy way out’. Mental illnesses that are left untreated for a long period of time drive their victims to take such harsh measures. It is often said that they aren’t looking to end their life, they’re just looking to end the pain within them. The impact depression has on the brain causes physical pain to the patient’s body. A kind of pain that painkillers are often not enough to numb. This is where patients develop habits of substance and drug abuse.

Now that we fully understand why someone would resort to something as severe as suicide to get away from their mental illness, leaving behind their seemingly well to do lives and families, let us look at a few demograpic statistics in India to better understand what leads individuals to take this decision in the Indian society. 800,000 people succumb to suicide worldwide, yearly. Out of which 17%, i.e. 135,000 are Indian residents. The top five reasons for suicide are marriage-related issues. Research shows that there are twice as many male suicide cases than that of females. In fact, until two years ago, suicide was considered a criminal offence! What do we understand from these statistics? There seems to be a hidden conversation about the ideology of toxic masculinity. Men in Indian societies are not allowed to be expressive about their feelings and emotions. Any emotion that isn’t stable or a composed demeanour is considered a sign of weakness. This prohibits men and to an extent many women in India to openly communicate their mental health issues, in fear of being shamed by their families and peers. This promotes prolonged untreated mental illnesses that lead to extreme measures of taking one’s own life.

The most important takeaways from this blog are that firstly, mental illnesses are not excuses to be lazy or lethargic and must be treated like one would with any physical ailment. Suicide can be defined as the result of prolonged, untreated mental illness. Our society has a long way to go with accepting the expression of human emotion regardless of the age, gender, occupation, or any other factors. The stigma around suicide can only be eliminated when we, as a society, abolish the stereotype of voicing feelings being a sign of weakness. Once we allow open conversation about mental health without judgement, individuals who may be going through something will have the confidence to talk about it and ask for help, before it’s too late.


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HOW TECHNOLOGY IS AFFECTING OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

Technology has slowly made space for itself in everybody's lives. With eighty-seven percent of millennials stating that their smartphone never leaves their side, 80% of them checking their smartphone first thing in the morning and 88% using the camera on their smartphone weekly, we can determine the extent to which we have become dependent on technology.

While this technology can very conveniently help us learn about new things, it can also affect our physical and mental health. And since we are always in the contact of technology in some form or the other, it is imperative to check on how it is affecting us physically in various ways.

Sedentary lifestyle
While technology is meant to add to our efficiency, it also encourages a sedentary lifestyle. A study proves that there is a direct connection between prolonged sitting and life longevity. Hence, if you are a person who works the whole day in front of your computer or laptop and then goes back home to watching TV or using mobile phones for entertainment, SMBT Group of Institutes suggests you some kind of movement to ensure that you live a healthy and long life.

Sleep disorders
Prolonged exposure to screens and the subsequent emission of blue light reduces the levels of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep and allows for increased alertness the following morning. As a result, the number of cases of people having troubled sleep is increasing. A research conducted in 2015 states that 93% of Indians are sleep deprived for various reasons. The anxiety behind not receiving a call or a text, or using phones till late at night is adding to this percentile. SMBT Group of Institutes suggests proper sleep hygiene, including limiting the use of light-emitting devices or smartphones close to bedtime.

Vision issues
70% of adults have experienced some symptoms of eyestrain from digital device usage, including using small cell phone screens to watch videos and movies. Prolonged exposure to screens can cause dry eyes, light sensitivity, double vision, fatigue, and headaches. SMBT Group of Institutes advices the 20-20-20 rule to counter this problem. When working with screens, take a 20 second break every 20 minutes and look 20 feet away. Using screens at appropriate distances and using cool gray color as the backdrop can also help.


Muscle strain
Using phones, computers or laptops for longer periods of time can create a strain in our neck and back. Constant scrolling or playing games using thumbs can cause a condition called ‘text thumb’. The arms, elbows and fingers too get strained when too much time is spent holding a cellphone to the ear, resting elbows on a desk, or keeping arms bent in an acute angle. SMBT Group of Institutes recommends using both the hands to reduce appendage and change in the position of arms.

While not much can be done about the nature of the jobs we do or the ever increasing link between the real and virtual world, a lot can be done on creating a balance between the two. See to that you limit your time on the screens and make sure that you provide your body with some kind of movement everyday. We hope that these facts and tips help you in some way. Here’s wishing you a healthy screen time!

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SMBT: A Student-friendly and academics-worthy campus.

It is a known fact that having good infrastructure and a healthy learning environment in educational institutes is decisive for students to achieve the expected academic results. In other words, the campus and infrastructure directly impact the performance of the students.

The fact is that a good infrastructure, with renewed spaces, makes it possible for youths that live in remote areas to study and, in addition, tends to improve the attendance and interest of students and teachers in learning. For this same reason, investments in college infrastructure have an essential role in solving access problems of students to the college system and to improve their performance.

SMBT group of institutes provides a healthy and positive environment that facilitates learning.

SMBT Educational trust was founded in the year 1984, with an aim to provide free education to children of economically deprived class of the tribal society. Later, a multi-specialty charitable hospital was started with the sole aim of providing help to the rural people in need of medical care.

The educational institutes under SMBT trust include:

1. SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.
2. SMBT Dental College & Hospital.
3. SMBT Ayurveda College & Hospital.
4. SMBT College of Pharmacy (B Pharm & M Pharm).
5. SMBT Institute of Pharmacy (D Pharm).
6. Jai Hind Tribal School. 

All the above institutes have modern and spacious building to accommodate all the classes, library and laboratory within the institute campus. A separate multipurpose building complex is provided to cater to extra-curricular needs of the students.

Library

The institute has an excellent collection of technical books including textbooks, reference books, competitive examination books and handbooks.

Laboratories

The institute has fully established laboratories as per norms of the SPPU and AICTE.

IT Resource Center

We have full fledged computers and peripherals laboratory with high end PCs and with good internet speed.

Sports Facilities

The institute has adequate facilities for indoor as well as outdoor games.

Hostels

Hostel facilities are well defined with separate hostels for girls and boys. All necessary amenities such as food, cleaning, entertainment are taken care of.

Transport

Three buses have been provided for conveyance of students from various parts of Nashik City to campus and back.

Canteen

Keeping in mind the nutritional requirements of students, canteen facilities have been made available in the campus. Adequate care is taken to ensure maintenance of hygiene standards.

Properly planned infrastructure is an out-and-out key factor in effective teaching and learning experience. It also plays as a simulator for increased student attendance and staff motivation.

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MEDICAL MYSTERIES

 

Medical Industry has developed and advanced in past 50 years. New treatments, various type of modern equipment, vaccines are being introduced for a better and healthy life for human beings. However, there comes a speed bump in this ever-advancing field. Diseases, genetic conditions, and conundrums rise from almost any part of the world and leave even the best and well-equipped scientists and doctors baffled.

Here is a list of medical mysteries which shook even the renowned medical facilities.

1) Water Allergy

Yes, there's this disease where individuals are allergic to water. It does sound impossible as our own body contains 70% water. They can still drink water and other stuff, its water that comes in contact with the body that causes the problem. The victim's skin starts to erupt in itchy red welts when they take a bath or shower. This rare condition is known medically as aquagenic urticaria. It first came to light in 1964. Its cause is still a mystery, but doctors deduced that it might be due to toxic response when water touches the skin, or due to extreme sensitivity to ions in water.

2) Chimeric People

It's a strange anomaly. Imagine a person went through a genetic test and found out that he/she is not the biological father/mother- despite the fact that he/she gave birth to them. It was an unfeigned case that Margot Kruskal, a doctor at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, came face to face with such five years ago. The patient needed a kidney transplant, and so her family underwent blood tests to see if any of them would make a suitable donor. When the results came back, she was hoping for good news. Instead, she received a hammer blow. The letter told her outright that two of her three sons could not be hers. No one knows how common chimeras are but due to changing evolution and genetic diversification, cases like such might come to light.

3) Foreign Accent Syndrome

You woke up in the morning with an accent different than what you have been using since all these years. Chances are that you are suffering from Foreign Accent Syndrome. The best-known case of this syndrome dates way back to 1941, where a Norwegian woman was repudiated after she was injured during an air raid and began talking with a heavy German accent. This syndrome was once contemplated as a psychological disorder but later was ruled out for being a neurological disorder which comes about when a stroke or injury damages the part of the brain associated with speech.

4) Tree man

We all have heard of this syndrome, haven't we ? Dede, a man from West Java, Indonesia, appeared to be half man, half tree. But what was the reason for this deformation ? Thankfully this mystery has been recently solved. It appeared that a rare immune deficiency which allows the human papillomavirus, better known as warts when goes out of control, thickening of skin takes place which starts spreading across the whole body.
 

5) Putrid finger

A distressing case study was found from a 1996 issue of the medical journal The Lancet. A 29-year-old man had pricked his fingers on a chicken bone 5 years previously, leaving him with an infection which made him smell terrible.

"The most disabling consequence of the infection was a putrid smell emanating from the affected arm , which could be detected across a large room , and when confined to a smaller examination room became almost intolerable”, the paper states.

The cause of the infection was identified and the wound did not respond to any antibiotics. The patient was treated by a dermatologist at Peter Holt of the University Hospital of Wales where it was later reported that the patient's infection cleared up spontaneously, and he no longer smells putrid. But the case still remains a mystery .

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