"The brainstem serves as a conduit from the brain to the cranial nerves and spinal cord. As a result, the brainstem is involved with motor, sensory, and special sensory function, as well as regulation of temperature, cardiac function, respiratory function, and consciousness". Michael T. Milano, ... Louis S. Constine, Organ Function and Clinical Significance; Late Effects after Radiation in Clinical Radiation Oncology (Fourth… Continue reading The Brainstem and Bipolar Syndrome
Bipolar Illness Puzzle
What I do not understand is how doctors, especially psychiatrists, could fail to look for and piece together the physiological puzzle pieces found in bipolar states in order to figure out what is physically wrong with these patients? There have been 3 decades of medical and technological advances in medicine, all of which have passed… Continue reading Bipolar Illness Puzzle
Deranged Physiology
Is deranged physiology the cause of manic depressive illness? Do not ask the doctors that diagnose and treat these patients because they do not know. They are traditionally not interested in physiology, normal or deranged. Yet, one of their own, famously found evidence of deranged breathing in thousands of untreated patients during both depressive and… Continue reading Deranged Physiology
Breathing, Muscles, Mind
It is our opinion that attacks of chronic Altered Mental Status, whether called delirium, dementia, or psychosis are physical signs of critical illness. And they should be carefully worked up as such. The first investigation is a simple one; these cases should be examined for signs of deranged physiology. And the first thing which should… Continue reading Breathing, Muscles, Mind
Hidden Injury to the Ventilatory Pump
Sleep disturbance is very important to the development of depression. There is evidence that both increased sleep disturbance and depression seems to involve previously unknown effects on the mechanical and neural properties of the respiratory muscles. Rault C, Sangaré A, Diaz V, Ragot S, Frat J-P, Raux M, et al. Impact of sleep deprivation on respiratory motor output and endurance: a physiological study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020;201:976–983. Laghi F, Shaikh… Continue reading Hidden Injury to the Ventilatory Pump
Impact of anxiety and depression on respiratory symptoms
Paula and I think that there is a strong possibility that anxiety and depression, especially when severe enough to cause neurotoxic symptoms, that is, symptoms that are incapacitating and chronic , should be evaluated for neuromuscular injury causing chronically abnormal respiratory rates at rest plus be given a spirometry exam. Both are important in order… Continue reading Impact of anxiety and depression on respiratory symptoms
You cannot possibly know…
............Imagine waking up one morning feeling an abnormal sense of dread and going to work [as a college teacher ] only to find out that you do not remember how to give the lecture you gave yesterday. If that happens to you then it is already too late. You will not know what is… Continue reading You cannot possibly know…
Attacks of Bipolar Illness or Encephalopathy?
Encephalopathy : Definition: "A disorder of the brain that can be caused by disease, injury, drugs, or chemicals". The National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/encephalopathy#:~:text=Listen%20to%20pronunciation,injury%2C%20drugs%2C%20or%20chemicals. "Encephalopathy" means damage or disease that affects the brain. It happens when there’s been a change in the way your brain works or a change in your body that affects your brain. Those changes… Continue reading Attacks of Bipolar Illness or Encephalopathy?
Why aren’t doctors measuring respiratory rates at rest, especially during bipolar attacks [attacks of insanity]?..as a start to looking for neuromuscular problems affecting breathing…..
Because they do not know to. They have not yet thought of how our muscles are connected to our ability to breathe and how the motor act of breathing is related to "sanity" or how injuries to our ability to breathe result in episodes of insanity [and accompanying mood changes as well as neurotoxic effects.… Continue reading Why aren’t doctors measuring respiratory rates at rest, especially during bipolar attacks [attacks of insanity]?..as a start to looking for neuromuscular problems affecting breathing…..
Bipolar Attacks of Insanity; ; Results of Episodic Neuromuscular Respiratory Failure ?
Paula thinks so....based on her loss of eupneic breathing discussed in the last blogpost. And we think that Dr Emile Kraepelin and his students, would have agreed....based on their studies with thousands of untreated severely bipolar patients, done over 100+ years ago. Dr Kraepelin's methods were practical, concrete and easy to try to replicate today… Continue reading Bipolar Attacks of Insanity; ; Results of Episodic Neuromuscular Respiratory Failure ?
Of Sound Mind 