Abused Children at Risk for Adult Obesity | Psych Central News

 A new UK study finds that children who have suffered maltreatment are 36 percent more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children.
Researchers from King’s College London estimate that the prevention or effective treatment of seven cases of child maltreatment could prevent one case of adult obesity.

Abused Children at Risk for Adult Obesity | Psych Central News

Life Expectancy Gap Widens Between Those With Mental Illness And General Population

 But majority of deaths are due to physical conditions, not suicide

The gap between life expectancy in patients with a mental illness and the general population has widened since 1985 and efforts to reduce this gap should focus on improving physical health, suggest researchers in a paper published today on bmj.com.

Life Expectancy Gap Widens Between Those With Mental Illness And General Population

Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress

 Why is fish oil good for the heart? A new study suggests that this omega 3 fatty acid-rich nutrient could blunt some cardiovascular effects of mental stress.

Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress

Fluoride Action Network | Portland’s Vote Reflects Recent Scientific Findings on Fluoridation’s Risks

 Portland, Oregon, the largest U.S. city without fluoridation chemicals added to its drinking water, rejected water fluoridation Tuesday in an election watched around the country.

Fluoride Action Network | Portland’s Vote Reflects Recent Scientific Findings on Fluoridation’s Risks

Barred From Living Together, Newlyweds Offered Joint Placement - Disability Scoop

 More than a month after marrying, a couple with intellectual disabilities who were forced to remain in separate group homes may soon be able to live together.
Paul Forziano, 30, and Hava Samuels, 36, sued their Manorville, N.Y. group homes earlier this year for the right to live as husband and wife.
The two married in April, but continue to reside in separate facilities three miles apart because administrators at the residences would not allow the couple to move in together.
But now Forziano and Samuels may soon get their wish. They’ve been offered a joint placement at a Riverhead, N.Y. group home were they plan to move July 1, according to court documents.
“Renovations to the room where Paul and Hava would stay were recently completed. One week ago Paul and Hava visited the room for the first time and liked it,” the couple’s attorneys wrote in a letter sent to U.S. District Judge Leonard D. Wexler on Monday. “Paul and Hava are very eager to begin living together as a married couple.”

Barred From Living Together, Newlyweds Offered Joint Placement - Disability Scoop

Outbreak: The Epidemic of Stress In College Students

Outbreak: The Epidemic of Stress In College Students

New DSM Brings Change, Assurances For Those With Autism - Disability Scoop

For the first time in more than a decade, a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be unveiled this weekend and with it comes major change to the way autism is diagnosed.
The American Psychiatric Association is releasing the fifth edition of the DSM at its annual meeting beginning Saturday in San Francisco. The new version marks the first major update since 1994 of the so-called psychiatric bible which is relied on by everyone from mental health professionals to researchers and insurers to determine what symptoms merit a diagnosis.
New DSM Brings Change, Assurances For Those With Autism - Disability Scoop

CDC: Millions Of American Kids Have Mental Disorders - Disability Scoop

In a first-of-its-kind report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that as many as 1 in 5 American children has a mental disorder including autism.
The report released Thursday focuses on kids ages 3 to 17 between the years 2005 and 2011. It is said to be the most comprehensive federal look at children’s mental health issues to date.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, was the most common diagnosis, with nearly 7 percent of kids affected. Meanwhile, behavioral or conduct problems touched 3.5 percent of children while 3 percent had anxiety and roughly 2 percent were diagnosed with depression, the CDC found.
CDC: Millions Of American Kids Have Mental Disorders - Disability Scoop

EEOC Issues Guidance For Workers With Intellectual Disabilities - Disability Scoop

 The agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s employment discrimination laws is taking steps to clarify the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in the workplace.
In a document released this week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission attempts to simplify the often confusing laws surrounding worker rights and workplace accommodations.
EEOC Issues Guidance For Workers With Intellectual Disabilities - Disability Scoop

ADA.gov homepage

 All new redesign. Check it out!!

ADA.gov homepage

Personality Changes Associated with Weight Gain | Psych Central News

 A new study looks at the relationship between fluctuations in body weight and personality traits.
Florida State University researchers discovered people who gain weight are more likely to give in to temptations but also are more thoughtful about their actions.
The study is published in Psychological Science.
To understand how fluctuations in body weight might relate to personality changes, Angelina Sutin, Ph.D., and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) examined data from two large-scale longitudinal studies of Baltimore residents.
Personality Changes Associated with Weight Gain | Psych Central News

Long-Term Use of Pain Meds Linked to Erectile Dysfunction | Psych Central News

 Eighty percent, if not more, of the public has experienced back pain. Despite the best technology, the latest in surgical practices and the most advanced rehabilitative techniques, pain may persist, compromising sleep and in some cases, helping bring on depression.
Long-Term Use of Pain Meds Linked to Erectile Dysfunction | Psych Central News

Prayer Can Facilitate Forgiveness | Psych Central News

 New research suggests prayer can be a powerful agent to aid relationship reconciliation.
Florida State University researchers found that praying for a romantic partner or close friend can lead to more cooperative and forgiving behavior toward the partner.
Experts say the findings are the first in which the partners who are the subject of the prayers reported a positive change in the behavior of the person who prayed, said Frank D. Fincham, Ph.D., director of the Florida State University Family Institute.
Prayer Can Facilitate Forgiveness | Psych Central News

More Sleep Lowers Suicide Risk For Insomniacs | Psych Central News

 A lack of sleep can literally be a killer as people with insomnia are more apt to initiate suicidal actions.
A new study suggests helping people with insomnia get more sleep significantly reduces the thoughts of suicide.
Specifically, researchers discovered that every one-hour increase in sleep duration was associated with a 72 percent decrease in the likelihood of moderate or high suicide risk.
More Sleep Lowers Suicide Risk For Insomniacs | Psych Central News

Non-Communicable Disease Care And Mental Health Care Should Be Addressed Together

 Non-communicable diseases (NCD) and mental disorders each constitute a huge portion of the worldwide health care burden, and often occur together, so they should be addressed together. These are the conclusions of the third article in a series published in PLOS Medicine that provides a global perspective on integrating mental health.

Non-Communicable Disease Care And Mental Health Care Should Be Addressed Together

Traumatic Brain Injuries Among The Military Linked To Suicidal Thoughts Risk

Researchers at the National Center for Veterans Studies, Salt Lake City, Utah, reported that the suicide risk among people in the military increases according to the number of lifetime traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) they have had. They published their findings in JAMA Psychiatry.

Traumatic Brain Injuries Among The Military Linked To Suicidal Thoughts Risk

Targeting Frequent Health Care Users With Severe Addictions

 A program co-led by St. Michael's Hospital could be the next widely used model to treat patients who are frequent users of the health care system and have severe addictions, often complicated by homelessness and mental health problems.
Targeting Frequent Health Care Users With Severe Addictions

Many public pools contaminated with human waste, CDC says

There are few things more inviting than a cool, clear pool on a hot summer day. But a new federal report will have you thinking twice before dipping a toe in the water.
Many public pools contaminated with human waste, CDC says

Body mass index of low income African-Americans linked to proximity of fast food restaurants

 African-American adults living closer to a fast food restaurant had a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who lived further away from fast food, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and this association was particularly strong among those with a lower income.
Body mass index of low income African-Americans linked to proximity of fast food restaurants

Researchers say they are shocked by new statistics on head injuries among people who are homeless

 Men who are heavy drinkers and homeless for long periods of time have 400 times the number of head injuries as the general population, according to a new study by researchers who said they were shocked by their findings.
Researchers say they are shocked by new statistics on head injuries among people who are homeless

Increase In Access To Routine, Preventive Care For Children, Low-Income Adults Revealed By First Economic Analysis Of Practicing Dental Therapists

A new report assessing the economic viability of services provided by practicing midlevel dental providers in the U.S. shows that they are expanding preventive dental care to people who need it most: children and those who can't afford care. At the same time, they are providing that care at a reduced cost to the dental practice. The report, released today by Community Catalyst, determined that midlevel dental providers currently practicing in Alaska and Minnesota cost their employers 27 and 29 percent respectively of the revenue they generate. 


Increase In Access To Routine, Preventive Care For Children, Low-Income Adults Revealed By First Economic Analysis Of Practicing Dental Therapists

Clues To Tooth Regeneration Provided By Alligator Stem Cell Study

 Alligators may help scientists learn how to stimulate tooth regeneration in people, according to new research led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

For the first time, a global team of researchers led by USC pathology Professor Cheng-Ming Chuong, M.D., Ph.D., has uncovered unique cellular and molecular mechanisms behind tooth renewal in American alligators. Their study, titled "Specialized stem cell niche enables repetitive renewal of alligator teeth," appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences.

Clues To Tooth Regeneration Provided By Alligator Stem Cell Study

Dr. Joyce Brothers, Psychologist Who Dispensed Advice to Millions, Dies at 85 - NYTimes.com

 Joyce Brothers, a former academic psychologist who long before Drs. Ruth, Phil and Laura was counseling millions over the airwaves, died on Monday at her home in Fort Lee, N.J. She was 85.

Dr. Joyce Brothers, Psychologist Who Dispensed Advice to Millions, Dies at 85 - NYTimes.com

New Guidelines for Using Exercise as an Antidepressant | Psych Central News

Exercise has been proven as an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), and now there is sufficient research to help doctors prescribe the proper dose of exercise for depressed patients, according to a new report in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
“Despite the substantial evidence supporting the use of exercise in the treatment of MDD, previous studies have not provided a clear indication of the proper dose of exercise needed to elicit an antidepressant effect,” said Chad Rethorst, PhD, and Madhukar Trivedi, MD, of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

New Guidelines for Using Exercise as an Antidepressant | Psych Central News

Child Neurodevelopmental And Mental Health Disabilities On The Rise, Children's Hospital Of Pittsburgh Of UPMC Study Finds

 More children have disabilities now than a decade ago, and the greatest increase is among children of higher-income families, according to a Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC study presented today at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.

Results of the study, led by Amy Houtrow, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., chief, Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Children's Hospital, also showed that while disabilities due to neurodevelopmental and mental health problems have increased sharply, disabilities related to physical health conditions have decreased. This trend was most noteworthy among children under 6 years of age whose rate of neurodevelopmental disabilities nearly doubled during the study, from 19 cases to 36 cases per 1,000 children.

Child Neurodevelopmental And Mental Health Disabilities On The Rise, Children's Hospital Of Pittsburgh Of UPMC Study Finds

Poor service, bedside manner top patients' online complaints

 On "rate-your-doctor" websites, patients complain more about poor bedside manner and unprofessional office staff than inadequate medical skills, according to a recent multi-city study published by Vanguard Communications.

Poor service, bedside manner top patients' online complaints

Fluoride Action Network | Portland: Man caught stealing anti-fluoride signs outside campaign HQ

It appears some people on both sides of the Portland fluoride debate are willing to vandalize their opponent’s signs to get their point across.
On Wednesday, we showed you how an anti-fluoride supporter kicked over one pro-fluoride sign, and in another case a pro-fluoride sign was set on fire.
Now we’re also seeing how anti-fluoride signs are being stolen.


Fluoride Action Network | Portland: Man caught stealing anti-fluoride signs outside campaign HQ

USDOJ: St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Agrees to $2.5 Million Settlement to Resolve Housing Discrimination Lawsuits

 The Justice Department announced today that St. Bernard Parish, La., has agreed to a settlement valued at more than $2.5 million to resolve separate lawsuits by the United States and private plaintiffs alleging that the parish sought to restrict rental housing to African Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

 

USDOJ: St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Agrees to $2.5 Million Settlement to Resolve Housing Discrimination Lawsuits

School Restraint, Seclusion Bill Introduced In Congress - Disability Scoop

Lawmakers are renewing their push to enact first-ever federal legislation regulating the use of restraint and seclusion in the nation’s schools.
A bill reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday would limit use of restraint and seclusion in schools, prohibiting the practices altogether except in cases where there is imminent danger of physical injury. The measure would also put in place requirements for staff training and parent notification.


School Restraint, Seclusion Bill Introduced In Congress - Disability Scoop

Study: Nearly 1 In 3 With Autism Socially Isolated - Disability Scoop

Young adults with autism are often left out socially, with new research finding they are less likely to receive phone calls and invites from friends than even those with other types of developmental disabilities.
In a study looking at the experiences of young people who received special education services, researchers found that those on the spectrum are facing a particularly rocky transition to adulthood socially.
Nearly 40 percent of young adults with autism never saw friends and half were not receiving any phone calls or being invited to activities, according to research published recently in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Strikingly, researchers said that 28 percent had no social contact at all.


Study: Nearly 1 In 3 With Autism Socially Isolated - Disability Scoop

Debate Persists Over Pay For Disability Caregivers - Disability Scoop

 As a home health aide, Nicole Fletcher, 40, provides personal assistance to the elderly, people with disabilities and those living with chronic conditions in their own homes. She assists them with activities of daily living — including bathing, dressing and eating — and, on occasion, she often stays to help them overnight.
“Sometimes there will be 24-hour cases because the client needs care and cannot be left alone depending on their condition,” she said.

Debate Persists Over Pay For Disability Caregivers - Disability Scoop

Is ‘Fluoridegate’ the new civil-rights scandal?

 You think this is bad? Google "Pharmaceuticals in the water supply" for a real horror story. Look for the article by USA Today.

Is ‘Fluoridegate’ the new civil-rights scandal?

Feds To Move Away From DSM - Disability Scoop

Just weeks before a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is scheduled for release, the head of the National Institute of Mental Health says it’s time to change how mental conditions are categorized.
The agency will be redirecting its research focus away from the symptom-based diagnostic criteria of the DSM toward more scientifically verifiable standards, the mental health agency’s director, Thomas Insel, wrote in a recent blog post.
By shifting away from thinking about mental disorders as they are currently classified in the DSM, Insel says researchers will be able to establish a new diagnostic system based on emerging science.
“Unlike our definitions of ischemic heart disease, lymphoma or AIDS, the DSM diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of clinical symptoms, not any objective laboratory measure,” Insel wrote. “Patients with mental disorders deserve better.”


Feds To Move Away From DSM - Disability Scoop

New Autism Brain Bank In Works - Disability Scoop

A new multi-site network will launch this fall to collect brain samples for autism research in an effort to accelerate understanding of the developmental disorder.
The network known as Autism BrainNet will be an expansion of Autism Speaks’ Autism Tissue Program and will be the first such initiative to have sites across the country dedicated to acquiring, processing, storing and distributing brain tissue, organizers said.
Scientists say studying brain samples is the best way to understand autism, but such specimens are in short supply. The need for donations became even more urgent last year when a freezer malfunction at a Massachusetts brain bank left one-third of the world’s largest collection of autism brain samples unusable, though backers say the network set to launch later this year was already in the works when the failure occurred.


New Autism Brain Bank In Works - Disability Scoop

In Decade's Time, Childhood Disabilities Rise 16 Percent - Disability Scoop

 Significantly more children have disabilities today as compared to a decade ago, largely due to increased diagnosis of neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions, researchers say.
The prevalence of disability in children grew more than 16 percent in 10 years, according to findings presented Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, a gathering of four leading pediatric organizations held in Washington, D.C.
It’s unclear what’s behind the rise in disability prevalence, though greater diagnosis of autism could be at least partly responsible, said Amy Houtrow of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who is lead author of the study.
Researchers looked at data from the National Health Interview Survey — a poll of more than 100,000 parents of children up to age 17 conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — comparing responses from 2009-2010 to those collected in 2001-2002.

In Decade's Time, Childhood Disabilities Rise 16 Percent - Disability Scoop

After Flight Diverted, Teen With Special Needs Goes Missing - Disability Scoop

 While flying from Idaho to Florida, a teen with an Asperger’s-like condition found his plane unexpectedly diverted to an unfamiliar city and wound up wandering the streets all alone.
Joshua Arvin, 15, was on his way home from his boarding school when his flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. instead stopped in Tampa. Rather than follow the rest of the passengers to a bus for the remainder of the journey, the teen attempted to make his own way.
Arvin’s mother, Tracy, frantically called the airline and airport police with no luck tracking down her son. She later learned that the teen tried to charter a bus before taking a cab to a local bus station. He was ultimately found on a downtown street corner after 11 p.m by a good Samaritan who called police.
The airline — US Airways — says it does not accept responsibility for unaccompanied minors on connecting flights, reports WTSP, the Tampa CBS affiliate.

After Flight Diverted, Teen With Special Needs Goes Missing - Disability Scoop

Social Security Announces New Mobile Site for Smartphone Users

 Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the agency is offering a new mobile optimized website, specifically aimed at smartphone users across the country.  People visiting the agency’s website, www.socialsecurity.gov, via smartphone (Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows devices) will be redirected to the agency’s new mobile-friendly site. Once there, visitors can access a mobile version of Social Security’s Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive Social Security number (SSN) decision tree to help people identify documents needed for a new/replacement SSN card, and mobile publications which they can listen to in both English and Spanish right on their phone.

Social Security Announces New Mobile Site for Smartphone Users

Children living near toxic waste sites experience higher blood lead levels resulting in lower IQ

Children living near toxic waste sites in lower and middle income countries such as India, Philippines and Indonesia may experience higher blood lead levels, resulting in a loss of IQ points and a higher incidence of mental retardation, according to a study presented today by Kevin Chatham-Stephens, MD, Pediatric Environmental Health Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting on May 6 in Washington, DC.

Children living near toxic waste sites experience higher blood lead levels resulting in lower IQ

States Get Ranked On Disability Services - Disability Scoop

Arizona is the place to be when it comes to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to a new national ranking.
The listing is part of a report set to be released Thursday by United Cerebral Palsy, which ranks disability services in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Specifically, the advocacy organization weighed each state’s track record in promoting independence and productivity, ensuring quality and safety, keeping families together and reaching people in need.


States Get Ranked On Disability Services - Disability Scoop

Jury Awards $240 Million For ADA Violations - Disability Scoop

 A federal jury has awarded $240 million to 32 men with intellectual disabilities for what government attorneys described as years of abuse and discrimination at the hands of their employer.
The men worked at an Iowa turkey processing plant known as Henry’s Turkey Service for 20 years. During that time, they were forced to live in substandard conditions and were subject to verbal and physical harassment, according to a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the Texas-based owner of the facility.

Jury Awards $240 Million For ADA Violations - Disability Scoop

Jobs Report Shows Little Change For People With Disabilities - Disability Scoop

As the economy added 165,000 jobs last month, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday that the employment situation remained largely unchanged for Americans with disabilities.
The unemployment rate in April stood at 12.9 percent for those with disabilities, down just slightly from 13 percent the month prior.


Jobs Report Shows Little Change For People With Disabilities - Disability Scoop

Groups Alarmed By Request To Ease Education Standards - Disability Scoop

 Disability advocates are crying foul after some school districts sought flexibility under federal education rules, a move they say could prove harmful to students with disabilities.
Many states have received waivers in recent years alleviating them from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. But after California was denied a waiver, several school districts within the state banded together earlier this year to ask the U.S. Department of Education to grant them exemptions independent of the state.

Groups Alarmed By Request To Ease Education Standards - Disability Scoop

Is Depression Overdiagnosed & Overtreated in US? | Psych Central News

A new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests Americans are overdiagnosed and overtreated for depression.
Researchers examined adults with depression identified by a doctor or other medical professional, and individuals who experienced major depressive episodes within a 12-month period.


Is Depression Overdiagnosed & Overtreated in US? | Psych Central News

Twitter Analysis Finds Spike in Adderall Use, Misuse At Exam Time | Psych Central News

As the spring semester nears the end, a growing number of college students are tweeting about their use of the ADHD medication Adderall.
Twitter allows experts and policymakers the opportunity to track the use of Adderall, in much the same way an outbreak of influenza can be followed as it works its way across the nation.


Twitter Analysis Finds Spike in Adderall Use, Misuse At Exam Time | Psych Central News

Integrating Mental Health Services Around The World Is An Urgent Priority

The first article in a landmark series to help health care workers and providers, donors, and decision makers understand the importance of including mental health care in global health programs is being published in this week's PLOS Medicine.

Giving a global perspective on integrating mental health into health services around the world, the series focuses on mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders. Although these disorders account for an increasing burden of disease, affected people often lack access to mental health care in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. 

Integrating Mental Health Services Around The World Is An Urgent Priority

Troubling levels of toxic metals found in lipstick

A new analysis of the contents of lipstick and lip gloss may cause you to pause before puckering. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses commonly found in drugstores and department stores. They detected lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals, some of which were found at levels that could raise potential health concerns. Their findings will be published online Thursday, May 2, in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Troubling levels of toxic metals found in lipstick

Children with milk allergy may be 'allergic to school'

 Many of today's school teachers opt for dustless chalk to keep hands and classrooms clean. But according to a study published in the May issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), this choice in chalk may cause allergy and asthma symptoms in students that have a milk allergy.

Children with milk allergy may be 'allergic to school'

Expanding Medicaid: Mental and financial health improve, but no improvement shown in physical health

 New findings from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment show that Medicaid coverage had no detectable effect on the prevalence of diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, but substantially reduced depression, nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures, and increased the diagnosis of diabetes and the use of diabetes medication among low-income adults. The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment is the first use of a randomized controlled study design to evaluate the impact of covering the uninsured with Medicaid and provides important evidence for policy makers as the U.S. undertakes Medicaid expansion in 2014.

Expanding Medicaid: Mental and financial health improve, but no improvement shown in physical health

USDOJ: Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development Release New Guidance on “Design and Construction” Requirements Under the Fair Housing Act

 New guidance released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Justice reinforces the Fair Housing Act requirement that multifamily housing be designed and constructed so as to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

 

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sex and familial status. The Fair Housing Act also requires that multifamily housing with four or more units, built for first occupancy after March 1991, contain accessible features for persons with disabilities.

USDOJ: Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development Release New Guidance on “Design and Construction” Requirements Under the Fair Housing Act

Body Obsession Linked to Disordered Brain Wiring | Psych Central News

 In a new study, Jamie Feusner, M.D., and colleagues report that individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have, in essence, global “bad wiring” in their brains — that is, there are abnormal network-wiring patterns across the brain as a whole.
BDD sufferers feel they are disfigured and ugly, even when they look normal to others. The discovery that abnormal connections between regions of the brain lead to problems in visual and emotional processing builds upon earlier research.

Body Obsession Linked to Disordered Brain Wiring | Psych Central News