Co-dependency and Marital Adjustment in Depression.

Living with a depressed spouse can be burdensome as it poses the greater distress in the marital life. Present paper examines these aspects as marital adjustment and codependency in 30 subjects, 12 male and 18 female with depression. BDI, Marital Adjustment Questionnaire and Span-Fisher Co-Dependency scale were used to assess the marital adjustment and codependency. However, study could not pickup any statistically significant correlation between depression and marital adjustment, depression and codependency and marital adjustment and codependency.

Verbal Learning & Memory Function among Children with ADHD and Emotional Disorders.

Memory function and learning process are commonly observed impaired among children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). However, children with Emotional Disorders (ED) too report inability to attend, register and recall the stimuli that eventually result in poor academic performance. The present study aimed to study the nature of impairment in verbal learning and memory function among children with ADHD and ED. The study further aimed to explore the effect of severity of illnesses over the degree of impairment in verbal learning and memory function in both the groups. Twenty children meeting the ICD-10 criteria for ADHD and twenty children meeting the ICD-10 criteria under F-93 for Emotional Disorders (ED) were assessed on the measure of verbal learning & memory and compared with twenty age and education matched normal control group. Children with ADHD and ED performed poorly on the measure of verbal learning and memory in comparison of normal control, but the degree of impairment was observed relatively higher among ADHD children than children with ED. However, severity of illness was not observed a contributory factor for the impairment in verbal learning and memory function in both the groups. Impairment in verbal learning and memory function is not confined only to the children with ADHD but these are now recognizable among children with Emotional Disorders too. Both the groups (Children with ADHD and ED) reflected impaired memory and learning function but in terms of degree of impairment the children with ADHD were always found standing towards higher side than children with emotional disorder.

Role of Yogic Exercises in Bipolar Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia.

The science of Yoga, is an old system of traditional relaxation involving the exercise and other prevailing healing practices originated in India. Philosophically, it is based on the union of mind, body, and spirit of the individual. Aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of yogic exercises among psychiatric inpatients admitted in the ward for the severe mental illness. Method: Fifteen patients in the age range of 20-40 years, diagnosed as having Schizophrenia or Bipolar Affective Disorder (ICD-10 DCR criteria) were included and were given yogic exercises therapy for two months besides treatment and compared to a control of fifteen psychiatric inpatients with the same age, diagnosis and receiving same treatment. They were assessed using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Social-Adaptive Function Evaluation (SAFE) scale. Results revealed significant improvement in the study group on various domains of SAFE compared to the control group after one month with continuation of therapy. It is apparent that Yogic exercises therapy may be effective in the improvement of adaptive functioning which in turn affected the psychological wellbeing of the patients. The study has clinical implications for effective use of this therapy in preventing relapse among the psychotic patients.

Yoga and Cognitive Behaviour Techniques for Academic Stress and Mental Wellbeing among School Students.

There are many stressors acting upon school children. Today in the era of increasing competitiveness,a child is overloaded with daily living stresses, and he lives a tight rope existence trying to cope up with the tremendous pressures from all institutions, whether it is school, family or society. These are resulting in various stress related ailments and psychological problems, which poses threat and challenges for the physical as well as mental wellbeing of the school going children. The present work was an attempt to measure one of the major source of stress,i.e. academic stress and mental wellbeing of a sample of school children and then to provide an intervention plan for a selected group of students who are having high academic stress and poor mental wellbeing. Certain specific Asanas, Mudras and Pranayams of Yoga were combined with some specific techniques of Cognitive Behaviour therapy (C.B.T.) to reduce the academic stress and to enhance the mental wellbeing of the selected group of school children. The results have shown a significant relief from academic stress and significant improvement in the mental wellbeing of these children. Detailed methodology and results are discussed in this paper. This paper highlights the efficacy of Yoga in combination with certain techniques of C.B.T. in enhancing overall wellbeing of school children.

Neuro-Cognitive Functioning in Children with Learning Difficulties.

Learning difficulties can occur due to complex interplay of factors that may reside in the child’s own constitution, temperament and cognitive abilities and/or in the background and quality of child’s schooling and/ or in family related factors that affect interactions and emotional well being of the child. Aims & Objectives: To study the neuro-cognitive functioning of children with learning difficulties . Method: Forty children studying in English medium schools in Delhi from Grade 2nd to 5th who were reported to be having learning difficulties. The children were divided into two groups (n=20, each.) One of the groups had children having learning disability. The other group had children with learning difficulties but without any diagnosable psychiatric/ emotional/ behavioural problems. All children were assessed for their intelligence, scholastic performance (on three basic subjects- Hindi, English and Mathematics)); Sustained attention; Verbal Working Memory, Visual Learning and Memory; Verbal Learning and Memory , Verbal Comprehension, Visuo-Constructive Ability and Visuo-Conceptual Skills. Conclusions:Both the groups had impairment in assessed neuro-cognitive skills. Children with learning disability had significantly poorer performance on tasks of sustained attention, visual memory and learning , delayed recall and visuo constructive skills. There were no differences among children on other assessed functions.

Efficacy of Cognitive Retraining Techniques in Children with Learning Disability.

Background :Cognitive Retraining(CR) is known to help in reattainment of cognitive abilities following brain injury.Due to high cerebral plasticity in children,CR can perhaps also be used to ameliorate known cognitive deficits in children with learning disability. Objectives: To study the efficacy of cognitive retraining techniques for enhancing cognitive skills and scholastic performance in children with learning disability. Sample & Methods: Pre and Post experimental design study was carried out with thirty children(between eight to ten years of age), with diagnosis of mixed disorder of scholastic skills(ICD-10). Each subject was given 36 hours of manualized CR package over 18weeks, consisting of activities for sustained attention,visuospatial skills,visual memory;and verbal learning and memory.Pre and post intervention assessment; was done using NIMHANS Index for Specific Learning Disability,Grade Level Assessment Device(GLAD) and Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test(AVLT).SPSS version12.0 was used for descriptive and analytical statistical analysis. Results:Highly significant improvement was noted in total verbal learning, delayed verbal recall,visuo-spatial skills and mathematics(p>0.01).Also, there was significant improvement in sustained attention(time taken and errors),visual memory and immediate verbal recall(p>0.05). Conclusion:Manualized cognitive retraining over thirty six hours can help to partially remediate cognitive deficits in children with learning disability and improve their scholastic performance. The findings have implications for future educational curricula aiming at improved academic performance stemming from an enhanced skill base rather than from just educational based interventions.

Fasting glucose and cardiovascular risk factors in an urban population.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that blood glucose levels in the range of normoglycemia are associated with increased cardiovascular risk we performed an epidemiological study in an urban population. METHODS: Randomly selected adults > or = 20 years were studied using stratified sampling. Target sample was 1800 (men 960, women 840) of which 1123 subjects participated. Blood samples were available in 1091 subjects (60.6%, men 532, women 559). Measurement of anthropometric variables, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipids was performed. Cardiovascular risk factors were determined using US Adult Treatment Panel-3 guidelines. Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) of fasting glucose with various risk factors were determined. Fasting glucose levels were classified into various groups as < 75 mg/dl, 75-89 mg/dl, 90-109 mg/dl, 110-125 mg/dl and > 126 mg/dl or known diabetes. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was determined in each group. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation of fasting glucose in men and women with body mass index (r = 0.20, 0.12), waist-hip ratio (0.17, 0.09), systolic blood pressure (0.07, 0.22), total cholesterol (0.21, 0.15) and triglycerides (0.21, 0.25). Prevalence (%) of cardiovascular risk factors in men and women was smoking/tobacco use in 37.6 and 11.6, hypertension in 37.0 and 37.6, overweight and obesity in 37.8 and 50.3, truncal obesity in 57.3 and 68.0, high cholesterol > or = 200 mg/dl in 37.4 and 45.8, high triglycerides > or = 150 mg/dl in 32.3 and 28.6 and metabolic syndrome in 22.9 and 31.6 percent. In various groups of fasting glucose there was an increasing trend in prevalence of overweight/obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, and metabolic syndrome (Mantel-Haenzel X2 for trend, p < 0.05) and fasting glucose < 75 mg/dl was associated with the lowest prevalence of these risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: There is a continuous relationship of fasting glucose levels with many cardiovascular risk factors and level < 75 mg/dl is associated with the lowest prevalence.

Prevalence of coronary heart disease and risk factors in an urban Indian population: Jaipur Heart Watch-2.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease has been inadequately studied in India. A repeat cross-sectional survey was carried out to evaluate the changes in the major coronary risk factors in the urban population of Jaipur previously studied in the early 1990s. METHODS AND RESULTS: Randomly selected adults > or =20 years of age were studied using stratified sampling. The target study sample was 1800 with a population proportionate gender distribution (males 960, females 840). Coronary risk factors, anthropometric variables, blood pressure, ECG, fasting blood glucose and lipids were evaluated. A total of 1123 subjects (62.4%) (males 550, females 573) were examined. Fasting blood samples were available in 523 males and 559 females. Overall coronary heart diesase prevalence, diagnosed by history or ECG changes, was found in 34 males (6.18%) and 58 females (10.12%). Risk factor prevalence showed that smoking/tobacco use was present in 201 males (36.5%) and 67 females (11.7%). Physical inactivity, either work-related or leisure time, was seen in 157 males (28.5%) and 130 females (22.7%). Hypertension (> or =140 and/or 90 mmHg) was present in 200 males (36.4%) and 215 females (37.5%). Diabetes diagnosed by history or fasting glucose > or =126 mg/dl was found in 72 males (13.1%) and 65 females (11.3%). Obesity, body mass index > or =27 kg/m2 was present in 135 males (24.5%) and 173 females (30.2%), while truncal obesity (waist:hip >0.9 males, >0.8 females) was found in 316 males (57.4%) and 392 females (68.4%). The most common dyslipidemia in both males and females was low HDL-cholesterol (<40 mg/dl: males 54.9%, females 54.2%). High total cholesterol levels of > or =200 mg/dl (males 37.4%, females 4.1%), high LDL-cholesterol levels of > or =130 mg/dl (males 37.0%, females 45.8%) and high levels of triglycerides > or = 150 mg/dl (males 32.3%, females 28.6%) were also seen in a significant number. Hypertension, obesity, truncal obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemias increased significantly with age in both males and females (Mantel-Haenzel chi2 for trend, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of standard coronary risk factors--smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and obesity--as well as factors peculiar to south Asians--truncal obesity, low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides--in this urban Indian population. As compared to a previous study in the early 1900s in a similar population, there is a significant increase in the number of people with obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemias.