Erin E. Martin
PhD Psychology
"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge" - Prov. 23:12
Bipolar and Nutrition: The Ups and Downs
Erin Martin, PhD
Psychology
Nutrition is a vital part of brain development during gestational period of development and may contribute to bipolar disorder. The brain relies on various nutrients, enzymes and protein for proper function. Oxidative stress and damage also influences brain function and can be minimized by large doses of antioxidants. Abnormalities within the metabolic and enzymatic systems contribute to metabolic disorder resulting in weight gain and eating disorders. Medications can exacerbate the problems with weight maintenance and correlating medical issues of cardiovascular disorder and diabetes. Nutritional deficiency of vitamin E, zinc, DHA, and fatty acids or seen within patients suffering from bipolar disorder. It is essential for the care and management of bipolar disorder to address each component that is involved, including metabolic and enzymatic abnormalities, nutritional deficiency, weight management, exercise, and eating disorders. Education and increased understanding of bipolar disorder patients of the risks associated with the disorder, and the monitoring of physiological and activity signals of encroaching episodes will assist with the management of the disorder.
ADHD and Nutrition
Erin Martin, PhD
Psychology
Our biological system is built to deal with an average amount of invasions on our bodies, not what we have now days. This topic could be a whole 20 page paper, or dissertation topic on its own by looking at magnetic, electrical, and chemical disruption of our bodies through all the electronics, power lines, plastics, preservatives, and additives- not to mention the air we breathe. Eventually our bodies start getting overloaded. However, I will strictly look at the studies focused on ADHD.
Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)
Erin Martin, PhD
Psychology
Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is an abnormality within the paternal chromosome 15; deletion of the paternal 15 chromosome is the most common resulting in 70% of the cases, UPD (maternal disomy in which there are two maternal chromosome 15s, and no paternal chromosome 15) is 25%, and imprinting defect of the paternal 15 chromosome is 5% (PWSA, 2004). PWS creates life-threatening obesity in children, along with other medical and developmental issues (Kundert, 2008; PWSA, 2010). Issues related to PWS are short-stature (without growth hormone treatment), underdeveloped muscle tone, incomplete sexual development, learning and behavioral disorders, low IQ (average IQ is 70), as well as the most common and life threatening issue of satiety coupled by decrease metabolism (PWSA, 2010). Infants often fail to thrive because of the lack of muscle tone (hypotonia) needed to suck for feeding, followed by the onset of hyperphagia (insatiable drive of hunger) around two to five years of age (Kundert, 2008; PWSA, 2010). Kundert (2008) reviewed various studies related to PWS and determined that it is a “multisystem disorder with genetic, developmental, and behavioral features” requiring multidisciplinary approaches for developmental/cognitive disabilities and maladaptive behaviors.
