Serotonin and Violence
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, continues his comments about serotonin. Dr. Hamer explains that in addition to making people feel depressed, serotonin seems to also trigger hostility i...
Sleep Disorders
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, explains that the word "insomnia" tends to be a catch-all term that refers to any type of sleep disorder. Dr. Leuchter discusses a range of sleep problems, including sleep apnea and "restles...
HIV/AIDS: Who's At Risk
Dr. Alexandra Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC School of Medicine, explains that she and others in the scientific community realized early on that the HIV virus was sexually transmitted. But, Dr. Levine points out, the virus ca...
HIV/AIDS: Fear in the Medical Community
Dr. Alexandra Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC School of Medicine, talks about the fear in the medical community when the HIV/AIDS epidemic began. Dr. Levine explains that most doctors at the time were unwilling to treat patien...
HIV/AIDS: In the Beginning
Dr. Alexandra Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC School of Medicine, talks about the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Dr. Levine recalls that doctors were initially puzzled that young men who did not have cancer and had not u...
Stroke and Depression
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about research that helps identify which patients are at highest risk for depression after a stroke. Dr. Leuchter explains that, "...It appears that strokes in the frontal portions of ...
Schizophrenia and Medication
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about the use of anti-psychotic medications in the treatment of schizophrenia. He notes that such medications can help to dissolve hallucinations, as well as help to order thoughts and...
Role of DNA, The
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about the role of DNA in human behavior. Dr. Hamer explains that DNA is like "...a blueprint that determines not only our physical bodies, but als...
HIV/AIDS: Drug Therapy
Dr. Alexandra Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC School of Medicine, talks about the drugs that have been used in the fight against HIV/AIDS since AZT was developed in 1987. She also explains that the high cost of the drugs makes...
HIV/AIDS: Drug Therapy Side Effects and Complications
Dr. Alexandra Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC School of Medicine, explains that the cocktails of drugs used to fight HIV/AIDS can be very effective, but can also be complicated to take properly and cause serious side effects. ...