The risks of over-diagnosing a syndrome are real, but that does not mean that the syndrome does not exist. Jeremy Devine declares that “long Covid” and some other illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, are not biological disorders, but are psychological, psychosomatic diseases, and mislabeled manifestations of depression or anxiety (“The Dubious Origins of Long Covid,” op-ed, March 23). His clean distinction between psycho and somatic betrays an inaccurate conceptualization. Physicians understand that psychiatric illnesses, including schizophrenia, major depression and others, are usually associated with biological markers, such as inflammatory responses, disrupted neural pathways and neurotransmitter distinctions. Dr. Devine declares
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Archives for Wall Street Journal
WSJ: “With Every Alzheimer’s Diagnosis the Same Bleak Conversation” & Dr. Hedaya’s Rebuttal
Jeremy Abbate writes in The Wall Street Journal With Every Alzheimer’s Diagnosis the Same Bleak Conversation Aug. 25, 2017 6:44 p.m. ET On an overcast Tuesday morning last October in Northford, Conn., I sat in a second-row pew in a quiet church and watched my father tell a heartwarming story about his older sister, Martha. He recalled an incident from his childhood when, as he recovered from a bike accident that injured his jaw, Martha had baked him a chocolate cake and lovingly cut it into tiny pieces so he could eat it through his stitched mouth. My father told
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Alzheimer’s Disease Letter to the Editor Wall Street Journal
Time for a Better Approach To Alzheimer’s Treatments Alzheimer’s research has failed because of adherence to a flawed model. April 16, 2017 12:32 p.m. ET As a psychopharmacologist who has worked with chronic illnesses such as dementia, neurodegenerative disorders and psychiatric disorders for more than 35 years, I can categorically say that the reason Alzheimer’s research has failed is adherence to a flawed model. Contrary to George Vradenburg and Howard Fillit’s contention, we will not cure or treat Alzheimer’s with drugs (“The FDA Can Declare War on Alzheimer’s,” op-ed, April 5). We will succeed when we focus on prevention of
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