According to National Organization of Rare Disorders, Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is an extremely rare disorder in which is characterized by an unusually extreme startle reaction. The startle reaction tends to be a natural occurrence. Also rapid, involuntary response to a sudden or unexpected stimulus tends to be common with individuals suffering from it. The exact causes of this disorder is unknown, however one theory suggests that the disorder occurs due to an extreme conditioned response to a particular situation influenced by cultural factors. "The symptoms of jumping Frenchmen of Maine usually begin after puberty or during the teenage years. Individuals affected by this disorder display an abnormal and exaggerated startle reaction consisting of jumping, screaming, flailing the arms, hitting, or throwing objects." There is no specific therapy for individuals suffering from this disorder, however therapies focusing on eliminating the practice of intentionally startling and/or teasing an individual, in order to cause a jumping response can help to reduce or end episodes. Symptoms tend to get milder with age, but more intense with stress or anxiety.
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Also known as Cotard's Syndrome is an rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which patients experience delusions or false beliefs that they are dead, do not exist, are putrefying or have lost their vital organs. In some cases, they can even smell the rotting flesh. There is not an exact cause for this syndrome, however, studies suggest that the cause is localized in the frontal and temporal regions of the right hemisphere of the brain. Cotard's syndrome tend to be more common in older individuals with depressive disorders or other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and dementia. It has also been associated with other conditions affecting the brain such as brain atrophy, brain tumors, seizure disorders, brain injury, migraine, Parkinson's disease and stroke.
According to DSM-IV, individuals with Trichotillomania have a passion for pulling out excessive amount of their hair. Trichotillomania is typically a "disorder of childhood, but onset can be at any age". The most common site of hair pulling is at the scalp, however it may also apply to any area of the body may be affected. Many patients tend to put the hair in their mouth after they pluck it (trichophagy). Since it is recognized as an impulse disorders, there is rising tension before pulling out the hair and a sense of relief or gratification during the act. Trichotillomania may be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on challenging negative patterns of thought and self, in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns.
According to DSM-IV, individuals with pyromania are fascinated by anything having to do with fire. They tend to "set off false fire alarms," and "deliberately set fires and enjoy watching the professional firefighters fight the blaze." Since pyromania is recognized as an impulse disorder, individuals experience a sense of rising tension before setting the fire and a sense of relief or pleasure during and after the act.
Pyromania appears to be more common in men than in women. Some studies have found among fire setters and increased incidence of below average intelligence, alcohol abuse, antisocial traits, petty stealing, resentment of authority, sexual dysfunction, and a history of cruelty to animals. Female fire setters may have a history of promiscuity. If the behavior is recognized early, it can be treated by cognitive behavior therapy, which takes a hands-on, practical approach to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind individual's difficulties, and so change the way they feel. Alice in wonderland syndrome is described as individuals experiencing size distortion such as micropsia (a condition of the eyes in which objects appear smaller than normal), marcropsia (is a neurological condition affecting human visual perception, in which objects within an affected section of the visual field appear larger than normal, causing the person to feel smaller than they actually are), pelopsia (Anomaly of visual perception in which objects appear to be much nearer than they actually are. ), or teleopsia (a visual disturbance in which objects appear to be farther away than they actually are). The most common perceptions tend to happen at night. Although the cause of this syndrome is not exactly known, typically migraine, temporal lobe epilepsy, brain tumors, psychoactive drugs or Epstein-Barr- virus infections may be the cause of it.
According to Wikipedia Alien Hand Syndrome is a conditions in which individuals experience involuntary hand movement and may be accompanied by agnosia, aphasia, weakness, or sensory loss. This syndrome is mostly associated with frontal, occipital , and partial lobes of the brain. According to syndromes. org the condition alien hand syndrome is reported to be caused by a brain injury or infliction that is associated with distinct parts of the brain. There is no known treatment for this condition since there is not a clear cause for this condition. Individuals may seek treatments to reduce the manifestations and to manage their hand and aim to have a full control of every action. The treatment course would include providing the client exercises. Tasks are provided to clients in order to restore their voluntary control of the affected hand. Another approach is done to patients by reducing the interference of the alien hand to behave on its own. The trainer shall provide task for the alien hand in order for the person to become trained with the voluntary actions.
According to DSM-IV, individuals with kleptomania repeatedly give in to urges to steal items that they do not need for personal use or for monetary value. There is a period of rising tension before the theft and a sense of relief or pleasure the act of stealing. Other reasons for theft such as anger, delusion, or command hallucination are absent. Although there is no cure for this disorder, patients may seek treatments with Therapies such as: Cognitive therapy, talk therapy that focuses on replacing negative, distorted thoughts with positive, accurate ones. Behavior therapy, a therapy focused on modifying harmful behaviors associated with psychological distress or psychotherapy, treatment of mental or behavioral disorders through talk therapy.
As the temperature rises during summer, the extreme heat allows the metal to expand at the base, increasing the height. It has also been noted that the topmost of the tower tilts away from the sun due to the steel expantion in the warmer weather. On Average the height of the Eiffel Tower is 324 meters, however during summer, its height increases as much as 15 centimeters and shricks during cooler weather.
Nomophobia is a phobia in which describes the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact (Elmore,2014). Researchers at Iowa State University designed and validated a 20-question measure called the Nomophobia Questionnaire (or NMP-Q) in which, “Participants in a separate study then responded to these items on 1-7 scales ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The researchers calculated NMP-Q scores by simply summing up responses to each item and then categorizing the total score as either “mild nomophobia” (scores of 21-59), “moderate nomophobia” (scores of 66-99), or “severe nomophobia” (scores ≥ 100). Analysis of these data also led researchers to identify four components of nomophobia: (1) not being able to communicate with people, (2) losing connectedness in general, (3) not being able to access information, and (4) giving up on convenience. These represented reliably distinct concerns that all contributed to participants’ general distress over not having their mobile devices."(scientificamerican.com)
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AuthorAn AP student interested in the world of science. Archives
March 2017
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