Microbiota is classified as an ecological community of microorganisms that share a specific host. Within the human body it is estimated that there are trillions of microorganisms, accounting for approximately 1% to 3% of total body mass; equating to an average net weight of around 3 lbs. Though scientists these days are attempting to elucidate …
Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one of over 85 scientifically-identified cannabinoids (or chemical compounds) derived from the flowering plant cannabis. Each of the cannabinoids within cannabis elicit unique neurophysiological effects. Most people are well-aware of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the predominant cannabinoid within cannabis that is ingested by upwards of 230 million people per year as a psychoactive …
Trichotillomania is psychiatrically classified as subtype of obsessive compulsive disorder characterized chiefly by the urge to pull out one’s own hair. The condition, also known as “hair pulling disorder,” affects upwards of 2.5 million individuals in the United States at some point during their lives. Onset of trichotillomania occurs most frequently between 9 and 13 …
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is regarded as a subtype of impulse control disorder characterized by impulsive, uncontrollable explosive outbursts of anger, aggression, and/or rage – sometimes accompanied by violence. To be considered intermittent explosive disorder, the explosive outbursts of anger must be triggered in situations and/or conditions in which such anger is unjustified. In other …
Impulse control disorder (ICD) is an overarching classificatory label given to psychiatric disorders characterized by inability to resist impulses (or urges) that yield deleterious implications. Examples of impulse control disorders include: compulsive gambling, incessant sexual encounters, and binge shopping. If unrecognized and/or unaddressed for an extended duration, an impulse control disorder may ruin a person’s: …
Sinemet is a pharmaceutical drug engineered by Merck that combines Carbidopa (a peripheral enzymatic inhibitor of DOPA decarboxylase) and Levodopa (an agent that crosses the blood-brain barrier to increase central concentrations of dopamine); hence it is frequently referred to as “Carbidopa-Levodopa.” The drug was initially approved by the U.S. FDA in 1988 for the treatment …
Requip (Ropinirole) is a drug initially approved in 1997 by the United States FDA for the treatment of [early or advanced-stage] idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. In the management of Parkinson’s disease, Requip can be utilized either as: a standalone agent or as an adjunct to L-DOPA. After its initial approval for the attenuation of Parkinson’s symptoms, …