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First, here's a story that gives the latest evidence that shyness is inherited.
Kids May Inherit Shyness, Study Suggests
Thu Jun 19, 5:20 PM ET, By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
Thu Jun 19, 5:20 PM ET, By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON - Shyness may be inherited, a study suggests.
A shy child can learn to be more outgoing with age, but a physical reaction in the brain linked to a person's temperament does not change, the study indicates. The study conducted brain scans on 22-year-olds and found that those who had been classified 20 years before as inhibited or shy children had a distinctive reaction in their brains when confronted with novel images. People who had been judged as toddlers to be inhibited showed in the scans that the amygdala structure in their brains responded much more actively to unexpected sights than did those who had been judged as children to be more outgoing, said Jerome Kagan, a researcher at Harvard University.
"This is support for the notion that the reason they were shy, timid and reserved when they were 2 years old is because they had an excitable amygdala," said Kagan. This suggests that shyness can be inherited, but the researcher said this temperament does not necessarily determine one's eventual personality. "They are now 22 years old," Kagan said and "a lot of the ones who were fearful aren't fearful anymore. They have overcome it. But the question is, did they still have a very active amygdala." Based on the brain scans, Kagan said, the answer is clearly yes.
And now here is a story about a condition you may have never heard of, "Sleep Eating."
June 16, 2003
Sleep Eating
Sleep Eating
It’s one thing to be shoving fistfuls of food in your mouth and eating uncontrollably. It’s another thing to be doing it in your sleep. Millions of Americans do it. It’s called sleep eating. Many are ashamed to tell anyone or get treatment, but there is help for those with the disorder.
As a teenager, Susan Smith started eating in her sleep. “Ice cream, bread, you know, cake. You know, you don’t get up and eat apples.” At times, she had eight episodes in one night -- episodes she never remembers.
Lea Montgomery, R.N., M.S., recently wrote an article on sleep eating. The response she received from people with the disorder was overwhelming. “I’m not talking about making a plate, sitting at the table, having a nice meal in your sleep. I’m talking about frenzied, chaotic, disorganized and primitive eating,” says Montgomery, of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.
As many as 4 million Americans are sleep eaters. Exercise, avoiding caffeine and having a bedtime routine can help. Medication may be needed. Smith tried several drugs but the side effects were too severe. She finally found relief with Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant.
Other drugs that have proven effective in the treatment of sleep eating include anti-seizure medications and more recently, drugs that affect dopamine in the brain. Experts also say sedatives and alcohol can make sleep eating worse for a patient.
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