Roviyas

Extreme Composition is Available as a Download

I have been teaching Extreme Composition online a couple times a year now for about three years.  Time to retire it, which means that now you can download all the content and have access to the videos.  As I develop new online classes, Im retiring the old ones, making them available as downloadable self-study units. 





I will be developing new online workshops, as youve seen.  My Advanced Color Studies is full, but I plan to offer it again in the fall.  Im trying to squeeze in an online workshop on Working in Black and White.  My first offering of Monoprint Collage is coming to a close, and the next version is full.  Ill try to offer that again before too long.  Let me know if you have any suggestions for specific online workshops or downloadable content youd like me to offer.

Cheers.  Thanks for visiting.

Available link for download

Excessive Talking as a Potential Methylphenidate Side Effect

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Daytrana) is one of the most common stimulant medications prescribed for ADHD. However, there have been several questions as to its side effects. Studies have been conducted on the effects of methylphenidate which include excessive talking, cardiac abnormalities, hallucinations, bruxism (teeth grinding), movement disorders, psychotic and manic-like symptoms, appetite suppression, and temporary weight and growth reduction.


Please note, however, that this list above is not meant to scare anyone off of this medication. While some side effects appear to be relatively common and well-grounded (such as appetite suppression and temporary growth impairment), many of these side effects are relatively rare, and the results are often based on isolated studies with poor reproducibility. To be fair, methylphenidate has been subject to a number of tests, with the vast majority supporting the claim that it is a relatively safe medication (provided one uses it appropriately as prescribed).

Furthermore, previous entries of this blog have dismissed the notion that methylphenidate carries an addiction potential on the level of cocaine or illegal amphetamines (a claim often erroneously made by many of the anti-medication crowd. Keep in mind that I personally do share many of the same concerns of these groups, but likening a controlled prescription drug with multiple addiction-reducing features to illegal street drugs is both irresponsible and does the overall argument on ADHD medication concerns a disservice in my opinion). Nevertheless, some of the above associations, while limited in scope and supporting data, do seem intriguing. For this post, I would like to briefly assess the results of the first unusual side effect of methylphenidate on the list, the surprising link between methylphenidate and excessive talking.


Before we proceed, we must bear in mind that this association is based on a single case report, and not a controlled clinical study. For those unfamiliar with the differences between the two, a case report is essentially a report of one (or a few) individuals, who exhibit particular symptoms, often in response to a particular medication or treatment strategy. While these reports lack the statistical power and overall scientific magnitude when compared to tightly-controlled clinical studies involving large sample sizes, we should not be quick to dismiss these findings. Individual anomalies, while often statistically small, do offer insight into some of the idiosyncrasies of medication and other forms of treatment, and involve real individuals (who are often in a more "natural" setting than those in clinical trials).

Given the recent advances in genetic studies and innovations in imaging and computational power, we appear to be at the dawn of a medical revolution, in which medication and treatment plans are becoming increasingly tailored towards individuals rather than groups or the general population. I personally believe that because of this general trend, individual case studies will begin to carry more weight and validity among the medical community than they have previously.

While not my intention to digress from the topic of todays post on methylphenidate and excessive talking, I did want to state some of the potential implications of the data accumulated from one particular individual. With regards to the study, here were some of the key findings and observations:

• The case involves a 5-year old Iranian boy who was prescribed methylphenidate (10 mg per day) for extreme hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, two key symptoms of ADHD. Treatment with this dose of methylphenidate produced significant improvements in both impulsivity and hyperactivity.


• Approximately 45 minutes after taking the medication, both parents and teacher reported a sharp increase in excessive talking. These results continued for 3-4 hours, which approximates the duration of effectiveness of methylphenidate (immediate release formula).


• Most interestingly, perhaps, was the apparently direct association between methylphenidate intake and hyper-talkative behavior. The study reported that methylphenidate treatment stopped and was reintroduced on over 20 different occasions within a 7 month period. In all 20 plus cases, the hyper-talkative behavior resumed when methylphenidate treatment was reintroduced. The magnitude of the difference, between talking behavior on and off the medication, while subjective, was significantly pronounced. On a 1-10 scale (done by parents and teachers, with 10 being the highest), the childs talking was around a 2-3 when off the medication and a 7-9 while on it. This extremely high frequency of association and pronounced behavioral differences between methylphenidate and excessive talking strongly attributes the abnormal behavior to the medication.


• The study gives several potential explanations for this association between behavior and medication. For example, methylphenidate, which regulates free dopamine levels and dopamine-related neural function, was shown to regulate word production in individuals with schizophrenia.


• Additionally, methylphenidate has been used to restore talking in patients treated with anesthesia.


• Finally, methylphenidate has been shown to effect the striatal region of the brain (see below, original file source here), which has a regulatory effect on cognitive motor functions, including talking patterns.

The striatum region of the brain (shown in green in the figure above), which has been shown to have a response to methylpenidate, and may be an underlying reason for the connection between methylphenidate and excessive talking.

As mentioned above, we should obviously not put too much stock into one case study on the potential connection between the unusual side effect of excessive talking in response to methylphenidate. However, based on the severity and consistency of the association for the individual and the underlying theoretical basis of the association based on the results of other studies, we should not overlook the observations of this particular study. Furthermore, given the effectiveness of methylphenidate for reducing hyperactive and impulsive ADHD symptoms for this particular child, the fact that excessive talking behaviors (which can be a sign of ADHD-based impulse control problems) suggest the possibility that the methylphenidate treatment may have an effect on shifting the outward expression of symptoms of an underlying ADHD condition such as impulsivity. As a result, a number of questions should be raised on the basis of this study.

Available link for download

End of My Year as Head Girl Valedictory Speech

Shes been a pretty big year

So it is all over. Back to plain, boring Stevee.

Yes, last night I handed over the reins to next years Head Girl, and my largely inflated life has been deflated. Which is weird, and now that I have a bit of alone time, Im starting to feel a bit sad about it all.

It sounds cliched, but this year really has gone quite fast. I remember going to my first meeting with the principal at the start of the year, and he said how fast the year would go and how time management would be my most in demand skill. He wasnt lying. I remember putting on my uniform at the start of the year and realising that I was actually Head Girl, and freaking out. I remember the buzz of seeing my name up on the prefect board, and also on the permanent library board that has all of the past Head Prefects. Everything after that became sort of a blur.

The perks of being a Head Prefect

Yes, this has been a tough year. I had my fair share of breakdowns, dealt with two of the worst kind of things that have happened within the Year 13 group in quite some time, had to become the "adult in charge" of our year group because we had no teachers on side. Ive been stressed beyond belief, Ive cried a lot, it was a challenge. But it was also something I was kinda born to do. I found it surprisingly natural to be able to juggle everything (hello, stage challenge rehearsals until 4pm, then work at 4pm where Id do my homework). I was surprised about how much motherly instinct I had, and how I became the one who grounded my entire year group. I honestly cant say there was a point where I said "I cant do this". Points of difficulty, yes, but Id always find a way through.

Which is what makes me immensely proud of this journey. My principal said last night that my Head Boy and I were two of the best hed ever seen, in both NZ and South Africa. He said that we set the standard sky high. And thats something that I really wanted out this year: I really wanted to instil this hope in young people that they had a voice and they could actually make themselves noticed, because thats what being Head Prefects were all about. It wasnt about looking important, it was about getting involved, using initiative and just working your ass off for the whole year. And Im glad I kinda changed that around a bit. Plus, getting the cup for Outstanding Service to the School was kinda amazing.

It has only been a day, but Im struggling to come to terms with this all being over. High school will be a memory, and a good one at that. It was a place where I flourished, despite not being the prettiest, sportiest, most popular girl ever. Im going to miss cleaning the common room every day at 2.20pm for everyone else, the really loud music we had every lunch time, leading assembly every second Tuesday, Wednesday morning toasties with the Head Prefect team, walking extremely fast everywhere, dying every weekend, having my diary full, spending all of my money at the canteen, walking to school every morning to either Power by Kanye West, On Top by Flume or Radio by Lana Del Rey to hype me up for the day, working with my Head Prefects Chad, Seth and Emma...just everything. But at least Ive made my mark on the school, which is really what I wanted to achieve. A new chapter is coming, as after the summer is done, Ill be leaving Dannevirke (finally) and going to Christchurch to study something I genuinely love. And Im bloody glad I was Head Girl, because it has pretty much set me up for life - Im ready to tackle anything now.

Id really, really appreciate it if you guys could take the time to watch my valedictory speech, which was really the pinnacle that I was looking forward to all year. I know this isnt movie/blog related, but this year meant so much to me, and I have many feels. Earlier in the year, the lovely Ryan had this to say about me: "She is about to begin a particularly busy stretch of school, and as such needs to focus her energy elsewhere. There are people around the world who are drawn to one thing about her, but it’s one thing of many, and a thing that needs to be put aside for a while...we’ll all be proud of how you’ve gone on to do bigger and more important things than discuss movies."

It is weird to be such a prominent part of both worlds, but hopefully thisll make you proud, Ryan. High school was a huge success, but I really hope I didnt peak here.

Available link for download