Newsline — Friday, August 10, 2012 13:00
Allergy Sufferers 50 Percent Less Likely to Develop Brain Tumors
‘Younger Elderly’ Likely to Develop Alzheimer’s More Quickly
Friday, August 10, 2012 8:00
Advancing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). By age 85, the likelihood of developing the neurological disorder is roughly 50 percent. However, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say AD hits hardest among the “younger elderly” — those in their 60s and 70s — who show faster rates of brain tissue loss and cognitive decline than AD patients who are 80 years and older. The findings could have profound implications for diagnosing AD, which currently afflicts an estimated 5.6 million Americans — a number that is predicted to triple by 2050. It also may impact efforts to discover new treatments. There is no cure for AD, and existing therapies do not slow or stop the disease’s progression. The study results appear in the Aug. 2, 2012, issue of the journal PLOS One. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Uncover How Brain Stem Cells Decide How to Act
Thursday, August 9, 2012 13:00
Johns Hopkins University researchers say they have discovered how stem cells located in a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation decide to remain dormant or create new brain cells, based on a study of mice. According to scientists, the stem cells “listen in” on the chemical communication between nearby neurons to determine what is stressing the system and when they need to act. Understanding this process of chemical signaling may shed light on how the brain reacts to its environment and how current antidepressants work, they report, because these drugs have been shown to increase the number of brain cells in animals. The findings appear in the July 29 online edition of Nature. For more information, click here to read the full release.
U.S. Marine Recovering from Rare Spinal Surgery Following Bombing Incident in Afghanistan
Thursday, August 9, 2012 8:00
U.S. Marine Marc Burleson currently is recovering at Johns Hopkins Hospital from a rare surgery performed on his spine following an incident in Afghanistan last December, when he was severely injured while trying to diffuse a bomb. The explosion mutilated Burleson’s face, ripped off part of his right arm, paralyzed his left arm, blinded him in one eye and left him unconscious for nearly a month. In late July, the 31-year-old Texan underwent a procedure in which neurosurgeon Allan J. Belzberg, MD, FAANS, burned off damaged nerves in his spinal cord to stop pain in other parts of his body, which had become excruciating to the point that Burleson was addicted to painkillers and contemplating suicide. Dr. Belzberg performs said surgery three to four times a year, primarily on accident victims. For more information, click here to read the full article.
Hospital Stays More Deadly Over Weekends Than Weekdays for Older Patients with Head Trauma
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 13:00
A review by Johns Hopkins University of more than 38,000 patient records has found that older adults who sustain substantial head trauma over a weekend are significantly more likely to die from their injuries than those who are hurt in a similar way and hospitalized Monday through Friday — even if their injuries are less severe and they have fewer other illnesses than their weekday counterparts. The so-called “weekend effect” on patient outcomes has been well-documented in cases of heart attack, stroke and aneurism treatment, the researchers say, and these new findings affirm the problem in head trauma care, as well. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Older Adults Improve Memory, Language Skills Using Computerized Brain Fitness Program
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 9:54
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered that older adults who regularly followed a brain fitness program played on a computer showed significantly improved memory and language skills. The study was performed on 59 participants with an average age of 84, recruited from local retirement communities in Southern California, who were split into two groups. The first group used a brain fitness program for an average of 73.5 (20-minute) sessions across a six-month period, while a second group played it fewer than 45 times during the same period. Researchers found that the first group demonstrated significantly higher improvement in memory and language skills versus the second group. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Increasing Dopamine Levels in Frontal Cortex of Brain Decreases Impulsive Tendency
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 13:00
Raising levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain significantly decreased impulsivity in healthy adults, in a study by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “Impulsivity is a risk factor for addiction to many substances, and it has been suggested that people with lower dopamine levels in the frontal cortex tend to be more impulsive,” says lead author Andrew Kayser, PhD, an investigator at Gallo and an assistant professor of neurology at UCSF. “We wanted to see if we could decrease impulsivity by raising dopamine, and it seems as if we can.” Study results appear in the July 4 edition of Journal of Neuroscience. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Study of Cell Structure May Help in Fight Against Cancer, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 8:00
Researchers are studying how components of cell structure function in an effort to find viable ways to use them to fight ailments such as cancer, as well as Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Jianhua Xing, an assistant professor of biology at Virginia Tech, and his colleagues did computational studies to compare the mechanical properties of two alternative models of the assembly of rope-like polymers called microtubules, a component of cell cytoskeletons. Their objectives: to learn how microtubules are regulated, and how they assemble and disassemble. For more information, click here to read the full release.
The Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation Announces Clinical Fellowship Grant Recipients
Monday, August 6, 2012 13:00
The Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) has announced the recipients of its 2012-2013 post-residency clinical fellowship grants. For the upcoming academic year, the selected programs will receive funding in their respective specialties. Programs that focus on a number of neurosurgical subspecialties were eligible to apply for the fellowship grant, including those with concentrations in general neurosurgery and stereotactic/functional neurosurgery. Grant applications were reviewed by the NREF’s Educational Grants Committee (EGC), and recipients were selected based on established criteria and the needs of the hospital or institution seeking support. To view the recipients, click here to read the full release.
Study Cites New Statistics for Rate of Depression Among Adolescent Girls
Monday, August 6, 2012 9:14
An annual average of 1.4 million adolescent girls age 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study also shows that adolescent girls ages 12 to 17 are three times more likely to have had a major depressive episode in the past year than their male counterparts (12 percent versus 4.5 percent). A major depressive episode is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) developed by the American Psychiatric Association, which says a major depressive episode is when a person experiences a period of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure for two weeks or longer, and while experiencing at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning, such as difficulty with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image. For more information, click here to read the full release.