Newsline — Tuesday, March 25, 2014 13:00
Study Strengthens Connection Among Protein Misfolding, Sleep Loss, and Age
Self-reported Memory Complaints May Predict Clinical Impairment Later in Life
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 9:00
According to a recent study conducted by the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky, self-reported memory complaints might predict clinical memory impairment later in life. Throughout the study, 3,701 men aged 60 and higher were asked whether they had noticed any changes in their memories since the last time they visited. Results showed that subjective memory complaints can be predictive of clinical memory impairment, which could help identify people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Early intervention of the disease could help postpone and/or reduce the effects of cognitive memory impairment. However, it’s important to distinguish between normal memory lapses and significant memory problems, which typically change over time and affect multiple aspects of daily life. To read more about this study, click here.
Researchers Pinpoint Brain Region Essential for Social Memory
Monday, March 24, 2014 13:00
Recent findings published in the journal Nature, determined that a small region of the brain found in the hippocampus, known as CA2, is essential for social memory. The importance of the hippocampus in relation to social memory was famously illustrated by the case of Henry Molaison, who had much of his hippocampus removed by surgeons in 1953, and was subsequently unable to form new memories of people. To learn more about this part of the hippocampus, the research team created a transgenic mouse in which CA2 neurons could be selectively inhibited in adult animals. Once the neurons were inhibited, the mice were given a series of behavioral tests. Results showed abnormal social memory. Normally, mice are curious about a mouse they’ve never met, and spend more time investigating an unfamiliar mouse. However, mice with an inactivated CA2 region showed no preference for a novel mouse versus a previous encountered mouse, indicating a lack of social memory. Because several neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with altered social behaviors, the findings of the study suggest the possibility that…
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Active Thyroid May Raise Risk of Depression in Older Individuals
Monday, March 24, 2014 9:00
According to research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology, when older individual’s thyroid glands are more active than average, it may be a risk factor for depression. It addition to its role as a metabolism regulator, the thyroid gland can also influence mental health. Past research has found links between an increased risk of depression to both over- and underactive thyroid glands. During the study, to determine how active the thyroid gland was, researchers measured levels of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is the body’s signal to the thyroid to release more hormones. When TSH levels are low, this suggests the thyroid gland is active and producing plenty of thyroid hormones. Participants included in the study displayed no depression symptoms at the first visit, however researchers found that older individuals with thyroid activity at the high end of the normal range were more likely to have depression symptoms over the course of an eight-year period, compared to individuals who had less thyroid activity within the normal range. The results of the study…
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Study Finds More Stress Equals More Headaches
Friday, March 21, 2014 13:00
A new study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 2014 annual meeting provides evidence for what many people who experience chronic headaches have long suspected — having more stress in your life leads to more headaches. Volunteers were surveyed about their stress levels and headaches for two years, four times per year, and rated how many headaches they had per month as well as their stress levels on a scale of zero to 100. For each type of headache reported (tension, migraine, migraine combined with tension, and unclassified), an increase in stress was associated with an increase in the number of headaches per month. The findings show that stress is a problem for everyone who suffers from headaches. The results of the study also emphasize the fact that stress can be a factor contributing to the onset of headache disorders — it accelerates the progression to chronic headaches, exacerbates headache episodes, and the headache experience itself can act as a stressor. To read more about this study, click here.
Can You Boost Your Brain Power Through Video?
Friday, March 21, 2014 9:00
Watching a video of simple tasks before carrying them out may boost the brain’s plasticity and increase motor skills, according to a recent study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 2014 annual meeting. During the study, 36 right-handed healthy adults participated in 40-minute training sessions five times a week, for two weeks. Half the group watched videos of a specific tasks, such as writing with a pen or using scissors, and were then asked to complete the task themselves. The other half watched videos of landscapes and then were asked to complete the same tasks as the first group. Both groups underwent 3D MRI brain scans at the start of the study and then again, two weeks later. Results showed that the group who completed the training along with watching the activity videos had 11 times greater improvement of motor skill abilities, mainly in terms of strength, compared to those who watched the landscape videos. The findings suggest more research should be done to focus on how videos — which are…
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Blood Pressure Medications Given Right After Stroke Not Beneficial
Thursday, March 20, 2014 13:00
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that giving stroke patients medications to lower their blood pressure during the first 48 hours after a stroke does not reduce the likelihood of death or major disability. The study included more than 4,000 stroke patients across 26 hospitals in China, who were randomly assigned to receive blood pressure medications or to discontinue blood pressure medications. After 14 days, or hospital discharge, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in mortality or disability. Findings suggest that it’s important not to over treat and cause low blood pressure after a stroke because the most important objective is to maintain adequate blood flow to the brain. To read more about this study, click here.
Antidepressant Holds Promise in Treating Alzheimer’s Agitation
Thursday, March 20, 2014 9:00
A recent study led by Johns Hopkins University, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found the antidepressant drug citalopram (brand names Celexa and Cipramil) significantly relieved agitation in a group of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Findings suggest that the drug may be safer than the antipsychotic drugs currently used to treat the condition. Although antipsychotics are often used as first-line medication for Alzheimer’s-related agitation, they significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death. The study recruited patients who showed a collection of symptoms such as emotional distress, excessive movement, aggression, disruptive irritability, and disinhibition. Patients then underwent tests to define the extent of their agitation, memory, cognitive skills, and their caregivers’ stress levels — a factor strongly linked to the well-being of those with Alzheimer’s. The results of the study showed patients who took increasing doses of citalopram for nine weeks had significant relief from their agitation symptoms, with about 40 percent reporting “considerable relief” from their symptoms. The caregivers for the patients also reported less stress. To read more about…
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Novel Brain-training Research Helps Baseball Players
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 13:00
Results from a study published in the journal Current Biology showed how the University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) baseball team improved their stats after participating in brain-training research. Before the start of the 2013 baseball season, UCR researchers assigned 19 baseball players to complete 30 25-minute sessions of a vision-training video game, with another set of 18 players receiving no training. Players who participated in the training saw a 31 percent improvement in visual activity. Players reported seeing the ball better, greater peripheral vision and an ability to distinguish lower-contrast objects. Researchers found that the trained players had 4.4-percent fewer strikeouts and scored 41 more runs than projected. The results from the study suggest that an integrated approach to perceptual learning-based training has the potential to help not only athletes who are looking to optimize their visual skills, but also individuals in everyday tasks. To read more about this study, click here.
Alzheimer’s Disease May Show up Decades Early on Brain Scans
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:00
People who are dementia free, but have two parents with Alzheimer’s disease, may show signs of the disease on brain scans decades before symptoms appear, according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology. During the study, 52 people free of dementia between the ages of 32 and 72 underwent several kinds of brain scans. Participants were split into four groups of 13; those with a mother with Alzheimer’s disease, a father, or no family history of the disease. Compared to the other three groups, the study found that people with both parents who had Alzheimer’s disease showed more severe abnormalities in brain volume, metabolism and five to 10 percent increased brain plaques in certain regions. The results of the study suggest that there may be genes that predispose individuals to develop Alzheimer’s pathology, depending on whether one or both parents have the disease. To read more about this study, click here.