Newsline — Monday, November 4, 2013 9:00
AANS Neurosurgeon Up for Top Honor at Magazine Industry Awards
Sleep Patterns Linked to Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease
Friday, November 1, 2013 13:00
Among older adults, short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are associated with increased levels of β-Amyloid in the brain. This finding comes as a result of a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who reviewed the link between sleep variables and β-Amyloid, which is a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease. “These findings are important in part because sleep disturbances can be treated in older people. To the degree that poor sleep promotes the development of Alzheimer’s disease, treatments for poor sleep or efforts to maintain healthy sleep patterns may help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer disease,” says the lead study of the author. Click here to read the full article.
In Study, Drug Flips the Switch on Glioblastoma Multiforme Gene
Friday, November 1, 2013 9:18
A research team at Northwestern University has delivered a drug that shuts down a critical gene in glioblastoma multiforme, the incurable brain cancer that kills nearly 13,000 Americans each year. The therapy is based on nanotechnology, and is small enough to get across the blood-brain barrier and to the brain tumor. The drug turns off the gene and proteins that keep cancer cells alive. In a mouse-model study, the drug was injected intravenously, and the survival rate saw a 20 percent increase. The size of the tumor also reduced. Click here to read the details of the study.
High Blood Sugar Linked to Memory Problems
Thursday, October 31, 2013 13:00
Those who have higher blood sugar levels, even those who don’t have diabetes, are more likely to have memory problems, according to a study published in Neurology. In a study of 141 people with an average age of 63, those with lower blood sugar levels were likely to score higher on memory tests. “These results suggest that even for people within the normal range of blood sugar, lowering their blood sugar levels could be a promising strategy for preventing memory problems and cognitive decline as they age,” says the study’s author. Click here to read the full article.
Epigenetics May Be the Key to Pain Regulation in the Spinal Cord
Thursday, October 31, 2013 9:20
A new study published in Anesthesiology reveals information about regulating pain in the spinal cord. Epigenetics, the study of changes in gene expression through mechanisms outside of the DNA structure, is said to control a pain receptor linked to surgical incision pain. “In this study we found that histones (the proteins that human DNA wraps itself around) can epigenetically activate or silence gene expression to either increase or decrease incision pain,” says a researcher. Click here to read the details of the study.
Study: Medical Interns Lacking in Common Courtesy, Patient Etiquette
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 9:00
Doctors-in-training are not likely to fully introduce themselves to hospitalized patients, nor are they likely to talk to patients eye-to-eye. The findings, which come from a study conducted at Johns Hopkins, calls for adjustments to intern communications since research suggests that a courteous bedside manner improves patient satisfaction and recovery. “Basic things make a difference in patient outcomes and they’re not being done to the extent they should be,” says study leader. “These are things that matter to patients and are relatively easy to do.” Click here to read more.
A Trojan Horse for Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 13:00
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are using positron emission tomography (PET) scans to identify traumatic brain injury (TBI). Researchers attached a compound similar to radioactive tracers to the surface of neutrophils, white blood cells that aid in the body’s immune response to injury. The compound travels with the cells to the injury site, allowing brain injury to be identified on a PET scan in what researchers consider a Trojan horse approach. “Neutrophils identify early inflammation in TBI, which could one day allow researchers to identify patients that might benefit from therapies targeting TBI-related inflammation,” says a researcher. Click here to read the full article on this study.
Texas Researchers Assessing Safety, Dosage of Clot-buster for Pediatric Ischemic Stroke
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 9:00
A team at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are researching the correct dosage and safety of a clot-buster for children with acute ischemic stroke, which accounts for 50 percent of pediatric strokes. “No one knows how kids who have suffered a stroke will respond to this type of treatment and we don’t know what the correct dosage might be, so this will look at various doses,” says the study’s lead investigator. Click here to read the details of the study.
For Those with History of Heart Attack, Flu Shot Halves Risk of Stroke, Heart Attack
Monday, October 28, 2013 13:00
For those who have suffered a heart attack, the flu vaccine might do more than ward off the pesky influenza bug; it may reduce the risk for a stroke or another heart attack by more than 50 percent. This finding comes from a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Our study provides solid evidence that the flu shot helps prevent heart disease in vulnerable patients —with the best protection in the highest risk patients,” says a researcher. “These findings are extraordinary given the potential for this vaccine to serve as yearly preventative therapy for patients with heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in North America.” Click here to read the details of the study.
Hard-wiring the Brain for Happiness: Neuropsychologist Advocates ‘Taking in the Good’
Monday, October 28, 2013 9:00
Neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hanson believes that our brains are hardwired for negativity bias and advocates for training the brain to focus positive moments as they come. The theory, what Hanson calls “taking in the good,” is the central theme of his book “Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence.” Click here to read Hanson’s interview with The Atlantic.