Newsline — Wednesday, June 12, 2013 9:12
‘Heading’ in Soccer Linked to Possible Brain Injury
Study: Skills Decline If Errors Go Unrecognized
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 13:00
A study from Johns Hopkins has revealed that when individuals are unable to recognize their own errors as they complete a simple, routine task, it’s likely that their skill will decline over time. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, evaluated the brain’s motor control system, and found that when people learn to do a task well but are being told their performance is perfect, their actual performance will get worse. Click here to read the full story.
Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Surgery Significantly Reduces Recovery Time for Patients
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 9:00
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found a new minimally invasive laser technique for treating epilepsy. This method offers patients quicker time for recuperation than the traditional temporal lobectomy in which doctors isolate the area in the brain where seizures occur, resulting in the patient recovering for up to three months before returning to normal activities. With the new technique, patients only require one night in the hospital and are back to normal daily activities within a week. Click here to read the full story.
Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Could Mean Bad Business for Your Brain
Monday, June 10, 2013 13:00
According to a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, those suffering from type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) face an increased risk of cognitive decline. The study, published in Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications, revealed that CVD risk spurred by diabetes might mean bad business for the brain, even before CVD is clinically treatable. “One possibility is that your brain requires a really steady blood flow and it’s possible that the cardiovascular disease that accompanies diabetes might be the main driver behind the cognitive deficits that we see,” one researcher says. Click here to read the full article.
Study: MRI May Prove an Effective Means to Diagnose Mental Disorders
Monday, June 10, 2013 9:00
In a landmark study, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center have found that a MRI might be a feasible way to diagnose mental illnesses like bipolar disorder. The findings, published in Psychological Medicine, revealed that investigators acheived 73 percent accuracy in differentiating the brains of those with bipolar disorder from the brains of healthy individuals. Bipolar disorder, and other mental disorders like it, is diagnosed by assessing a patient’s symptoms only, which can lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. “This approach does not undermine the importance of rigorous clinical assessment and the importance of building relationships with patients but provides biological justification for the type of diagnosis made,” one researcher said. For more information, click here to read the full article.
Healthcare Quality Group Issues Recommendations for Improving Patient Safety
Friday, June 7, 2013 13:49
The majority of U.S. hospitals may not be much safer today than they were 10 years ago, says an editorial published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality. Last year, the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) launched a call to action to find feasible solutions in improving patient safety. The NAHQ issued four recommendations in this effort: accountability, protection of those who report safety and quality issues, the accurate reporting of safety and quality data, and a robust response to quality and safety concerns. Click here to read the full article.
Study Finds ‘Master Switch’ in Fatal Glioblastoma
Friday, June 7, 2013 9:00
A study conducted at the University of Virginia School of Medicine has found a means for treating glioblastoma that avoids many of the obstacles that hinder effective treatment of the fatal brain tumor. Researchers have located what they call a “master switch”, an important enzyme that they believe is responsible for cancer cell survival, proliferation and the formation of tumors. Finding this target is exciting, researchers believe, because of the implications it has for brain tumors and other aggressive forms of cancer. For the full story, click here.
Back to Work After Brain Tumor: How Working Helped One Woman Heal
Thursday, June 6, 2013 13:22
In an essay for the Huffington Post, Marian Salzman outlines how going back to work after a meningioma diagnosis was central to her healing. She says, “Work gives me a focus, a framework, a welcome distraction — especially the work that feels good. One of the main projects helping me heal after my second craniotomy (the first was nearly six years ago) is to bring some healing to the families of the Sandy Hook tragedy. More than that: I credit this work with inspiring my recovery.” Click here to read her story.
Protein Found to Be Key in Peripheral Nervous System Development
Thursday, June 6, 2013 9:00
An article published in Nature Communications notes that a protein found in immune system cells plays a larger role in the peripheral nervous system than originally thought. Lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (or Lck for short) controls the way Schwann cells travel across neurons through the peripheral nervous system, creating the myelin sheath that serves as an insulator for nerve fibers. “What we have found is that Lck is essentially the ‘switch’ that signals migration of the Schwann cells and production of the myelin sheath,” one researcher said. “This finding sets the stage for further research into the specific molecular mechanisms that occur in order for this process to break down, and eventually toward developing treatments to prevent it.” Click here to read the full story.
Gut Feelings: Researchers Find Link Between Healthy Bacteria in Yogurt and Altered Brain Function
Wednesday, June 5, 2013 15:00
Looks like the bacteria ingested in food can have an effect on human brain function. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have found that women who consumed probiotics in yogurt displayed altered brain function, both while relaxed and during an emotion-recognition task. The findings of this study add a new spin to the idea of “gut feelings.” “Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut,” one researcher said. “Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street.” Click here to read the full story.