Newsline — Thursday, June 4, 2015 13:00
Researchers Unravel a Link Between a Genetic Mutation and Autistic Behaviors
Weak Electric Current to the Brain May Improve Thinking in People with Schizophrenia
Thursday, June 4, 2015 9:00
A new study proposes that low-impact electrical stimulation of the brain could prove beneficial for the short-term memories of individuals suffering from schizophrenia. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a study on low-voltage stimulation, later publishing a paper in the journal Clinical Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses. Transcranial direct current stimulation is an experimental process in which low voltage is transferred between electrodes attached to the head. Currently, the process is being tested by both medical researchers and amateur enthusiasts who claim it has performance benefits. In this instance, individuals with schizophrenia showed improved memory in testing as well as increased fluency in word selection. “What’s nice about transcranial direct current stimulation is that it’s so benign. There are no bad side effects,” explained the lead researcher. “If it enables people with schizophrenia to think more clearly, it would make a huge contribution to the treatment of this devastating illness.” To learn more about this study, click here.
New Software Can Read Facial Expressions to Measure Pain Levels
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the University of California, San Diego demonstrated the validity of a new method for measuring pediatric pain levels by using a new facial pattern recognition software. “The current methods by which we analyze pain in kids are suboptimal,” said the senior author of the study. “In this study, we developed and tested a new instrument, which allowed us to automatically assess pain in children in a clinical setting. We believe this technology, which enables continuous pain monitoring, can lead to better and more timely pain management.” During the study, researchers used the software to analyze pain-related facial expressions from videos taken of 50 participants, ages five to 18-years-old, who had recently undergone laparoscopic appendectomies. Several issues, particularly age-related communication difficulties, make existing pediatric pain assessment methods problematic. Clinical pain assessments, aided by nurses or parents, are often used in lieu of patient self-reporting in children because of these limitations. The results of the study showed that the software demonstrated good-to-excellent accuracy in assessing pain…
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Brain Activity Can ID Potential Buyers
Tuesday, June 2, 2015 15:00
In a study recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from the University of Florida found that activation of the prefrontal cortex can identify people are who are more responsive to advertisements. Researchers already know that the prefrontal cortex helps humans make decisions. However, during the current study, researchers sought to answer this question: Can activation in that part of the brain reveal the people who are more responsive to campaign advertisements prior to viewing the advertisement? Results of the study show that the short answer is yes. “Higher variations in blood flow in the prefrontal cortex indicated less certainty about purchasing decisions,” said an Institute of Food and Agricultural Science faculty member. During the study, 44 participants underwent fMRI scans so that researchers could study brain activity in the prefrontal cortex while participants simultaneously made decisions about purchasing regular eggs vs. cage-free eggs — which have a more humane production method, but are also more expensive. After making purchasing decisions about the eggs inside of the fMRI machine, participants were divided into three…
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Poliovirus Study Finds That Less is More
Tuesday, June 2, 2015 13:00
A new version of poliovirus therapy for glioblastoma treatment may work best in low dosages in order to reduce side effects while achieving higher success rates, according to a new study. Researchers from Duke University’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center will be presenting their evaluation findings from this study during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago at the end of the month. Initially beginning as a toxicity test to evaluate the highest usable doses, fringe testing in reduced doses revealed that overall tumor impact was similar, if not superior, in doses below the initial testing point. Upon further refinement, much smaller doses appeared to retain this success rate without the usual side effects and damage associated with such drugs. “For chemotherapy, we are trained to give the largest dose possible with acceptable toxicity, because that is how the drugs work to attack tumors,” the lead researcher said. “But that does not appear to be necessary with our therapy, and in fact a lower dose attacks the tumor as well and results…
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Tracking Defects Caused by Brain Tumor Mutation Yields Insight to Advance Targeted Therapy
Monday, June 1, 2015 13:00
The most common childhood brain tumor may soon be treated with targeted therapies, thanks to new research that has broken ground on determining the genetic causes of the condition. Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital published a study in the Journal of Molecular Biology reporting that mutated strains of the gene DDX3X caused molecular defects commonly associated with medulloblastoma — the most commonly diagnosed type of pediatric brain cancer in the nation. By targeting this gene defect as the source of the cancer, collateral damage from chemotherapy and radiation can be avoided by creating custom-tailored treatments for the condition, which helps to improve survivability and avoid extraneous side effects or damage. “Putting the mutant proteins into the yeast model identified which defects were harmful and provided insight into the DDX3X protein function,” said the lead author of the study. “We know from previous studies that the fission yeast version of DDX3X is thought to play a role in translation of key regulatory proteins, possibly by helping untangle parts of the RNA molecule.” To learn more…
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New Strategy Offers Promising New Approach for Glioblastoma Treatment
Monday, June 1, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published by the journal Oncotarget, researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Moores Cancer Center demonstrated in both a mouse model of glioblastoma, and human glioblastoma tissue removed from patients and cultured in the lab, the disease can be effectively treated by combining three classes of anti-cancer drugs. The first drug targets a cancer mutation in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene, the second drug increases stress in cancer cells and the third damages cancer-cell DNA. “Developing therapies against glioblastoma is like a chess game. For each therapy administered, or move, by the physician, the cancer makes a counter-move,” said the lead author of the study. In mouse models of glioblastoma and in explants of human glioblastoma, singular treatment with an EGFR inhibitor, a PLK1 inhibitor or the current standard of care drug (a DNA-damaging agent), each temporarily halted glioblastoma growth. However, just like with the human disease, the tumors eventually grew back in the mice. Furthermore, no detectable tumor recurrence was observed when a…
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First Cancer-promoting Oncogenes Discovered in Rare Brain Tumor of Children and Adults
Friday, May 29, 2015 13:00
Three genes have been identified as major contributors to the development of the choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) brain tumor, which could help strengthen future treatments. Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital recently published a study in the journal Cancer Cell with an analysis of the genes TAF12, NFYC and RAD54L, detailing how extra copies of these genes appeared to culminate in the launch and sustainment of this rare tumor. “These oncogenes may function like a mechanic who is always on the spot to keep a junk car running,” said the author. “Just like the car will break down if you get rid of the mechanic, preclinical trials are underway using different drug combinations to block the hyperactive DNA repair mechanism so the tumors eventually succumb to the accumulated DNA damage.” Researchers also determined that investigational drugs known as ATR inhibitors, which were developed for this type of cancer, should fundamentally address CPC based on these findings. To learn more about this study, click here.
Scientists Link Brain Protein to Binge-drinking Behavior
Friday, May 29, 2015 9:00
In findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) discovered that a specific brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models. During the study, they found that deleting the gene for the associated protein in mice ramped up alcohol consumption and prevented the brain from signaling the rewarding properties of alcohol. The goal of the study was to identify the role of a member of the “G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channel” family or, GIRK, in the behavioral and cellular responses to alcohol. GIRK channels are distributed throughout the nervous system, where they decrease the excitability of neurons, making them less likely to fire. Previous studies in isolated cells revealed that alcohol can directly activate GIRK channels; however, scientists did not know whether this action mattered for the behavioral effects of alcohol. In the current study, scientists decided to focus on GIRK3, which has previously been shown to modulate the effects of other drugs. To do so, they compared…
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Comprehensive Stroke Centers Reduce Risk of Death in Hemorrhagic Stroke
Thursday, May 28, 2015 13:32
Comprehensive stroke centers may offer statistically superior survivability and recovery rates compared to normal hospitals, drawing attention to the need for more regionally accessible centers. Physicians at the Cardiovascular Institute of New Jersey at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Robert Wood Johnson University have published a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, detailing their statistical analysis of those treated for hemorrhagic stroke at comprehensive stroke centers, versus those treated at traditional treatment facilities. “Hemorrhagic stroke is complex and requires skilled medical interventions to improve a patient’s outcome,” said the lead author of the study. “Our research indicates that the use of neurosurgical and endovascular treatments that are available at state-designated comprehensive stroke centers are associated with lower mortality in patients with hemorrhagic stroke.” The researchers note that only 40 percent of those studied were treated at a comprehensive stroke center due to geographical difficulty. To learn more about this study, click here.