Newsline — Monday, December 8, 2014 9:49
Heart Attack and Stroke Survivors’ Care Needs May Be Much Greater Than Experts Thought
Genotype Found in 30 Percent of ALS Patients Speeds Up Disease Progression
Thursday, December 4, 2014 13:00
Researchers from the Penn State School of Medicine have published a study in the journal BBA Molecular Basis of Medicine which revealed that a genetic difference can drastically change the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and may affect the success rate of treatment. Previous research had indicated that 30 percent of subjects with ALS possessed a variant of the HFE gene which has been linked to iron-overload diseases. To analyze this correlation, mice with HFE genes were crossbred with standard ALS lab mice in order to compare disease progression. The crossbred mice quickly displayed escalated disease progression, scoring lower on strength tests and eventually displaying slightly shorter lifespans. “What we found is that when ALS happens in the presence of the HFE gene variant, things go downhill more quickly,” said the program director. These mice displayed increased oxidative stress and microglial activation, which leads to excessive inflammation and improper healing. The researchers claimed this will be critical data in evaluating current treatment methods, as 30 percent of patients possess this gene and may not…
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Study Finds Marijuana Drastically Shrinks Aggressive Forms of Brain Cancer
Thursday, December 4, 2014 9:00
In a recent study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapies, a team of researchers from St. George’s University of London outlined the reductions they observed in high-grade glioma masses when treated with a combination of radiation and two different marijuana compounds, also known as cannabinoids. During the study, in many cases, tumors shrunks to as low as one-tenth the sizes of those in the control group. “We’ve shown that cannabinoids could play a role in treating one of the most aggressive cancers in adults,” said one of the study’s lead authors. “The results are promising…it could provide a way of breaking through glioma and saving more lives.” Although the research surrounding marijuana’s cancer-fighting properties is not new, this research is the first to document the effects on the disease when used alongside radiation, showing that the final effect was superior to the sum of the parts. To read more about this study, click here.
Picture Emerges of How Kids Get Head Injuries
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 13:00
Researchers from the Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine have compiled a large-scale study of juvenile head injuries which provides extensive data regarding typical causes of injury and extent of damage. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. A total of 43,399 patients ranging in age from birth to 17 were studied utilizing data from 25 hospitals throughout 2004-2006. General trends indicated that falls were the primary cause of brain trauma from birth until age 12, while teenage patients were more likely to be injured by automobile accidents, sports accidents and assaults. “We have distilled a wide range of important features regarding blunt head trauma in children. The findings may provide reliable guideposts in developing injury-prevention measures and should help physicians in diagnosing and treating these injuries based on strong evidence,” said the author. The study highlights that 37 percent of juvenile patients were given CT scans, a highly debated procedure due to the radiation exposure involved. Only seven percent of…
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Early Brain Development Impacted by Mother’s Presence
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:24
According to a study conducted by NYU Langone Medical Center, a mother’s presence can not only help soothe pain in infants, but it may also impact early brain development by altering gene activity in a part of the brain involved in emotions. By carefully analyzing what genes were active in infant rat brains when the mother was present or not, the NYU researchers found that several hundred genes were either more, or less, active in infant rats experiencing pain compared to those that were not. With their mothers present, however, fewer than 100 genes were similarly expressed. “Our study shows that a mother comforting her infant in pain does not just elicit a behavioral response, but also the comforting itself modifies — for better or worse — critical neural circuitry during early brain development,” said the senior author of the study. During the study, researchers performed genetic analyses on tissue from the almond-sized amygdala region of the infant rat brains, responsible for processing emotions such as fear and pleasure. To read more about this study,…
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New Test Links Analytical Thinking to Depression
Tuesday, December 2, 2014 13:00
Researchers from McMaster University and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health recently developed a 20-question test to measure analytical thinking and rumination, a type of distraction-resistant thinking that is characteristic of clinical and sub-clinical depression. Researchers believe that depression may actually be an adaption meant to help people cope with complex problems, such as chronic illness or marriage breakups. “Depression has long been seen as nothing but a problem,” said a psychology professor from McMaster University. “We are seeing more evidence that depression can be a necessary and beneficial adaption to dealing with major, complex issues that defy easy understanding.” There is currently no consensus on the underlying pathology of depressive disorders, and the symptoms used for diagnosis occur on a wide spectrum. Researchers are hopeful that understanding the underlying mechanisms of depression can lead to more effective treatment. To read more about this study, click here.
Enriched Environments Hold Promise for Brain Injury Patients
Tuesday, December 2, 2014 9:52
A study conducted by Tel Aviv University, published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research, has proposed that stimulating environments during recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) could increase healing rates. The study analyzed two groups of mice which had minimal TBIs. The control group was kept in standard cages and lived in routine conditions, while the experimental group was provided with an enriched environment including wide-open spaces, running wheels, easy access to food and water and recreational toys. Utilizing the Novel Object Recognition test and maze testing, the two groups were evaluated throughout the six-week study to gauge their brain injury recovery. The group provided with the enriched living environment demonstrated higher scores, indicating an improved rate of recovery. “Possible clinical implications indicate the importance of adapting elements of enriched environments to humans, such as prolonged and intensive physical activity, possibly combined with intensive cognitive stimulation. Through proper exercise, stimuli, and diet, we can improve a patient’s condition. No one is promising a cure, but now we have evidence that this can help,” said the…
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Study Shows Marijuana’s Long-term Effects on the Brain
Monday, December 1, 2014 13:00
Researchers from the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas published a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealing the long-term effects of marijuana use through comprehensive MRI techniques. The study compared the brain structures and cognition of 48 adult marijuana users, consuming the drug an average of three times a day against a control group of 68 non-users. Marijuana users were found to have smaller brain volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, a section of the brain involved in decision-making which has been linked to addiction in previous studies. However, marijuana users also displayed elevated levels of connectivity despite the loss of gray matter, particularly in individuals who had very recently began using the drug. This was speculated as the brain naturally adapting to the physical damage caused by drug usage, as long-term users appeared fully functional despite reduced orbitofrontal structures. “The results suggest increases in connectivity, both structural and functional that may be compensating for gray matter losses. Eventually, however, the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the…
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Researchers Discover New Neurons that Play Key Role in Nicotine Addiction
Monday, December 1, 2014 10:12
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute found that in the core of the brain’s reward system are specific neurons that are active both with use of and withdrawal from nicotine. Until now, this area of the brain where the neurons were found (called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA) had only been associated with the reward system — not stress from withdrawal. Researchers believe the same neurons may be active in response to many addictive drugs, including nicotine. During the study, scientists studied samples from mice and rats that were raised with chronic exposure to nicotine and had develop nicotine dependence — similar to a heavy smoker going through two packs a day. They found that stress producing neurons in the VTA were activated during withdrawal. After examining brain samples from humans, the same stress producing neurons were present in the VTA. “If you look in a text book, these neurons don’t exist in the VTA,” said the lead author of the study. “That changes…
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Vitamin B May Not Reduce Risk of Memory Loss
Wednesday, November 26, 2014 13:00
A study published in the latest online issue of Neurology reports that folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements did not relieve cognition and memory problems in the elderly. Conducted by researchers at Wageningen University, this was the largest long-term study of memory testing and supplement usage that has ever been performed. “Since homocysteine levels can be lowered with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements, the hope has been that taking these vitamins could also reduce the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease,” said the author. To confirm earlier studies regarding the mental benefits of these supplements, 2,919 participants with an average age of 74 were given standard dosages of folic acid and vitamin B1 on a daily basis for two years, while a control group was given placebos. These participants were selected for having high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid commonly linked to Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. According to tests conducted before and after the study, the supplements did decrease homocysteine levels compared to the control group. However, there was no visible…
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