Some of the 250,000 Americans who have been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries are pressing medical researchers for a cure. The most prominent is actor and director Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed after a fall from his horse in 1995. At a symposium on spinal cord research at Rockefeller University, held on November 24, 2003, Reeve commented on "a certain frustration" that he and other paralyzed patients feel over the current pace of American research, which has been hampered by political debate over the use of stem cells. "I think that we need to inject more urgency into the whole process here," Reeve observed. Another speaker at the Rockefeller symposium was Michael Di Scipio, 34, who was paralyzed after a diving accident in July 1999, when he was 29. A single father, he says his two young children have been injured, too—by what he can't do: "Not being able to run around and play with them, hold them, tickle them, tuck them in, give them a kiss good night. Things we're supposed to do as parents." One reason that prospects for recovery are dim at present for patients with spinal cord injury is that unlike other cells, nerve cells, or neurons in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) are unique in that they cannot replicate themselves in their mature state. So repairing spinal cords means finding a way to get nerve cells to grow back across the gap in a spinal cord that has been severed. © ScienCentral, 2000-2004.

Keyword: Regeneration
Link ID: 5636 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Young Adult Minorities Emerge As High-Risk Subgroups The number of American adults who abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent rose from 13.8 million (7.41 percent) in 1991-1992 to 17.6 million (8.46 percent) in 2001-2002, according to results from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a study directed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The NESARC study — a representative survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 18 years and older — showed that the rate of alcohol abuse* increased from 3.03 to 4.65 percent across the decade while the rate of alcohol dependence**, commonly known as alcoholism, declined from 4.38 to 3.81 percent. The study appears in the current issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence (Volume 74, Number 3, pages 223-234). NESARC survey questions are based on diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence contained in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Field work for the NESARC was performed by the United States Census Bureau, which administered face to face interviews with 43,093 respondents. The combined household and individual response rate was 81 percent. Like its predecessor, the 1991-1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES), the NESARC assessed the prevalence of alcohol disorders during the year prior to the survey. Since DSM diagnostic criteria remained unchanged across the decade, the NIAAA research team, led by Bridget Grant, Ph.D., Ph.D., Chief, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, was able to assess changes in the prevalence of alcohol disorders across a 10-year period.

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 5635 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Mutt's memory feats aid studies of language development. HELEN R. PILCHER A German border collie has surprised scientists with his 200-word vocabulary and uncanny knack for learning new words, shedding light on the evolution of language. Nine-year-old Rico knows the names of each toy in his hundred-strong collection and can retrieve items called out to him with over 90% accuracy. He can also learn and remember the names of unfamiliar toys after just one encounter, putting him on a par with a three-year-old child. The dog's magnificent memory shows that canines share some aspects of the language skill that evolved in humans, says Julia Fischer from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who reports her findings in Science1. But canines' ability to comprehend speech can only have manifested itself after they were domesticated, some 15,000 years ago, and human speech is thought to have evolved 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. So Fischer's findings suggest that the ability to match novel words and items has evolved twice, first in humans and then in dogs. © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2004

Keyword: Language; Animal Communication
Link ID: 5634 - Posted: 06.24.2010

With the threat of an obesity crisis looming, a study led by UCL researchers reveals today that fat tissue isn't always the enemy. Reporting in the journal Science they show that a molecular signalling pathway in fat tissue is an important mediator in extending lifespan. The study, conducted on one of scientists' favourite model organisms - the fruit fly - found that reducing activity of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IIS) signalling pathway in fat tissue of adults extended life by up to 50 per cent. Previously it has been shown that reducing the activity of the IIS pathway extends lifespan in fruit flies, mice and the worm C. elegans. But the cellular processes that determine longevity were not understood. Results suggest the system that governs longevity evolved in a precursor of all three species and is likely to be conserved in humans. Professor Linda Partridge of UCL's Department of Biology, and senior author of the study, says: "Basically, we are learning that nearly everything in biology is highly conserved. For years biologists studying ageing were convinced that it just happened and there wouldn't be genes that controlled it - you just wore out. But it became apparent independent of weight or size, some animals live much longer than others.

Keyword: Obesity
Link ID: 5633 - Posted: 06.11.2004

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - As many a dog owner will attest, our furry friends are listening. Now, for the doubters, there is scientific proof they understand much of what they hear. German researchers have found a border collie named Rico who understands more than 200 words and can learn new ones as quickly as many children. Patti Strand, an American Kennel Club board member, called the report "good news for those of us who talk to our dogs." "Like parents of toddlers, we learned long ago the importance of spelling key words like bath, pill or vet when speaking in front of our dogs," Strand said. "Thanks to the researchers who've proven that people who talk to their dogs are cutting-edge communicators, not just a bunch of eccentrics." The researchers found that Rico knows the names of dozens of play toys and can find the one called for by his owner. That is a vocabulary size about the same as apes, dolphins and parrots trained to understand words, the researchers say. Rico can even take the next step, figuring out what a new word means. The researchers put several known toys in a room along with one that Rico had not seen before. From a different room, Rico's owner asked him to fetch a toy, using a name for the toy the dog had never heard. Copyright © 2004 Yahoo! Inc.

Keyword: Language
Link ID: 5632 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Scientists have raised fears that a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines may cause symptoms of autism. US researchers at Columbia University found autism-like damage in the brains of mice exposed to thimerosal. In the UK it is used in the DTP jab for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough and some flu jabs. The study, in Molecular Psychiatry, has been challenged by various expert groups, who say there is no evidence that the preservative poses any risk. A major review carried out by the US Institute of Medicine published last month found no evidence that thimerosal was linked to autism. Similarly, investigations by the UK Committee on Safety of Medicine, Europe's Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and the World Health Organization concluded the preservative was safe. However, the Columbia team said they found that mice exposed to thimerosal showed signs of changed behaviour, and brain abnormalities. The animals had been bred to be vulnerable to developing disorders of the immune system. They argued it was possible that children with similarly compromised immunity may also be at risk. (C) BBC

Keyword: Autism
Link ID: 5631 - Posted: 06.10.2004

Having unprotected sex once is far more likely to result in a pregnancy than was previously thought, finds research. Scientists found evidence that women are subconsciously driven to have more sex during the most fertile time of their monthly cycle. An analysis by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found intercourse was 24% more frequent on fertile days. The study is published in the journal Human Reproduction. The study focused on women who had either been sterilised or were using an intrauterine device (IUD). The frequency of intercourse increased during the six most fertile days of the menstrual cycle and peaked at ovulation - despite the fact that these women clearly did not want a baby. Lead research Professor Allen Wilcox said: "There apparently are biological factors promoting intercourse during a woman's six fertile days, whether she wants a baby or not. (C)BBC

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Hormones & Behavior
Link ID: 5630 - Posted: 06.10.2004

Scientists discover that some brains age more rapidly than others; noticed change after age 40 Unraveling the mysteries of the aging brain is a major goal for brain science, especially given the exploding population of senior citizens and the obvious desire to preserve brain function as long as possible. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School have uncovered a kind of genetic signature associated with the aging human brain that may contribute to cognitive decline associated with aging. The study appears June 9 as an advance on-line publication of the journal Nature. One of the study's more surprising results was that these gene changes start in the 40s for some individuals. The results raise intriguing questions about when and why the brain begins to age and the possibility of developing strategies to protect critical genes early in life in an attempt to preserve brain function and delay the onset of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. To investigate age-associated molecular changes in the human brain, Dr. Bruce A. Yankner, professor in the Department of Neurology and Division of Neuroscience at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues examined patterns of gene expression in postmortem samples collected from thirty individuals ranging in age from 26 to 106 years.

Keyword: Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 5629 - Posted: 06.10.2004

The biological clocks that control the daily lives of every living thing Russell Foster and Leon Kreitzman We are all fascinated with rhythms: repetitive patterns in art, vibrations of a cello string, waves of water and sand, and all sorts of similar regularities in living organisms such as zebra stripes and the segments of a worm. Many of these involve time either directly (as in a cello string or ocean waves) or at the moment of their formation (as in animal stripes and segments). Rhythms of Life is about biological rhythms that involve time exclusively: heartbeats, daily rhythms in particular, as well as monthly ones, annual ones, and even those that span many years. Russell Foster and Leon Kreitzman are experts in the field of biological clocks and, with great skill, give us an up-to-date and readable account of what we know today about the time cycles that affect the majority of all living organisms, including ourselves. They tell us the basis of jet lag, how our clocks affect our sleeping, and why there is a best time to take certain pills so that they are maximally effective. To see what underlies these human phenomena, they give us a picture of the whole field for a better understanding of the basis of all biological rhythms. In doing so they convincingly make it evident that the basic phenomenon of time cycles in living organisms is in itself a fascinating subject. ©2004 THE TLS

Keyword: Biological Rhythms
Link ID: 5628 - Posted: 06.24.2010

DURHAM, N.C. -- If the emotional memory of a traumatic car accident or the thrill of first love are remembered with a special resonance, it is because they engage different brain structures than do normal memories, Duke University researchers have discovered. Their new study provides clear evidence from humans that the brain's emotional center, called the amygdala, interacts with memory-related brain regions during the formation of emotional memories, perhaps to give such memories their indelible emotional resonance. The researchers said their basic insights could contribute to understanding of the role that the neural mechanisms underlying emotional memory formation play in post traumatic stress disorder and depression. According to Florin Dolcos, in their experiments the researchers were seeking evidence for the "modulation hypothesis," which holds that the brain's emotional and memory centers interact during the formation of emotional memories.

Keyword: Emotions; Learning & Memory
Link ID: 5627 - Posted: 06.10.2004

Since one of the basic risk factors for alcoholism is a tolerance to alcohol, researchers have long sought to understand the genetic differences among people that affect their sensitivity to alcohol. So far, scientists have met with little success. However, by exposing populations of the roundworm C. elegans to alcohol and pinpointing subtle genetic differences among strains that respond differently, researchers have identified one gene that affects alcohol sensitivity. In an article in the June 10, 2004, issue of Neuron, Andrew Davies and his colleagues describe their findings that subtle differences between worm strains in the gene for a brain protein called NPR-1 explains differences in the worms' alcohol sensitivity. The researchers chose the worm as their subject because there is evidence that alcohol has effects on worm behavior. Although the mechanisms that mediate alcohol response in humans or other animals are not well understood, most human neuronal proteins have worm versions and it seems likely that at least some of the mechanisms are shared. Additionally, the worm has been the subject of massive genetic study by scientists, and genetically distinct strains are available from around the world.

Keyword: Drug Abuse; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 5626 - Posted: 06.10.2004

— Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have made the surprising discovery that people with Alzheimer's disease retain the capability for a specific form of memory used for rote learning of skills, even as their memories of people and events are extinguished. The scientists' discovery suggests new strategies to improve training and rehabilitative programs that may bolster the retained cognitive function of those with Alzheimer's disease as well as healthy older people. “From this and other studies we have done, it appears that a number of brain systems are more intact in Alzheimer's than we had anticipated,” said Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher Randy L. Buckner at Washington University in St. Louis. “The findings suggest that if we can help people use these brain systems optimally by providing the right kinds of cues or task instructions, we may be able to improve their function.” In an article published in the June 10, 2004, issue of the journal Neuron, Buckner and Cindy Lustig, also at Washington University, compared implicit memory capabilities in young adults, healthy older adults and those in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. ©2004 Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Keyword: Alzheimers; Learning & Memory
Link ID: 5625 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Women are significantly more likely to have sex during the fertile part of their monthly cycle, suggests new research. "If you're a couple trying to get pregnant, that's great news. There's a hidden biological process working in your favour," says Allen Wilcox, a reproductive epidemiologist at the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina, and lead researcher of the study. "If you are not trying to pregnant the news is not so good," he told New Scientist. The work indicates that having unprotected sex once is more likely to result in pregnancy than previously thought. The underlying reason for the coincidence of intercourse and heightened fertility is not clear. Previous research suggests women feel sexier in the days before ovulation, which may increase their own libido or make them more attractive to their partners. And men have been found to be more attentive to their female partners around ovulation. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Hormones & Behavior
Link ID: 5624 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By Tony Fitzpatrick That's using your brain. For the first time in humans, a team headed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has placed an electronic grid atop patients' brains to gather motor signals that enable patients to play a computer game using only the signals from their brains. The use of a grid atop the brain to record brain surface signals is a brain-machine interface technique that uses electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity-data taken invasively right from the brain surface. It is an alternative to the status quo, used frequently studying humans, called electroencephalographic activity (EEG) - data taken non-invasively by electrodes outside the brain on the skull. The breakthrough is a step toward building biomedical devices that can control artificial limbs, some day, for instance, enabling the disabled to move a prosthetic arm or leg by thinking about it. The study was published in the June 8, 2004 issue of the Journal of Neural Engineering and was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Keyword: Robotics
Link ID: 5623 - Posted: 06.10.2004

Scan shows how we form opinions. TANGUY CHOUARD Researchers may have pinpointed the brain regions that help us work out good from bad. And their results suggest that humans and robots are more alike than we may care to admit, as both use similar strategies to make value judgements. Ben Seymour from University College London and colleagues used a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner to study the brain activity of 14 people as they learned to distinguish a bad hunch from a good omen. Subjects were shown arbitrary images and certain combinations were followed by a painful electrical shock delivered to the back of the hand, whereas others prompted a less painful jolt. After a few trials, subjects were subconsciously able to predict the arrangements that spelled trouble. As they learned, key regions of their brain lit up. The research is published in this week's Nature1. One illuminated area, the insula cortex, helps to process emotions. Another, known as the ventral striatum, is well known as the brain's motivation centre. But this is the first time they have been implicated in the ability to learn good from bad. © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2004

Keyword: Robotics; Emotions
Link ID: 5622 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Out of sight By Gila Z. Reckess — Pointing at an object may not seem complicated, but even such a simple act requires an intricate network of brain activity. Scientists traditionally thought this network included a one-way "information highway" between the brain's visual system and its motor and sensory systems, but research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now challenges this long-held theory. The study presents surprising evidence that the brain's visual system is not only responsible for seeing, or perceiving, objects outside the body, but also is involved when individuals sense and manipulate their own bodies. Such insight may help scientists understand puzzling disorders like anosognosia, which is characterized by unusual perceptual experiences. For example, individuals with this disorder may not recognize their arms as part of their own bodies. "Vision apparently is far more complicated and integrated than we suspected," says Maurizio Corbetta, M.D., associate professor of neurology, of radiology and of anatomy and neurobiology. "Areas thought to be exclusively involved in perceiving the world around us apparently also are involved in integrating visual, spatial and sensory-motor signals to help each of us develop an internal representation of our body and its position in space."

Keyword: Vision
Link ID: 5621 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By STEVE DITLEA Craaackle! Craaackle! In a small operating room at Beth Israel Hospital on Manhattan's upper East Side, it sounds like someone is making popcorn. Amplified over a speaker, it's actually the sound of one brain cell firing, picked up by an electrode, no thicker than a hair, being threaded deep into a man's brain. The brain belongs to 54-year-old Paul Luskin, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. For four years he's been walking around with a pacemaker-size computer linked to his brain. The device delivers an electrical pulse to suppress the faulty nerve signals that cause his tremors, muscular stiffness and speech difficulties. But lately the symptoms on his left side have worsened, forcing him to retire from his career as a tour organizer. He is now seeking relief with a second brain implant and another computerized pacemaker in his chest, further advancing the treatment known as deep-brain stimulation. Luskin is one of several hundred New Yorkers who since the turn of the 21st century have become figures seemingly out of science fiction: they are cyborgs (an abbreviation of "cybernetic organism," a NASA-coined term that describes a person whose physiological functioning is aided by, or dependent on, a mechanical or electronic device.) All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P.

Keyword: Parkinsons; Movement Disorders
Link ID: 5620 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Christopher R. Brodie Superman has super-hearing. Spider-Man has an uncanny "spider sense." But truth can be stranger than fiction. The newest superhero doesn't wear a cape or mask. It's a mouse, and it looks just like its normal brethren. Its super power is its amazing … nose. In a paper published in the February 5 issue of Neuron, collaborators at Florida State University and Yale University describe what they call "super-smeller" mice. These exceptional creatures have noses that are 1,000 to 10,000 times more sensitive than those of ordinary mice. The superhero origin of these rodents involves the deletion, or knockout, of a gene. This technique usually generates mice that are quite sick, as nearly all mutations are harmful. Yet it doesn't seem to be true for this gene, Kv1.3, which encodes a protein that acts as a channel to let potassium ions (K+) into cells. This particular ion channel is found in immunological T-cells and neurons in the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb—the part of the brain that gets information from odor receptors in the nose. In neurons, K+ channels such as Kv1.3 can act like governors on an engine, restricting the firing rate of the electrical spikes known as action potentials. The deletion of Kv1.3 removes this block. Using mice generated in the Yale lab of Richard Flavell, a team at Florida State led by Debra Fadool discovered that the loss of the channel caused one type of olfactory neuron, the mitral cell, to fire at lower thresholds and higher frequencies. © Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

Keyword: Chemical Senses (Smell & Taste)
Link ID: 5619 - Posted: 06.24.2010

A drug made from an extract of cannabis has helped to reduce the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. The drug, Sativex, has been developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, which is assessing the medical benefits of cannabis under a government licence. Tests of a spray form of the drug on 58 arthritis patients showed it helped reduce pain, and improve quality of sleep. Few people showed signs of side effects, the company said. GW Pharmaceuticals has previously carried out trials showing that Sativex can reduce the pain associated with multiple sclerosis. Dr Philip Robson, director of GW's Cannabinoid Research Institute, said: "These results are particularly exciting because this is the first ever controlled clinical trial of a cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of arthritis. "To date, GW's research has concentrated on multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain and it is therefore very encouraging to see these positive effects of Sativex on pain and other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. (C)BBC

Keyword: Drug Abuse; Pain & Touch
Link ID: 5618 - Posted: 06.09.2004

Some people may be genetically programmed to be unfaithful to their partner, a scientist has claimed. Professor Tim Spector, of the Twin Research Unit at St Thomas' Hospital, London, says he has evidence of a genetic component to infidelity. Focusing on women, he found that if one of a pair of twins had a history of infidelity, the chances her sister would also stray were about 55%. In general it is estimated that just 23% of women are not faithful. In addition, Professor Spector found the tendency for both twins to be either faithful or unfaithful was strongest in identical pairs - who have identical genes. He stressed that genes alone did not determine whether somebody was likely to be unfaithful - much was down to social factors. But he said it made good sense in evolutionary terms to get a good mix of genes - and for women to choose a better option if one came along.

Keyword: Genes & Behavior; Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 5617 - Posted: 06.09.2004