Discovery involves development of mouse model that may provide new target for drugs and other therapeutics PORTLAND, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have discovered a key cellular mechanism in the brain possibly involved in mental retardation. The research may be used to develop new drugs or therapies to combat the condition. The research, which was conducted in mice, also may provide scientists with an animal model for mental retardation that will be of use in future studies aimed at understanding and treating the human condition. The research, which is printed in the Feb. 18 edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, centers on a key protein called WAVE-1 that is found throughout the brain. Researchers at OHSU produced mice lacking the WAVE-1 protein. Following observation, these animals were found to have balance, motor, learning and memory deficits. These symptoms correlate with one form of mental retardation found in humans. "WAVE-1 is a very important protein involved in brain cell communication," said researcher John Scott, Ph.D., an associate investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a senior scientist in the OHSU Vollum Institute. "The protein acts like a scaffolding that supports the lines of communication between different parts of the cell."

Keyword: Development of the Brain; Intelligence
Link ID: 3440 - Posted: 06.24.2010

DENVER -- Fragile X syndrome and schizophrenia represent vastly different abnormalities of the brain, but they provide functionally similar examples of what happens when wiring processes go awry, neuroscientist William T. Greenough said today at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "We are seeing what appears to be the same sort of thing happening as a result of abnormal influences," said Greenough, who holds a Swanlund Endowed Chair at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "It appears that in both Fragile X and schizophrenia patients, abnormalities of the plasticity processes are occurring, or maybe some other genetic mechanism is driving the molding of the brain in the wrong directions." Fragile X syndrome is an inherited condition and the leading cause of mental retardation in males. Schizophrenia is a severe emotional disorder involving misperceptions of reality, delusions and hallucinations.

Keyword: Development of the Brain; Schizophrenia
Link ID: 3439 - Posted: 02.19.2003

Pioneer in false memory research presents latest findings at AAAS Symposium Irvine, Calif. -- During a recent study of memory recall and the use of suggestive interviewing, UC Irvine cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Loftus successfully planted false memories in volunteers of several study groups -- memories that included such unlikely events as kissing frogs, shaking hands with Bugs Bunny at Disneyland, and witnessing a demonic possession. Her success at planting these memories challenge the argument that suggestive interviewing may reliably prompt real memories instead of planting false ones. A pioneer in false memory research and Distinguished Professor of Social Ecology at UCI, Loftus will present her latest research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Denver at the "Remembering Traumatic Experiences in Childhood: Reliability and Limitations of Memory" symposium beginning at 2:30 p.m. MST Sunday, Feb. 16. Loftus conducted her study by having volunteers conduct a set of actions that mixed the common place (flipping a coin) with the unusual and even bizarre (crushing a Hershey's kiss with a dental floss container). Later, her research team asked volunteers to imagine additional actions they performed that day, such as kissing a frog. At a future time, participants were asked to recall their actions on that specific day[j1]. Ayanna Thomas, a doctoral student in Loftus' research group, found that 15 percent of the study's volunteers claimed they had actually performed some of the actions they had only imagined.

Keyword: Learning & Memory
Link ID: 3438 - Posted: 02.19.2003

St. Louis, Mo., -- Human intelligence is like a mental juggling act in which the smartest performers use specific brain regions to resist distraction and keep attention focused on critical pieces of information, according to a new brain imaging study from Washington University in St. Louis. "Some people seem to perform better than others in novel, mentally-demanding situations, but why?" asks Jeremy R. Gray, Ph.D., co-author of the study to be posted Feb. 18 in an advance online issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience. "Presumably, people are using their brains differently, but how? “ Curious about the specific cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie individual differences in intelligence, Gray and colleagues devised a study to explore the inner workings of one important aspect of human intelligence. The study sought to better understand the process through which the mind reasons and solves novel problems, an ability known among psychologists as “fluid intelligence.”

Keyword: Intelligence; Brain imaging
Link ID: 3437 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Brain's natural painkillers are influenced by women's hormones and genes DENVER – We all know people who can take pain or stress much better than we can, and others who cry out at the merest pinprick. We've heard stories of people who did heroic deeds despite horrible injuries, and stereotypes about women's supposedly sensitivity to pain that don't mesh with their ability to withstand childbirth's pain. But what accounts for all these differences in how individuals feel and respond to pain? And why are some people, especially women, more frequently prone to disorders – like temporomandibular joint pain and fibromyalgia – that cause them to feel crippling pain day and night? Researchers at the University of Michigan believe many answers to these questions lie in the brain -- specifically, how the brain controls our responses to pain.

Keyword: Hormones & Behavior; Pain & Touch
Link ID: 3436 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Professor: Coloration likely affected by media, but we still have a lot to learn about our brains By Louise Knott Ahern THE RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE You don't know your brain as well as you think you do. Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosophy professor at the University of California-Riverside, offers that conclusion after studying whether people say they dream in color or black and white. Schwitzgebel has replicated a 1942 study that surveyed college sophomores on the details of their dreams. Students at that time reported overwhelmingly that they dreamed in black and white while students today who took Schwitzgebel's survey say their nighttime narratives are usually in the vibrant reds, blues and greens that color our world. The difference? Media, according to Schwitzgebel. Students in 1940 were immersed in black-and-white movies, while students today watch movies and television in color. ©1999-2003 by MediaNews Group, Inc.

Keyword: Sleep; Vision
Link ID: 3435 - Posted: 06.24.2010

ST. PAUL, MN. - Child neurologists with the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society have released new practice guidelines recommending tests that should be used to diagnose even the youngest children with global developmental delay. Between 40,000 and 120,000 U.S. and Canadian children are born each year with global developmental delay (mental retardation). While incurable, early testing and diagnosis of global developmental delay may help determine the cause of the disorder, and assist physicians and parents in developing a plan for treatment. The guidelines are based on a review of all of the scientific studies on global developmental delay published from 1980 to 2000. The guidelines are published in the February 11 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Keyword: Development of the Brain; Intelligence
Link ID: 3434 - Posted: 02.11.2003

by David A. Fishbain, M.D. Psychiatric Times February 2003 Vol. XX Issue 2 The use of opioids for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain was mired in controversy for many years (Portenoy, 1996). It was once thought that long-term opioid use led to a downhill spiral associated with a loss of functional capacity and depressed mood (Ciccone et al., 2000). We now know that this is not the case. Other evidence also indicates that a subpopulation of patients with chronic pain can achieve sustained partial analgesia from opioid therapy without the occurrence of intolerable side effects (Savage, 1999). Impairment of daily activity, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention and mood have also been reported to improve with long-term opioid treatment for this population (Haythornthwaite et al., 1998). A meta-analysis of the opioid treatment literature has also indicated that, in general, patients with chronic pain will respond to long-term opioid therapy (Graven et al., 1999). Thus, at the present time, there is little controversy over whether opioids can be used for the treatment of pain when other options have been exhausted. Although it appears that there has been a literature consensus reached on the need for chronic opioid treatment for patients with chronic pain if other treatments fail, there is a subpopulation within this group that is problematic. These are the patients who may demonstrate addiction to opioids. © 2003 Psychiatric Times. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Drug Abuse; Pain & Touch
Link ID: 3433 - Posted: 06.24.2010

by William Kanapaux Psychiatric Times February 2003 Vol. XX Issue 2 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is easy to miss and difficult to live with. Despite being the fifth most common psychiatric disorder, it is correctly diagnosed less than 20% of the time. And, left untreated, its symptoms can last a lifetime. The good news is that effective treatments for PTSD do exist. Both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are effective, and therapy that combines the two shows particular promise. Researchers delivered that message to participating psychiatrists and medical directors at the Behavioral Healthcare and Informatics Tomorrow conference, held Sept. 22-25, 2002, in Washington, D.C. The two speakers, Duke University psychiatrist Jonathan Davidson, M.D., and University of Pennsylvania psychologist Edna Foa, Ph.D., are working together on a study that compares medication-only and combined treatment for patients with PTSD. Recent studies, according to Davidson, have found that as few as 4% of PTSD cases are picked up in either academic or community health centers (Davidson, 2001). © 2003 Psychiatric Times. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Stress
Link ID: 3432 - Posted: 06.24.2010

UH Research Suggests Possible Therapies for Eye Disorders, Injury HOUSTON, – A new study designed to find out why cells in the eye die when exposed to lead may provide novel therapies for retinal damage caused by injury or diseases such as diabetes and retinitis pigmentosa. The study, published in the Feb. 4 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on identifying how low-level lead exposure during development in mice injures and eventually kills rod-shaped photoreceptor cells, or rods, in the eye. Rods are cells in the eye that help humans see in dim light. The other type of photoreceptors, or light-gathering cells, called cones are responsible for color and spatial vision. Cones are used primarily in daylight and for activities such as reading.

Keyword: Vision; Apoptosis
Link ID: 3431 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Decreasing meal frequency and caloric intake protects nerve cells from genetically induced damage, delays the onset of Huntington's disease-like symptoms in mice, and prolongs the lives of affected rodents, according to investigators at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Intramural Research Program. This animal study* is the first to suggest that a change in diet can influence the course of Huntington's disease. "If reducing food intake has the same effects in humans as it does in mice, then it may be theoretically possible to delay the onset of the disease and extend the lives of Huntington's patients by prescribing low-caloric diets or diets with reduced meal frequency," says Mark Mattson, Ph.D., chief of the NIA's Laboratory of Neurosciences. The study will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of February 10 (doi:10.1073/pnas.0536856100). In the study, NIA scientists found that when mutant huntingtin, the abnormal human gene that causes Huntington's disease (HD), was introduced into mice, these mice exhibited clinical signs of the disease, including abnormal metabolism. This altered metabolism, a diabetes-like condition also found in humans with HD, caused the mice to progressively lose weight despite having good appetites. As the mice aged, they developed difficulties controlling their body movements, lost body weight, and eventually died.

Keyword: Huntingtons
Link ID: 3430 - Posted: 02.11.2003

Duke researchers have identified a gene that may play a major role in producing autism in a subset of autistic children | Duke University Medical Center researchers have developed a new statistical genetic "fishing net" that they have cast into a sea of complex genetic data on autistic children to harvest an elusive autism gene. Moreover, the researchers said that the success of the approach will be broadly applicable to studying genetic risk factors for other complex genetic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In this case, the gene, which encodes part of a brain neurotransmitter docking station called the gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor beta3-subunit (GABRB3), has been implicated in autism previously, but never positively linked to the disease. Their findings will be published in the March 2003 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. © 2003 Office of News & Communications

Keyword: Autism; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 3429 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Researchers at Infineon Technologies in Germany have developed new semiconductor technology that will allow scientists to read electrical signals in living nerve cells, the company said on Tuesday. Being able to read and record the signals, with the aid of computers, will help scientists better understand how the brain works and could eventually lead to treatments for neurological diseases, like Alzheimer's, said Roland Thewes, senior director in corporate research at Munich-based Infineon. "For example, you could put slices from brain nerve cells on the chip, apply drugs and see how the nerve signals and cells react to a particular drug," he said. © 2003 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Keyword: Robotics
Link ID: 3428 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By BARNABY J. FEDER LOS ANGELES, — Nanotechnology, biotechnology, electronics and brain research are converging into a new field of science vital to the nation's security and economic clout. Or so say influential research agenda-setters like the National Science Foundation, along with a loose-knit group of government, academic and industry researchers who are trying to accelerate the convergence process. "Leading scientists are stepping forward and saying, `We don't have departments organized for this, but this is what's hot,' " said Philip J. Keukes, chief architect for quantum science research at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Robotics
Link ID: 3427 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Actor Christopher Reeve has confounded medical opinion to fight a determined battle against paralysis - and his efforts are beginning to produce results. Doctors thought it was unlikely that the star of the Superman movies would even survive after he broke his neck in a horse riding accident in May 1995. Against the odds, he pulled through, but his injury left him paralysed from the neck down, unable to breathe without the use of a ventilator and dependent on 24-hour nursing care. Reeve describes the fact that he survived as a "miracle". However, he also admits that he had to battle thoughts of suicide. The chances that he would ever recover movement in his legs were tiny. But with a steely determination and remarkable dedication he has begun to prove this grim prognosis wrong. A BBC documentary 'Christopher Reeve: Hope in Motion' follows the star's progress as he gradually inches towards his goal of regaining some of the independence he so misses. (C) BBC

Keyword: Regeneration; Movement Disorders
Link ID: 3426 - Posted: 02.10.2003

By PAM BELLUCK PORTLAND, Me. — Methadone, a drug long valued for treating heroin addiction and for soothing chronic pain, is increasingly being abused by recreational drug users and is causing an alarming rise in overdoses and deaths, federal and state officials say. In Florida, methadone-related deaths jumped from 209 in 2000 to 357 in 2001 to 254 in just the first six months of 2002, the latest period for which data are available. "Out of noplace came methadone," said James McDonough, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control. "It now is the fastest rising killer drug." Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 3425 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Is the pendulum swinging away from low fat? Damaris Christensen This time of year, thoughts turn from overloaded holiday tables to overweight bodies, the beach, and diet programs. Losing weight is not just a matter of looking good in a swimsuit. Packing on the pounds increases a person's risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and some cancers. Recent surveys estimate that more than 50 percent of adults in the United States are overweight. As the U.S. public has gotten fatter, public health officials have been pushing diets low in fat. A variety of epidemiological data supports this advice, but it's now being challenged as other types of weight-loss diets have gained support. "As a country, our fat intake has decreased, but our calorie intake has increased, and obesity rates are going up," says Bonnie J. Brehm of the University of Cincinnati. "Over the last 10 years, Americans have been so obsessed with low fat that people have forgotten that carbohydrates have calories, too. The pendulum may be swinging back a bit." Some recent studies—and provocative articles in the popular press—have suggested that low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, could be more effective for weight loss than low-fat diets are. However, the low-carb diets tend to be high in fat and protein. So, there are concerns about their potential health effects. Although scientists caution that these diets haven't yet been studied over long periods, several new trials have shown them to have surprisingly positive short-term effects. From Science News, Vol. 163, No. 6, Feb. 8, 2003, p. 88. Copyright ©2003 Science Service. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Obesity
Link ID: 3424 - Posted: 06.24.2010

UCSF researchers have identified a novel physiological process that may contribute to obesity in middle-aged mice. The scientists suspect the same process occurs in humans and could be a factor in the weight gain that many people experience as they age. The finding, they say, suggests a possible target for therapy. In the study, published in the February issue of Diabetes, the researchers determined that middle-aged mice expended less energy – i.e., burned fewer calories - to carry out the same physical activity -- scurrying to and fro -- than younger adult mice. The most dramatic findings were seen in a comparison of middle-aged and younger-adult mice genetically engineered to lack a brain cell receptor known as 5-HT(2c), which receives signals from the brain chemical serotonin; an effect, though less dramatic, was also seen in normal mice. Traditionally, scientists have surmised that the increase in weight gain seen in middle-aged mammals, including mice and people, was due in part to declines in resting metabolic rate and physical activity levels. However, in the study, both sets of middle-aged mice ate the same amount, had the same resting metabolic rate and had the same level of activity as their younger brethren.

Keyword: Obesity; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 3423 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Tool sheds light on which specific brain cells are active and when TROY, N.Y. — The mind works in mysterious ways, and one Rensselaer researcher and his colleagues have created a computer automation tool to help solve those mysteries, speed understanding of how the brain develops, delve more deeply into brain function at the cellular level, and make more reliable conclusions Rensselaer engineering professor Badri Roysam has developed a technology called Quantitative cat-FISH that analyzes 3-D, microscopic images of the brains of rats after the animals have run through mazes. By logging important cognitive cellular information — such as activity, cell shape, size, and location — in a simple spreadsheet for analysis, the software is helping researchers identify which cells are active and when. In the past, researchers have only been able to pinpoint which general regions of the brain are active. Researchers used to perform some of the time-consuming cell counting and transcription work that Quantitative cat-FISH does by hand. Roysam's system now allows scientists to process more data and tissue faster and without subjective error. It also enables researchers to make more reliable conclusions. Copyright © 1996–2003 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Keyword: Brain imaging
Link ID: 3422 - Posted: 06.24.2010

There's no doubt that child abuse has serious consequences. The effects, however, may be even worse than you think. An increasing amount of research indicates that severe maltreatment at an early age can create an enduring negative influence on a child's developing brain. The findings highlight the seriousness of childhood abuse and may lead to increased prevention efforts as well as new approaches for treatment. A twisted arm. No food. Rape. It’s heartbreaking to think about. Almost 900,000 children faced some form of abuse or neglect in 2000, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Clearly these actions have serious consequences, but the extent and nature of the effects were unclear. Now, an increasing amount of research indicates, that while physical wounds often heal over time, severe maltreatment at an early age can create an enduring, harmful influence on a child’s developing brain. The research is leading to: * A better understanding of how negative environments affect the brain. * Increased efforts to intervene and protect children from maltreatment. * New ways to treat abuse. Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience

Keyword: Stress; Development of the Brain
Link ID: 3420 - Posted: 06.24.2010