By Hannah Cleaver and David Derbyshire A girl of seven who had half her brain removed, including its speech centre, has astonished doctors by becoming fluent in two languages. Her doctor said her recovery highlighted the flexibility of the brain, even after the most traumatic surgery. Busra was diagnosed with Rasmussen syndrome, a rare, progressive disorder that affects just one side of the brain, at the age of three. © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002. Terms & Conditions of reading.

Keyword: Language; Development of the Brain
Link ID: 2116 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By: Tim Irr, WSAZ NewsChannel 3 HUNTINGTON, WV, May 22 - Can we use brain power to help our bodies heal? New research suggests the best medicine may not come in a pill. A recent study on the some of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants shows placebos, which are basically sugar pills made to look like the real thing, work like the real thing. But, how is that possible? We talk with local psychiatrists who do believe in the so-called placebo effect, but they're not about to throw away their prescription pads. "I struggled with the depression for several months. I mean really serious depression. I was hospitalized in River Park for nine days." Deanna Syrus is a firm believer in the anti-depressant prescription Zoloft. She is one of the 14 million Americans who each year suffer from depression. Deanna says the medication helped save her life. "I mean I was at the end of my rope. My family was pretty sure that if I had not been treated, I would not be here." MSNBC Terms, Conditions and Privacy © 2002

Keyword: Depression
Link ID: 2115 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Study suggests why it’s so hard for us to resist junk food By Maggie Fox [Reuters] — The very sight of food causes the brain to react with pleasure, scientists said on Wednesday in a report they say shows why so many people can’t resist temptation when it comes to food. THE REACTION looks very different from the way the brain lights up when people actually eat — and explains the phenomenal success of advertisements for junk food and snacks, the team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory found. “This shows us why all the advertisements about food are so powerful and why we are having problems with obesity in this country — because we are constantly being bombarded with food stimuli,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, a psychiatrist who led the study. © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Obesity
Link ID: 2114 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By Lidia Wasowicz Researchers have identified a tiny time teller in the brain's central clock that ticks off signals to let the body know when it should be eating, sleeping and performing other critical functions. The finding of the missing messenger molecule may lead to treatments for jet lag, shift-work syndrome, sleep and eating disorders, seasonal depression and other diseases affected by circadian or daily rhythms, the University of California at Irvine scientists said. An account of their discovery -- the first of a biological mechanism that regulates night and day cycles -- will be published Thursday in the British journal Nature. Copyright © 2002 United Press International. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Biological Rhythms
Link ID: 2113 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Married men who spend time with their wives and kids have lower testosterone levels than bachelors. The discovery suggests that having less of the hormone could play a part in encouraging men to devote their energies to the family rather than looking for another partner. In male birds from monogamous species, testosterone levels fall after they form a pair and start taking care of their young. Artificially raising levels of testosterone is known to cause the males to play the field at the expense of parenting. This suggests that testosterone boosts competition for mates while lower levels encourage fatherly conduct. So anthropologist Peter Gray and a team from Harvard University decided to see whether the same happens in men. They measured testosterone in the saliva of 58 men who were either single, married or married with children. In all the men hormone levels fell over the course of the day as part of a natural daily cycle that peaks in the morning. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Hormones & Behavior
Link ID: 2112 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Parents have been advised that it is safe to feed soya infant formula to their babies despite evidence suggesting it may affect the ability to fight off infection and disease. In the UK, soya milk is used by parents for whom breast feeding or use of cow's milk is not an option. In the US, it is more widely used by parents who do have other options. The research, from the US, shows that chemicals contained in soya can suppress the immune system of rats. The US scientists say that those parents who have no medical reason for feeding their infants soya formula should consider changing to cow milk or breast feeding. However, the UK Food Standards Agency has said that parents should continue to give their children the soya product if advised to do so by their doctor. (C) BBC

Keyword: Hormones & Behavior; Neuroimmunology
Link ID: 2111 - Posted: 05.22.2002

ITHACA, N.Y. -- After more than 5,000 years of human-feline cohabitation and enough elaborations on "meow!" to fill a dictionary, cats still haven't mastered language. But a Cornell University evolutionary psychology study ---- analyzing people's reactions to feline vocalizations ---- shows that cats know how to get what they want. "No matter what we like to believe, cats are probably not using language," says Nicholas Nicastro, a self-described cat person who has documented hundreds of different feline vocalizations in the common house cat (Felis catus ) and its ancestor, the African wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica ). His study, which he will describe June 5, 2002, at the 143rd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, in Pittsburgh, "shows that some very effective cat-to-human communication is going on," he says. "Though they lack language, cats have become very skilled at managing humans to get what they want ---- basically food, shelter and a little human affection." The communication study began when Nicastro, a graduate student, compiled a sample of 100 different vocalizations from 12 cats. No cats were harmed in the experiment, although a few human eardrums were stretched by what came next: He played back the recorded cat calls to 26 human volunteers and asked them to rate each sound for pleasantness and appeal, on a scale of 1 to 7. Nicastro played the same 100 sounds to a second set of 28 volunteers and asked them to indicate how urgent and demanding the sounds were, also on a 1-to-7 scale. He then analyzed the calls to see which acoustic features tended to go with pleasant or urgent meows.

Keyword: Language; Evolution
Link ID: 2109 - Posted: 05.22.2002

STANFORD, Calif. - For decades, scientists have known that eminently creative individuals have a much higher rate of manic depression, or bipolar disorder, than does the general population. But few controlled studies have been done to build the link between mental illness and creativity. Now, Stanford researchers Connie Strong and Terence Ketter, MD, have taken the first steps toward exploring the relationship. Using personality and temperament tests, they found healthy artists to be more similar in personality to individuals with manic depression than to healthy people in the general population. "My hunch is that emotional range, having an emotional broadband, is the bipolar patient's advantage," said Strong. "It isn't the only thing going on, but something gives people with manic depression an edge, and I think it's emotional range." Strong is a research manager in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science's bipolar disorders clinic and a doctoral candidate at the Pacific Graduate School. She is presenting preliminary results during a poster presentation today (May 21) at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association Meeting in Philadelphia.

Keyword: Depression; Schizophrenia
Link ID: 2108 - Posted: 05.22.2002

Copyright © 2002 AP Online By REX W. HUPPKE, Associated Press KOKOMO, Ind. - It started as a low hum, barely noticeable. But within months, the endless throbbing was like a corkscrew twisting into Diane Anton's temple. The walls of her home vibrated. Her bed shook. Bouts of nausea, short-term memory loss and hand tremors followed. "The noise was so penetrating and invasive," she said. "It was just not getting better." Copyright © 2001 Nando Media

Keyword: Hearing
Link ID: 2107 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Copyright © 2002 AP Online The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA - A federal task force recommended that all adults be screened for depression during regular visits with their doctors, noting that many cases are mistreated and as many as half of all cases are missed. An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from depression, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said the nation's primary care doctors could begin to identify as much as 90 percent of cases by asking questions about depression. The task force, an independent medical panel asked by the federal government to evaluate the latest research in deciding what routine medical screening Americans need, released the findings in Tuesday's edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Copyright © 2001 Nando Media

Keyword: Depression
Link ID: 2106 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By Lisa M. Krieger Mercury News It's another sleepless night at Stanford University. But unlike the legions of students dozing over textbooks, volunteers at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Lab have pharmaceutical help: a controversial new drug called Provigil. The medication, whose name is an abbreviation of the words ``promotes vigilance,'' keeps the mind fully awake and attentive without the euphoric ``buzz'' or jittery nerves of amphetamines and caffeine. It could prevent deadly mistakes by sleep-deprived truck drivers, doctors and other nighttime workers -- but also poses the risk of misuse in a culture fueled by a 24/7 ethos. Provigil is but one of many provocative new tools to come out of the growing field of brain research. As scientists probe deeper into the brain's chemistry, they are learning more about what makes people feel alert, energetic, depressed, angry or serene. ©1995-2002 Knight Ridder Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Sleep; Aggression
Link ID: 2105 - Posted: 06.24.2010

The evidence for and against cannabis-based drugs for multiple sclerosis is to be tested by a government watchdog over the next year, it was confirmed on Monday. The use of cannabinoids to relieve some of the symptoms of the illness is to be included in the next "work programme" of the National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness (NICE). If the go-ahead is given, it is likely they could be available in 2004. NICE was set up to appraise new and expensive treatments to see if they work - and are worth the money. Cannabinoids - drugs which are derived from the cannabis plant - are under test in several clinical trials. (C) BBC

Keyword: Multiple Sclerosis; Drug Abuse
Link ID: 2104 - Posted: 05.21.2002

Scientists strive to piece together the complete person David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor The history of medicine is filled with tales of bold surgeons replacing human body parts with artificial ones and of even bolder patients living with them. Artificial hearts are already beating tentatively in a few brave people, and biomedical engineers are constantly improving artificial limbs. Dozens of high-tech projects are under way that draw on the latest computer technology, synthetic materials and miniaturization methods. But the history of bionic efforts goes back for thousands of years: ©2002 San Francisco Chronicle

Keyword: Robotics
Link ID: 2103 - Posted: 06.24.2010

The critical period in mice for establishing anxiety behavior later in life is between five and 21 days after birth New York, N.Y., —The circuitry in the brain that leads to anxiety first gets established in early development, according to new findings in mice by researchers from Columbia University Health Sciences and colleagues elsewhere. Their results imply that current popular drugs for adult anxiety do not necessarily treat the cause of the disorder, but may be alleviating symptoms resulting from an event that occurred long ago. The research, published in the March 28 issue of Nature, reveals there is a window of time during the development of the mouse--between five and 21 days after birth--when the brain becomes wired to be anxious later in life. The comparable time in humans is the third trimester of pregnancy and the first two to three years of life. The study, led by Dr. Rene Hen, associate professor of pharmacology (in psychiatry and in the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior), focused on a serotonin receptor gene. The researchers manipulated the time in development and the location in the brain that the serotonin receptor was active to understand its role in creating anxiety circuitry.

Keyword: Emotions; Stress
Link ID: 2102 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By SANDRA BLAKESLEE Consider the consequences of a garbage strike. Trash accumulates, streets are clogged and daily life is disrupted. Eventually, things can come to a standstill. Scientists say that kind of disruption may lie at the heart of a wide array of diseases afflicting millions of Americans. In the brain, researchers say, the result is Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and a slew of other neurodegenerative disorders including the human version of mad cow disease. In the pancreas, it is Type 2 diabetes; in the lungs, cystic fibrosis; in the eyes, cataracts. If the problem develops in a certain blood protein, patients can develop numbness in the fingers or toes, or a mysterious form of heart disease that may affect as many as 4 percent of African-Americans. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Alzheimers; Parkinsons
Link ID: 2101 - Posted: 05.21.2002

By GINA KOLATA Dr. Richard Friedman, a psychopharmacologist at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, had a runner's high — once. "When I was young and foolish, I ran a marathon in the Smoky Mountains," he said. "I have never before or since had that kind of high, and maybe it was just the result of a near-death experience." Bill Fox, a recreational bicyclist and an I.B.M. research lab technician, says his exercise highs do not come easily. "You've really got to work for this high," Mr. Fox explained, saying he usually needed two hours or more of sweaty, intense, vigorous exercise. But when the feeling comes, he said, it is just like cocaine, a drug he knows from his days as an addict. "It has that well-being kind of feeling, that Superman kind of feeling," said Mr. Fox of Middletown, N.Y. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Pain & Touch; Muscles
Link ID: 2100 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Descartes Notwithstanding, Some Neuroscientists Find the Answer in Chemistry, Not Philosophy By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer For centuries, philosophers have been bedeviled by this question: What makes people aware of themselves, and what gives rise to intention and free will? In other words, what is consciousness? In the 17th century, the French philosopher Rene Descartes suggested that consciousness was like an "observer" in the head, a higher function, separate from the workings of the physical brain. In the four centuries since, no one has done much better in explaining subjective experience -- your sensation of the color red, or a twinge of pain, or your ability to choose your actions. In recent years, philosophers who study cognition have come to call this "the hard problem." Neuroscientists -- data-dependent investigators who map brain function, trace neural networks and explore the biochemistry of neurotransmitters -- have traditionally treated the question of consciousness like an unwelcome guest at the dining table. Some have dismissed it as irrelevant to their understanding of the brain, and others have contended that objective analysis can never comprehend a feeling that is entirely subjective. © 2002 The Washington Post Company

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 2099 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Caroline Ryan Scientists are developing a drug which could boost female sexual desire. Tests in female rats are proving promising, showing "significantly enhanced" sexual behaviour. Its developers believe it could be a more significant development in the treatment of sexual dysfunction than Viagra. If human trials do prove successful, it could be on the market within three years. The drug, PT141, is being developed by researchers at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada and Palatin Technologies - the company which is developing it. PT141 seems to encourage the female rats to actively seek out the males for sex, which in turn heightens their sexual arousal. The drug, which comes in the form of a nasal spray, has a virtually instantaneous effect. (C) BBC

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Hormones & Behavior
Link ID: 2098 - Posted: 05.20.2002

A report into deaths from epilepsy is expected to suggest the NHS is failing people with the condition. The study, by the charity Epilepsy Bereaved to be published on Monday, will suggest hundreds of lives are being lost unnecessarily each year. Doctors are expected to criticise variations in medical care. They will also call for reporting procedures to be introduced to enable the NHS to monitor deaths and plan effective interventions. Epilepsy affects more than 300,000 people living in the UK. Official figures suggest that about 1,000 people die every year as a result of the condition. Many of these deaths are caused by prolonged seizures which become life-threatening but many deaths remain unexplained. This is referred to as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) and is prevalent in young adults with the condition. It often occurs while they are sleeping. (C) BBC

Keyword: Epilepsy
Link ID: 2097 - Posted: 05.20.2002

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that patients who report that they have poor health and high levels of pain or disability are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than other patients in a primary care environment. Female gender was also an indicator of anxiety and depression, they found. The researchers believe that such new clues to anxiety and depression can contribute to an improved diagnostic profile that will help family physicians identify patients most at risk for anxiety and depression and help those patients receive appropriate care. The results were published in the May/June issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. "Primary care physicians see a wide range of patients, from those needing routine health check ups to those with chronic disease and disabilities," said lead author Lawrence Wu, M.D.

Keyword: Depression; Emotions
Link ID: 2096 - Posted: 05.20.2002