Scientists claim to have found the first hard evidence that a common type of migraine has its roots in genetic differences. An estimated one in 10 "migraineurs" suffer from a form of the condition which involves "aura" as well as the better-known headache attacks. The "aura", which normally happens an hour or so before the headache, involves various kinds of sensory disturbance, such as dizziness or vision changes. A team of geneticists from the University of California in Los Angeles looked at blood samples from the members of 50 Finnish families which each had three or more sufferers. They looked to see if any of the families had genetic markers in common. In 30% of the 430 people studied, the scientists found three common genetic markers linked to one particular part of chromosome 4. Their findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Genetics. (C) BBC

Keyword: Pain & Touch; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 1655 - Posted: 03.09.2002

Copyright © 2002 AP Online The Associated Press GENEVA - The Swiss biotechnology company Serono SA announced Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the firm's multiple sclerosis drug, Rebif, for use in the U.S. market. The FDA move effectively breaks the "orphan drug status" granted to Avonex, a multiple sclerosis drug produced by Biogen Inc., which is based in Cambridge, Mass. Shares of Biogen dropped 11 percent to $50.21 in early trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Copyright © 2001 Nando Media

Keyword: Multiple Sclerosis
Link ID: 1652 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Most smokers regret taking up the habit and say they would not do so if it was possible to get a second chance. A national survey also found that once hooked, many smokers were over-optimistic about how easy it would be for them to kick the habit. The survey of 893 smokers found that four out of five would not take up the habit if they had their time again. The sense of regret was most common among smokers aged 45 to 64. Most smokers overestimated the likelihood of stopping in the future and greatly underestimated how long it is likely to take. More than half expected to stop within two years, but in reality, only about 6% manage to kick the habit. (C) BBC

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 1650 - Posted: 03.08.2002

by Julie Dopheide, Pharm.D., BCPP, and Susie Park, Pharm.D. Psychiatric Times March 2002 Vol. XIX Issue 3 The range of medicinal compounds useful for anxiety disorders has expanded from antidepressants, benzodiazepines and buspirone to include anticonvulsants, some antipsychotics and herbal/alternative compounds. Frequently, combination therapy is needed (e.g., antidepressant and benzodiazepine) to achieve maximum efficacy and tolerability. Epidemiologic studies (e.g., Kessler et al., 1994; Lecrubier, 1998) show that between 30% and 60% of patients with anxiety disorders have comorbid illnesses such as depression or a substance abuse disorder. The presence of comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions guides drug therapy selection. For example, antidepressants are preferred if comorbid depression exists, and benzodiazepines may be problematic in those with active substance abuse disorders. A World Health Organization study found that recognition of comorbidity in anxiety disorders was a key reason for preferentially prescribing antidepressants rather than benzodiazepines in most primary care practices worldwide (Lecrubier, 2001). Copyright 1995-2002

Keyword: Emotions; Stress
Link ID: 1649 - Posted: 03.08.2002

by Katharina Manassis, M.D. Psychiatric Times March 2002 Vol. XIX Issue 3 Anxiety disorders often begin in childhood and are associated with significant long-term morbidity (Bernstein et al., 1996). Recognizing and treating children with early signs of vulnerability to anxiety disorders are, therefore, important clinical goals. Twin studies have established a genetic contribution to childhood anxiety symptoms and disorders. Family-association studies have found anxiety disorders to be elevated in children of parents with anxiety disorders and, conversely, in parents of children with anxiety disorders. Specific genes linked to certain neurotransmitters implicated in anxiety are now being studied in anxiety-disorder populations. Further studies have demonstrated temperamental risk factors for anxiety disorders (most notably, behavioral inhibition) using both family-association and prospective designs (Biederman et al., 1990; Kagan et al., 1989; Manassis et al., 1995). While each type of study has certain methodological constraints, and constitutional factors undoubtedly interact with environmental ones, this group of findings makes an impressive case for a hereditary component in anxiety disorders. However, exploring environmental contributions to anxiety (for example, family problems or stressful life events) and developmental or medical contributors (for example, learning disabilities or hyperthyroidism) is also essential. Copyright 1995-2002, CME Inc.

Keyword: Genes & Behavior; Stress
Link ID: 1648 - Posted: 03.08.2002

by R. Bruce Lydiard, M.D., Ph.D. Psychiatric Times March 2002 Vol. XIX Issue 3 Over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates described a patient with social phobia, which is also known as social anxiety disorder (SAD): "He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture or speech or be sick; he thinks every man observes him." SAD Overview The lifetime and 12-month prevalences of SAD are 13.3% and 7.9%, respectively, making SAD the third most common psychiatric disorder following major depression and alcohol dependence/abuse (Kessler et al., 1994). Despite this high prevalence rate, SAD remains woefully underdiagnosed. There are two subtypes of SAD. Non-generalized SAD is the less severe subtype and includes those individuals who experience anxiety in only one or two types of social situations (primarily public speaking and/or performance anxiety experienced by entertainers). Individuals with non-generalized SAD usually have adequate social skills and function normally outside these specific performance situations. Copyright 1995-2002, CME Inc.

Keyword: Emotions; Stress
Link ID: 1647 - Posted: 03.08.2002

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified the underlying mechanism by which cocaine triggers hypertensive crisis, the most severe form of high blood pressure and one of the most common cocaine-related, cardiovascular emergencies in the United States. The findings, reported in the current issue of Circulation, may lead to the development of new treatment strategies for cocaine-induced blood pressure elevation and related complications including stroke and acute myocardial infarction. "The underlying mechanism of the blood-pressure-raising effect of cocaine use in humans has not been well studied," said Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, senior author of the study and assistant professor of internal medicine. Copyright © 1995-2002 UniSci. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 1646 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Researchers believe that because rats and mice are so well treated these days, the animals now respond slightly differently to the tests carried out on them. This could make it more difficult to compare the results of modern experiments with those conducted many years ago. It could also mean more animals have to be used in procedures to get statistically significant results - at least in the short term. (C) BBC

Keyword: Miscellaneous
Link ID: 1645 - Posted: 03.07.2002

Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition Some people have a special gift for predicting the twists and turns of chaotic systems like the weather and perhaps even financial markets, according to an Australian psychologist. Richard Heath, who has now moved to the UK's University of Sunderland tried to identify people who can do this by showing volunteers a list of eight numbers and asking them to predict the next four. The volunteers were told that the numbers were maximum temperatures for the previous eight days. In fact the numbers were computer-generated: some sets were part of a chaotic series while the rest were random. Random sequences are by their nature unpredictable, whereas chaotic sequences follow specific rules. Despite this, chaotic sequences are very hard to predict in practice because of the "butterfly effect" - even an unmeasurably small change in initial conditions can have a dramatic impact on their future state. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 1644 - Posted: 06.24.2010

But scientists unsure about extent of harm David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor A three-city study of heavy marijuana users has found that long-term pot smoking impairs brain function, scientists report today. In an elaborate study of more than 150 men and women being treated for dependence on the weed, the researchers concluded that even many hours after the subjects' last joint, their memory proved defective, and so was their ability to concentrate, to solve problems involving numbers and words, and to resist distraction. An estimated 7 million Americans now smoke marijuana with at least some frequency, according to government figures. And ever since pot smoking aroused nationwide concern four decades ago, mental health specialists have debated whether, or how much, brain damage might result from heavy use. ©2002 San Francisco Chronicle

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 1643 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD In a new genetic study of modern human origins, an American scientist has found what he says is substantial evidence that could reshape the prevailing "out of Africa" theory. Among his findings, he says, is the likelihood that genes from Neanderthals and other species live on in present-day humans. The findings apparently do not undermine the "out of Africa" theory, which holds that there was a relatively modern founding migration of human ancestors into Asia and Europe from Africa. But they do suggest that there were at least two migrations rather than one — the first about half a million years ago, the other, as in the "out of Africa" theory, beginning some 100,000 years ago. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Evolution
Link ID: 1642 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Early humans came out of Africa again and again. JOHN WHITFIELD There were at least three major waves of early human migration out of Africa, our DNA suggests. Apparently the wanderers made love, not war: gene patterns hint that later emigrants bred with residents. Human origins are contentious. Most researchers agree that there have been several major migrations out of Africa. Some hold that human populations in many regions evolved in parallel after Homo erectus left Africa around two million years ago. Others think that a wave of modern humans from Africa replaced all previous Eurasian populations perhaps as recently as 50,000 years ago. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, proposes geneticist Alan Templeton of Washington University, St Louis1 . "Africans have had a huge genetic impact on humanity," he says. "But my analysis really isn't compatible with complete replacement." Templeton, A. R. Out of Africa again and again. Nature, 416, 45 - 51, (2002). © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2002

Keyword: Evolution
Link ID: 1640 - Posted: 06.24.2010

NEW YORK - (Reuters Health) - New research in twins provides more evidence of the unusual link between smoking and a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. But, far from advocating smoking as a way to cut Parkinson's risk, researchers say that understanding the relationship could help identify the cause of Parkinson's and possibly ways to prevent it. For 30 years, various studies have turned up an association between smoking and lower risk of Parkinson's disease, according to the authors of the new study. But a biological explanation has remained elusive, and some have suggested that smoking itself is not protective. Rather, some genetic characteristics may underlie both Parkinson's and the tendency to smoke. SOURCE: Neurology 2002;58:581-588.

Keyword: Parkinsons; Drug Abuse
Link ID: 1639 - Posted: 03.07.2002

New Formula Adds Fatty Acids Thought to Aid Brain, Eye Development By Melinda T. Willis [ABCNEWS.com] — While breast milk is still the best milk for babies, the newest addition to the infant formula family is trying to bridge that gap. Mead Johnson Pharmaceuticals is now marketing a new line of formula in the United States called Enfamil Lipil that contains two fatty acids — decosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and arachidonic acid, or ARA — that are naturally occurring elements of breast milk and are believed to play an important role in the development of the brain and the eye. "What the formula companies are trying to do is get more and more like breast milk, because they realize that it is the gold standard," says Dr. Steven Zeisel, chairman of the department of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. "There is no advantage of this formula over breast milk, but there might be an advantage over other formulas." Copyright © 2002 ABCNEWS Internet Ventures.

Keyword: Development of the Brain
Link ID: 1638 - Posted: 06.24.2010

The cause of a group of brain-attacking diseases, known as spongiform encephalopathies, was once a mystery. Researchers spent years to no avail searching for a bacterium, virus or other typical disease-causing agent. Now increasing research points to an unusual suspect. Many scientists believe that a mere protein, termed a prion protein, is behind these diseases. This discovery is helping researchers get closer to developing treatments for those with the fatal ailments. You open the tainted mail and inhale bacterial spores. Soon flu-like symptoms and breathing problems erupt. It's anthrax. The bacteria behind the anthrax disease, as well as the smallpox virus and plague bacteria, for example, use nucleic acid to take hold of your body. This genetic material carries special codes that allow the microbes to replicate and create overpowering troops that swarm, attack and launch illness. Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience

Keyword: Prions
Link ID: 1637 - Posted: 06.24.2010

The study tested 102 heavy users of the drug Long term marijuana users may have worse memories and poorer attention spans than other users of the drug, scientists say. Memory and attention span got "significantly" worse the longer a user had been taking the drug, according to tests done on those entering a US drugs treatment programme. But it is not clear whether giving up the drug will enable users to recover, and the research fuels the scientific debate over the true impact of marijuana use on the brain. The research - published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama) - shows habitual users may suffer academically, at work and in their interpersonal relationships, its authors say. (C) BBC

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 1635 - Posted: 03.06.2002

News-Journal wire services TALLAHASSEE -- Researchers studying Alzheimer's Disease told lawmakers Thursday that they are close to finding the cause of the degenerative disease. The state held its first-ever Alzheimer's Summit at the Capitol at the urging of House Speaker designate Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, whose late father suffered from the disease. During the summit a group of scientists from three medical schools and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville discussed the latest theories behind the causes of the disease and what can be done to treat those who suffer from it. © 2002 News-Journal Corporation, news- journalonline.com (SM)

Keyword: Alzheimers
Link ID: 1634 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Michael L Platt Current Opinion in Neurobiology 10.1016/S0959-4388(02)00302-1 Once considered the province of philosophy and the behavioral sciences, the process of making decisions has received increasing scrutiny from neurobiologists. Recent research suggests that sensory judgements unfold through the gradual accumulation of neuronal signals in sensory–motor pathways, favoring one alternative over others. Stored representations of the outcome of prior actions activate neurons in many of these same areas during decision-making. The challenge for neurobiologists lies in deciphering how signals from these disparate areas are integrated to form a single behavioral choice and the mechanisms responsible for selecting the appropriate information upon which decisions should be informed in particular contexts. © Elsevier Science Limited 2002

Keyword: Attention; Animal Communication
Link ID: 1633 - Posted: 06.24.2010

A national expert in child epilepsy claims wrong diagnoses are being made because there are too few consultants who specialise in the condition. The BBC has learned that many areas are without regular visiting clinics by paediatric neurologists. A survey carried out by the British Paediatric Neurologist Association (BNPA) found that one in seven hospitals do not have a visiting clinic because of a lack of consultants. (C) BBC

Keyword: Epilepsy
Link ID: 1632 - Posted: 03.05.2002

By JOHN O'NEIL Muscle tics and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly called A.D.H.D., often go together, a fact that has complicated treatment. Doctors have worried that the stimulants prescribed for the hyperactivity will worsen the twitching that comes with conditions like Tourette's syndrome. But last week, the journal Neurology released ahead of schedule a study that its authors hope will lay those fears to rest. The study found that both Ritalin, the most common treatment for the hyperactivity disorder, and an alternative medication, clonadine, worked as well at reducing the symptoms of hyperactivity for 136 children with tic disorders as they did for the general A.D.H.D. population. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: ADHD; Tourettes
Link ID: 1630 - Posted: 03.05.2002