Costly test distinguishes memory lapses from the dreaded disease PET scans show a consistent diagnostic pattern for Alzheimer's disease, where certain regions of the brain have decreased metabolism early in the disease. ASSOCIATED PRESS Nov. 6 - New research bolsters the idea that brain scans can help determine whether mild memory lapses are early signs of Alzheimer's. Currently, doctors often diagnose Alzheimer's disease through psychological tests, plus a battery of medical procedures to rule out other possible causes of dementia. But the most definitive diagnosis can be made only after death, when the brain can be dissected. • MSNBC Terms and Conditions © 2001

Keyword: Alzheimers; Brain imaging
Link ID: 939 - Posted: 11.07.2001

By ANDREW POLLACK LOS ANGELES, - In a development that may sidestep some of the ethical issues surrounding stem cell research, a scientist here says he has created stem cells that can turn into nerve cells using a kind of embryo that cannot develop into a baby. The work, done in mice, is one of several recent experiments that explore the usefulness of asexual reproduction in deriving stem cells. The researcher, Dr. Jerry L. Hall, uses chemicals to coax an egg to grow into an embryo of sorts without being fertilized by a male's sperm. Such embryos, even if implanted into a womb, would not grow to become viable babies, Dr. Hall and other experts said. Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Stem Cells
Link ID: 935 - Posted: 11.06.2001

Hermaphrodite fish are on the rise, thanks to the birth control pill and other natural and unnatural forms of estrogen that have made their way into the water. Feminized fish were first found downstream from sewage plants in the United Kingdom. "Closer to home, we have observed intersex White Perch in various locations in the Great Lakes, " explained Chris Metcalfe, professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University in Ontario. "And in the Columbia River, there is a much higher proportion of female salmon than males, indicating that some feminization process may be going on." Metcalfe conducted lab experiments on aquarium fish to try to find out which of the various forms of estrogen were the culprit in the sexual alteration of fish.

Keyword: Hormones & Behavior; Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 933 - Posted: 11.06.2001

TAMPA, Fla (Nov. 5, 2001) -- Rats that suffered from stroke recovered much of their neurological function quicker following intraveneous injection with cells from human umbilical cord blood, a study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, and the University of South Florida, Tampa, found. The cord blood cells survived, migrated to the areas of the brain injured by the stroke and improved the rats' motor and sensory abilities, even when administered a week after the onset of stroke, the researchers report in this month's issue of the journal Stroke. The cord cells included a significant number of stem cells -- immature. undifferentiated cells with the potential to become any cell in the body, including neurons. "The study suggests that human umbilical cord blood may be a noncontroversial, more readily available source of therapeutic cells for treating early stroke and other traumatic brain injuries," said Paul Sanberg, PhD, DSc, director of the USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair and a senior author of the report.

Keyword: Stroke; Stem Cells
Link ID: 932 - Posted: 11.06.2001

Reuters VIENNA -- Sports doctors say evidence suggests that some athletes may be genetically predisposed to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or concussion, but warn that the misuse of such information could harm athletes' careers. These findings were discussed on Saturday by delegates attending a conference in Vienna organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation, the Olympic medical committee and FIFA, world soccer's governing body, to draw up international guidelines on concussion and how it should be treated. Barry Jordan, Chief Medical Officer for the New York State Athletic Commission, said evidence that it may be possible to isolate genes showing if an athlete is vulnerable to TBI or concussion could create an ethical quagmire for sports doctors.

Keyword: Brain Injury/Concussion
Link ID: 930 - Posted: 11.06.2001

Twins have almost the same amount of grey matter A degree of intelligence is written in the genes and determined before birth, according to a new genetic study of twins. It suggests that ability to do well in intelligence tests is linked with the amount of grey matter in the brain, something that depends largely on genes. Scientists in the United States compared 20 pairs of twins, half of whom were identical and half non-identical. Their brains were examined using a medical scanner that can distinguish between grey matter and white matter. Grey matter, so named because it looks grey to the naked eye, refers to the areas of the brain that are mainly composed of the heads of nerve cells. (c) BBC

Keyword: Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 929 - Posted: 11.06.2001

Naturally occurring molecules called beta-synucleins (b-synucleins) may have the ability to halt the excessive build-up of plaque-like deposits, called Lewy bodies, that are found in the dying neuron cells of Parkinson's disease patients, according to researchers in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. In findings published recently in the journal Neuron, investigators in the lab of senior author Eliezer Masliah, M.D., professor of neurosciences and pathology, showed in mice that b-synuclein inhibits the Lewy body-producing activity of a cousin molecule called alpha-synuclein, which has been linked to abnormal accumulation of Lewy bodies characteristically seen in the brain's of Parkinson's patients.

Keyword: Parkinsons
Link ID: 928 - Posted: 11.06.2001

by Timothy Lesaca, M.D. Psychiatric Times November 2001 Vol. XVIII Issue 11 Over the past two decades, there has been considerable progress in understanding the functions of the prefrontal cortex of the brain and its regulation of mental activities that allow for self-control and goal-directed behaviors. These mental activities are unified under the term executive functions. Executive functions are thought to enable a person to successfully engage in independent, purposeful and self-serving behaviors. The major executive functions include response inhibition, which permits impulse control, resistance to distraction and delay of gratification; nonverbal working memory, which permits the holding of events in the mind and allows self-awareness across time; verbal working memory, which comprises the internalization of speech and permits self-description, questioning and reading comprehension; and self-regulation of emotion and motivation, which permits motivation, persistence toward a goal and emotional self-control. Copyright 1995-2001 CME, Inc.

Keyword: ADHD
Link ID: 926 - Posted: 11.05.2001

by K. Elan Jung, M.D. Psychiatric Times November 2001 Vol. XVIII Issue 11 The introduction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) into psychiatric nosology has brought new insights as well as controversy. It has deepened our understanding of how severe traumas that exceed ordinary coping mechanisms affect the human mind; however, complex clinical manifestations of PTSD have created serious confusion in diagnostic and therapeutic practice. The majority of psychiatric disorders are diagnosed according to symptoms, signs and traits. Posttraumatic stress disorder is unique in that etiology is a primary diagnostic factor; and, in patients with PTSD, etiology and symptoms are not always in harmony. Both DSM-IV and ICD-10 are often impractical in regard to PTSD because many patients exhibit multiple symptoms concomitantly or at different times. In addition, the current categorization of PTSD under the umbrella of anxiety disorders is inadequate and misleading, as the PTSD symptom complex overlaps with psychoses, affective disorders, dissociative disorders, personality disorders and numerous other psychiatric disorders. Copyright 1995-2001 CME, Inc.

Keyword: Stress
Link ID: 924 - Posted: 11.05.2001

by Ileana Berman, M.D. Psychiatric Times November 2001 Vol. XVIII Issue 11 In order to improve the outcome of schizophrenia, we must deepen our understanding of its heterogeneous aspect. At the same time, we must search for homogeneous subtypes characterized by consistent clinical aspects so that we may develop specific and more effective treatments. Researchers have long categorized schizophrenia as a syndrome manifested through a number of distinct subtypes that share the same morbid process but have sufficient differences to warrant distinct subtyping (Berman et al., 1995a; Fenton and McGlashan, 1986; Rosen, 1957; Stengel, 1945). Using genetic, neurological, biochemical and outcome markers, research continues to focus on the search for homogeneous subtypes (Goldstein and Tsuang, 1988). In this article, we will discuss the significance of the obsessive-compulsive (OC) phenomenon in schizophrenia and focus on whether an OC subtype of schizophrenia makes clinical and theoretical sense. One of the yet unanswered questions is whether OC symptoms constitute the expression of schizophrenic psychosis or if they are the manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Copyright 1995-2001 CME, Inc.

Keyword: Schizophrenia; OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Link ID: 923 - Posted: 11.05.2001

By NICHOLAS WADE Plunging into the roiled waters of human intelligence and its heritability, brain scientists say they have found that the size of certain regions of the brain is under tight genetic control and that the larger these regions are the higher is intelligence. The finding is true only on average and cannot be used to assess an individual's intelligence, said Dr. Paul M. Thompson, the leader of the research team and a pioneer in mapping the structure of the brain. The measurement of intelligence has long been a controversial issue, and even more so the efforts to tease out the relative contributions of heredity and environment. Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Brain imaging; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 922 - Posted: 11.05.2001

dramatic images shed light on brain diseases, personality differences UCLA brain mapping researchers have created the first images to show how an individual's genes influence their brain structure and intelligence. The findings, published in the Nov. 5 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, offer exciting new insight about how parents pass on personality traits and cognitive abilities, and how brain diseases run in families. The team found that the amount of gray matter in the frontal parts of the brain is determined by the genetic make-up of an individual's parents, and strongly correlates with that individual's cognitive ability, as measured by intelligence test scores.

Keyword: Brain imaging; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 921 - Posted: 11.05.2001

Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu holds more patents than anyone who ever lived, even Thomas Edison. He claims he invented the floppy disk and the digital watch. But he'll be remembered for his latest invention. By Buck Wolf The man who claims he invented the floppy disk is now hoping to revolutionize man's hard drive. Get ready for Love Jet, which proponents are calling "spray-on Viagra." Copyright © 2000 ABC News Internet Ventures.

Keyword: Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 917 - Posted: 11.04.2001

One out of four students in special-education classes has a tic-related disorder like Tourette syndrome, and the rate of Tourette's among students in the general population is 50 to 75 times higher than has been traditionally thought by doctors, according to a study published in the Oct. 23 issue of the journal Neurology. The neurologists who did the study say that Tourette's comes in many forms, including variations much milder than the profanity-spewing, limb-jerking characters seen on TV shows like Ally McBeal and LA Law. Doctors say the findings should raise awareness among teachers and doctors that children who are performing poorly in school and who have tics may need medical treatment, and that such treatment could ease school difficulties for these students. "Most people view Tourette's as a very rare, unusual disorder with bizarre symptoms, but it's really very common, usually with mild symptoms," says Roger Kurlan, M.D., a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and lead author of the Neurology paper. ©Copyright University of Rochester Medical Center, 1999-2001.

Keyword: Tourettes
Link ID: 913 - Posted: 11.03.2001

Veterinary officials in Colorado are anxiously trying to curtail an outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal condition that afflicts deer and elk and is related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow" disease. After the alarming finding that elk from an infected farm have been shipped to more than a dozen states, some fear that the disease may spread across the United States. Chronic wasting disease leaves deer and elk listless, emaciated, and eventually dead. The cause is thought to be an aberrant protein called a prion, which may spread through direct contact between animals or through soil contamination with the prion protein. There's no evidence that the condition can spread to humans--like BSE, which can cause variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease--or to cattle (Science, 1 June, p. 1641). However, that possibility has not been excluded. Copyright © 2001 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Keyword: Prions
Link ID: 912 - Posted: 11.03.2001

DALLAS - Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have begun to reveal the cellular mechanisms critical for restoring brain functions after traumatic injuries - a step that could lead to effective treatments of paralysis and other brain and spinal-cord damage. The study indicated that the injured brain's long-observed restorative powers at least partially derive from generating waves of adult-neural stem cells, or specialized precursors, to develop into critically needed replacement neurons and astrocytes. Neurons, the basic building blocks of the nervous system, and astrocytic cells, which provide metabolic functions between neurons and blood vessels, are crucial to restoring or remodeling damaged brain and spinal-cord tissue. Published in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience Research, the study involving adult mice showed that following traumatic brain injury, the brain's stem-cell proliferation continues at a rapid pace and persists over a much longer time than expected, both at the injury site and even in the most-distant areas affected by the injury, said Dr. Steven G. Kernie, assistant professor of pediatrics and lead researcher. © 2000 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Keyword: Brain Injury/Concussion; Regeneration
Link ID: 911 - Posted: 11.03.2001

Choline enters the nutritional limelight Janet Raloff Body and mind both benefit from a dietary supplement called choline. Or so say health and nutrition stores and Web sites. They sell drinks, bars, and capsules with claims they'll enhance physical endurance and mental suppleness. Soon, the grocery store may be studded with banner labels extolling products as good, if not excellent, sources of choline. Eggs, red meat, and a variety of fortified foods will probably be among the first to sport such tags. Yang, Y., ... J.K. Blusztajn, and G.L. Holmes. 2000. Protective effects of prenatal choline supplementation of seizure-induced memory impairment. Journal of Neuroscience 20:RC109(1-6). From Science News, Vol. 160, No. 18, Nov. 3, 2001, p. 282. Copyright ©2001 Science Service. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Development of the Brain; Learning & Memory
Link ID: 910 - Posted: 11.03.2001

Athletes Should Warm the Bench After a Concussion By Michael Smith , MD WebMD Medical News -- A new study offers important information for athletes and parents of children who play sports. Researchers have found that in the first 24 hours after a concussion, another head injury may mean serious damage down the road. "Clearly, we do not always recognize concussions for what they are: brain injuries," says senior researcher Tracy K. McIntosh, PhD, in a news release. "The damage is not always noticeable either. That is, you do not have to fracture your skull to injure your brain," says McIntosh, a professor in the department of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. © 2001 WebMD Corporation. All rights reserved. © 1996-2001 WebMD Corporation. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Brain Injury/Concussion
Link ID: 909 - Posted: 11.03.2001

Studies support potential new approach to treating Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases Novato, CA and Bedford, MA, – Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease may be attenuated through the use of certain drugs, known as synthetic catalytic scavengers of reactive oxygen species (SCSs), that powerfully augment natural anti-oxidant systems, scientists reported in the November 2001 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The report details experiments in which treatment with SCSs rescued a severe neurological phenotype in mice engineered to undergo a specific form of oxidative damage. Treatment with the SCSs also resulted in a dramatic enhancement of lifespan of the mice. The research contained in the report was conducted through a collaboration among scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research (Novato, CA), Eukarion, Inc. (Bedford, MA) and others. The studies utilized mice that lack a form of superoxide dismutase (SOD2), a natural anti-oxidant enzyme found in the mitochondria. The mitochondria essentially serve as the powerplant of the cell, utilizing oxygen and nutrients to generate the energy that is critical to cellular functions. As a byproduct to this key process, known as oxidative metabolism, the mitochondria also produce potentially damaging reactive oxygen species and, hence, the mitochondria's own antioxidant defenses are extremely important.

Keyword: Alzheimers; Parkinsons
Link ID: 908 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Emma Young Migrating birds use changing magnetic fields to tell them when to stop and eat, say Swedish researchers. The team exposed eight caged thrush nightingales to a magnetic field simulating a six-day journey from Sweden to northern Egypt, where wild birds stock up on food prior to crossing the Sahara desert. For a further five days, the birds were kept in "magnetic Egypt". Eight control birds were caged in a lab free from artificial magnetic fields. Both sets of birds had free access to food. Thord Fransson of Stockholm University and his colleagues found the experimental birds increased their eating between days six and 11. Journal reference: Nature (vol 414, p 35) © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

Keyword: Animal Migration
Link ID: 906 - Posted: 11.02.2001