Health News

Immune response determined by our genes, study shows

Date: Sep-30-2013
Scientists say they have found evidence that suggests genetics play a role in immune response, affecting our ability to fight off disease. This is according to a study published in the journal Cell. A team of international researchers involved in the SardiNIA Study of Aging, led by Franceso Cucca, director of the National Research Council's Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research in Italy, analyzed around 8.2 million gene variants in blood samples taken from 1,629 Sardinians...

Influence of bone hormone on brain development and cognition impacts memory loss, anxiety, depression

Date: Sep-30-2013
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have found that the skeleton, acting through the bone-derived hormone osteocalcin, exerts a powerful influence on prenatal brain development and cognitive functions such as learning, memory, anxiety, and depression in adult mice. Findings from the mouse study could lead to new approaches to the prevention and treatment of neurologic disorders. The study was published in the online edition of Cell...

Neutrons show accumulation of antidepressant in brain

Date: Sep-30-2013
Experiments with neutrons at the Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) show that the antidepressant lithium accumulates more strongly in white matter of the brain than in grey matter. This leads to the conclusion that it works differently from synthetic psychotropic drugs. The tissue samples were examined at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) with the aim of developing a better understanding of the effects this substance has on the human psyche. At present lithium is most popular for its use in rechargeable batteries...

Scientists engineer bacteria using a hidden genetic code

Date: Sep-30-2013
Scientists routinely seek to reprogram bacteria to produce proteins for drugs, biofuels and more, but they have struggled to get those bugs to follow orders. But a hidden feature of the genetic code, it turns out, could get bugs with the program. The feature controls how much of the desired protein bacteria produce, a team from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University reported in the September 26 online issue of Science...

New Study Looks at Shared Medical Decision Making

Date: Sep-30-2013
Shared decision making refers to a set of principles that can be employed by patients and their physicians to explicitly incorporate patient preferences and values into clinical decision making. Past research shows that patients, who have an enhanced knowledge of their medical conditions and treatment alternatives, demonstrate a reduced anxiety when it comes to medical decision making...

Intraprosthetic dislocation of dual-mobility hip implants: 'Watch' cites concerns

Date: Sep-30-2013
JBJS Case Connector, an online case journal published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, has issued a "Watch" regarding early intraprosthetic dislocation with dual-mobility hip implants. The "Watch" is based on two case reports published this month, in addition to recent cases in the orthopaedic literature pointing to similar problems. In both cases of early intraprosthetic dislocation described in this issue of JBJS Case Connector, surgeons chose a mix-and-match strategy to minimize surgical complexity and bone loss and to maximize hip stability...

Using one language to relearn another: Aphasia and bilingualism

Date: Sep-30-2013
In the era of globalization, bilingualism is becoming more and more frequent, and it is considered a plus. However, can this skill turn into a disadvantage, when someone acquires aphasia? More precisely, if a bilingual person suffers brain damage (i.e. stroke, head trauma, dementia) and this results in a language impairment called aphasia, then the two languages can be disrupted, thus increasing the challenge of language rehabilitation. According to Dr...

Traumatic brain injury and pediatric working memory

Date: Sep-30-2013
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood can have long-term effects on cognitive and psychosocial functioning, including poor academic achievement. Pediatric TBI can cause significant deficits in working memory, as demonstrated in a study published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Journal of Neurotrauma website. Working memory is the ability to collect, retain, and use information needed to perform tasks and respond to immediate demands...

Scientists discover brain circuitry that triggers overeating

Date: Sep-30-2013
Scientists say they have discovered the specific brain circuitry that causes overeating, according to a study published in the journal Science. Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine say the discovery could provide insight into the cause of obesity, as well as lead to treatments for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating...

Key to fighting 'superbug' could be restricting antibiotics

Date: Sep-29-2013
New ways are needed to fight the infection Clostridium difficile and better use of antibiotics could be key, according to the authors of ground-breaking research. In a unique United Kingdom study, the team from the University of Leeds, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and Oxford University, mapped all cases of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) in Oxfordshire over a three-year period (2008 to 2011). C. diff causes severe diarrhoea, cramps and sometimes life-threatening complications, and has traditionally been thought to be transmitted within hospitals from other sick C. diff patients...