You might have heard the term "brain
food" used to describe food that's good for you. Doctors at Mayo Clinic say there
really is a diet that benefits the brain. But this diet is not for everybody. It's for
kids who have epilepsy, and it's based on extremely high fats and very few carbs. More on
how the ketogenic diet is helping some kids with epilepsy become seizure free.
BPA Impairs Synapses Formation in Brain,
New Study Finds
The controversial chemical Bisphenol A
commonly found in hard plastic food and drink containers may impair the brain's ability to
learn and remember, according to a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the
University of Guelph and Yale University. The U of G research has been covered by media
outlets across the world, including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen,
Canadian Press, Washington Post, Times of India, Global television and CTV. The study
reveals that continuous low doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) hinders the formation of synapses
in the brain, which allow neurons to communicate with one another and are critical to the
way we interpret and remember experiences. "It dramatically impairs the formation of
synapses in the regions of the brain important to learning," said biomedical sciences
professor Neil MacLusky. "These findings are worrisome because BPA is one of the most
widely used chemicals in the world." BPA is used in plastic water bottles and some
baby bottles, dental prostheses and sealants, and in the lining inside of food cans. It
has been proven that this chemical can leach from these products and be absorbed through
human consumption. Although previous research has been done on the harmful effects of BPA,
MacLusky's study, set to be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, is the first to mimic continuous environmental exposure levels. Using the
dose level declared safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for daily consumption
by humans, the researchers exposed African green monkeys living on the Island of St. Kitts
to BPA for a month. Results showed that even at this low dose, BPA turns off increases in
synapses density in the brain normally induced by estrogen, said MacLusky. "Estrogen
is more than just a female reproductive hormone. It enhances the rate at which some types
of synapses are formed and is vital in maintaining normal neuronal structure in regions of
the brain that control learning, memory and mood state. When we have BPA in our systems,
it seriously impairs this process." Although further research is needed, these
results support the possibility that BPA may be involved in human neurological conditions
such as Alzheimer's disease, depression and schizophrenia, which all feature aberrant
synapse formation and are also sensitive to sex hormone levels, he said.
Contact
Prof. Neil MacLusky
Department of Biomedical Science
519-824-4120, Ext. 54700 nmaclusk@uoguelph.ca
Lichtgevende stamcellen helpen
onderzoek naar herstel hersenschade vooruit
Dat volwassen hersenen wel degelijk nieuwe hersencellen kunnen aanmaken, is al langer
geweten. De nieuwe hersencellen worden aangemaakt door stamcellen die zich in bepaalde
hersengebieden bevinden. Bij hersenschade kunnen deze zich terug vermenigvuldigen, waarna
ze migreren naar het getroffen gebied. Hersenschade kan daardoor gedeeltelijk hersteld
worden, maar momenteel is dit herstel meestal ontoereikend voor de patiënt. Het onderzoek
naar de productie en migratie van nieuwe hersencellen is daarom zeer belangrijk.
Onderzoekers baseerden zich tot voor kort op de microscopische analyse van muizenhersenen.
Die methode heeft twee belangrijke nadelen. Om te beginnen is ze zeer arbeidsintensief en
bovendien is het onmogelijk om de evolutie bij een eenzelfde proefdier in de tijd te
volgen. Wetenschappers van de afdeling Moleculaire Geneeskunde van de K.U.Leuven hebben
dat onderzoek nu een nieuw elan gegeven. Ze slaagden erin de stamcellen van levende muizen
lichtgevend te maken, zodat de migratie ervan met een camera nauwkeurig in beeld kan
worden gebracht. De onderzoekers maakten daarvoor gebruik van een eiwit dat ook bij
vuurvliegen wordt teruggevonden. De nieuwe techniek kan een belangrijke rol spelen bij de
behandeling van hersenberoertes en neuro-degeneratieve aandoeningen zoals de ziekte van
Parkinson en Alzheimer. Voortaan wordt het immers makkelijker om de gevolgen van
potentiële geneesmiddelen na te gaan. De lichtgevende stamcellen maken het mogelijk om de
aanmaak van hersencellen en de migratie ervan beter in kaart te brengen. Nieuwe
geneesmiddelen kunnen de productie van hersencellen bevorderen en de migratie naar het
getroffen hersengebied beter kanaliseren. Gevolg: een meer doorgedreven en gerichte aanpak
van hersenschade. Talrijke Belgen lopen min of meer ernstige hersenschade op. In 2005 werd
het aantal Alzheimerpatiënten geschat op 85.000. Tegen 2010 zal dat aantal verder oplopen
tot 150.000. Ons land telt ongeveer 35.000 Parkinsonpatiënten. Dagelijks krijgen 52
mensen een beroerte. De resultaten van het onderzoek zijn verschenen in het toonaangevende
tijdschrift Stem Cells. Dit interdisciplinair onderzoek werd uitgevoerd door Veerle
Reumers en collegae onder supervisie van Professor Veerle Baekelandt in samenwerking met
het recent opgericht beeldvormingsplatform (MoSAIC) en het Leuvense Stamcelinstituut. Voor
meer info, contacteer Prof. Dr. Veerle Baekelandt, K.U.Leuven 016 33 21 56 of 016 33 63
32.
Internationaal
Dose Response for Mercury and IQ
Prenatal exposure to mercury has been associated with adverse childhood neurologic
outcomes in epidemiologic studies; dose–response information for this relationship is
useful for estimating benefits of reduced mercury exposure. Axelrad et al. (p. 609)
estimated a dose–response relationship between maternal mercury body burden and
subsequent childhood decrements in intelligence quotient (IQ). IQ is a useful end point
for estimating neurodevelopmental effects, but it may not fully represent cognitive
deficits associated with mercury exposure and it does not represent deficits related to
attention and motor skills. Nevertheless, the integrated IQ coefficient provides a more
robust description of the dose–response relationship for prenatal mercury exposure
and cognitive functioning.
Heart-Brain Summit to Feature
Presentation on Connection Between Brain and Immune System
The brain and the immune system have an intimate relationship and it could have
implications for many diseases as well as strengthening the bonds of human health. Kevin
Tracey, MD, director of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY,
will share the latest findings on this direct connection between the brain and the immune
system at the Heart-Brain Summit at the Cleveland Clinic today and tomorrow. Dr. Tracey
and his colleagues discovered that the vagus nerve, located in the brain stem, talks
directly to the immune system, which is spread throughout the body. The brain has long
been thought to communicate with the immune system only indirectly through the
bloodstream. Now, with evidence of this direct connection, scientists can imagine ways to
prevent immune-mediated diseases by altering brain responses or targeting the immune
system itself as a way to control diseases.
Putting feelings into words produces
therapeutic effects in the brain
A new brain imaging study by UCLA psychologists reveals why verbalizing our feelings makes
our sadness, anger and pain less intense. A second UCLA study combines modern neuroscience
with ancient Buddhist teachings to provide the first neural evidence for why
"mindfulness" -- the ability to live in the present moment, without distraction
-- seems to produce a variety of health benefits.
Putting Feelings Into Words Produces
Therapeutic Effects in the Brain; UCLA Neuroimaging Study Supports Ancient Buddhist
Teachings
Why does putting our feelings into words — talking with a therapist or friend,
writing in a journal — help us to feel better? A new brain imaging study by UCLA
psychologists reveals why verbalizing our feelings makes our sadness, anger and pain less
intense. Another study, with the same participants and three of the same members of the
research team, combines modern neuroscience with ancient Buddhist teachings to provide the
first neural evidence for why "mindfulness" — the ability to live in the
present moment, without distraction — seems to produce a variety of health benefits.
When people see a photograph of an angry or fearful face, they have increased activity in
a region of the brain called the amygdala, which serves as an alarm to activate a cascade
of biological systems to protect the body in times of danger. Scientists see a robust
amygdala response even when they show such emotional photographs subliminally, so fast a
person can't even see them. But does seeing an angry face and simply calling it an angry
face change our brain response? The answer is yes, according to Matthew D. Lieberman, UCLA
associate professor of psychology and a founder of social cognitive neuroscience.
Gene mutation linked to cognition is
found only in humans
A new study showed that a certain form of neuropsin, a protein that plays a role in
learning and memory, is expressed only in the central nervous systems of humans and that
it originated less than five million years ago.
Moving your eyes improves memory,
MMU study suggests
IF you're looking for a memory fix, move your eyes from side to side for 30 seconds,
researchers say. Horizontal eye movements are thought to cause the two hemispheres of the
brain to interact more with one another, boosting the brain’s ability to retrieve
memories. Dr Andrew Parker, a psychologist specialising in cognitive neuroscience at MMU,
has now discovered more about this fascinating phenomenon. In tests in college students,
Dr Parker found horizontal eye movements, boosted memory up to 10% and also related the
improvements to different types of memory: recognition memory and recall memory.
Exercise stimulates the formation of
new brain cells
Exercise has a similar effect to antidepressants on depression. This has been shown by
previous research. Now Astrid Bjørnebekk at Karolinska Institutet has explained how this
can happen: Exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells.
Early environmental exposure may
accelerate age-related neurodegeneration
Exposure to iron during the first weeks of life in combination with exposure later in life
to a common herbicide may contribute to the subsequent degeneration of brain cells
associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study in mice.
The findings also showed that a compound that protects cells in the body from damage from
certain forms of oxygen, a kind of antioxidant, could suppress such neural degeneration.
Sex and prenatal hormone exposure
affect cognitive performance, Yerkes scientists find
In one of the first research studies to assess sex differences in cognitive performance in
nonhuman primates, researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center have found
the tendency to use landmarks for navigation is typical only of females. This finding
corroborates findings in rodents and humans and is available in the online edition of
Hormones and Behavior.
UCLA Study Challenges Conventional
Treatment After Traumatic Brain Injury
The chemical lactate has gotten a bad rap. Conventional wisdom considered it to be little
more than the bane of runners and other athletes, causing stiff muscles and fatigue, and
the "sour" in sour milk. It turns out that view may have been too narrow.
Neuroscientists at UCLA are now looking at lactate with a much more positive eye,
considering it a possible replacement "fuel" for the brain in the immediate
hours after a traumatic brain injury instead of glucose, the current standard. If they are
right, it could change how emergency room physicians and intensive care physicians treat
patients with brain injuries in the first critical hours after injury. Previous work by
Dr. Neil Martin, professor and chief of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, and Thomas Glenn, a UCLA adjunct assistant professor in the department
of neurosurgery, showed that the brain takes up lactate after traumatic injury. Now,
thanks to a $275,000 grant from the National Institute for Neurological Diseases and
Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, the investigators will determine why the
brain does this. Is it actually using lactate to help it recover after injury?
Lithium builds gray matter in
bipolar brains, UCLA study shows
Neuroscientists at UCLA have shown that lithium, long the standard treatment for bipolar
disorder, increases the amount of gray matter in the brains of patients with the illness.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital have found that
practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric levels, the brain's primary
inhibitory neurotransmitter. The findings, which appear in the May issue of the Journal of
Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a
possible treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels.
We are interested in integrative physiology and propose a new paradigm for regulation of
energy supply within the organism: the brain gives priority to regulating its own
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations. Guided by this basic tenet, we are searching
for new explanations for phenomena such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Brain works more chaotically than
previously thought
Too much glutamate is the death of cells. There is, however, also an aspect to the
research team's discovery that is of considerable medical interest. It has long been known
that in the event of oxygen deficiency or a severe epileptic fit, large numbers of
insulating cells in the white matter are destroyed. The trigger for this damage is our old
friend, the neurotransmitter glutamate. "Nobody knew until now where the glutamate
actually comes from," says Dr. Dietrich. "Our results might open the door to
totally new therapeutic options." After all, drugs have already been developed that
prevent glutamate bubbles from discharging their load into the brain. Indeed, Bonn's
neuroscientists now know precisely which receptors of the insulating cells are stimulated
by the neurotransmitter - another starting point for developing new drugs.
Without the ability to cope, a lobotomy would surely open the doors to all kinds of
craziness from the nastiness in the world....depression, suicide, and murder become a
reality...And this is exactly what an SSRI (antidepressant) can potentially do at the
molecular level - remove that portion of your brain that helps you cope.
Scientists Identify Brain Region
That Maintains Addiction
Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of Iowa have
identified a part of the brain that plays an important role in addiction. The researchers
found that patients who experienced damage to a silver dollar-sized brain region called
the insula were significantly more likely to lose their addiction to smoking than patients
with lesions to other parts of the brain.
"We found that if this specific area of the brain is damaged, addiction to smoking
gets wiped out," said Antoine Bechara, Ph.D. (photo, left), associate professor of
psychology and neuroscience at USC and UI adjunct associate professor of neurology.
"This is important because now we have identified a target for disrupting addiction,
which gives us hope for developing new strategies to break the cycle of addiction."
Calcium is spark of life, kiss of
death for nerve cells
Oregon Health & Science University research shows how calcium regulates the recharging
of high-frequency auditory nerve cells after they've fired a burst of signals, and it may
have implications for neurological disorders.
The study by scientists at OHSU's Vollum Institute and the University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences, which appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience,
shows that calcium ions play a greater role in keeping in check the brain's most powerful
circuits, such as those used for processing sound signals, than previously thought.
A better understanding of that role could someday help prevent the death of neurons behind
some diseases of the brain and spinal cord, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis, the
scientists say.
The research, led by post doctoral fellow Jun Hee Kim, Ph.D., and her advisor, Henrique
von Gersdorff, Ph.D., both scientists at the Vollum Institute, found that calcium tempers
the activity of a high-throughput sodium pump, located in the plasma membrane covering
nerve endings, that controls how quickly and accurately a nerve cell continues firing
after an initial burst of spiking activity.
Results of a test in mice offer hope that Rett syndrome and other autism-related disorders
could be cured in humans. Rett syndrome primarily strikes girls, who develop mental
retardation and lose muscle tone, the use of their hands, and the ability to speak. Rett
syndrome patients often have trouble walking."The findings are extraordinary and are
of relevance not only to Rett syndrome but to a much broader class of disorders, including
autism and schizophrenia," says Baylor College of Medicine professor Huda Y. Zoghbi.
Americans looking for a natural way to improve memory and mood now have a powerful tool at
their disposal. The FDA has authorized an Israeli-made product called Lipogen to be used
as a food additive.
OHSU Researchers Show How Obesity
Causes Breakdown In Brain-Based System Which Regulates Appetite and Body Weight
New research led by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center demonstrates
how obesity causes the breakdown of a brain system that regulates appetite. The research
provides a clear picture of some factors involved in obesity. More than 60 percent of
American adults are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese. The study results may
have also identified possible targets for new drug therapies aimed at assisting
individuals in weight loss. The research is published in the March issue of Cell
Metabolism.
The research provides new understanding of leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone secreted
by fat cells. It can suppress food intake by affecting brain cells that control appetite.
However, high levels of leptin which can be found in severely overweight individuals, can
lead to leptin resistance. Leptin resistance means that the body no longer responds to the
hormone's weight suppressing effects.
The research was conducted in mice and involved two separate groups that were fed high-fat
and low-fat diets. Over time, the high-fat diet group developed symptoms of diabetes and
obesity, as is often the case in humans. The low-fat diet group did not develop these
health problems.
"This research demonstrates how a portion of the hypothalamus of the brain, called
the arcuate nucleus, is negatively impacted by an overabundance of leptin," explained
Michael Cowley, Ph.D., an associate scientist in the Division of Neuroscience at ONPRC.
"By developing a special test of neuronal function, we were able to witness the
breakdown in this group of specialized cells. Eventually the cells behaved as if there was
no leptin present, even though levels were 40-times higher than in normal animals. We were
also able to witness the eventual repair of this important system which occurs as the mice
lost weight when returned to a low fat diet."
More specifically, the scientists determined that leptin resistance prevented the arcuate
nucleus from taking part in an important signaling function that regulates appetite and
body weight. Meanwhile, other portions of the weight regulation system remained intact and
in fact became more responsive, thereby suggesting that arcuate nucleus function is the
point of breakdown during leptin deficiency.
Omega-3s Boost Grey Matter, Findings
May Explain Why Omega-3s Seem To Improve Mood
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, are associated with increased grey
matter volume in areas of the brain commonly linked to mood and behavior according to a
University of Pittsburgh study.
Findings will be presented today by Sarah M. Conklin, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar at the
Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the
University of Pittsburgh, at the American Psychosomatic Society’s Annual Meeting,
held in Budapest, Hungary.
Animal research has shown that raising omega-3 intake leads to structural brain changes.
In a separate study presented by Dr. Conklin at the society’s meeting last year, Pitt
researchers reported that people who had lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were
more likely to have a negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with
higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable and less likely to report
mild or moderate symptoms of depression. In the study being presented today, the
researchers sought to investigate if grey matter volume was proportionally related to
long-chain omega-3 intake in humans, especially in areas of the brain related to mood,
helping them attempt to explain the mechanisms behind the improvement in mood often
associated with long-chain omega-3 intake.
Methylmercury, lead and paraquat all
affect the same genetic pathway important to brain development
We have discovered a previously unrecognized regulatory pathway on which chemically
diverse toxicants converge, at environmentally relevant exposure levels, to disrupt the
function of progenitor cells of the developing central nervous system. We found that the
ability of low levels of methylmercury, lead, and paraquat to make progenitor cells more
oxidized causes activation of an enzyme called Fyn kinase. Activated Fyn then activates
another enzyme (c-Cbl) that modifies specific proteins—receptors that are required
for cell division and survival—to initiate the proteins' degradation. By enhancing
degradation of these receptors, their downstream signaling functions are repressed.
Analysis of developmental exposure to methylmercury provided evidence that this same
pathway is activated in vivo by environmentally relevant toxicant levels.
Eating chocolate could help to sharpen up the mind and give a short-term boost to
cognitive skills, a University of Nottingham expert has found.
A study led by Professor Ian Macdonald found that consumption of a cocoa drink rich in
flavanols — a key ingredient of dark chocolate — boosts blood flow to key areas
of the brain for two to three hours.
Increased blood flow to these areas of the brain may help to increase performance in
specific tasks and boost general alertness over a short period.
The findings, unveiled at one of the biggest scientific conferences in America, also raise
the prospect of ingredients in chocolate being used to treat vascular impairment,
including dementia and strokes, and thus for maintaining cardiovascular health.
The study also suggests that the cocoa flavanols found in chocolate could be useful in
enhancing brain function for people fighting fatigue, sleep deprivation, and even the
effects of ageing.
Ian Macdonald, professor of metabolic physiology at The University of Nottingham, used
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect increased activity in specific areas of the
brain in individuals who had consumed a single drink of flavanol-rich cocoa. The effect is
linked to dilation of cerebral blood vessels, allowing more blood — and therefore
more oxygen — to reach key areas of the brain.
Flavanols are not only found in chocolate with a high cocoa content — they are also
present in other substances such as red wine, green tea and blueberries.
He presented his research at the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the biggest annual gatherings of scientists from all
over the world. This year's meeting takes place in San Francisco from February 15–19.
Professor Macdonald said: "Acute consumption of this particular flavanol-rich cocoa
beverage was associated with increased grey matter flow for two to three hours.
"The demonstration of an effect of consuming this particular beverage on cerebral
blood flow raises the possibility that certain food ingredients may be beneficial in
increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function, in situations where individuals
are cognitively impaired such as fatigue, sleep deprivation, or possibly ageing."
He emphasised that the level of cocoa flavanol used in the study is not available
commercially. The cocoa-rich flavanol beverage was specially formulated for the purpose of
the study.
The function of an enzyme in the brain – strongly linked to a number of major brain
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder – has been
identified for the first time by researchers at the University of Bristol. These findings
will help in the understanding of how memories are laid down and what goes wrong in these
disorders. The research showed how controlling the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3
(GSK3) might prevent a memory being erased by improving the strength of connections
between neurons in the brain, thus allowing better consolidation of new information.
Professor Collingridge from the University of Bristol said: “While GSK3 has
previously been implicated in major neurological disorders, until now its role in normal
neuronal function has been largely unknown. Our new understanding will help pharmaceutical
companies develop drugs to inhibit it when things go wrong.” Professor Graham
Collingridge and his team, with colleagues from the University of British Columbia,
revealed that the activity of GSK3 facilitates a form of ‘cross-talk’ between
the two major forms of synaptic plasticity in the brain. Synaptic plasticity is the
strength of a connection between neurons and forms the basis of learning and memory.
Children's scientists discover
fundamental protein instrumental to brain development and repair
Scientists at Children's National Medical Center have demonstrated conclusively that a
specific protein and its signaling activity are instrumental in myelination and
remyelination, processes essential to the creation and repair of the brain's white matter.
This groundbreaking discovery in mouse models points the way to developing treatments to
enhance healthy brain development and/or brain disease repair in children and adults.
Brain Imaging Study Shows Fears
Learned Through Observation Similar to Fears From Direct Experience
Humans acquire fears using similar neural processes whether they’ve personally
experienced an aversive event or only witnessed it, according to a study by researchers at
New York University’s Departments of Psychology. This is the first study examining
the brain basis of fears acquired indirectly, through the observation of others. The study
shows that the amygdala, which is known to be critical to the acquisition and expression
of fears from personal experience, is also involved during the acquisition and expression
of fears obtained indirectly through social observation. The findings appear in the most
recent issue of the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN).
The research team, from the laboratory of NYU Professor Elizabeth Phelps, also includes
Andreas Olsson, now a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University’s Department of
Psychology, and Katherine Nearing from NYU’s School of Medicine.
- Scientists led by UCL (University College London) have induced dyscalculia in subjects
without the maths learning difficulty for the first time. The study, which finds that the
right parietal lobe is responsible for dyscalculia, potentially has implications for
diagnosis and management through remedial teaching.
MIT researchers have identified a critical link between two proteins found in brain
tumors, a discovery that could eventually help treat a form of brain cancer that kills 99
percent of patients.
Our experiences -- the things we see, hear, or do -- can trigger long-term changes in the
strength of the connections between nerve cells in our brain, and these persistent changes
are how the brain encodes information as memory. As reported in Neuron this week, Johns
Hopkins researchers have discovered a new biochemical mechanism for memory storage, one
that may have a connection with addictive behavior.
Researchers hot on the trail of
brain cell degeneration
A research team headed by Academy Research Fellow Michael Courtney has identified a new
molecular pathway in neurons. The pathway is a factor in the degeneration of brain cells,
which in turn plays an important role in neurological conditions and diseases, such as
Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and stroke. Courtney and his team, based at the A. I.
Virtanen Institute of the University of Kuopio, joined forces with Docent Eleanor Coffey's
team at the Turku Centre for Biotechnology to carry out the study as part of a series of
successful collaborations between the two teams. The results of their study are published
in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience. In a number of neurodegenerative diseases,
neurons in the brain are over-stimulated, which triggers programmed cell death, or
apoptosis. The study shows that the Rho protein, which has long been recognised as an
important player in cancer formation, also plays a key role in the destruction of neurons
in disease.
Females more prone to brain damage
from alcohol abuse
Alcoholism has traditionally been considered a male disease because there are many more
alcoholic males than females. But a study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science
University and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center suggests that women are more
prone to brain damage from alcohol abuse than men. The study found that female mice are
more susceptible to neurotoxic effects of alcohol withdrawal, including significantly
increased brain cell death, than male mice.
Natural compound and exercise boost
memory in mice
A natural compound found in blueberries, tea, grapes and cocoa enhances memory in mice,
according to newly published research. This effect increased further when mice also
exercised regularly.
New Research Shows Why Too Much
Memory May Be a Bad Thing
New research from Columbia University Medical Center may explain why people who are able
to easily and accurately recall historical dates or long-ago events, may have a harder
time with word recall or remembering the day’s current events. They may have too much
memory – making it harder to filter out information and increasing the time it takes
for new short-term memories to be processed and stored.
Old memory traces in brain may
trigger chronic pain
A Northwestern University researcher has found a key source of chronic pain appears to be
an old memory trace that essentially gets stuck in the prefrontal cortex, the site of
emotion and learning. The researcher has identified a drug that controls persistent nerve
pain by targeting the part of the brain that experiences the emotional suffering of pain.
The drug is D-Cycloserine, which has been used to treat phobic behavior over the past
decade.
Updated guidelines advise new
treatments for brain hemorrhage
The first scientifically proven treatments for intracerebral hemorrhage -- or
"bleeding" strokes -- are on the horizon, including a new drug that holds
promise for slowing bleeding and limiting brain damage resulting from such a stroke,
according to updated American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.
Inflammatory System Genes Linked to
Cognitive Decline after Heart Surgery
Variants of two genes involved in the inflammatory system appear to protect patients from
suffering a decline in mental function following heart surgery.
Duke University Medical Center researchers believe their findings could help physicians
identify patients at risk of suffering mental decline after heart surgery and raises the
possibility that these patients could be treated with drugs that are known to dampen the
inflammatory response.
Six years ago, the Duke researchers demonstrated that 42 percent of patients who underwent
coronary artery bypass surgery had measurable cognitive decline five years after their
procedure. Since that finding, the team has been investigating possible reasons for this
decline.
The researchers selected known variations in 37 genes that previous studies had implicated
in various impairments of cognitive and mental function. When they looked at more than 500
heart surgery patients and correlated cognitive decline with the patient's genetic makeup,
they discovered that patients with two specific variants were less likely to have problems
with areas of cognitive function such as memory, attention and concentration.
Low doses of ecstasy associated with
decline in verbal memory
Even low doses of Ecstasy may be associated with a decline in language-related memory,
according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals. Ecstasy is an illicit recreational drug popular among young
people, according to background information in the article. Research in both humans and
animals suggests that the drug can harm the brain. Ecstasy may damage nerve cells that
respond to the hormone serotonin, which is involved in mood, thinking, learning and
memory. Thelma Schilt, M.Sc., of the Academic Medical Center of the University of
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues recruited 188 volunteers (average age 22) who
had not used Ecstasy but reported that they were likely to try it soon. Within three years
of the initial evaluations, which took place between April 2002 and April 2004, 58
individuals began using Ecstasy. They were compared with 60 individuals who had the same
age, sex and intelligence score but who did not use Ecstasy during the follow-up period.
All participants took tests that assessed various types of memory—including
attention, verbal memory for words and language, and visual memory for images—at the
beginning and end of the study. Verbal memory was tested by memorizing a series of 15
words and repeating them immediately and again 20 minutes later.
Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing dementia, according
to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual
Meeting. For the study, researchers evaluated 3,602 people age 65 and older in the
Cardiovascular Health Study. Of those, 985 people had no cardiovascular disease, no
dementia, and were never smokers. A total of 495 people reported their lifetime secondhand
smoke exposure, with an average of about 28 years of exposure. Then the researchers
evaluated which participants developed dementia over a six-year period.
How the brain's backup system
compensates for stroke
Researchers have pinpointed in humans how a "backup" brain region springs into
action to compensate for disruption of a primary functional area, as happens during
stroke. Their finding offers new insight into how the brains of stroke victims can quickly
reorganize to enable the beginning of recovery of movement.
Study of damaged gene gives insight
into causes of mental illness
Scientists have pinpointed how different types of damage in types of damage to the same
gene can cause some people to suffer from schizophrenia while others have major
depression.
Researchers have for the first time identified a part of the brain which coordinates the
annual biological clock that affects how we deal with seasonal change.
Drinking heavy amounts of alcohol
shrinks your brain
Drinking heavy amounts of alcohol over a long period of time may decrease brain volume,
according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th
Annual Meeting in Boston
Green tea extract protects against
brain damage in new mouse model of HIV-related dementia
A green tea extract may represent a new and natural compound for preventing and treating
HIV-associated dementia, a study using a new mouse model for the devastating disease
suggests.
Higher calcium and vitamin D intakes
positively associated with brain lesions in older men and women
Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin D are
significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions, regions of damage that
can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke.
Study suggests other causes for
childhood brain aneurysms
A new University of Cincinnati study questions the commonly held scientific belief that
childhood brain aneurysms are caused by trauma, infection or underlying vascular
malformations. In a retrospective review of 53 Ohio children with intracranial arterial
aneurysms, Todd Abruzzo, M.D., found that the most common type of aneurysm among all age
groups appeared to occur spontaneously -- with no related trauma or infection,
recognizable clinical warnings signs or underlying medical causes, such as vascular
malformations.
UGA study suggests that lowering
blood pressure following stroke may reduce damage
A new University of Georgia study suggests that commonly prescribed drugs used to lower
blood pressure may help reduce brain damage when given within 24 hours of a stroke. The
finding, based on a study using rats and published in the April issue of the Journal of
Hypertension, may ultimately revolutionize emergency stroke care by putting blood
pressure-lowering medications alongside clot-busting drugs and blood thinners as
front-line medications.
Eating chocolate could help to sharpen up the mind and give a short-term boost to
cognitive skills, a University of Nottingham expert has found. A study led by Professor
Ian Macdonald found that consumption of a cocoa drink rich in flavanols — a key
ingredient of dark chocolate — boosts blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to
three hours. Increased blood flow to these areas of the brain may help to increase
performance in specific tasks and boost general alertness over a short period. The
findings, unveiled at one of the biggest scientific conferences in America, also raise the
prospect of ingredients in chocolate being used to treat vascular impairment, including
dementia and strokes, and thus for maintaining cardiovascular health. [Ben Licher]
