Medical sciences news highlights of 2013

m.bbc.co.uk - With a baby cured of HIV and breakthroughs in dementia, it's been a year where two of the great scourges of our time have been put on the back foot. Meanwhile a vision of the future of medicine has emerged, with scientists growing miniature organs -including brains - and performing the first steps of human cloning. BBC health and science reporter James Gallagher reviews the year in medical science.

Road rage may have a physical cause

health24.com - Recurrent, unwarranted blow-ups such as road rage may have a biological basis, according to a new study.Blood tests of people who display the hostile outbursts that characterise a psychiatric illness known as intermittent explosive disorder show signs of inflammation , researchers say."What we show is that inflammation markers [proteins] are up in these aggressive individuals," said Dr Emil Coccaro, professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at the University of Chicago.

Working to find and save suicidal people onlineAdd to ...

theglobeandmail.com - As the young man’s dorm room darkened with smoke, the tones of the online comments changed from mockery to concern.Many thought the suicide note he’d posted moments earlier was a hoax. But now they could see the small fire in the corner of his room and an outline of his motionless body.“This man needs help,” wrote one commenter on the 4chan.org chat room, where 200 people were watching what looked to be the young man’s final moments Nov.

More Than 6 Percent of U.S. Teens Take Psychiatric Meds: Survey

webmd.com - Slightly more than 6 percent of U.S. teens take prescription medications for a mental health condition such as depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ), a new survey shows.

The survey also revealed a wide gap in psychiatric drug use across ethnic and racial groups. Earlier studies have documented a rise in the use of these medications among teens, but they mainly looked at high-risk groups such as children who have been hospitalized for psychiatric problems. The new survey provides a snapshot of the number of adolescents in the general population who took a psychiatric drug in the past month from 2005 to 2010.

The Power of Introverts: An Essential Understanding for Teachers

edutopia.org - About a year ago, I read Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking . I wanted to tell everyone about this book right away, but I also wanted to let what I'd learned sink in. I wanted to sit alone with my new self-awareness, process my experience, and absorb the revelations I'd had -- all in true introverted fashion. See, as I'd read Cain's book, my predominant thoughts were, "She's describing me!

Could arthritis drug combat Alzheimer's?

theguardian.com -

As a psychiatrist, he's had little formal training in immunology, but has spent much of his time of late trying to figure how immune cells in the body communicate with others in the brain. These signals into the brain, he thinks, accelerate the speed at which neurons – nerve cells in the brain – are killed in late-stage Alzheimer's disease and at the beginning of next year he hopes to test the idea that blocking these signals can stop or slow down disease progression.

Holmes has been testing etanercept , a drug widely used for rheumatoid arthritis. It blocks the production of TNF-alpha, one of the signalling molecules, or cytokines, used by immune cells to communicate with each other. In the next few months, he expects the results of a pilot trial in people with Alzheimer's. If they are positive, he'll test the strategy in people with only the mildest early forms of the disease.

 

Depression 'makes us biologically older'

m.bbc.co.uk - Depression can make us physically older by speeding up the ageing process in our cells, according to a study.Lab tests showed cells looked biologically older in people who were severely depressed or who had been in the past.These visible differences in a measure of cell ageing called telomere length couldn't be explained by other factors, such as whether a person smoked.

 

Web-based autism intervention tool shows promise

medicalnewstoday.com - A new web-based intervention tool for challenging behaviors has been shown to be effective as far as its function-based intervention components are concerned, a team from CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) reported in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 1 .Called the "BIP Builder", it is one of the components of an online autism solution known as Skills® (BIP stands for Behavioral Intervention Plan) .

» 7 Strategies to Be Productive at Work When You’re Depressed - World of Psychology

psychcentral.com - According to Mental Health America, depression is as costly to the US economy as heart disease or AIDS, resulting in over $51 billion lost due to absenteeism from work and productivity losses. The average lost time at work due to depression is approximately 172 million days yearly.Staying productive at work is undoubtedly among the most challenging components of my recovery. It’s hard enough to get out of bed some mornings, not to mention wrap my brain around a press release, blog post, or, God forbid, a presentation.

Students With Concussion Need to Take Timeout from School

scienceworldreport.com - Countless school kids suffer concussions and the key to recovery is physical and mental rest. A team of pediatrics has come up with new guidelines for allowing children back to school after concussion.Like Us on FacebookAny type of head injury is potentially serious and devastating. The most common such injury is concussion. In some concussed students the symptoms may linger for some time and can trigger long term academic and social difficulties.

Your Liver May Be 'Eating' Your Brain

scientificamerican.com - New research shows the liver and hippocampus (the memory center in the brain) share a craving for the same protein, and the liver wins out when there's extra belly fat involvedBy Christopher Wanjek and LiveScienceFORGETFUL A protein called PPARalpha is needed by both the liver and the brain, a new study suggests. Image: Forgetful guy photo via ShutterstockYour liver could be "eating" your brain, new research suggests.

Sleep 'cleans' the brain of toxins

m.bbc.co.uk - By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News17 October 2013 Last updated at 19:23The brain uses sleep to wash away the waste toxins built up during a hard day's thinking, researchers have shown.The US team believe the "waste removal system" is one of the fundamental reasons for sleep.Their study, in the journal Science, showed brain cells shrink during sleep to open up the gaps between neurons and allow fluid to wash the brain clean.

A radiant light and an aura of activity

mindhacks.com - Nature Medicine has a fascinating article about attempts to research the neuroscience of migraine and its aura – the perceptual changes that precede the onset of the splitting headache.It turns out to be trickier than it seems. The idea is to trigger a migraine in people who seem to have clear conditions that start one off and then get them in a scanner as soon as possible.Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work very reliably.

I'm OK, you're not OK: Right supramarginal gyrus plays an important role in empathy

sciencedaily.com - Oct. 9, 2013 — Egoism and narcissism appear to be on the rise in our society, while empathy is on the decline. And yet, the ability to put ourselves in other people's shoes is extremely important for our coexistence. A research team headed by Tania Singer from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has discovered that our own feelings can distort our capacity for empathy. This emotionally driven egocentricity is recognised and corrected by the brain.

Is There a Right Way to Feed a Baby?

psychcentral.com - This morning I opened “The Four Month Visit” email sitting in my mailbox from my pediatrician’s practice. Under the topics for the approaching visit is “solid foods.”The blurb reads “Solid food: Since Brandon looks hungrily at your food and tries to grab it, how about starting him on a little solid food? Don’t waste your time with cereals, since they offer little added nutritional value. Read more about when, how and why to start your child on solid foods.

Comparing children's sharing tendencies across diverse human societies

bps-research-digest.blogspot.com - Up until about the age of seven, children across the world show similar levels of sharing behaviour as revealed by their choices in a simple economic game. The finding comes courtesy of Bailey Houseand his colleagues who tested 326 children aged three to fourteen from six different cultural groups: urban Americans from Los Angeles; horticultural Shuar from Ecuador; horticultural and marine foraging Fijians from Yasawa Island; hunter-gathering Akas from the Central African Republic; pastoral, horticultural Himbas from Namibia; and hunter-gatherer Martus from Australia.

Discovery 'could hold key to Alzheimer's treatment'

bbc.co.uk - The discovery of the first chemical to prevent the death of brain tissue in a neurodegenerative disease has been hailed as an exciting and historic moment in medical research.More work is needed to develop a drug that could be taken by patients.But scientists say a resulting medicine could treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and other diseases.In tests on mice, the University of Leicester showed all brain cell death from prion disease could be prevented.

Drugs for the circuit-based human

mindhacks.com - In a recent article for The Observer I noted that almost all the major drug companies had closed down their neuroscience divisions as evidence for a move away from a ‘chemical-based’ to a ‘circuit-based’ approach to treatments.So to my surprise, a new Nature News article has just appeared discussing the re-launch of pharmaceutical giant Novartis’s neuroscience section.However, as I read the beginning of the article, it seems they are just banking on the fact that they can design drugs good enough to hit individual brain circuits.

New Trainings Prevent Bullying on Campus

huffingtonpost.com - "I chose to live. I withstood the pressure, the bad name-calling and jokes -- being called a 'fag.' I am a survivor... and today I try to educate others that taking your life is not the answer." --Josie, 21For those of us who know a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) young person, we likely see a strong, empowered, motivated, creative and unique individual. However, 15 years after the brutal hate crime murder of Matthew Shepard at the University of Wyoming, there are still LGBTQ young people like Josie who struggle to find safety at college and in their community.

8 Ways to Help Kids with ADHD Succeed in School

psychcentral.com - Kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ), a neurobiological disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, tend to have a harder time in school because of the disorder.“Research suggests that children with ADHD exhibit deficits in cognitive and achievement testing, lower grades, and an increased use of special education services in comparison with the general population,” said Jacqueline Iseman, Ph.

Racism Takes a Toll on Kids' Mental Health, Research Shows

medicinenet.com - SUNDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Being a victim of racism may trigger poor mental health , depression and anxiety in children and teens , according to a new review.The report, published in the October issue of the journal Social Science & Medicine , looked at 461 cases of links between racism and the health and well-being of youngsters."The review showed there are strong and consistent relationships between racial discrimination and a range of detrimental health outcomes such as low self-esteem, reduced resilience, increased behavior problems and lower levels of well-being," lead researcher Naomi Priest, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, said in a university news release.

A tour through isolation

mindhacks.com - The BBC World Service just broadcast an amazing radio documentary on the experience of isolation – talking to people who have experienced intense remoteness from other humans including polar base residents, astronauts, prisoners and people who completed the Mars-500 simulated mission.Firstly, it’s just beautiful. If there’s such a thing as an ambient documentary, this comes sublimely close to achieving it at times.

Can you train your brain to make better decisions?

cnn.com - Editor's note: Dr Tamara Russell is a neuroscientist and a visiting lecturer at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry.
When making a big decision, how aware are you of the underlying brain processes informing your choices? When you go with your gut instinct, are you aware of the bodily signals that have informed your actions?
While it may seem that there is no time for the close inspection of the body and mind at these critical times, enlightened leaders are turning towards mindfulness training as a way to reprogram their mind in a bid to stay sane and pull ahead in today's challenging business environment.

Why You Should Let Your Baby Be Frustrated

psychcentral.com - As a new mom and a recent MSW graduate, I can’t help but analyze, question, and sometimes fear the ways in which my parenting choices will affect my son.During the few months I was home with my baby, I joined a moms group. Now that the babies are three or four months old, the conversations sound like “my baby will not sleep in the crib,” “my baby wakes up every three hours,” “my baby needs to be held all day.

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Changing brains: why neuroscience is ending the Prozac era

theguardian.com - Mice are used in research into optogenetics, which suggests that even finer control of the brain may be possible. The psychiatric drug age may have reached its peak. Although mind-altering medications are being prescribed in record numbers, signs of a radically new approach to understanding and treating mental illness are emerging from the deep waters of neuroscience .

Pairing Brain Imaging Tools to Probe Abnormalities in Schizophrenia

psychcentral.com - Home » News » Technology News » Pairing Brain Imaging Tools to Probe Abnormalities in SchizophreniaBy Rick Nauert PhD Senior News EditorReviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on September 17, 2013In a new paper in the journal Biological Psychiatry , Fei Du, Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard Medical School combined two types of brain imaging to analyze abnormalities in the white matter in schizophrenia