MedWorm: Neurology

Combination antiplatelet therapy ruled out in small subcortical stroke

MedWire News - Stroke — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:27:43 +0100

The combination of clopidogrel and aspirin does not help, and may harm, patients with small subcortical stroke, show findings from the antiplatelet arm of the SPS3 trial. (Source: MedWire News - Stroke)

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Role of perisynaptic parameters in neurotransmitter homeostasis ‐ computational study of a general synapse

Synapse — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:26:33 +0100

AbstractExtracellular neurotransmitter concentrations vary over a wide range depending on the type of neurotransmitter and location in the brain. Neurotransmitter homeostasis near a synapse is achieved by a balance of several mechanisms including vesicular release from the presynapse, diffusion, uptake by transporters, non‐synaptic production, and regulation of release by autoreceptors. These mechanisms are also affected by the glia surrounding the synapse. However, the role of these mechanisms in achieving neurotransmitter homeostasis is not well understood. A biophysical modeling framework was proposed, based on a cortico‐accumbens synapse example case, to reverse engineer glial configurations and parameters related to homeostasis for synapses that support a range of neurotransmitter...

Photoreceptor types, visual pigments, and topographic specializations in the retinas of hydrophiid sea snakes

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:21:45 +0100

AbstractSea snakes have evolved numerous anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to suit their wholly aquatic lifestyle. However, although sea snakes use vision for foraging and mate selection, little is known about their visual abilities. We used microspectrophotometry, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to characterize the retinal photoreceptors of spine‐bellied (Lapemis curtus) and horned (Acalyptophis peronii) sea snakes. Both species have three types of visual pigment sensitive to short (SWS; wavelength of maximum absorbance, λmax 428–430 nm), medium (MWS; λmax 496 nm), and long wavelengths of light (LWS; λmax 555–559 nm) in each of three different subtypes of cone‐like single photoreceptor. They also possess a cone‐like double photoreceptor ...

Development of γ‐aminobutyric acid‐, glycine‐, and glutamate‐immunopositive boutons on rat jaw‐opening motoneurons

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:21:43 +0100

AbstractInhibitory and excitatory synaptic inputs onto trigeminal motoneurons play an important role in coordinating jaw movements. Previously, we reported that the phenotype of the inhibitory boutons apposing the somata of jaw‐closing (JC) motoneurons changes from γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐positive (GABA+) to predominantly glycine‐positive (Gly+) during development. In the present study, we investigated the development of inhibitory and excitatory boutons apposing antagonistic jaw‐opening (JO) motoneurons (anterior digastric motoneurons) at postnatal day 2 (P2), P11, and P31 in the rat. JO motoneurons were retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Postembedding immunogold staining with antisera against GABA, Gly, and glutamate (Glut) was performed and followed by quant...

Neuron numbers in the hypothalamus of the normal aging rhesus monkey: Stability across the adult lifespan and between the sexes

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:21:40 +0100

This study examined the hypothalamus of 51 rhesus monkeys (23 male, 18 female, 6.5–31 years old) using design‐based stereology to obtain unbiased estimates of neuron and glia numbers and the Cavalieri method to estimate volumes for eight reference spaces: total unilateral hypothalamus, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), dorsomedial nucleus (DM), ventromedial nucleus (VM), medial mammillary nucleus (MMN), and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). The results demonstrated no age‐related difference in neuron number, glia number, or volume in any area in either sex except the PVN of male monkeys, which showed a significant increase in both neuron and glia numbers with age. Comparison of males and females for sexual dimorphisms revealed no s...

Metamorphosis of a clock: Remodeling of the circadian timing system in the brain of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera) during larval‐adult development

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:21:38 +0100

AbstractThe rhythmic phenomena expressed by organisms change over their lifetimes, but little is known of accompanying reorganization of the central circadian timing system in the brain. Especially dramatic changes in overt rhythms and morphology occur during transformation of larval insects into the adult form (metamorphosis). In Rhodnius prolixus, both the physiology of metamorphosis and its hormonal control are known in detail. Here we report changes in the brain timing system as revealed by pigment dispersing factor immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. Most of the features of the larval system are retained, but new clock cells differentiate and the arborizations of their axons increase in complexity, as do pathways connecting the lateral (LNs) and dorsal (DNs) groups of clock ...

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Melatonin receptors are anatomically organized to modulate transmission specifically to cone pathways in the retina of Xenopus laevis

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:21:34 +0100

AbstractConfocal image of the relative distribution of the Mel1b melatonin receptor (green) and the ON bipolar cell marker guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha, Go α (red) in the retina of Xenopus laevis. Mel1b receptor immunoreactivity is absent from the cell bodies of ON bipolar cells, identifying the Mel1b receptorimmunoreactive bipolar cells as OFF bipolar cells. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Volume 520, Number 6, pages 1115–1127. (Source: The Journal of Comparative Neurology)

Connections of the lateral hypothalamic area juxtadorsomedial region in the male rat

The Journal of Comparative Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:20:06 +0100

AbstractThe connections of the lateral hypothalamic area juxtadorsomedial region (LHAjd) were investigated in a series of pathway‐tracing experiments involving iontophoretic co‐injection of the tracers PhaPhaseolus vulgarisseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL—for outputs) and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB—for inputs). Results revealed the LHAjd has connections with some 318 distinct gray matter regions encompassing all four subsystems—motor, sensory, cognitive and behavioral state—included in a basic structure‐function network model of the nervous system. Coordination of these subsystems is vital to the control of emotion and behavior, and in this regard the connections of the LHAjd indicate that it may have a prominent mechanistic role. Furthermore, the LHAjd connections in ...

The magnitude of the antigen‐specific T cell response is separated from the severity of spinal cord histopathology in remitting‐relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Glia — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:13:31 +0100

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. The remitting‐relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the SJL mouse strain is a common animal model for MS and similar to the human disease it is considered to be T helper cell mediated. Besides interferon‐γ secreting TH1 cells in particular the TH17 subset is believed to be highly pathogenic. Spreading of the TH1 and TH17 response to newly emerging determinants has been used to explain clinical disease relapse, but if the magnitude of the TH1/TH17 response is linked to clinical relapse severity has remained unresolved. Here, we assessed clinical EAE severity, the extent of spinal cord histopathology and the magnitude of the antigen‐specific T helper cell and autoantibody re...

New Therapy Might Help Relieve Painful Foot Condition

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:07:01 +0100

Preliminary study suggests it could work in hard-to-treat cases of plantar fasciitis (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

Corrigendum

Psychophysiology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:06:07 +0100

(Source: Psychophysiology)

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Depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:47:07 +0100

(Source: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica)

Ocular torsions and the subjective visual vertical with central vestibulo‐ocular system lesions: independence disproved

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:45:00 +0100

ConclusionsTorsions and deviations are strongly dependent. This result should allow the generation of a more transparent pathophysiological model. From a practical point of view, measurements of deviation appeared more robust than those of torsion. (Source: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica)

AAN Press Release: Vote for Your Favorite Video! Public Voting Now Open for 2012 Neuro Film Festival

American Academy of Neurology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:16:52 +0100

You can now begin voting for your favorite video entry to the 2012 Neuro Film Festival through March 8, 2012, at www.NeuroFilmFestival.com. (Source: American Academy of Neurology)

Mom's Thyroid Rx Has No Effect on Kid's IQ (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:43:06 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Screening pregnant women for low thyroid hormone levels in the first trimester -- and treating accordingly -- does not impact a child's IQ at age 3, a randomized trial showed. (Source: MedPage Today Neurology)

Study: Electric boost helps brain to learn better

USATODAY.com Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:42:23 +0100

People learned better when a key part of their brains got mild zaps of electricity, a new report shows. (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

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Study Explores Electrical Stimulation to Aid Memory

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:22:18 +0100

A small study shows promise that could lead to clues to encoding memory and treating neurological diseases. (Source: NYT Health)

Tiny electrical shocks to the brain enhance memory: study

Reuters: Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:14:19 +0100

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Lightly shocking a person's brain just before they learned a new task appeared to strengthen memory in a handful of patients with epilepsy, a tantalizing result that could have implications for Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. (Source: Reuters: Health)

N-Acetylcysteine Reverses Mitochondrial Dysfunctions and Behavioral Abnormalities in 3-Nitropropionic Acid-Induced Huntington's Disease

Neurodegenerative Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000334273) (Source: Neurodegenerative Diseases)

Mutant GBA1 Expression and Synucleinopathy Risk: First Insights from Cellular and Mouse Models

Neurodegenerative Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000335038) (Source: Neurodegenerative Diseases)

Neurogenic and Myogenic Contributions to Hereditary Motor Neuron Disease

Neurodegenerative Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000335311) (Source: Neurodegenerative Diseases)

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Sexual Dimorphism and Laterality in the Evolution of the Primate Prefrontal Cortex

Brain, Behavior and Evolution — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Brain Behav Evol (DOI:10.1159/000336115) (Source: Brain, Behavior and Evolution)

Tai Chi May Help Parkinson’s Patients

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Study found twice-weekly training boosted balance, reduced falls (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

Electrical Brain Stimulation May Strengthen Memory, Study Says

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Preliminary results suggest method might hold promise for dementia patients (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

Screening Moms-to-Be for Thyroid Trouble May Not Help Offspring

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Study finds intervening early in pregnancy had no effect on children's mental function later (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

Brain Stimulation Provides a Memory Boost

WSJ.com: Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:51:53 +0100

An electrical brain-stimulation technique appears to enhance human memory, according to a tiny but intriguing new study that bolsters hope for one day developing a nondrug treatment for memory problems. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

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Apixaban Superior for AF Patients With Previous Stroke, TIAApixaban Superior for AF Patients With Previous Stroke, TIA

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:30:19 +0100

Substudies of the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES trials have found that apixaban is safe and effective for patients with previous events vs warfarin and aspirin, respectively. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Obesity Linked to Worse Fibromyalgia Symptoms

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0100

As weight increases, so do patient reports of greater pain, poor quality of life, researchers say (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

New DRAGON Score Predicts Ischemic Stroke OutcomeNew DRAGON Score Predicts Ischemic Stroke Outcome

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51:00 +0100

The easy-to-use score is showing promise and winning early praise, but is 1 of several such methods recently reported. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Driving styles and their associations with personality and motivation.

Accident; Analysis and Prevention. — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:28:15 +0100

Authors: Taubman-Ben-Ari O, Yehiel D Abstract The associations between driving styles and the Big-Five personality factors and perceived costs and benefits of driving were examined in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of driving styles. Questionnaires tapping driving style, personality traits, motivations for driving, and background variables were completed by 320 drivers (150 men and 170 women). The results show that each driving style is associated with a unique set of sociodemographic, personality, and motivational factors. The reckless and angry styles were both endorsed more by men than women, by younger drivers, and by those displaying higher levels of Extroversion and thrill seeking, and lower levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. However, whereas t...

Decision-making capacities and affective reward anticipation in DWI recidivists compared to non-offenders: A preliminary study.

Accident; Analysis and Prevention. — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:23:45 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Decision making is a plausible explanatory neurocognitive pathway to severer forms of DWI. The role of emotional processing in DWI risk is uncertain. Subtyping DWI offenders using neurocognitive criteria seems a promising avenue for improving clinically meaningful methods of DWI risk assessment and intervention. PMID: 22269545 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Accident; Analysis and Prevention.)

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Distracted driving in elderly and middle-aged drivers.

Accident; Analysis and Prevention. — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:20:43 +0100

This study examined distracted driving performance in an instrumented vehicle (IV) in 86 elderly (mean=72.5 years, SD=5.0 years) and 51 middle-aged drivers (mean=53.7 years, SD=9.3 year) under a concurrent auditory-verbal processing load created by the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT). Compared to baseline (no-task) driving performance, distraction was associated with reduced steering control in both groups, with middle-aged drivers showing a greater increase in steering variability. The elderly drove slower and showed decreased speed variability during distraction compared to middle-aged drivers. They also tended to "freeze up", spending significantly more time holding the gas pedal steady, another tactic that may mitigate time pressured integration and control of information, ...

Smooth muscle caldesmon modulates peristalsis in the wild type and non‐innervated zebrafish intestine

Neurogastroenterology and Motility — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:46:44 +0100

Conclusions & Inferences Disruption of the normal inhibitory function of h‐CaD enhances intestinal peristalsis in both wild‐type zebrafish larvae and mutant larvae that lack enteric nerves, thus confirming a physiologic role for regulation of smooth muscle contraction at the actin filament. (Source: Neurogastroenterology and Motility)

Effects of effortful swallow on esophageal function in healthy adults

Neurogastroenterology and Motility — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:46:36 +0100

Conclusions & Inferences With improved manometric instrumentation, larger participant numbers, and methodology that controlled for potential confounding factors, this study confirms and advances the results of the previous pilot study: Volitional manipulation of the oropharyngeal phase of swallowing using the effortful swallow indeed affects esophageal physiology. Thus, the effortful swallow offers a behavioral manipulation of the esophageal phase of swallowing, and future studies will determine its clinical potential for treating esophageal dysmotility in patient populations. (Source: Neurogastroenterology and Motility)

Novel insights in the role of peripheral corticotropin‐releasing factor and mast cells in stress‐induced visceral hypersensitivity

Neurogastroenterology and Motility — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:46:24 +0100

AbstractVisceral hypersensitivity is one of the hallmarks in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathophysiology. Stress is well known to affect visceral sensitivity in humans and rodents, an effect which is associated in part with alterations of intestinal epithelial permeability in rodents. Although the pathophysiology of visceral hypersensitivity is still unclear, two key factors have been identified as playing a major role in its modulation, namely peripheral corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) and mast cells. In a recent study in Neurogastroenterology and Motility, van den Wijngaard et al. demonstrate that the mast‐cell dependent visceral hypersensitivity observed in maternally separated rats after an acute exposure to a psychological stress can be prevented but not reversed by the p...

In vivo dynamic imaging of intestinal motions using diet‐related autofluorescence

Neurogastroenterology and Motility — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:37 +0100

Conclusions & Inferences This simple, but unexplored imaging technique can provide a means to monitor intestinal motility disorders and response to therapeutic agents. (Source: Neurogastroenterology and Motility)

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Antiallodynic Effect of Herbal Medicine Yokukansan on Peripheral Neuropathy in Rats with Chronic Constriction Injury

Advances in Pharmacological Sciences — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0100

In this study, we investigated the effects of yokukansan on neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. Oral administration of yokukansan significantly inhibited mechanical and cold allodynia in the von Frey hair or acetone test, respectively. In comparison, amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, demonstrated moderate, but not significant, antiallodynic effects in the mechanical and cold tests. Yokukansan significantly inhibited the cerebrospinal fluid dialysate level of glutamate that had increased by the stimulation of brush or acetone. Glutamate transporter inhibitors, DL-threo-beta-hydroxy aspartate and dihydrokainate, decreased the yokukansan-induced antiallodynic actions in CCI rats. Our results suggest that yokukansan was confirmed to have antiallodynic effects ...

Brainstem Infarction and Panuveitis due to Sarcoidosis Successfully Treated with Steroid Pulse Therapy

Advances in Pharmacological Sciences — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0100

A 36-year-old man visited our hospital because of blurred vision and redness of the conjunctiva. Slit-lamp examination showed panuveitis. Two days later, he suddenly experienced dizziness, speech disturbance, paralysis of his right extremities, and gait disturbances. Neurological examinations suggested that his symptoms were caused by a left lateral medullary lesion. He also had erythema mainly on his trunk. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his brain demonstrated a small infarct on the left side of the medulla oblongata. Clinical presentation and MRI findings were consistent with the diagnosis of a Wallenberg’s syndrome. He also had bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. A skin biopsy showed granulomatous nodular dermatitis compatible with sarcoidosis. He was treated with steroid pulse ther...

Football Withdrawal Coping Tips

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

Millions of football fans will experience withdrawal symptoms now that the Super Bowl and football season is over. When an individual experiences pleasurable activity, such as watching a football game, dopamine is released in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) related to the brain's pleasure centers. However, the individual is left feeling deprived once the pleasurable activity ends. This feeling of depravation is similar to what a smoker feels when deprived of a cigarette... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Dual Imaging Catches Risk of Second Stroke (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Emergency Medicine — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:43:02 +0100

NEW ORLEANS (MedPage Today) -- CT angiography should be included with brain CT for early detection of severe arterial stenosis in those presenting with transient ischemic attack or minor stroke, researchers suggested. (Source: MedPage Today Emergency Medicine)

Fighters Need Padded Gear to Cut Head Injury (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:37:46 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Rotational head injuries in fighting sports can be minimized if participants wear padded boxing gloves and headgear rather lighter protective gear or no protection at all, a laboratory study suggested. (Source: MedPage Today Neurology)

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Health Tip: Coping With Migraines During Pregnancy

The Doctors Lounge - Neurology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Here's what you can do (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Neurology)

Antiparkinsonian Mechanism of Electroconvulsive Therapy in MPTP-Lesioned Non-Human Primates

Karger Publishers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:48:07 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000334497) (Source: Karger Publishers)

Evaluation of Neurodegeneration in a Mouse Model of Infantile Batten Disease by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Karger Publishers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:48:07 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000334838) (Source: Karger Publishers)

APOE-Mimetic Peptides Reduce Behavioral Deficits, Plaques and Tangles in Alzheimer's Disease Transgenics

Karger Publishers — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:48:07 +0100

Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI:10.1159/000334914) (Source: Karger Publishers)

Early VTE Therapy OK After Brain Bleed (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Cardiovascular — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:43:01 +0100

HOUSTON --The risk of re-bleeding after intracranial hemorrhage did not increase when patients received early prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE), a retrospective review showed. (Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular)

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Memantine as an Augmentation Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Anesthesiology Research and Practice — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:16:29 +0100

Conclusion. The NMDA receptor antagonist memantine may be an effective augmentation therapy in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety. (Source: Anesthesiology Research and Practice)

Neurogenic Bladder

Anesthesiology Research and Practice — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:16:29 +0100

Congenital anomalies such as meningomyelocele and diseases/damage of the central, peripheral, or autonomic nervous systems may produce neurogenic bladder dysfunction, which untreated can result in progressive renal damage, adverse physical effects including decubiti and urinary tract infections, and psychological and social sequelae related to urinary incontinence. A comprehensive bladder-retraining program that incorporates appropriate education, training, medication, and surgical interventions can mitigate the adverse consequences of neurogenic bladder dysfunction and improve both quantity and quality of life. The goals of bladder retraining for neurogenic bladder dysfunction are prevention of urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, detrusor overdistension, and progressive upper ...

Giant Cell Tumors of the Axial Skeleton

Anesthesiology Research and Practice — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:16:29 +0100

Conclusions. GCT of the axial skeleton have a high local recurrence rate. Neurological deficits are common. En-bloc spondylectomy combined with embolization is the treatment of choice. In case of inoperability, serial arterial embolization seems to be an alternative not only for sacral but also for spinal tumors. (Source: Anesthesiology Research and Practice)

Neonatal administration with dexmedetomidine does not impair the rat hippocampal synaptic plasticity later in adulthood

Pediatric Anesthesia — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:08:52 +0100

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that a single administration of DEX to rats on P7 preserves hippocampal synaptic plasticity as well as synaptic transmission later in life. In view of the some evidence that have demonstrated the permanent detrimental impact of commonly used anesthetics on neurological outcomes after neonatal exposure, our findings may suggest the relative safety of DEX administered as a sedative agent to neonatal animals with regard to the development of hippocampal synaptic functions. (Source: Pediatric Anesthesia)

Kappa-Opioid Receptors in the Caudal Nucleus Tractus Solitarius Mediate 100 Hz Electroacupuncture-Induced Sleep Activities in Rats

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:20:54 +0100

Previous results demonstrated that 10 Hz electroacupuncture (EA) of Anmian acupoints in rats during the dark period enhances slow wave sleep (SWS), which involves the induction of cholinergic activity in the caudal nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and subsequent activation of opioidergic neurons and μ-receptors. Studies have shown that different kinds of endogenous opiate peptides and receptors may mediate the consequences of EA with different frequencies. Herein, we further elucidated that high-frequency (100 Hz)-EA of Anmian enhanced SWS during the dark period but exhibited no direct effect on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. High-frequency EA-induced SWS enhancement was dose-dependently blocked by microinjection of naloxone or κ-receptor antagonist (nor-binaltorphimine) i...

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What We Eat Can Alter The Brain Regions That Regulate Body Weight

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

An editorial authored by University of Cincinnati (UC) diabetes researchers published in the Feb. 7, 2012, issue of the journal Cell Metabolism sheds light on the biological factors contributing to rising rates of obesity and discusses strategies to reduce body weight. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about one-third of U.S. adults are obese, a number that continues to climb. "While we don't usually think of it this way, body weight is regulated... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Association Between Mild Cognitive Impairment, Disability And Neuropsychiatric Symptoms

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

In low- and middle-income countries, mild cognitive impairment - an intermediate state between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, which may or may not progress - is consistently associated with higher disability and with neuropsychiatric symptoms but not with most socio-demographic factors, according to a large study published in this week's PLoS Medicine... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Former Welders Suffer Increased Clumsiness

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Welders who are exposed to manganese from welding fumes, risk developing increased clumsiness - and the result may remain decades after exposure has ceased. This is the finding of a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, of former shipyard workers. It is estimated that 35,000 people in Sweden work full-time with welding, while many more carry out welding as one of several workplace activities... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Key Finding In Stem Cell Self-Renewal

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

A University of Minnesota-led research team has proposed a mechanism for the control of whether embryonic stem cells continue to proliferate and stay stem cells, or differentiate into adult cells like brain, liver or skin. The work has implications in two areas. In cancer treatment, it is desirable to inhibit cell proliferation. But to grow adult stem cells for transplantation to victims of injury or disease, it would be desirable to sustain proliferation until a sufficient number of cells have been produced to make a usable organ or tissue... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Working Memory And The Brain

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Researchers have long known that specific parts of the brain activate when people view particular images. For example, a region called the fusiform face area turns on when the eyes glance at faces, and another region called the parahippocampal place area does the same when a person looks at scenes or buildings. However, it's been unknown whether such specialization also exists for visual working memory, a category of memory that allows the brain to temporarily store and manipulate visual information for immediate tasks... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Patient Sensitivity To Important Drug Target In Deadly Brain Cancer Predicted

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A recent discovery by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists enables the prediction of patient sensitivity to proposed drug therapies for glioblastoma - the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumor in humans. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, investigated glioblastoma models characterized by cell signaling activation and gene amplification for their susceptibility to inhibitors of both the human MET oncogene and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR). An oncogene is a gene with the potential to cause cancer... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Swedish Twin Study Finds Cognitive Problems Common Among Non-Demented Elderly

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Both subjective and objective cognitive impairment are highly common among non-demented elderly Swedes, with an overall prevalence of 39 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to a nationwide twin study by researchers at the Aging Research Center of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The study confirms higher education as a major protective factor and stresses the importance of environmental aspects over genes in mild cognitive disorders in old age... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Zinc Control Mechanisms Could Be Key To Aggressive Breast Cancer Treatments

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

The body's control mechanisms for delivering zinc to cells could be key to improving treatment for some types of aggressive breast cancer. New research by Cardiff University and King's College London has identified the switch which releases zinc into cells, with important implications for a number of diseases. Zinc has long been known to play a vital part in human health. Too much zinc, or too little, can cause cell death. A growing body of evidence links zinc to disease states including neurodegeneration, inflammation, diabetes and cancer... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Images Of Nerve Cells In The Brain Of A Living Mouse

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

To explore the most intricate structures of the brain in order to decipher how it functions - Stefan Hell's team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Gottingen has made a significant step closer to this goal. Using the STED microscopy developed by Hell, the scientists have, for the first time, managed to record detailed live images inside the brain of a living mouse. Captured in the previously impossible resolution of less than 70 nanometers, these images have made the minute structures visible which allow nerve cells to communicate with each other... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Parkinson's cells 'made in lab'

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:57:01 +0100

Scientists in the US have successfully made human brain cells in the lab that are an exact replica of genetically caused Parkinson's disease. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

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WldS but not Nmnat1 protects dopaminergic neurites from MPP+ neurotoxicity

Molecular Neurodegeneration — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our data suggest that NAD+ and WldS act through separate and possibly parallel mechanisms to protect dopamine axons. As MPP+ is thought to impair mitochondrial function, these results suggest that WldS might be involved in preserving mitochondrial health or maintaining cellular metabolism. (Source: Molecular Neurodegeneration)

Spinal cord trauma and the molecular point of no return

Molecular Neurodegeneration — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

A mechanical trauma to the spinal cord can be followed by the development of irreversible and progressive neurodegeneration, as opposed to a temporary or partially reversible neurological damage. An increasing body of experimental and clinical evidence from humans and animal models indicates that spinal cord injury may set in motion the development of disabling and at times fatal neuromuscular disorders, whose occurrence is not normally associated with any major environmental event. This outcome appears to be dependent on the co-occurrence of a particular form of mechanical stress and of a genetically-determined vulnerability. This increased vulnerability to spinal cord injury may depend on a change of the nature and of the timing of activation of a number of neuroprotective and neurodestr...

Evaluation of blood-brain barrier transport and CNS drug metabolism in diseased and control brain after intravenous L-DOPA in a unilateral rat model of Parkinson's disease

Cerebrospinal Fluid Research — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Parkinson's disease-like pathology, indicated by a huge reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase as well as by substantially reduced levels and higher elimination rates of DOPAC and HVA, does not result in changes in BBB transport of L-DOPA. Taking the results of this study and that of previous ones, it can be concluded that changes in BBB functionality are not a specific characteristic of Parkinson's disease, and cannot account for the decreased benefit of L-DOPA at later stages of Parkinson's disease. (Source: Cerebrospinal Fluid Research)

Transient increases in dendritic spine density contribute to dentate gyrus long‐term potentiation

Synapse — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractDendritic spines are the primary sites for excitatory neurotransmission in the adult brain and exhibit changes in their number and morphology with experience. The relationship between spine formation and synaptic activity has been best characterized along the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield. However, less is known about the structural mechanisms at the spine that mediate plasticity in other hippocampal subfields. The dentate gyrus is the predominant point of entry for synaptic input to the hippocampus, and dentate granule cells differ from CA1 pyramidal neurons in terms of their morphology and biophysical properties. In order to understand the structural mechanisms for plasticity in the dentate gyrus, we measured dendritic spine density in hipp...

Effects of amphetamine on subcellular distribution of dopamine and DOPAC

Synapse — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractAmphetamine effects on distribution of dopamine, DOPAC, and amphetamine in vesicular, cytosolic, and extracellular compartments associated with a striatal varicosity were estimated through use of a computer simulation model. In addition, contribution to overall effects of amphetamine by each of five actions – transport by dopamine transporter, transport by vesicular monoamine transporter, stimulation of reverse transport, inhibition of monoamine oxidase, and slowing of dopamine cell firing rate – were evaluated. Amphetamine enters a varicosity almost entirely by dopamine transporter and accumulates to very high levels within the varicosity. Both reverse transport by dopamine transporter and passive diffusion contribute to continual amphetamine egress across the plasma membrane....

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Beside the point: motor adaptation without feedback-based error correction in task-irrelevant conditions