MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'blindness'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:52:06 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181899&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F31%2F3-fascinating-facts-about-our-brilliant-brains%2F Our brains do a lot of work behind the scenes to help us function and thrive. But we largely know this already. What might surprise you are the details of this work. For instance, as neuroscientist David Eagleman writes in his book Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain: Your brain is built of cells called neurons and glia—hundreds of billions of them. Each one of these cells is as complicated as a city. And each one contains the entire human genome and traffics billions of molecules in intricate economies. Each cell sends electrical pulses to other cells, up to hundred of times per second. If you represented each of these trillions and trillions of pulses in your brain by a single photon of light, the combined output would be blinding. The cells are connected to one another in a netw... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181899 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:57:59 +0100 5181899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118618&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1510       Mayim Bialik found out , quite by accident, that her son was color blind. Would you know the telltale signs?  Her son was not yet 6 years old and after an ordinary request to play checkers, she found out just what her son was seeing.  The article is thoughtful and clearly comes from the heart. Read here for more information on color blindness. You can also read her blog here (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118618 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:29:57 +0100 5118618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4669841&cid=t_102711_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FE49gdyDqQSM%2F Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier On episode #24 of the podcast This Week in Parasitism, Vincent and Dickson discuss the life cycle and pathogenesis of Onchocerca volvulus, the vector-borne filarial nematode parasite that causes onchocerciasis, or river blindness. Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiP #24 (59 MB .mp3, 82 minutes). Links for this episode: Cross-section of nodule induced by Onchocerca volvulus (jpg) Section of skin with O. volvulus microfilariae (jpg) O. volvulus microfilaria in skin (jpg) Skin snip with O. volvulus microfilariae (jpg) O. volvulus life cycle (jpg) Betsy’s malaria life cycle in mosquito (jpg) Letters read on TWiP 24 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv. Subscribe (fr... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4669841 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:36:00 +0100 4669841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489977&cid=t_102711_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FTtqj3J1HvPI%2F Hello and nice to see you again. Having successfully deposited one of the short people at the local schoolhouse, we are celebrating with yet another cup of stimulation. Please join us or grab a bottle of water, if you prefer, and get ready for another day of meetings and deadlines and who-knows-what-else. Meanwhile, here are some fresh tidbits. Have a good one and stay in touch… China To Help Domestic Drugmakers Expand Overseas (Global Times) AstraZeneca Pays $150M To Settle More Seroquel Lawsuits (Bloomberg News) Amgen Haunted By Medicare Worries (Forbes) Glaxo Cuts Neuroscience Jobs In North Carolina (MedCity News) UK’s NICE Endorses Celgene Blood Cancer Med (Reuters) Allergan Wins Wider Use For Lap-Band Device (Wall Street Journal) EU Parliament Approves Tougher Counterfeit ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489977 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:03:30 +0100 4489977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394530&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F24%2Feugenics-the-story-of-carrie-buck%2F Psychology has a fascinating and rich history, filled with amazing advances. But it wasn’t all progress. Psychology has a painful past — with many victims. One of the most devastating times in psychology was a movement called eugenics, a name coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883. The goal of eugenics was to improve the genetic composition of the population: to encourage healthy, smart individuals to reproduce (called positive eugenics) and to discourage the poor, who were considered unintelligent and unfit, from reproducing (negative eugenics). One of the main methods to discourage reproduction was through sterilization. While it seems ludicrous now, many people, both abroad and in the U.S., agreed with the principles of eugenics. In fact, state governments soon started establishing st... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394530 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:52:48 +0100 4394530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309607&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftext-to-braille-conversion-via-touch-sensitive-thimble%2F2011.01.04 While Braille can give the blind the ability to read, much of the text one encounters is not available in Braille (and our increasing dependence on touch-screen smartphones isn’t helping.) Two students at the University of Washington hope to solve this problem with their concept device, which they have termed the “Thimble.” The Thimble contains a fingertip camera and an electro-tactile grid which can read text and convert it to touch-sensitive Braille. The device can also interface with a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth for reading online content. Source: “Thimble”: Another smartphone-enabled concept for the visually impaired (Hat Tip: Engadget) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309607 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:00:55 +0100 4309607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294634&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmacular-degeneration-and-a-healthy-lifestyle%2F2010.12.26 We now have another condition that may be prevented by eating a healthy diet, exercising, and abstaining from smoking: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Macular degeneration causes a loss of central vision and makes it difficult to recognize faces and read small print. The macula degenerates with age and severe macular degeneration causes blindness. Treatment is costly and doesn’t work very well. A new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology looked at 1,313 women aged 55 to 74 years. They reviewed their diet and exercise habits. Eating a “healthy diet” meant 3.5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2.3 servings of dairy, 2.7 ounces of meet and 3.5 servings of grain a day. Exercise habits and smoking history were also monitored. (more…) *This ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294634 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 01:00:00 +0100 4294634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097938&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fjuvenile-diabetes-the-walk-for-the-cure%2F2010.10.22 This weekend is the Western Carolina Walk for the Cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Our son Seth is 13, and has been diabetic since age five. The Walk is one of our favorite yearly events. More than that, the idea of a cure is one of our favorite dreams! Seth has come a long way. He wears an insulin pump, and is now wearing a continuous glucose monitoring system. His chances of long-term complications, such as blindness or renal failure, are remarkably low compared to what kids faced in past decades. His physician, Dr. James Amrhein of the Greenville Hospital System, is outstanding. He and his outstanding nurse practitioners brought us through the shock and trials of diabetes with great compassion and understanding. He offered us that precious commodity: Hope. (more…) *This b... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097938 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:00:22 +0100 4097938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954262&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-tool-may-help-visually-impaired-learn-braille%2F2010.09.09 Yanko Design blog is profiling the Braille Buddy project that aims to develop a simple-to-use tool to help people who’ve lost eyesight to learn Braille. Braille Buddy has little retractable bumps that code for different letters, a keyboard, and a voice synthesizer that guides patients through different lessons. The voice will read out letters that a patient has to type back in Braille, and the tactile screen will display letters to read and identify. Yanko Design: My Best Buddy Braille… *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954262 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:00:44 +0100 3954262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808717&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F02%2Fthe-situation-of-attention-and-the-gorilla-in-the-room%2F Dan Simons and Christopher Chabris have a new version of some well known illusions that they helped make famous.  Enjoy: * * * * * * To check out Simons’s new book, “The Invisible Gorilla,” click here. For  a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Change Blindness,” “Neuroscience and Illusion,” “Brain Magic,” “Magic is in the Mind,” “The Situation of Illusion,” “‘The Grand Illusion’ — Believing We See the Situation,” “Neuroscience and Illusion,” “The Heat is On,” and “The Situation of Climate Change,” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808717 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 04:01:17 +0100 3808717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776319&cid=t_102711_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fglenn-beck-discloses-condition-leading-deteriorating-vision%2F Political commentator Glenn Beck has disclosed that he suffers from the condition of macular dystrophy, a generally progressive eye condition that leads to vision loss and possibly blindness. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776319 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:08:46 +0100 3776319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3736978&cid=t_102711_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Ffda-approves-implantable-mini-telescope-improve-blindness%2F The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the limited use of a mini surgically-implanted telescope to help reverse the vision loss that occurs with macular degeneration. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3736978 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:15:43 +0100 3736978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729848&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-does-your-hair-color-say-about-your-health%2F photo: Thinkstock We all love our hair. (Or we hate it.) We preen over it for way too long in the morning, we spend months deciding on a new cut or color, and definitely think our luscious locks add to our feminine wiles. But apparently, our hair can even alert us to possible health risks. Check out what your natural hair color could say about your well being, courtesy of Women’s Health: Blondes You’re at risk for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can lead to blindness. Eat food rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, like kale, spinach, and snow peas. Blondes are also at the highest risk for melanoma. Make sure you wear a full-spectrum SPF 30, and wear a hat in direct sunlight. Check out some of our favorite eco-friendly hats here. Brunettes Y... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729848 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:49:48 +0100 3729848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742322&cid=t_102711_122_f&fid=35077&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurophilosophy.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fneural_basis_of_spatial_navigation_in_the_congenitally_blind%2F FOR most of us, the ability to navigate our environment is largely dependent on the sense of vision. We use visual information to note the location of landmarks, and to identify and negotiate obstacles. These visual cues also enable us to keep track of our movements, by monitoring how our position changes relative to landmarks [...] (Source: Neurophilosophy) Neurophilosophy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742322 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:55:25 +0100 3742322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542604&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-tool-to-help-the-visually-impaired-see-facial-expressions%2F2010.05.06 Shafiq ur Réhman, a doctoral student at Umeå University in Sweden has unveiled his thesis project — a technology that converts facial emotions into special tactile sensations for the visually impaired. The system uses a webcam to capture faces, and then subsequently converts the captured emotion into a series of vibrations that correspond with the expressed emotion. The users are expected to train themselves by making their own faces into the webcam and getting a feel for how the vibrations change with the faces they’re making. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542604 Thu, 06 May 2010 20:00:02 +0100 3542604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311767&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Fhow-and-when-brains-learn-to-see%2F Pawan Sinha details his groundbreaking research into how the brain’s visual system develops. Sinha and his team provide free vision-restoring treatment to children born blind, and then study how their brains learn to interpret visual data. The work offers insights into neuroscience, engineering and even autism. In India many young people are blind. This is a disaster because the brain will not learn to see when older, young age is critical for the brain to be able to see. Impressive lecture about blindness and neuroscience. If the brain is older than 4 to 5 years of age it looses it’s ability to learn to see. A Project Prakash was started to help blind or almost blind children and help if possible. The goal of Project Prakash is to bring light into the lives of curably blind c... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311767 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:30:38 +0100 3311767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3029889&cid=t_102711_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F2GubiesXIYk%2F Do you ever have floaters? Little spots or lines that appear in your line of vision, although there’s nothing there? Most of the time, these floaters are harmless. I have quite a few of them and they’re most obvious when I’m looking at something monochromatic (one color), such as the snow outside or when I’m reading a book. I had the floaters checked because, although floaters are often nothing serious, they could be a sign of retinal detachment. A retinal detachment is an ophthalmological emergency – surgery is needed most of the time and the earlier it’s done, the higher the chances of your sight being ok. The retina is the part of the eye found in the inside at the back. It’s light sensitive and is often compared to film in a camera. As the imag... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3029889 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:50:28 +0100 3029889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989118&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fduhdifficulty-seeing-means-trouble-driving%2F Really? Let’s file this one in the Duh Files: If you’re blind in one half of each eye, such as the right side of each eye (called hemianopia), you likely will have more trouble seeing pedestrians in your “blind” spot. Seriously. Hemianopia is usually caused by a brain injury, such as a stroke, tumor or trauma. Researchers from Schepens Eye Research Institute performed a small study (24 people) to see how hemianopia affected driving. Their results were published in the most recent issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. According to a press release from the institute, More than a million people suffer from hemianopia, a condition in which one half of the visual field in both eyes is blinded, usually the result of a stroke or head injury. People with... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989118 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:55:01 +0100 2989118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883112&cid=t_102711_122_f&fid=35065&url=http%3A%2F%2Feideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fsensory-processing-and-school.html Over the weekend, I was reading an article about students with disabilities in college, and I was struck by the conclusions that students with hidden disabilities had much poorer outcomes than students with obvious physical impairments (blindness, physical disability). The conclusions had a ring of truth. Disabilities that occur often without obvious physical signs, like sensory processing disorders or dyslexia, are often harder to 'prove', harder to qualify for accommodations, and often faulted as being due to laziness, poor effort or motivation, or retardation. Sensory processing disorders are probably among the most common reasons children underachieve in school, although they are often not formally recognized because of the lack of a definitive diagnostic standard like a blood test or ... Eide Neurolearning Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883112 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:06:00 +0100 2883112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2836225&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F27%2Fchange-blindness%2F From Wikipedia: In visual perception, change blindness is the phenomenon that occurs when a person viewing a visual scene apparently fails to detect large changes in the scene. For change blindness to occur, the change in the scene typically has to coincide with some visual disruption such as a saccade (eye movement) or a brief obscuration of the observed scene or image. When looking at still images, a viewer can experience change blindness if part of the image changes. For an intriguing example of change blindness, check out the video below depicting an experiment by Daniel J. Simons and Chris Chabris. * * * For a sample of  related Situationist posts see “‘The Grand Illusion’ — Believing We See the Situation,” “Neuroscience and Illusion,” “Brai... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2836225 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:01:33 +0100 2836225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807743&cid=t_102711_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fbascom-palmer-eye-institute-performs-first-mookp-procedure-in-usa%2F Press Release Blind Patient Regains Sight with “Eyetooth” Implanted in Her Eye Click here to view an animation of the procedure Click here to watch a video of the news conference MIAMI, Sept. 16, 2009 – Blind for nine years, Sharron “Kay” Thornton has just regained her sight through a first-in-the-U.S. surgical procedure at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The procedure — modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP) — implanted her eyetooth in her eye, as a base to hold a prosthetic lens. “I’m looking forward to seeing my seven youngest grandchildren for the first time,” said Thornton, 60, of Smithdale, Miss., who was blinded by Stevens-Johnson syndrome in 2000. The rare, serious skin condition destroys... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807743 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:10:59 +0100 2807743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804003&cid=t_102711_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FSUcQZWx91UY%2F We’ve all heard about eye teeth, but have you ever heard of a tooth helping someone regain their sight? Without a doubt, the story sounds incredible, but it’s true. Sixty-year-old Sharron “Kay” Thornton became blind in both eyes after contracting a rare illness, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, nine years earlier. The damage to the cornea from scarring left doctors unable to try more traditional treatment, like cornea transplants. Doctors tried a stem cell procedure but that was unsuccessful. As a last ditch attempt to help Kay regain her vision, eye surgeons decided to try a relatively rare procedure called a modified osteo-odonto-keatroprosthesis. Only 600 have been performed throughout the world so far. The procedure involves taking the canine tooth, also called the eye... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804003 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:29:56 +0100 2804003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727275&cid=t_102711_122_f&fid=35065&url=http%3A%2F%2Feideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fbad-good-and-variability-of-time.html "Time is more flexible than most of us think." - Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiWe know them, we love them, we are them - the time blind are constantly running into trouble for being late or missing assignments, but they also can persist longer than non-blind people at projects or activities (forgetting to eat, sleep, etc.) and achieve things that time-keepers can only dream of.Who is Time Blind?Time perception is worse for children than adults, and children diagnosed with ADHD and children diagnosed with specific language impairment, but some variations in time perception occur in healthy people (apparently we are better at perceiving time in the morning compared to the evening...makes sense), and video games like Tetris causes adolescents to lose time (underestimate video game time vs. reading).... Eide Neurolearning Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727275 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:01:00 +0100 2727275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662551&cid=t_102711_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fggu6RcX1JVM%2F August is Cataract Awareness Month - a month when eye care professionals hope to spread the word of the causes of cataracts, the prevention and the treatments. Have you ever seen an eye with a cataract? Cataracts don’t just affect people, but many cats and dogs develope them as they age too. Cataracts happen with the lens of the eye becomes clouded, obstructing vision. Did you know that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness throughout the world? Cataracts are often considered an older person’s problem. It’s estimated that half of all people 80 years or older have at least one cataract.  Over 20 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts. Although they are more common in the elderly, they’re not rare in younger people either. The National Eye Institu... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662551 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:12:39 +0100 2662551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227470&cid=t_102711_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Ffacial-expressions-and-emotions.html Hosted by "Tracy" at "Mother May I," but the photo-picture below will whizz you right there with one click.Just call me snap happy.A whole book full of faces.True they're pumpkin facial expression but he drew 30 plus a cover, all different.This is my favourite one, dizzy.This is a very particular triumph around here. Facial expressions and body language in general, are notoriously difficult for some autistic children to interpret. This is often associated with “face blindness,” but I’ll try not to get off track. Quite often, depending upon their vocabulary and age, they’re quite adept at naming different emotions. However, on the whole there are far too many of them. Happy, sad or angry was quite enough. Whilst this works as a broad rule of thumb, it can be jolly handy to have a fe... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227470 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:59:00 +0100 2227470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195030&cid=t_102711_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FxNZxPAUk7mI%2F My sister married when I was 8 years old, her husband was like another father to me. Don was my hero he was always so full of life and included me in his mad adventures, with his children. Don was over six feet three inches tall and weighed about 240, he was always outdoors, his only faults were smoking and eating fatty foods. He was never sick so there was no need to go to the doctor, so he thought. Imagine our surprise when we found that he was an extremely ill man with diabetes. He fought a good fight in every way, but he would not give up his smoking. The doctors told him that the medicine that he was taking could not help him if he continued to smoke. Don died in a nursing home with heart failure, unable to walk; he took a large part of my heart with him. If you have a loved one that... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195030 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:45:35 +0100 2195030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061068&cid=t_102711_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fw9dzy4maCiU%2F That’s how autism is referred to in a  story in yesterday’s Philadelphia Examiner about “assembling your medical team” including osteopathic physicians. There’s mention of finding “relief from autism” via homeopathic methods, and autism is discussed as if it were a disease like cancer—which autism is indeed not. And no, after 11-plus years raising my autistic son, no way do I feel that it’s been some “horror” I wish to run away from, or that I ever need “relief from autism.” Sure I do (as one new story today puts it) “worry about everything,” but, really, it’s all better with Charlie. Tags: asd, asperger syndrome, autism, blindness, cancer, Health, homeopathy, osteopathy, pdd-nos, quackery, Sci... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061068 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:00:27 +0100 2061068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1948506&cid=t_102711_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F10%2F15%2Fvitamin-angels-providing-vital-nutrition-to-children-families-in-need%2F Vitamin Angels For a quarter, you can keep a child from going blind due to Vitamin A deficiency. Over the course of four years, when children are most vulnerable, the total expense for Vitamin Angels is $1.00, whichs covers the cost of two high dose vitamin A and anti-parasitic supplements given each year to a child from the ages of 2 to 5. Operation 20/20 Vitamin Angels is committed to eradicating childhood blindness due to Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) on the planet by the year 2020. Operation 20/20 is the first major step in this global campaign, which launched in 2007 18 countries. Vitamin Angels Vitamin Angels is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing vital nutrition in the form of supplements, to developing countries, communities and individuals in need. Vitamin Angels has s... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1948506 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:36:01 +0100 1948506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856099&cid=t_102711_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FrWxVQ4HP7fU%2F Last month, three more patients treated with an experimental gene therapy reported improved vision. Add this to the first successful gene therapy for inherited blindness earlier this year and the science gets instant boost. Despite years of work and resources devoted to it, experimental gene therapy had very little proven success in clinical trials. Some of the factors preventing it from effectively treating disease are the problem with viral vectors and the host’s reaction to the foreign object, in this case a virus. In 1999, a young patient participating in an experimental therapy for ornithine transcarboxylase deficiency (OTCD) died when his immune response rejected the virus. Four years later, a patient developed leukemia-like conditions. This year’s clinical trials on the ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856099 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:30:01 +0100 1856099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841036&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4644 Wired has an interesting story on how Gene Therapy Restores Sight Hold on, it does not apply to all causes of blindness but the trials were done on those with a rare form of congenital blindness called Leber's Congenital Amaurosis where there is a defective gene, RPE65. This gene defect results in abnormal development of photoreceptors The treatment involved viral vectors to introduce normal genes into the patients eye. Cideciyan’s team used a virus to introduce healthy versions of the gene into their patients’ eyes, stimulating enzyme production allowing the remaining photoreceptors to function normally. Improvement began in just over a week, and remained after 90 days — the study’s endpoint. Tests showed that two patients needed 63,000 times less light to see at a... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841036 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1841036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671775&cid=t_102711_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F351935987%2F The House Energy & Commerce Committee, which is investigating the “potentially premature” return to market of ProHeart 6, a controversial drug used to prevent heartworm in dogs, notes that the med contains moxidectin. And the ingredient is also found in a drug being tested on humans in Ghana for preventing and treating river blindness. Wyeth hopes its drug is better than Mectizan, a widely used Merck med. Why does the committee care? ProHeart 6 was yanked in 2004 after being linked to an unusually high rate of deaths and serious side effects following a review by an FDA vet. However, Wyeth then launched a secret investigation into the vet; raised conflict-of-interest charges against her at the FDA; and implicitly threatened FDA officials that further action would be pursue... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671775 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:17:19 +0100 1671775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338453&cid=t_102711_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F261077296%2F (hat tip: Mind Hacks). Let's try this classic experiment, conceived by Simons and Chabris for their study on sustained inattentional blindness (PDF), and now packaged in a nicer production. You will watch a brief video clip showing two teams, and your challenge is to count the TOTAL number of times that the basketballs change hands. Click Here to view the Basketball Experiment clip. You can read about the fascinating results here. Credit for pic: Haines World attention, Basketball Experiment clip, Brain games, Brain teasers, inattentional blindness, mind teasers, Psychology, Simons and Chabris (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338453 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:42:03 +0100 1338453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331518&cid=t_102711_132_f&fid=35624&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuicyte.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F28%2Fstrange-paper-ii%2F This is today’s 2nd post on recent papers describing the beneficial effect of things gone wrong. The first one was from the area of bioinformatics, this one is about gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi). A lot is known about the mechanism and application of RNAi, see e.g. the Wikipedia entry. Basically, you can use RNAi to downregulate a gene of interest by designing a short oligonucleotide (siRNA) complementary to the target mRNA and getting it into the cell to do its magic. Inside the cell, the oligonucleotide pairs with the target mRNA and the resulting duplex RNA is recognized by a specific cleavage machinery, which is present in the cell anyway. Most likely, this RNAi cleavage machinery has not been put into the cell by an intelligent designer to facilitate our lab work, bu... Suicyte Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331518 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:39:21 +0100 1331518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=870491&cid=t_102711_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F156290188%2F                     Carol O’Dell visits us today at Alzheimer’s Notes to share her thoughts concerning Mothering Mother, a humorous and heartbreaking memoir about caring for her mother who developed Parkinson’s disease and a heart condition.  Carol faced situations many of us have in caring for a family member afflicted with Alzheimer’s.  The world of caregiving has many commonalities and brings us together to share, to cry, to laugh…and then realize, “It’s okay.  Someone else felt like this, too.  I’m not alone.” (If you’d like to read an excerpt from Mothering Mother, visit her web site.  ) Mary Emma - People often ask me why I wrote a specific book or where I got the idea.  So I’ll ask you, Carol,... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=870491 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:00:33 +0100 870491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814179&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F21%2Fhole-in-one-for-golfer-blinded-by-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Exercise, Daily NewsI have the utmost respect for golfers with disabilities. In a conference match in high school, I played against an opponent missing her right hand and most of her forearm. As a right-handed golfer, her swing arc was primarily guided by her left arm, so she didn't miss a beat when it came to form. Whatever yards she lost on her long game were covered by a pretty mean short game. I couldn't help but smile wide after hearing this story yesterday about Sheila Drummond, a golfer blinded by diabetes 26 years ago. She may have lost her eyesight to diabetes, but nothing can take this golfing accomplishment away. Last Sunday in a steady rain, 53-year-old Drummond teed off with a driver on the 144-yard, par-3 fourth... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814179 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 814179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676160&cid=t_102711_122_f&fid=35065&url=http%3A%2F%2Feideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fhappy-fathers-day-flashes-from-past.html This year's Father's Day Flash from the past, made his blind son a banjo for his 11th birthday. He wouldn't let him dwell on his blindness (lost sight before the age of 1 year), and he even taught him how to use a cross cut saw at age 14 years, so that he could go on to build a two room utility building and rewire his house. Who was this? This was General Dixon Watson, dad to Doc Watson, a remarkably talented picker. From a Biography of Doc Watson: "Looking back at Doc's professional music career, it might be said that that little banjo his father built for him was the most important thing the elder Watson could have done for his blind son. However, when asked, Doc will say that the most valuable thing his father did for him was put him at the end of a cross-cut saw...'He put me to work an... Eide Neurolearning Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676160 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:02:00 +0100 676160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=490151&cid=t_102711_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2007%2F03%2F21%2Fbeing-super-charged-all-the-time%2F Senatorsmith blogs about what his experiences with ADHD are like. A really good post on what’s it like to have ADHD He blogs about some of the negatives in other ways it’s like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you’ve got another idea before you’ve finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. - Unequivocally me… ever had a discussion with me where I ramble onto multiple tangents and also mentions our well known sense of time blindness. What is it like to ha... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=490151 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:09:36 +0100 490151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478756&cid=t_102711_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F06%2Fhundreds-of-thousands-to-die-early-as-diabetes-rockets-by-60%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Daily News, ProductsAny headline that features die is bound to grab your attention. The headline appeared in an article published by The Scotsman. What the title lacks in sensitivity it makes up for in reader feedback. Both, statistically eye-popping and universally alarming, I give you extracts from the article and a few passionate responses from readers. How does it make you feel? Research from Edinburgh University reveals the number of people diagnosed with type-2 diabetes will soar by 60% within the next ten years. This is mainly due to the obesity crisis, with current estimates showing a quarter of the population is likely to be classed as obese by 2018. Doctors say they are treating an increasing number of teenagers for type-2 diabet... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478756 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100 478756