August 21, 2007, 6:24 PM CT

Area responsible for 'self-control'

The area of the brain responsible for self-controlwhere the decision not to do something occurs after thinking about doing itis separate from the area linked to taking action, researchers say in the August 22 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The results illuminate a very important aspect of the brain's control of behavior, the ability to hold off doing something after you've developed the intention to do itone might call it free won't as opposed to free will, says Martha Farah, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. It is very important to identify the circuits that enable free wont because of the a number of psychiatric disorders for which self-control problems figure prominentlyfrom attention deficit disorder to substance dependence and various personality disorders. Farah was not involved in the experiment.

The findings broaden understanding of the neural basis for decision making, or free will, and may help explain why some individuals are impulsive while others are reluctant to act, says lead author Marcel Brass, PhD, of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Ghent University. Brass and Patrick Haggard, PhD, of University College London, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the brain activity of participants pressing a button at times they chose themselves. They compared data from these trials to results when the participants prepared to hit the button, then decided to hold back or veto the action......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 21, 2007, 6:10 PM CT

Calls For Improvement In Stroke Treatment

A coalition of physicians representing a wide range of medical specialties has issued a call to action to improve the therapy of stroke. The group, which includes nationally recognized leaders in neurology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and cardiology, was drawn together by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) to address one of the most pressing medical needs in this countrythe rapid therapy of stroke using catheter-based techniques.

The only way to minimize the damage from a stroke is to restore blood flow to the brain and do it absolutely as quickly as possible, said Christopher J. White, M.D., chairman of cardiology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, and director of the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute. There is a huge shortage of physicians trained in catheter-based therapys for stroke, and we need to do something about it.

A plan for solving that doctor shortage is published online today and in the September 2007 issue of SCAIs official journal, Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions (CCI). The document is entitled, Interventional Stroke Therapy: Current State of the Art and Needs Assessment. Dr. White is editor-in-chief of CCI.

Each year nearly three-quarters of a million people suffer a stroke in the United States. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in this country, and is responsible for 1 in 16 deaths......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 21, 2007, 6:04 PM CT

Tackling mystery mountain illness

Experts at the University are studying an illness known as HAPE (high altitude pulmonary oedema), which causes fluid to build up in the lungs can and can occur from as low as 2,500 metres, affecting people of all age groups and fitness levels.

Little is known about the condition and there is no way of predicting who is likely to be affected eventhough studies have suggested a genetic link. It is thought that around one in 50 people who travel to high altitudes suffer from HAPE.

The database, which is being run in collaboration with scientists from America, Austria, Bolivia, and Britain, aims to encourage registration from prior sufferers of HAPE. It will facilitate research that could potentially identify people susceptible to the condition. Genetic studies using the database may also provide greater understanding of what happens in HAPE sufferers' lungs.

Dr Kenneth Baillie, co-ordinator of the database and a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, said: There is no way of predicting who is likely to suffer from HAPE, as it can affect anyone even if you are young, healthy and active. Because it occurs from 2,500 metres, it can affect skiers as well as mountaineers. Treatment options are very limited and sufferers need to descend from high altitude and see a doctor straight away......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 20, 2007, 9:36 PM CT

HIV denialists spread misinformation online

HIV denialists spread misinformation onlineconsequences could be deadly

The Internet is serving as a fertile medium for "HIV denialists" to spread false ideas about HIV/AIDS, which could have terrible public health consequences, say researchers in a policy paper in PLoS Medicine.

"It may seem remarkable that, 23 years after the identification of HIV, there is still denial that the virus is the cause of AIDS," say Tara Smith (University of Iowa College of Public Health) and Steven Novella (Yale University School of Medicine). But with the arrival of the Internet, HIV denialist organizations such as "Reappraising AIDS" have reignited their campaign to spread misinformation.

There is a consensus in the scientific community that HIV is the cause of AIDS, based upon over two decades of robust research. Deniers must therefore reject this consensus, say Smith and Novella, "either by denigrating the notion of scientific authority in general, or by arguing that the mainstream HIV community is intellectually compromised."

It is therefore not surprising, they say, that much of the newer denial literature on the Internet reflects a basic distrust of authority and of the institutions of science and medicine. Distrusting mainstream medical practitioners, a number of HIV deniers turn to unproven alternative medicines in search of therapy......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 8, 2007, 8:32 PM CT

Stress may leave your mouth a mess

A literature review reported in the recent issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP) saw a strong relationship between stress and periodontal diseases; 57% of the studies included in the review showed a positive relationship between periodontal diseases and psychological factors such as stress, distress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

More studies are needed to determine the definitive relationship between stress and periodontal diseases, said study author Daiane Peruzzo, PhD. However, patients who minimize stress may be at less risk for periodontal diseases.

Scientists speculate that the hormone cortisol may play a role in the possible correlation between stress and periodontal diseases. A study in the recent issue of the JOP observed that increased levels of cortisol can lead to increased destruction of the gums and jaw bone due to periodontal diseases. It is well known that periodontal diseases, left untreated, can ultimately lead to bone loss or tooth loss.

Individuals with high stress levels tend to increase their bad habits, which can be harmful to periodontal health. They are less attentive to their oral hygiene and may increase their use of nicotine, alcohol or drugs, explained Preston D. Miller, Jr., DDS, and President of the American Academy of Periodontology. Patients should seek healthy ways to relieve stress through exercise, balanced eating, plenty of sleep, and maintaining a positive mental attitude......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 8, 2007, 8:25 PM CT

Beef, Fish, Pork, Chicken Slow Deterioration Of Muscles

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have good news for people who want to stay strong in their old age: older bodies are just as good as young ones at turning protein-rich food into muscle.

A new study published recently suggests that a diet containing a moderate amount of protein-rich food such as beef, fish, pork, chicken, dairy or nuts may help slow the deterioration of elderly peoples muscles.

Reducing the decline in muscle mass among the elderly is crucial to maintaining their health and independence, these scientists say. And they add that consuming adequate protein is essential for making and maintaining muscles. Since nutritional studies show that a number of elderly individuals eat less protein than the average person, scientists have reasoned that if the elderly simply increased their protein intake, they might slow down muscle loss as long as old age doesnt inherently interfere significantly with the ability to make muscles out of the protein in food.

We wanted to know if there is some reason your grandmothers body, for example, cant stimulate muscle growth in response to eating the same protein-rich meal that you eat, which might over time contribute to muscle loss, said Douglas Paddon-Jones, an associate professor in UTMBs departments of physical treatment and internal medicine. Paddon-Jones is the senior author of a paper on the study reported in the recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and now available online......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 6, 2007, 5:53 PM CT

Not all embryonic stem cell lines are created equal

When it comes to generating neurons, scientists have observed that not all embryonic stem (ES) cell lines are equal. In comparing neurons generated from two NIH-approved embryonic stem cell lines, researchers have uncovered significant differences in the mature, functioning neurons generated from each line. The discovery implies that culture conditions during ES cell generation -- which have yet to be identified -- can influence the developmental properties of human ES cells.

The report, which was published August 6, 2007, in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also describes a new technique for producing functioning neurons from stem cells that will be important for creating models of human neurodegenerative diseases.

The research team was led by UCLA stem cell biologist Yi Sun and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Thomas Sdhof at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Embryonic stem cells are developmentally immature cells that are capable of self-renewal and of differentiating into any type of tissue in the body. Scientists believe they hold the potential for generating neural, cardiac and other cells that can be implanted to restored damaged tissue.

To the best of my knowledge, until now there have been few functional studies of the neurons derived from embryonic stem cells, said Sdhof. People in the field have traditionally been interested in whether they can make neurons and what molecular markers characterize those neurons. However, because different embryonic stem cell lines were derived under diverse conditions, the possibility existed that cell lines would produce neurons with distinct properties......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:20:35 GMT

The first medical simulation in Second Life

I’ve written about the Ann Myers Medical Center, a virtual medical training center several times, but now, this month is going to be the most important one in the history of medical education of Second Life. An excerpt from the official blog:

I'm holding a training exercise on the 9th of August around 9 or 10 am SLT (PDT). I'll present as a heme pt and give you students some clues, including labs....i might even give you an microscopic image, altho this will be a huge clue. You'll take time to talk as a group and make some decisions as what test to run and about the diagnosis. Last we'll have a round table type discussion, where I'll ask you some questions and provide you some answers. Mainly, I want you to interact as colleagues and have some fun....and hopefully learn a few things.


Can you imagine its impact on the future of medical education? I’m a Hungarian medical student, but now I get a chance to learn from physicians from the United Kingdom. It’s a unique possibility! Come and watch!

In case you’re interested and

• you’re not a Second Life resident, then first register at secondlife.com
• if you already have a registration, the only thing you have to do is just to teleport to the center.

Posted by: Bertalan      Read more     Source

August 3, 2007, 5:28 AM CT

Faster Treatment For Rural Heart Attack Patients

Heart attack patients as far as 150 miles away from a 24-hour emergency heart care center were able to receive therapy for blocked arteries within or faster than current recommended time frames, as per a research studypublished in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

A heart attack is a true medical emergency, where every 20 to 30 minute delay could impact whether your patient lives or dies, said Henry Ting, M.D., lead author of the study and a heart specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who coordinates quality improvement efforts for cardiology services.

Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester is part of the Mayo Clinic. It houses a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week cardiac catheterization lab, which means the facility is fully equipped to handle emergency angioplasty, also known according tocutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), to open blocked coronary arteries in the quickest way possible. Twenty-eight hospitals across three states in the region dont have this capability, so heart attack patients are sent to Saint Marys Hospital for therapy.

Ting and colleagues implemented and reviewed a protocol, called the Fast Track, for patients of Saint Marys Hospital or for those of 28 surrounding hospitals in the region as far as 150 miles away who were transferred to Saint Marys Hospital in a cardiac emergency......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

August 3, 2007, 5:26 AM CT

Tailoring New Treatments Against Asthma

Asthma affects 300 million people worldwide and, as per World Health Organization, it killed 255 000 people in 2005. Asthma attacks are caused by an acute inflammatory reaction in the airways, a reaction that is largely due to actions of LTC4 synthase (an enzyme which catalyzes a synthesis process). For this reason asthma medicines often aim to block the downstream effects of LTC4 synthase.

However, there is a need for new pharmaceutical alternatives, since not all patients respond to the existing medicines. Thanks to the research partly carried out at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), it is now possible to tailor new molecules that can block the LTC4 synthase. "I believe this breakthrough will speed up drug discovery against this disease", explains Andrew McCarthy, one of the scientists in the team.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute and the University of Stockholm in Sweden, together with colleagues from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in France have solved the three dimensional structure of the LTC4 synthase at 2.0 Ångstrom resolution. The protein has three identical subunits, each consisting of four helical structures that span the membrane. The structure finally allows the exact position and characteristics of the active sites, where activating or blocking molecules can bind, to be identified......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source