http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. From Junior Seau, former San Diego Chargers linebacker, to Dave Duerson, former Chicago Bears safety—who both committed suicide as a result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have been making disturbing headlines at an alarming rate. In the United States alone, TBIs account for an estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports injuries every year, with approximately 300,000 of those being diagnosed among young, nonprofessional athletes. But TBIs are not confined to sports; they are also considered a signature wound among soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-scoring-win-win-concussion-diagnostic-tools.html Health Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:00:02 EST news283505853 A study combining genetic data with brain imaging, designed to identify genes associated with the amyloid plaque deposits found in Alzheimer's disease patients, has not only identified the APOE gene—long associated with development of Alzheimer's—but has uncovered an association with a second gene, called BCHE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-genome-wide-imaging-gene-alzheimer-plaques.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:48:47 EST news280597692 Nitric oxide, a gaseous molecule produced in the brain, can damage neurons. When the brain produces too much nitric oxide, it contributes to the severity and progression of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute recently discovered that nitric oxide not only damages neurons, it also shuts down the brain's repair mechanisms. Their study was published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of February 4. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-chemical-reaction-stroke-damaged-brain.html Medical research Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:59:38 EST news279215970 A new experimental study carried out in mice shows that microglia, immune cells of the brain, might play a key role in protecting the brain from Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is long believed that toxic sticky protein deposits in the brain called amyloid beta (Aβ) are responsible for loss of memory in AD patients. Earlier studies have shown that microglia can remove Aβ protein from the brain and therefore be vital for successful therapy. Interestingly, the doctoral thesis of Mr Lakshman Kumar Puli, MPharm (Pharmacology), indicates that microglia may play a significant role irrespective of their capacity to remove brain Aβ deposits. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-immune-cells-brain-renew-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:50:06 EST news273487795 Research led by Chu Chen, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has identified an enzyme called Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) as a new therapeutic target to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease. The study was published online November 1, 2012 in the Online Now section of the journal Cell Reports. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-therapeutic-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:29:10 EST news270998935 During Alzheimer's disease, 'plaques' of amyloid beta (Ab) and tau protein 'tangles' develop in the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and disruption of chemical signaling between neurons. This leads to loss of memory, mood changes, and difficulties with reasoning. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, has found that up-regulating the gene Hes1 largely counteracted the effects of Ab on neurons, including preventing cell death, and on GABAergic signaling. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-blocking-effects-amyloid-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:00:02 EST news262878966 Metabolic syndrome, a term used to describe a combination of risk factors that often lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, seems to be linked to lower blood flow to the brain, according to research by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-cardiac-factors-linked-blood-brain.html Cardiology Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:55:50 EST news261824074 Women undergoing treatment for breast cancer can experience cognitive declines, such as decreased verbal fluency or loss of memory and attention. Often experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy, the declines have become known as "chemo brain." However, a health psychologist at the University of Missouri says "chemo brain" isn't always to blame. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-stress-contributes-cognitive-declines-women.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:09:14 EST news253372146 Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have shown in animal models that the loss of memory that comes with aging is not necessarily a permanent thing. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-scientists-age-related-memory-loss-treatments.html Neuroscience Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:52:11 EST news252604322 Just 60 seconds of all-out physical exertion in a threatening situation can seriously damage the memories of those involved for many details of the incident, according to a new study of police officers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-seconds-combat-impairs-memory.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:26:38 EST news250874768 It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Geriatrics shows that specific questions, included as part of a questionnaire designed to help diagnose AD, are also able to discriminate between normal memory loss and aMCI. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:23:33 EST news247465394 Anyone who has a close relative with Alzheimer's shares the same worry: Am I next? However, a growing body of research indicates that our lifestyles - particularly what we eat and whether we're obese - play a greater role than our genes in determining our brain health as we age. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-dementia-diet-weight-important-genes.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:14:30 EST news246813214 Researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered that a chemical compound in the brain can weaken the synaptic connections between neurons in a region of the brain important for the formation of long-term memories. The findings, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, may also provide a potential explanation for the loss of memory associated with Alzheimer's. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-potential-explanation-mechanisms-associative-memory.html Neuroscience Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:01 EST news243004672 There are many different causes of dementia and, although its progression can be fast or slow, it is always degenerative. Symptoms of dementia include confusion, loss of memory, and problems with speech and understanding. It can be upsetting for both the affected person and their relatives and carers. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that a regime of behavioral and mental exercises was able to halt the progression of dementia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-maks-drug-free-dementia-decline.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:18:15 EST news241928285 A new biomarker may help identify which people with mild memory deficits will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in the June 22, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The biomarker may be more accurate than the currently established biomarkers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-biomarker-early-diagnosis-alzheimer-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:33:20 EST news227979178