Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Which has cleaner air: Eastbourne or London?
The UK cities with atmospheres considered harmful to health by the WHO are revealed in a new report. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Close to 3 million people access hepatitis C cure
Close to 3 million people access hepatitis C cure via WHO news Read More Here..
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Solar suitcase
The development of solar-powered suitcases is helping babies in Nepal and in other countries without reliable power in rural areas. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Paralysed woman's life-sustaining treatment 'can end', judge rules
A judge rules care can be stopped after relatives were divided over the 72-year-old's condition. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Marriage may protect against dementia
The closeness of friendships also seemed to be more important than the number. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Record surge in atmospheric CO2 seen in 2016
CO2 in Earth's atmosphere jumped to a record in 2016, says the World Meteorological Organization. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Alzheimer's nutrient drink falters in clinical trial
Study finds no evidence a nutritional 'anti-Alzheimer's' drink being sold online in the UK can slow the disease. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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The nurse hired to combat cancer myths online
A cancer charity said myths online leave patients "scared and at risk of bogus cures". via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Monday, 30 October 2017
'How my horror make-up looks helped my depression'
Make-up artist Beth's horror looks helped her cope with depression and battle unrealistic beauty standards. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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WHO report signals urgent need for greater political commitment to end tuberculosis
WHO report signals urgent need for greater political commitment to end TB via WHO news Read More Here..
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Warm up with walnuts
Article Nov 15, 2017
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Turn Over a New Leaf This Fall -- Start Exercising
Source: HealthDay via Exercise and Physical Fitness New Links: MedlinePlus RSS Feed Read More Here..
MCI and Anosognosia: She Didn’t Know She Couldn’t Walk
My mother’s first fall, at age ninety-two, seemed like an accident. Her rubber-soled sandals caught on the carpet in the activities room of her senior apartment complex and she plunged forward catching her arm on the piano bench. After minor surgery to repair the wound, and a short hospital stay, she began a course of physician therapy; but the falls continued. Injuries were rare and minor. Still the increasing frequency was distressing.
When I suggested a walker, Mom told me, “I don’t need one. I can walk perfectly well. I just lose my balance sometimes.” I puzzled over that response for days. Was it possible she didn’t remember all the falls? Did she really think she could walk safely without assistance?
It was not until after she died that I came upon the concept of anosognosia, from the Greek a-without, nosos-disease, gnosis-knowledge: without (lack of) knowledge of disease. People with anosognosia are unaware of their illness or deficits. It is most often associated with mental illness and is the primary reason for medication non-compliance in psychiatric patients.
It also affects seniors with age-related brain changes, including mild cognitive impairment. Unaware of her weakness and impaired balance, my mother had not understood that she couldn’t walk without falling. And because she did not believe she was impaired, she could not imagine why she should use a walker.
Anosognosia is often assessed with the Clinical Insight Rating (CIR) scale that identifies lack of knowledge/insight in four domains: understanding the reason for the visit (to the physician); awareness of cognitive deficit; awareness of functional deficit; and/or perception of disease progression. Mom’s lack of insight pertained to her functional deficit. Although her anosognosia resulted from an aging brain and associated (and increasing) cognitive impairment, she was sadly aware of her memory problems and disordered thoughts. People with more severe forms of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) are more likely to exhibit anosognosia of cognitive deficit, while those with mental illness, brain tumors, or stroke, often exhibit lack of awareness in multiple domains.
At the time, I thought my mother’s refusal to accept help stemmed from her fierce independence. I knew she had trouble thinking clearly, but I still tried to reason with her, hoping that in time she would acknowledge her functional decline and her need for assistance. But neuropsychological testing shows that patients with anosognosia score lower on composite indices of both memory and executive function. Facts and evidence are not persuasive to anyone with a pathological lack of insight.
Looking back, I now understand that Mom’s falls probably signaled her progression to “mild cognitive impairment” or MCI. The Mayo Clinic defines MCI as an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more-serious decline of dementia; it is often assessed using the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE). Studies have shown that the rate of falls increases with each unit decrease in the MMSE, and that insight can be equally impaired in persons with MCI or more advanced dementia.
I wish my mother had received a diagnosis of MCI, but it is not surprising that she didn’t. Most people with MCI can and do live independently, as my mother did, and are able to fulfill basic social roles. They are typically capable of most activities of daily living, although on close observation they take more time to complete them than unimpaired individuals. My mother’s mental decline was almost imperceptible at first, and as it progressed, I did not know enough to ask whether her symptoms were evidence of a specific diagnosis.
Knowing she had MCI would not have helped my mother, but it would have helped me. I would have done my research and uncovered her anosognosia. I would have realized that her reluctance to use a walker was grounded in her understanding of her abilities, wrong as that understanding was. I would have felt more comfortable taking over some of her decision-making.
Eventually, a physical therapist convinced my mother to use the walker for one week, promising that she could stop if she didn’t like it. Within two days, she began referring to it as her Cadillac. After that, her rate of falling decreased substantially.
References
De Carolis A, Corigliano V, Comparelli A, Sepe-Monti M, Cipollini V, Orzi F, Ferracuti S, Giubilei F: Neuropsychological patterns underlying anosognosia in people with cognitive impairment. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2012;34:216–223. doi:10.1159/000343488
De Carolis A, Cipollini V, Corigliano V, Comparelli A, Sepe-Monti M, Orzi F, Ferracuti S, Giubilei F: Anosognosia in people with cognitive impairment: Association with cognitive deficits and behavioral disturbances. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord; 2015;5:42-50. doi:10.1159/000367987
Vogel A, Hasselbalch SG, Gade A, Ziebell M, Waldemar G: Cognitive and functional neuroimaging correlate for anosognosia in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2005;20:238–246. doi:10.1002/gps.1272
Lin F, Vance DE, Gleason CE, Heidrich, SM: Taking care of older adults with mild cognitive impairment: An update for nurses. J Gerontol Nurs. 2012 December; 38(12): 22–37. doi:10.3928/00989134-20121106-02
Gleason CE, Gangnon RE, Fischer BL, Mahoney JE: Increased risk for falling associated with subtle cognitive impairment: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2009;27:557–563. doi:10.1159/000228257
Image via cocoparisienne/Pixabay.
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..DR Congo's Kasai conflict: 'Millions face starvation without aid'
The UN food agency head says hundreds of thousands of children could die in the coming months. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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'Bloody hour': Israeli bar discount for women on period
The "bloody hour" is a show of solidarity with women and a means to spark debate, the creators say. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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India: Separated twin 'opens eyes' four days after surgery
One of the boys has responded to simple commands four days after their historic surgery. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Sunday, 29 October 2017
Warning over dangers of smoking around pets
Experts are trying to raise awareness of the impact on animals. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Knitting 'knockers' for Kenyan breast cancer survivors
Meet the knitting group helping Kenyan women with breast cancer. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Friday, 27 October 2017
10 things to know about sleep as the clocks go back
The clocks are about to go back in the UK. How does sleep affect our lives? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Hunger strike
They say the state must spend much more on healthcare and raise staff wages. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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David And Goliath: The Art of Turning All Weaknesses Into Strengths
Hello, everyone! I’m Arda Cigin, founder of Stoic-Leaders.com and in this article, I’m about to change your whole mindset towards all “disadvantages” and “less than stellar situations”.
How?
I’ll be telling you about the battle between David and Goliath as an instructive case study to understand how advantages can actually be the source of our greatest weakness, and vice versa.
And then, I’ll give you many practical solutions and mindset shifts that you can apply to your life today to turn disadvantages circumstances into your greatest strengths.
But before we get into the insights, for those who may not know, let’s analyze David and Goliath’s timeless story.
– Why even tell a story?
I want to tell a story because the human brain relates through stories, not facts and theories. If you truly want to take away an action plan at the end of this article, pay attention to this timeless story.
The Instructive Story of David and Goliath
Goliath is this giant who is six-foot nine, wearing a bronze helmet and full body armor. He is carrying a javelin, a spear, and a sword.
Why? Because he is about to go into a fierce battle.
The giant, Goliath was about to fight with a fledgling shepherd boy named, David.
David, as a fragile young man, inherently knew he was incomparably weak to his opponent, yet he wanted to take the stand and confront the wrath of Goliath nonetheless.
Is David’s confidence misplaced? Maybe there is more to David than meets the eye…
Only time will tell.
Naturally, everyone judged David to have no chance against Goliath. Most people who looked at this combat duo would bet their money on Goliath.
And trust me. You would too.
If we were to observe Goliath, he was prepared for close combat since he was wearing heavy armor and was armed with various spears and swords.
What many didn’t know was that the great and almighty Goliath, who was regarded as the supreme winner of this fight, had one fatal, characteristic flaw:
He had awful eye-sight.
That being said, the fight started.
At the beginning of the battle, Goliath shouted the words “Come to me!”.
Yet do not mistake this as an arrogant battle cry. Goliath needed David to be in arm’s-length so that he could see David and defeat him. It was more of a desperate cry than anything else, a definite side effect of his weak eyesight.
If you think about it, Goliath didn’t excel in close combat just because he chose to do so. He had no other option but to excel in close combat.
Remember his awful eye-sight? If he were to be a strong warrior, he can not be a long-ranged one like an archer. Combined with his bulky physical nature, a simple fault in eye-sight turned Goliath into a wrathful close-ranged warrior with almost-blind eyes.
Goliath was on, what Robert Greene calls, the “death ground”.
He was trapped and had no other option. Either he was going to master close combat or he’d lead his life as a blind giant. With the help of outside pressures and internal obstacles, he became the best in his niche—ruthless close combat.
David, the fragile young man, may be a shepherd but he was a smart boy. He was not going to fight with Goliath in close combat. That would be foolish.
Therefore, he’d prepared himself for a long-ranged combat—a kind of fight Goliath was not prepared for.
As Goliath started to get agitated, David took out his trusty slingshot, swiftly positioned a rock, pulled the end of the sling and shot right at the forehead of the giant.
Goliath couldn’t even see the rock because of his faulty eyesight.
The speed at which the rock traveled was more than enough to put Goliath into a deep slumber he’d never wake up from.
And so the shepherd boy won the fight he was predestined to lose. All the cards were stacked against him, or so it appeared.
A supremely disadvantageous fragile man came to be victorious against a supremely advantageous killing machine.
Naturally, everyone was shocked. They told themselves how lucky David was.
But this has nothing to do with luck.
All the spectators were wrong. There was one thing David was far superior to Goliath in.
It was neither his size nor his strength, but his ability to think strategically.
And this exact strategy that David had used to kill Goliath will be the topic of our discussion today.
______
Most often in life, strategic thinking is the secret ingredient to turning unfavorable situations into favorable ones
Understand: Strategic minds will always rise victorious—whatever the circumstance, whoever the enemy.
What Can We Learn From The Grand Strategist, David?
1) Adaptation: make it your greatest asset
While we are making decisions, if it proved successful before, we tend to repeat the same tactics and maneuvers we’ve familiarized ourselves with.
Humans are innately lazy creatures and naturally, we cling to what succeeded before and expect it to continue to do so in the future.
This move will prove ineffective in the long term.
Realize: by doing so, you only create rigid pathways, neural-connections, and habits you are better off not adopting.
I want you to see life as a chess game. As long as you repeat the same moves, you are bound to lose.
Always have the flexibility to adapt to your ever-changing circumstances. If something doesn’t work (e.g., self-actualization efforts or business and career success), then change your actions and thoughts. Start thinking strategically to find options that you haven’t thought of before.
Make adaptability your greatest asset.
As Darwin pointed out,
It is neither the survival of the strongest nor smartest, but the most adaptable.
2) Shift the Battlefield
Close combat? That’s what Goliath wants.
Use your wits: In this circumstance, always use the slingshot, never the sword.
Understand: Never play in a field you are oblivious to. The knowledge of the terrain will give you unimaginable and untold power.
Realize: no one can force you to play a game you suck at. If they attempt such a thing, just politely decline, as David did, lead them into playing in your arena—a field where no one but you holds the cards. A field where you become the god and they become the puppet.
The lure of such power is undeniable, don’t you think?
3) The Phenomenon of the Masked Opposite
Most often in life, people tend to mistake appearance for reality. In your interactions with people, always remember the facade of appearances. No one is as they appear to be.
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are – Nicollo Machiavelli
When you confront your enemies, never be intimidated by their appearances. Instead look at the parts that make up the whole. Once you identified the weakness, attack with all your might. They’ll surely fall swiftly just like Goliath.
Remember: The hypocrital nature of appearances always deceives the naive
If you see an extreme behavior pattern in someone (e.g., superiority, arrogance, extreme shyness, avoidance) you are most often confronted with the phenomenon of the masked opposite—what you see is actually the exact opposite.
For example:
If someone acts particularly arrogant, realize that they are actually trying to mask their insecurity and lack of confidence. Someone who is already confident wouldn’t need to act superior in the first place.
If someone smiles incessantly and laughs at every little thing you say, would you assume they are being natural?
No, of course not. They are only using what I’d like to call “the supreme joker mask”. No one can be extremely happy and euphoric all the time. Therefore, they are only happy when you are around.
Maybe they like you and want you to like them back, maybe they want to get close to you and hurt you or maybe they just want to break the ice, whatever the reason might be, they are wearing a mask that most definitely does not express their actual feelings.
You need to train yourself to see what is underneath the mask. Everyone you meet will wear some sort of mask. And there is a reason for that.
If we openly judged people around us, naturally we’d generate unnecessary offense and malice. Therefore, from an early age, most of us have learned to hide our real thoughts and emotions.
Otherwise, we’d be vulnerable and open to attacks. We’d be left alone and isolated. To prevent such unfavorable situations, we choose to cooperate and hide our less than favorable qualities.
This is really nothing more than our ancestor survival instincts.
Therefore, if one is actually insecure but masking it with arrogance, you need to get them to drop their guards.
They need to lose the control. Do something that will make them panic. Anger them on purpose if necessary.
Anger them on purpose if necessary.
Final Words
As final words, I want you to remember David and Goliath’s story every time you find yourself in a less than ideal situation.
– You financially struggle but want to start your own coaching business?
Well, that’s good, because. it is possible to bootstrap an online business by being creative and resourceful.
While wealthy business owners spend billions of dollars on advertisements—mistaking ad-generated customers for long term customers—you’ll find your unique selling proposition and create loyal customers much faster thanks to your creative product, resourceful marketing, and sheer hustle.
Starting a business without capital, especially nowadays, is actually a blessing in disguise.
– You want to write a book but you are not native?
Well, that’s good. As a language learner, your humble determination towards studying grammar, vocabulary, and phrases will enable you to get a better grasp of the nuances where most native writers will get over confident and skip the many important stages of becoming a writer—understanding how narratives work, how readers are captivated, how great writers structure stories.
Your humble and hardworking attitude towards writing will enable you to progress at a faster rate than most native writers.
Can you see the power of this strategy?
Nothing can be a disadvantage for you if you are equipped with the right mindset.
Before we wrap this up, don’t forget to share this article and comment below if you’ve experienced a similar “David and Goliath” situation.
Were you in David’s or Goliath’s position? Do you have any specific stories you would like to ask me about?
I’d love to hear your story. (I reply to almost all comments)
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..The hopes and fears of young people facing life-limiting conditions
A pioneering new project helps young people with life-limiting conditions to express their opinions. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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New drugs challenge
Over-reliance on and misuse of antibiotics has raised fears of a future without effective medicines. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Thursday, 26 October 2017
Indian surgeons separate twins joined at the head
Two-year-old boys Jaga and Kalia underwent 16 hours of surgery, and are now in intensive care. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Heart surgery survival chances 'better in the afternoon'
Heart patients improve their survival chances by having surgery in the afternoon, research suggests. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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'How abortions changed our lives'
The Abortion Act is 50 years old. Two women who've had an abortion, then and now, share their stories. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Substantial decline in global measles deaths, but disease still kills 90 000 per year
Substantial decline in global measles deaths, but disease still kills 90 000 per year via WHO news Read More Here..
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Opioid crisis: Trump shares brother's fatal addiction story
President Trump warns about the perils of addiction with a story about his tragic alcoholic brother. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Regrets and relief
Having an abortion is a tough decision, leaving some women with regret while others feel relieved. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Wake up to walnuts
Article Oct 26, 2017
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Superbug 'sleuthing' finds secret outbreaks
The researchers were surprised how many outbreaks they detected in the east of England. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Wednesday, 25 October 2017
'Incredible' editing of life's building blocks
The studies could lead to new treatments for inherited diseases. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Antidepressants During Pregnancy Dangerous for the Child?
Depression is sometimes described as a disease of modernity, as sharp changes in lifestyle during the last century or so have given rise to many chronic disorders including or linked to depression. Depression is a state of low mood: the person affected tends to lose interest in previously enjoyable activities. In severe cases, self-harm is also possible. Fortunately, there are many options available today to help treat this condition.
Research studies and statistics show that although pregnant women are less prone to major depression, they are more inclined to minor depressive episodes. The prevalence of depression can be anywhere between 8–16% among pregnant women. There are also higher chances that diagnosis of depression is overlooked in pregnant women.
The treatment of depression is quite challenging in pregnancy, as medical specialists have to weigh the benefits of treatment against the risks for the mother and the health of her unborn baby. Furthermore, the health professional has to take into consideration the risks and benefits of any such therapy to the long-term health of the child. New research seems to indicate that treatment of pregnant women with antidepressant drugs may increase the risk of autism, disturbances in motor function, and mental health problem in children. Some of these issues may become clear later in the life, thus studying this subject remains a challenge for researchers.
Why treat depression in pregnancy?
There is a widespread misconception that depression is not as threatening as other medical illnesses. Thus, treating depression is viewed as a matter of choice or even a luxury. Moreover, many patients that are on antidepressant drugs before pregnancy are in the remissive stage. Therefore, their doctors may think of discontinuing the therapy.
However, if a pregnant woman that is vulnerable to depression is not provided with antidepressant therapy, there is a higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, substance abuse in pregnancy (e.g., smoking and drinking alcohol), and a significantly higher risk of postpartum depression.
Research has shown that if antidepressants are discontinued for the period of the pregnancy, the relapse rate of major depression is as high as 60–70%. This can have severe consequences for the patient, family, and child. In addition, children born to mothers with untreated depression have higher levels of cortisol, which may have adverse impacts on their health.
Risks of antidepressants
As already mentioned, the use of antidepressants in pregnancy is a complicated issue due to possible dangers. Below are some of the common problems associated with the use of antidepressants during pregnancy.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension
This is a failure of lungs blood vessels to dilate in a child post-birth. Thus, a new-born may have breathing difficulties, a deficit of oxygen in the blood, leading to intubation. In many cases, outcomes may be fatal. This condition is also found to be related to maternal smoking, diabetes, and sepsis. Though the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in new-born increases up to six times with the use of antidepressants, at the same time there is a consensus among the medical community that non-use of antidepressants may be even more harmful.
Withdrawal symptoms
This is also called “poor neonatal adaptation.” These symptoms are common when a mother has been exposed to antidepressants during the third trimester of pregnancy. Some of the symptoms characteristic of this syndrome include difficulties in breathing, unstable body temperature, hypo- or hypertonia, irritability, constant crying, and seizures. Therefore, some specialists recommend tapering the dose of antidepressants in the third trimester.
Motor development
By motor development, we mean child’s ability to move around and handle the environment. There are clinical studies that indicate that the use of antidepressants during pregnancy may slow the motor development. A child may start walking later than other kids, or may have other problems related to movements.
Autism spectrum disorders
This is a neurodevelopmental disorder of children. Studies seem to show the modest increase in the risk of autism if a mother is exposed to antidepressants during the first trimester. However, no link has been found if such treatment has been given before the pregnancy, nor much relationship has been demonstrated if the therapy was initiated in a later phase of pregnancy. Thus, researchers caution that decision of prescribing antidepressants should be taken on a case by case basis by analysing the risks and potential benefits for maternal and child health.
Psychiatric disorders
In one of the large-scale studies, scientists analysed the data of almost one million births, and they found that the use of antidepressants in pregnancy was related to higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life. Nonetheless, at the same time, researchers cautioned against jumping to the quick conclusions because it is a well-known fact that mental disorders have relation to genetics. It means that women prescribed antidepressants during the pregnancy have higher chances of passing to children the genes that may result in psychiatric diseases later in life.
Although antidepressants may increase the risk of specific disorders in the new-born babies or may even have a negative impact later in the life, it does not mean that antidepressants should not be taken during the pregnancy. It is essential that women should not feel guilty about taking such drugs. The medical specialists must be aware of the risks and weigh them against the benefits before they prescribe antidepressants to pregnant women.
References
Casper, R.C., Fleisher, B.E., Lee-Ancajas, J.C., Gilles, A., Gaylor, E., DeBattista, A., Hoyme, H.E., 2003. Follow-up of children of depressed mothers exposed or not exposed to antidepressant drugs during pregnancy. J. Pediatr. 142, 402–408. doi:10.1067/mpd.2003.139
Croen, L.A., Grether, J.K., Yoshida, C.K., Odouli, R., Hendrick, V., 2011. Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 68, 1104–1112. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.73
Ko, J.Y., Farr, S.L., Dietz, P.M., Robbins, C.L., 2012. Depression and Treatment Among U.S. Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women of Reproductive Age, 2005–2009. J. Womens Health 2002 21, 830–836. doi:10.1089/jwh.2011.3466
Payne, J.L., Meltzer-Brody, S., 2009. Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy: Current Controversies and Treatment Strategies. Clin. Obstet. Gynecol. 52, 469–482. doi:10.1097/GRF.0b013e3181b52e20
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..The selfie campaign urging you to 'Get Your Belly Out'
Meet the women who set up the campaign for people with Crohn's and colitis. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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How graphene tattoos can monitor health
The tattoo could be a wearable device measuring electrical activity of the brain, muscles and heart. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Clarke Carlisle on his mental health crisis
Former PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle describes the moment a man found him in Liverpool, as he struggled with his mental health. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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The Most Important Thing We Can Do for Our Brain? Exercise!
If I would have guessed ten years ago what the best way to train the brain would be, I would probably have thought about crossword puzzles, sudoku, or cognitive apps. But then I would be wrong. The best way is physical exercise. During the last decade, neuroscience has shown that physical exercise has extraordinary effects on our brain.
Most people know by now that exercise will improve their mood—but few know that it will boost all of their cognitive abilities—memory, attention, creativity, and how we cope with stress. It all gets better in a way unparalleled by any drug, food-supplement, or cognitive training method.
So what happens in our brain when we move? First. the brain gets more blood. Bloodflow is increased by 20% while walking fast compared to sitting. More blood means more oxygen and nutrients. But increased bloodflow is only the beginning. The rate of neurogenesis—the formation of new brain cells—is increased by exercise. The newly born brain cells are formed in the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus known as the “memory center”, and the effect is substantial. The hippocampus actually grew by 2% when a group of sedentary individuals walked regularly for a year. Typically, the hippocampus shrinks by up to 1% per year from our late twenties onwards, contributing to gradual memory loss as we get older. The exercise-based boost of hippocampal growth not only increases memory but improves mood. Exercise has been shown to be as efficient as antidepressants for mild and moderate depression, useful information in an age where more than one in ten adults are prescribed antidepressants in the US.
How about kids? Exercise does wonders to children’s cognitive abilities and their ability to learn. Just 20 minutes of playing increases math and reading test scores. And this isn’t exclusive to tests in the lab, several studies have shown that kids in good shape actually perform better in school. Physical activity even seems to affect IQ! When data from the Swedish military service was analyzed from 1.2 million 18-year old male Swedes a clear pattern emerged—boys in good cardiovascular fitness had higher IQs, a result that was also apparent for identical twins. In a number of identical twins, one brother was in good shape while the other brother was not. The brother in good shape had a higher IQ than his identical twin—even though they, more or less, have identical genes (there can be small differences in identical twins) and have grown up together!
The list goes even further. Exercise can make us more creative. A recent study showed that creativity test results for divergent thinking (“brainstorming”) increased by more than 50% if participants had walked for 45 minutes before the test. The creativity-boost is temporary, we get more creative during 1-2 hours after exercise—probably due to increased blood flow, than we are back to our normal creativity-level. The takeaway message is: if you are stuck with a problem, then go for a walk or jog, and rethink of the problem an hour afterward and increase your chances of coming up with a solution.
But why is exercise so important for the brain? It is not at all obvious from our modern perspective but makes more sense if we look at our history. Our brains are basically the same today as they were 10 000 years ago. It was when our ancestors moved: during hunting, running from predators, and discovering new lands, that they really needed their cognitive abilities. That was when they needed to be attentive and have a memory to remember new experiences. That is why evolution has slowly tailored the brain in such a way that it benefits from exercise and that is why we still benefit from it today as our brains have not grossly changed since our ancestors days on the savanna.
While the human brain is fundamentally unchanged in the past 10 000 or even 20 000 years or so, our lifestyle has changed enormously. Modern sedentary lifestyle deprives many of us from getting enough physical activity, leading to vast consequences not only in terms of obesity and type-2 diabetes but also when it comes to wellbeing and how we function mentally. Exercise is not about sports. It is not about participating in a lifestyle. It is something we need to do for our brain and cognitive abilities since we have evolved for it. Now neuroscience is helping us to rediscover the brain-medicine that we forgot.
References
[1] Eriksson P et al (1998) Neurogenetis in the adult human hippocampous. Nature medicine. 4;1313–1317. doi:10.1038/3305
[2] Alvarexz- Bueno C (2017) The Effect of Physical Activity Interventions on Children’s Cognition and Metacognition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 56(9):729–738. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.06.012
[3] Åberg, M et al (2009) Cardiovascular fitness is associated with cognition in young adulthood. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 106(49):20906–11. doi:10.1073/pnas.0905307106
[4] Oppezzo et al (2014) Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 40(4):1142–1152. doi:10.1037/a0036577
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..Typhoid vaccine set to have 'huge impact'
Around 22 million people get typhoid fever each year and 220,000 die. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Hackers breach top plastic surgery clinic
The clinic, based in London, is known to have had high-profile clients, including TV star Katie Price. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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'My Diet Diary'
Article Oct 24, 2017
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Daydreaming brain network used in autopilot
The brain network associated with daydreaming plays key role in allowing us to perform tasks on autopilot, researchers find. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Monday, 23 October 2017
One Ring to Rule Them All: Cure-all Drug for Neurodegenerative Conditions Possible
The secret to finding a single drug treatment for neurodegenerative conditions may lie in unfolding the mystery of misfolded proteins. Most of the non-infectious neurodegenerative diseases (like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s) are characterized by progressive death of neurons due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in brain cells.
To understand the pathogenesis of these diseases we have to first understand proteins. They are essential for building our body structures and functional regulation. Thus, there are thousands of different proteins with various functions. These proteins are made up of only 20 amino acids. These 20 amino acids are like the alphabet in a language, they can create thousands or millions of proteins when used in different combinations. A single misplaced letter in a word results in a spelling error. Similarly, a misplaced amino acid can create the wrong kind of protein. Misplaced words can create a grammatically wrong and incomprehensible sentence. In a similar fashion, misfolded proteins have no structural or functional value.
Another important concept that has to be understood is how prions are involved. From school books, we know that infections are caused by microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. All of them have genetic material in the form of nucleic acids (as DNA or RNA, or both), that is essential for the reproduction or multiplication of these microorganisms. But prions, unlike microorganisms, are just protein chains that are infectious. These proteins, after entering the living organism, cause misfolding of proteinaceous infectious particles (PrPs). PrPs are found in all of us, our brain and neurons are especially rich in them. Their role, however, is still poorly understood.
Misfolded PrPs cause encephalopathies. These misfolded proteins are also thought to cause a chain reaction resulting in the misfolding of other proteins. These misfolded proteins propagate further like an infectious microorganism. What causes this chain reaction and propagation is still unclear. These chains of proteins are called prions. They cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. Prions have a long incubation period, it takes a long time for the disease to appear and progress.
In many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, misfolded proteins get progressively accumulated in brain cells, leading to the death of neurons. There is growing evidence that the prion-like process of seeding and templated protein corruption are behind the progression of these diseases.
PrP (healthy prion) is commonly found in our brain cells. However, when a defective prion protein is somehow introduced into the cells, it causes misfolding of newly forming PrP. This process is progressive and propagated like an infectious disease to the other cells. Thus, one of the potential treatment approaches is to block the propagation of this prion-like protein.
Accumulation of these prion-like misfolded, mutant proteins is toxic for cells. The prolonged toxic stress produced in brain cells induces specific death pathways. Understanding how these toxic proteins cause stress for neurons and why the cells die could also help to find new treatment strategies.
With increasing evidence that prion-like mechanisms are behind the progression and propagation of most neurodegenerative disorders, scientists have started looking for methods to stop this propagation. One such method is the use of specific immunotherapy, where researchers are trying to develop vaccines that can cure these disorders, or at least stop disease progression.
Larger proteins in our body contain hundreds or thousands of amino acids in various combinations. These large proteins are folded into specific structures. If a protein is misfolded, it loses its specific structure too. It also loses its properties and becomes toxic for cells. One therapeutic approach aims to develop a vaccine that can activate our immune system (B and T cells) against these defective misfolded proteins so that they are destroyed in a timely manner.
To achieve this aim, scientist have tried two methods. One of them is to create a vaccine that works against very short chains of misfolded proteins called monomers. They exist while these proteins are being assembled. Another approach is to target the fully formed misfolded protein fibrils. However, both of these methods have so far failed to produce the intended results.
Recently, researchers are exploring a new strategy for the development of immunotherapy against these diseases. This strategy targets so-called “oligomers”. The oligomers are molecular intermediates that exist in the process of assembling the prion fibrils. They are not very small like monomers (initial building blocks of prions) and are also not fully formed prion fibrils.
Smaller monomers lack the antigenic properties (associated with protein structures called beta-sheets) of misfolded proteins that are needed for an immune response. Meanwhile, fully formed fibrils are too big to propagate through cell walls. Thus, it is quite possible that these oligomers play a critical role in the disease propagation processes. A vaccine or immunotherapy targeting these oligomers could be more effective in initiating an immune response against the misfolded pathological prions than their smaller or larger counterparts. Moreover, these intermediate oligomers are common to most neurodegenerative disorders, unlike fully formed fibrils that are specific to each disease.
Although this new approach has shown some success in animal models, there are several challenges to using such immunotherapy in humans. In humans, it is not easy to initiate the immune response because of “self-tolerance.” The misfolded proteins are very similar to normal proteins (normal PrPs). Even if this immune tolerance can be overcome, there is a risk of initiating the wrong kind of immune response against normal proteins. This may lead to sterile encephalopathy or another kind of damage. Further, the blood-brain barrier also poses a challenge: it is important that antibodies created by a vaccine are able to reach a good concentration in the brain.
Despite these challenges, the idea of having just a single approach to treat all (or at least most) types of neurodegeneration is clearly exciting. These diseases have lots in common in terms of the molecular mechanisms involved, and it is quite likely that immunotherapy targeting all of them can be developed.
References
Frost, B., Diamond, M.I., 2010. Prion-like Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 11, 155–159. doi:10.1038/nrn2786
Goedert, M., Clavaguera, F., Tolnay, M., 2010. The propagation of prion-like protein inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases. Trends Neurosci. 33, 317–325. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2010.04.003
Marciniuk, K., Taschuk, R., Napper, S., 2013. Evidence for Prion-Like Mechanisms in Several Neurodegenerative Diseases: Potential Implications for Immunotherapy. J. Immunol. Res. doi:10.1155/2013/473706
Rao, R.V., Bredesen, D.E., 2004. Misfolded proteins, endoplasmic reticulum stress and neurodegeneration. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 16, 653–662. doi:10.1016/j.ceb.2004.09.012
Walker, L.C., Diamond, M.I., Duff, K.E., Hyman, B.T., 2013. Mechanisms of Protein Seeding in Neurodegenerative Diseases. JAMA Neurol. 70, 304–310. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.1453
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via Brain Blogger Read More Here..Patients need rest, not antibiotics, say health officials
Health officials say many illnesses get better on their own and patients don't need prescriptions. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Health tourism charges come into force in England
Providers of NHS treatment are now required to charge patients who aren't eligible for free care. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Sunday, 22 October 2017
3D tech used in bowel cancer surgery
The surgeon is able to communicate with colleagues in the US and India during the operation. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
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Director General rescinds Goodwill Ambassador appointment
Over the last few days, I have reflected on my decision to appoint President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment. via WHO news Read More Here..
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