ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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Test for Alzheimer's disease predicts cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (December 13, 2011) -- A method of classifying brain atrophy patterns in Alzheimer's disease patients using MRIs can also detect cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. Researchers also found that higher baseline Alzheimer's patterns of atrophy predicted long-term cognitive decline in cognitively normal Parkinson's patients. The study is published online in Brain. ... > full story

Catch the fever: It'll help you fight off infection, evidence shows (December 13, 2011) -- With cold and flu season almost here, the next time you're sick, you may want to think twice before taking something for your fever. That's because scientists have found more evidence that elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better. ... > full story

Daily wheezing treatment no different from intermittent in toddlers, study suggests (December 13, 2011) -- Pediatricians often treat young children who have frequent bouts of wheezing with a daily dose of an inhaled steroid to keep asthma symptoms at bay. But results of a recent study are likely to change that. ... > full story

Sexism and gender inequality (December 13, 2011) -- Individual beliefs don't stay confined to the person who has them; they can affect how a society functions. A new study looks at 57 countries and finds that an individual's sexism leads to gender inequality in the society as a whole -- not surprising, but it is the largest study to find this relationship. ... > full story

Decades-old treatment guidelines for anorexia challenged (December 13, 2011) -- Adolescents hospitalized with anorexia nervosa who receive treatment based on current recommendations for refeeding fail to gain significant weight during their first week in the hospital, according to a new study. ... > full story

First realistic 3-D reconstruction of a brain circuit (December 13, 2011) -- Researchers report that, using a conceptually new approach and state-of-the-art research tools, they have created the first realistic three-dimensional diagram of a thalamocortical column in the rodent brain. This is the first step toward creating a complete computer model of the brain, and may ultimately lead to an understanding of how the brain computes and how it goes awry in disease. ... > full story

NCAA mandatory sickle cell screening program not enough to save athletes' lives, study finds (December 13, 2011) -- In response to a lawsuit after a college football player died from complications due to sickle cell trait (SCT) during a workout, the NCAA implemented mandatory SCT screening of all Division I student-athletes. A new study evaluated the impact of that policy and found that testing alone will help identify more than 2,000 athletes with SCT, but warns that screening alone will not prevent death. ... > full story

Fast, affordable ways for countries to better identify causes of death in populations (December 13, 2011) -- New research shows that innovative and improved methods for analyzing verbal autopsies -- a method of determining individuals' causes of death in countries without a complete vital registration system -- are fast, effective, and inexpensive, and could be invaluable for countries struggling to understand disease trends. ... > full story

Study of two sisters sheds light on lymphoma evolution (December 12, 2011) -- A woman received a transplant from her sister to treat leukemia. Both sisters later developed lymphoma, suggesting transfer of a common ancestor. Finding gives scientists new insight into lymphoma development. ... > full story

People with DFNA2 hearing loss show increased touch sensitivity, study shows (December 12, 2011) -- People with a certain form of inherited hearing loss have increased sensitivity to low frequency vibration, according to a new study. The research findings reveal previously unknown relationships between hearing loss and touch sensitivity. ... > full story

Why women quit breast cancer drugs early: Side effects are so bad women end treatment and risk return of cancer, study finds (December 12, 2011) -- Why do so many postmenopausal women who are treated for estrogen-sensitive breast cancer quit using drugs that help prevent the disease from recurring? The first study to ask the women themselves reports 36 percent of women quit early because of the medications' side effects, which are more severe and widespread than previously known. The research also reveals a big gap between what women tell their doctors about side effects and what they actually experience. ... > full story

Women are best at being social on social media (December 12, 2011) -- Results of extensive study reveals gender divide in use of social media -- and how celebrities exploit social media to connect with their fans. Young women are leaders of change in styles of storytelling in the new digital economy, a social media expert has found. ... > full story

Study debunks myths about gender and math performance (December 12, 2011) -- A major study of recent international data on school mathematics performance casts doubt on some common assumptions about gender and math achievement -- in particular, the idea that girls and women have less ability due to a difference in biology. ... > full story

Improved medication use could reduce severe asthma attacks (December 12, 2011) -- Researchers have found that one-quarter of severe asthma attacks could be prevented if only patients consistently took their medication as prescribed. Moreover, an asthma attack was only significantly reduced when patients used at least 75 percent of their prescribed dose, according to the study. ... > full story

Breast cancer survivors struggle with cognitive problems several years after treatment (December 12, 2011) -- A new analysis has found that breast cancer survivors may experience problems with certain mental abilities several years after treatment, regardless of whether they were treated with chemotherapy plus radiation or radiation only. ... > full story

Massive DNA search uncovers new mutations driving blood cancer (December 12, 2011) -- The most comprehensive search to date of DNA abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia has unearthed several new altered genes that drive this common blood cancer, a finding that could potentially help doctors predict whether an individual patient's disease will progress rapidly or remain indolent for years, say scientists. ... > full story

Gene mutation signals a high risk of recurrence in some older acute-leukemia patients (December 12, 2011) -- Older people with acute myeloid leukemia and normal looking chromosomes in their cancer cells have a higher risk of recurrence if they have mutations in the ASXL1gene, according to a new study. The study is the first to investigate the influence of these gene mutations on prognosis in these patients and in conjunction with other prognostic gene mutations. The findings could lead to more effective targeted therapies and improved cure rates for these patients. ... > full story

Working moms feel better than stay-at-home moms, study finds (December 12, 2011) -- Mothers with jobs tend to be healthier and happier than moms who stay at home during their children's infancy and preschool years, according to a new study. ... > full story

Researchers design Alzheimer’s antibodies: Surprisingly simple method to target harmful proteins (December 12, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease. The surprisingly simple process was used to make antibodies that neutralize the harmful protein particles that are believed to lead to Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Ecstasy drug produces lasting toxicity in the brain (December 12, 2011) -- Recreational use of Ecstasy -- the illegal "rave" drug that produces feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth -- is associated with chronic changes in the human brain, researchers have discovered. The findings add to the growing evidence that Ecstasy produces long-lasting serotonin neurotoxicity in humans. ... > full story

Novel way to improve outcomes from umbilical cord blood transplants (December 12, 2011) -- A new method to boost the number of immune cells in umbilical cord blood prior to cord blood transplants for cancer patients appears to lead to a quicker rebuilding of a new immune system in the patient's body than with a conventional cord blood transplant procedure, according to new research. ... > full story

Neuroscientists find greater complexity in how we perceive motion (December 12, 2011) -- How we perceive motion is a significantly more complex process than previously thought, researchers have found. Their results show that the relationship between the brain and visual perception varies, depending on the type of motion we are viewing. ... > full story

Immune system in leukemia patients repaired following chemotherapy (December 12, 2011) -- A new treatment using leukemia patients' own infection-fighting cells appears to protect them from infections and cancer recurrence following treatment with fludarabine-based chemotherapy, according to new research. ... > full story

Novel therapeutic approach for liver cancer identified (December 12, 2011) -- Cancer of the liver – rare in the United States but the third-leading cause of cancer death worldwide – can result from environmental exposures or infections like chronic hepatitis, but the link is poorly understood. Now, researchers have identified a mechanism in mice that triggers inflammation in the liver and transforms normal cells into cancerous ones. ... > full story

Ten years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, human health cost is still being counted (December 12, 2011) -- The World Trade Center disaster exposed nearly half a million people to hazardous chemicals, environmental toxins, and traumatic events. According to recent research, this has resulted in increased risk of developing physical and mental health conditions after 9/11. ... > full story

Gene therapy achieves early success against hereditary bleeding disorder, study suggests (December 12, 2011) -- Symptoms improved significantly in adults with the bleeding disorder hemophilia B following a single treatment with gene therapy. ... > full story

B cell receptor inhibitor causes chronic lymphocytic leukemia remission (December 12, 2011) -- A new, targeted approach to treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia has produced durable remissions in a Phase I/II clinical trial for patients with relapsed or resistant disease, researchers report. ... > full story

Brain's cortex plays an essential part in emotional learning (December 12, 2011) -- The cortex, which is the largest zone of the brain and which is generally associated with high cognitive functions, is also a key zone for emotional learning, according to new research. ... > full story

Beating superbugs with a high-tech cleanser (December 12, 2011) -- Scientists have developed an efficient, cost-effective liquid solution that fights antibiotic-resistant bacteria on hospital surfaces and keeps patients safe from life-threatening infections. It's easy to prepare, easy to apply, non-toxic -- and it will cost just a few dollars per quart. ... > full story

Study may help physicians determine how patients will respond to immunomodulator therapy for multiple myeloma (December 12, 2011) -- Research on the same protein that was a primary mediator of the birth defects caused by thalidomide now holds hope in the battle against multiple myeloma, new research suggests. ... > full story

New approach to management of overeating in children (December 12, 2011) -- Overeating, whether in children or adults, often takes place even in the absence of hunger, resulting in weight gain and obesity. Current methods to treat such overeating in youth focus on therapies that restrict what kids may eat, requiring them to track their food intake and engage in intensive exercise. Psychiatrists are now developing new ways to treat overeating in children and adults. ... > full story

Ready-to-bake cookie dough not ready-to-eat, study of E. coli outbreak finds (December 12, 2011) -- The investigation of a 2009 multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, an important cause of bacterial gastrointestinal illness, led to a new culprit: ready-to-bake commercial prepackaged cookie dough. ... > full story

Breast cancer patients face increasing number of imaging visits before surgery (December 12, 2011) -- Breast cancer patients frequently undergo imaging like mammograms or ultrasounds between their first breast cancer-related doctor visit and surgery to remove the tumor. Evaluations of these scans help physicians understand a person's disease and determine the best course of action. In recent years, however, imaging has increased in dramatic and significant ways, say researchers. More patients have repeat visits for imaging than they did 20 years ago. ... > full story

Chronic pain in children and adolescents becoming more common (December 12, 2011) -- Children who suffer from persistent or recurring chronic pain may miss school, withdraw from social activities, and are at risk of developing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety, in response to their pain. In the first comprehensive review of chronic pain in children and adolescents in 20 years, a group of researchers found that more children now are suffering from chronic pain and that girls suffer more frequently from chronic pain than boys. ... > full story

Savanna chimps exhibit human-like sharing behavior, anthropologists say (December 11, 2011) -- Anthropologists report that chimpanzees in Senegal frequently share food and hunting tools with other chimps. This is thought to be the first study to document non-meat sharing behavior among chimpanzees. ... > full story

Anti-stress peptide may block alcohol dependence (December 11, 2011) -- New research underlines the power of an endogenous anti-stress peptide in the brain to prevent and even reverse some of the cellular effects of acute alcohol and alcohol dependence in animal models. The work could lead to the development of novel drugs to treat alcoholism. ... > full story

Smoking is strongly associated with squamous cell carcinoma among women (December 11, 2011) -- Women who have non-melanoma skin cancers are more likely to have smoked cigarettes compared to women without skin cancer, said researchers. ... > full story

National pride brings happiness, but what you're proud of matters (December 11, 2011) -- Research shows that feeling good about your country also makes you feel good about your own life -- and many people take that as good news. But a political scientist and a sociologist suspected that the positive findings about nationalism weren't telling the whole story. ... > full story

Pig-induced pluripotent stem cells may be safer than previously thought (December 10, 2011) -- Pig stem cell research conducted by two animal scientists reveals a better way to determine the safety of future stem cell therapies than rodent-based models. ... > full story

Lipid-modifying enzyme: New target for pan-viral therapeutics (December 10, 2011) -- Three different disease-causing viruses -- poliovirus, coxsackievirus, and hepatitis C -- rely on their unwilling host for the membrane platforms enriched in a specific lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate (PI4P) on which they can replicate, researchers report. ... > full story

Pharmacists crucial in plan for terrorist chemical weapons (December 10, 2011) -- Terrorist attacks with chemical weapons are a real possibility, according to a new study. Thanks to their extensive knowledge of toxic agents, and how to treat those who have been exposed, pharmacists are an invaluable resource in the event of an actual or potential chemical weapons attack. ... > full story

New disinfection technique could revolutionize hospital room cleaning (December 9, 2011) -- A Queen's University infectious disease expert has collaborated in the development of a disinfection system that may change the way hospital rooms all over the world are cleaned as well as stop bed bug outbreaks in hotels and apartments. ... > full story

How Salmonella forms evil twins to evade the body's defenses (December 9, 2011) -- To swim or not? The same biological control that determines which capability genetically identical Salmonella will have impacts the virulence of the food pathogen. Swimmers do better in the gut, but non-motile Salmonella avoid triggering killer cells. An unusual protein turns on or off the manufacture of swimming apparatus in each new bacterium. ... > full story

Researchers develop a way to monitor engineered blood vessels as they grow in patients (December 9, 2011) -- New research describes how by using magnetic resonance imaging and nanoparticle technology, scientists can monitor the growth of laboratory-engineered blood vessels after implantation in patients. This is an important step toward ensuring that blood vessels, and tissues engineered from a patient's own biological material, are taking hold and working as expected. This is the first method for monitoring the growth and progress of engineered tissues once they are implanted. ... > full story

Oxytocin helps people feel more extroverted: Study finds people more sociable, open, trusting after taking oxytocin (December 9, 2011) -- New research has found an intranasal form of oxytocin can improve self-perception and make introverted individuals feel like socialites. ... > full story

Helping your fellow rat: Rodents show empathy-driven behavior, evidence suggests (December 9, 2011) -- The first evidence of empathy-driven helping behavior in rodents has been observed in laboratory rats that repeatedly free companions from a restraint, according to a new study by University of Chicago neuroscientists. The observation, published today in Science, places the origin of pro-social helping behavior earlier in the evolutionary tree than previously thought. ... > full story

Research could help people with declining sense of smell (December 9, 2011) -- Cells in the nose – smell sensors, primarily – are constantly replaced as old ones die off. Olfactory stem cells are the source for these new cells, but how do they determine when to form mature cells? Neuroscientists have now found a genetic trigger – a transcription factor – that acts as a brake on differentiation. Removing it makes stem cells change into mature olfactory cells at the expense of self-renewal. ... > full story

Aging human bodies and aging human oocytes run on different clocks (December 9, 2011) -- Reproductive and somatic aging use different molecular mechanisms that show little overlap between the types of genes required to keep oocytes healthy and the genes that generally extend life span, according to new research. ... > full story