340 posts · 241,263 views
I am a physician interested in clinical neuroscience research. I will use this blog to post more detailed analysis of recent studies in addition to my @WRY999 Twitter scientific reading log. I will also post some of my wildlife/sports photography. Aim to educate and amuse. Not selling anything.
William Yates, M.D.
340 posts
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- May 20, 2013
- 11:55 AM
- 28 views
Epidemiology of Childhood Brain Disorders: ADHD and Autism
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has published a comprehensive summary of the epidemiology of childhood brain disorders in the most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.This report produced some sensationalized headlines that up to 20% of children suffer from a mental disorder. However, I was more interested in looking at the prevalence estimates for some of the individual disorders from the report.The report collates data collected from a variety of surveys and data sets inclu........ Read more »
Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA.... (2013) Mental health surveillance among children - United States, 2005-2011. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 62(2), 1-35. PMID: 23677130
- May 10, 2013
- 10:33 AM
- 46 views
Insula Activation as a Biomarker for Depression Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Right and Left Insula Cortex Highlighted in TealBiomarker research in brain disorders including schizophrenia and mood disorders is an important pathway to early identification and prevention.In a previous post, I reviewed a summary of current biomarker research in schizophrenia. This summary suggested that accelerated brain gray matter volume decline during childhood and adolescence is a candidate biomarker in schizophrenia.In this post, I will look at a similar imaging biomarker study in........ Read more »
Whalley HC, Sussmann JE, Romaniuk L, Stewart T, Papmeyer M, Sprooten E, Hackett S, Hall J, Lawrie SM, & McIntosh AM. (2013) Prediction of depression in individuals at high familial risk of mood disorders using functional magnetic resonance imaging. PloS one, 8(3). PMID: 23483904
- May 9, 2013
- 11:24 AM
- 49 views
Biomarkers for Psychosis and Schizophrenia Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Prefrontal Cortex Highlighted in RedIdentifying valid biomarkers for psychosis and schizophrenia is an active focus in brain research.Tyronne Cannon, Ph.D. from Yale University recently presented a summary of research on this topic at the William K. Warren Neuroscience Symposium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are my notes from his presentation along with related free full-text research references.Biomarker research in psychosis is important because current treatment for psychosis with the antipsy........ Read more »
Sun D, van Erp TG, Thompson PM, Bearden CE, Daley M, Kushan L, Hardt ME, Nuechterlein KH, Toga AW, & Cannon TD. (2009) Elucidating a magnetic resonance imaging-based neuroanatomic biomarker for psychosis: classification analysis using probabilistic brain atlas and machine learning algorithms. Biological psychiatry, 66(11), 1055-60. PMID: 19729150
Seidman LJ, Giuliano AJ, Meyer EC, Addington J, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, McGlashan TH, Perkins DO, Tsuang MT, Walker EF.... (2010) Neuropsychology of the prodrome to psychosis in the NAPLS consortium: relationship to family history and conversion to psychosis. Archives of general psychiatry, 67(6), 578-88. PMID: 20530007
Gee DG, Karlsgodt KH, van Erp TG, Bearden CE, Lieberman MD, Belger A, Perkins DO, Olvet DM, Cornblatt BA, Constable T.... (2012) Altered age-related trajectories of amygdala-prefrontal circuitry in adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis: a preliminary study. Schizophrenia research, 134(1), 1-9. PMID: 22056201
- May 2, 2013
- 10:38 AM
- 86 views
Redefining Mental Disorders as Brain Disorders: TED Talk of Thomas Insel
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Components of Brain Limbic SystemAdvances in the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism are a public health priority.Dr. Thomas Insel, director at NIMH recently presented a TED talk that emphasized the need to rethink how we conceptualize and study these types of disorders. He argues for a need to redefine mental disorders as brain disorders. Advances in brain research tools are likely to provide improvements in early diagnosis and ........ Read more »
Collins, P., Insel, T., Chockalingam, A., Daar, A., & Maddox, Y. (2013) Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health: Integration in Research, Policy, and Practice. PLoS Medicine, 10(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001434
Insel, T. (2011) A bridge to somewhere. Translational Psychiatry, 1(4). DOI: 10.1038/tp.2011.4
- May 1, 2013
- 11:54 AM
- 53 views
Advances In Parkinson's Disease Treatment: Part II
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Globus Pallidus Region of Brain Targeted in DBS in YellowIn a previous post, I summarized some of the highlights of a recent review of Parkinson's disease management by the German neurologists Pedrosa and Timmerman.The first post can be located here and was limited to the drug treatment of the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.In part II, I want to focus on deep brain stimulation and the treatment of non-motor symptoms.The authors of the review note the following key points regarding deep br........ Read more »
Pedrosa, D., & Timmermann, . (2013) Review: management of Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 321. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S32302
- April 30, 2013
- 11:31 AM
- 132 views
Treatment Advances in Parkinson's Disease: Part I
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
3D Molecular Model of L-DopaDrug treatment of Parkinson's disease is a complex clinical problem. This complexity relates to several factors including incomplete response, multiple symptom domains and adverse effects of commonly used drugs.David Pedrosa and Lars Timmerman from the Department of Neurology at University Hospital Cologne in Germany have recently published an excellent review of Parkinson's disease management.The review is packed with comprehensive tables with specific drug inf........ Read more »
Pedrosa, D., & Timmermann, . (2013) Review: management of Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 321. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S32302
- April 29, 2013
- 10:37 AM
- 69 views
Essential Tremor as a Risk Factor for Parkinson's Disease
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The number people suffereing from Parkison's disease in the United States is estimated to be between 500,000 and 1,000,000.The key symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremor and slowed movement or bradykinesia.Known risk factors for Parkinson's disease include advanced age, male gender, family history of Parkinson's disease and exposure to pesticides.Of note, smokers appear to have a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease although the mechanism for this protective effect is unknown.Romero and c........ Read more »
Romero JP, Benito-León J, & Bermejo-Pareja F. (2012) The NEDICES Study: Recent Advances in the Understanding of the Epidemiology of Essential Tremor. Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.). PMID: 23439396
- April 26, 2013
- 10:51 AM
- 77 views
MRI Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease Progression
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Brain Putamen Highlighted in OrangeThe search for biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease is very active. I have summarized some of the relevant Alzheimer's biomarker research here and here.Biomarker research in Parkinson's disease has been less active.However, a recent research study published in Plos One demonstrated the potential for brain magnetic resonance imaging in Parkinson's disease.Miguel Ulla and colleagues in France conducted a prospective MRI study of 27 subjects with Parkinson's d........ Read more »
Ulla M, Bonny JM, Ouchchane L, Rieu I, Claise B, & Durif F. (2013) Is R2* a new MRI biomarker for the progression of Parkinson's disease? A longitudinal follow-up. PloS one, 8(3). PMID: 23469252
- April 25, 2013
- 11:15 AM
- 99 views
White Matter Changes in Schizophrenia
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder characterized by psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.Schizophrenia has a prevalence rate of about 1% of the population with relatively stable rates across nations and cultures.Early brain imaging studies focused on regional evidence of brain atrophy primarily in brain gray matter. However, with the development of diffusion tensor imaging, there is a growing body of research examining white matter changes in schizophrenia. &nbs........ Read more »
Alba-Ferrara, L., & de Erausquin, G. (2013) What does anisotropy measure? Insights from increased and decreased anisotropy in selective fiber tracts in schizophrenia. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00009
- April 24, 2013
- 11:12 AM
- 93 views
DTI Identifies Brain Aging Changes
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Brain white matter plays a key role in connecting functional brain areas. These connections are required for complex brain processing required for memory and executive functions, i.e planning and problem solving.Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a relatively recent brain imaging tool that provides a method of analyzing regional human white matter function. Additionally, when DTI is paired with cognitive testing it allows for study of the brain regions and circuits responsible for spe........ Read more »
Sasson E, Doniger GM, Pasternak O, Tarrasch R, & Assaf Y. (2013) White matter correlates of cognitive domains in normal aging with diffusion tensor imaging. Frontiers in neuroscience, 32. PMID: 23493587
- April 23, 2013
- 11:15 AM
- 94 views
Hypothalaumus Connectivity Changes in Cluster Headaches
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Cluster headaches are a relatively rare but serious pain disorder. Unlike the female-predominant migraine headache, cluster headaches occur predominantly in men. These headaches tend to be acute in onset and affect only one side of the head.The term cluster describes the typical chronological pattern of these headaches. The tend to occur regularly for days or weeks and are then separated by periods of remission lasting months or years.Attacks typically last between 15 minutes a........ Read more »
Qiu E, Wang Y, Ma L, Tian L, Liu R, Dong Z, Xu X, Zou Z, & Yu S. (2013) Abnormal brain functional connectivity of the hypothalamus in cluster headaches. PloS one, 8(2). PMID: 23460913
- April 22, 2013
- 12:12 PM
- 85 views
Exercise Boosts Brain Prefrontal Cortex in Children
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Regular aerobic exercise has been associated with enhanced cognition in both children and adults. Most of these types of studies have been cross-sectional in design. Cross-sectional studies do a good job of examining association but do not prove causality. Prospective randomized control trials are better at examining the cause-effect relationship.So an important research question in the exercise-cognition domain is: Can an exercise intervention improve cognition in a prospectiv........ Read more »
Chaddock-Heyman, L., Erickson, K., Voss, M., Knecht, A., Pontifex, M., Castelli, D., Hillman, C., & Kramer, A. (2013) The effects of physical activity on functional MRI activation associated with cognitive control in children: a randomized controlled intervention. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00072
- April 17, 2013
- 11:16 AM
- 81 views
EEG Differentiates Adjustment Disorder From Depression
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
A key element in discovering valid mental disorder categories is to differentiate a mental disorder from other valid mental disorder categories.Biological markers for mental disorders have been slow to develop. Functional brain imaging techniques and other research tools are evolving to help in the important task of improving the validity of clinical neuroscience disorders.Adjustment disorder is a relatively common condition that has lagged in research attention. Adjustment disorder ........ Read more »
Jeong HG, Ko YH, Han C, Kim YK, & Joe SH. (2013) Distinguishing Quantitative Electroencephalogram Findings between Adjustment Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Psychiatry investigation, 10(1), 62-8. PMID: 23482820
- March 29, 2013
- 11:26 AM
- 162 views
Blast-related Traumatic Brain Injury and fMRI
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important research topic. Over 100,000 armed services personnel experienced a significant traumatic brain event in the last decade. A majority of these were explosion or blast-related in nature.However, standard brain imaging techniques (computed tomographay, structural MRI) typically fail to demonstrate changes following blast TBI. New imaging strategies are needed to assess severity and progression.Graner and colleagues from Wa........ Read more »
Graner J, Oakes TR, French LM, & Riedy G. (2013) Functional MRI in the investigation of blast-related traumatic brain injury. Frontiers in neurology, 16. PMID: 23460082
- March 28, 2013
- 12:09 PM
- 145 views
Football and the Blood Brain Barrier
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
A variety of research tools are being utilized to study the effect of trauma on the brain. In a previous post, I summarized some of the research using diffusion brain imaging or DTI.A recent study looked at the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a group of football players. The BBB is an important brain protective mechanism. A variety of blood proteins and other compounds have the potential to cause inflammation and other damage to neurons and other brain cells.Marchi........ Read more »
Marchi N, Bazarian JJ, Puvenna V, Janigro M, Ghosh C, Zhong J, Zhu T, Blackman E, Stewart D, Ellis J.... (2013) Consequences of repeated blood-brain barrier disruption in football players. PloS one, 8(3). PMID: 23483891
- March 13, 2013
- 10:12 AM
- 153 views
ECT Reverses Depression Brain Connectivity Deficit
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) remains one of the most effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).The mechanism of action for ECT in MDD is unclear. Research targeting brain changes in ECT is an important pathway to understanding the mechanism of action for ECT.Patients with MDD show disruptions in brain functional connectivity as measures by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The connectivity abnormalities in MDD have included changes in limbic, cortical........ Read more »
Abbott, C., Lemke, N., Gopal, S., Thoma, R., Bustillo, J., Calhoun, V., & Turner, J. (2013) Electroconvulsive Therapy Response in Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Functional Network Connectivity Resting State fMRI Investigation. Frontiers in Psychiatry. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00010
- February 6, 2013
- 11:49 AM
- 278 views
Interferon-induced Depression: Genetics
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Photo of a pair of green wing tealInterferon remains a key first line treatment for treatment of hepatitis C. However, interferon has significant neuropsychiatric effects including risk for depression and even suicide in rare individuals.Some individuals with hepatitis C are unable to complete a course of interferon because of induced depression. This makes understanding this phenomenon important to develop prevention and treatment strategies.Understanding how interferon induces depr........ Read more »
Schlaak JF, Trippler M, Hoyo-Becerra C, Erim Y, Kis B, Wang B, Scherbaum N, & Gerken G. (2012) Selective hyper-responsiveness of the interferon system in major depressive disorders and depression induced by interferon therapy. PloS one, 7(6). PMID: 22701688
- February 5, 2013
- 12:25 PM
- 206 views
Donepezil Improves Dementia With Lewy Bodies
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a type of dementia less common than Alzheimer's disease. However, Lewy bodies (brain neuron deposits of the proteins alpha-synuclean and ubiquitin) are found in up to 10 to 15% of individuals dying of dementia.DLB is known to deplete brain acetylcholine and dopamine neurotransmitter levels in the brain. This leads to a clinical syndrome characterized by both cognitive decline and motor symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease.DLB may be difficult to ........ Read more »
Mori E, Ikeda M, Kosaka K, & Donepezil-DLB Study Investigators. (2012) Donepezil for dementia with Lewy bodies: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Annals of neurology, 72(1), 41-52. PMID: 22829268
- February 4, 2013
- 11:58 AM
- 133 views
Oxytocin and Grandparent Attachment
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
I a previous post I summarized a review of the emerging research field of oxytocin and human attachment.This research supports a key role for oxytocin in reproduction and parental infant bonding. The above mentioned review emphasized the important role of gender, genetic and early environment in the effect individual human variation in oxytocin response.One additionally related important research topic relates to the effect of ageing on oxytocin-related systems. Huffmeijer and colle........ Read more »
Huffmeijer R, van Ijzendoorn MH, & Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. (2013) Ageing and oxytocin: a call for extending human oxytocin research to ageing populations - a mini-review. Gerontology, 59(1), 32-9. PMID: 22922544
- February 1, 2013
- 11:44 AM
- 174 views
Oxytocin and Human Attachment
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
In a previous post, I summarized a recent review on the neuroscience of human attachment. This review highlighted research related to the human bonding and social interactions. Attachment ability shows significant variability in humans with insecure attachment styles contributing to risk for some mental disorders. The neuroanatomical framework for social processing is being investigated with brain imaging techniques.Hormonal factors including the role of oxytoc........ Read more »
Macdonald KS. (2012) Sex, receptors, and attachment: a review of individual factors influencing response to oxytocin. Frontiers in neuroscience, 194. PMID: 23335876
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