Medicine posts
- June 10, 2016
- 03:07 AM
- 210 views
Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis "mimicking an autistic regression"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis is not something that I ever envisaged talking about so much on this blog primarily concerned with autism research. Describing an often severe form of encephalitis where the body mounts an immune response against self ("the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor"), this condition is more readily associated with the symptoms of psychosis than anything specifically autism-related.But yet again (see here and see here) I'm talking about peer-reviewed research suggestin........ Read more »
Hacohen Y, Wright S, Gadian J, Vincent A, Lim M, Wassmer E, & Lin JP. (2016) N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibodies encephalitis mimicking an autistic regression. Developmental medicine and child neurology. PMID: 27255282
- June 9, 2016
- 04:13 PM
- 197 views
Researchers watch skin cells 'walk' to wounds
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
New research is giving a whole new meaning to feeling your skin crawl. Skin cells typically spend their entire existence in one place on your body. But researchers have seen how the cells will alter the proteins holding them in place and move to repair a wound.
... Read more »
Hiroyasu, S., Colburn, Z., & Jones, J. (2016) A hemidesmosomal protein regulates actin dynamics and traction forces in motile keratinocytes. The FASEB Journal, 30(6), 2298-2310. DOI: 10.1096/fj.201500160R
- June 9, 2016
- 02:50 AM
- 194 views
Prenatal nicotine exposure and offspring schizophrenia?
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Another reason why pregnant women shouldn’t smoke: schizophrenia" went one media headline reporting on the findings by Solja Niemelä and colleagues [1] who concluded that their results were the "most definitive evidence to date that smoking during pregnancy is associated with schizophrenia."Analysing data from nearly 1000 people identified with schizophrenia whose information, and that of their mothers, were held in one of two databases - the Finnish Prenatal Study of Schizophrenia........ Read more »
Niemelä, S., Sourander, A., Surcel, H., Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki, S., McKeague, I., Cheslack-Postava, K., & Brown, A. (2016) Prenatal Nicotine Exposure and Risk of Schizophrenia Among Offspring in a National Birth Cohort. American Journal of Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.15060800
- June 8, 2016
- 04:08 PM
- 312 views
Air pollution affects young people's psychiatric health
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Smog has been a part of modern life since the industrial revolution, unfortunately all that pollution isn't just hurting the environment -- but come on, you saw this coming... right? New research from Sweden indicates that dispensed medication for psychiatric diagnosis can be related to air pollution concentrations. More and more studies show that the brain and human cognitive development are affected by pollution.
... Read more »
Oudin, A., Bråbäck, L., Åström, D., Strömgren, M., & Forsberg, B. (2016) Association between neighbourhood air pollution concentrations and dispensed medication for psychiatric disorders in a large longitudinal cohort of Swedish children and adolescents. BMJ Open, 6(6). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010004
- June 8, 2016
- 09:37 AM
- 204 views
Video Tip of the Week: MyGene2, connecting families with rare conditions with each other
Last week’s tip encouraged people to think about how their DNA may be used by various stakeholders. This could be researchers, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and so on. But one thing it didn’t really cover-now that I think of it-was connecting with other families who may share variations that impact the health of someone in their […]... Read more »
Panko, B. (2016) Six finalists to compete for Open Science Prize. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf9980
Chong, J., Yu, J., Lorentzen, P., Park, K., Jamal, S., Tabor, H., Rauch, A., Saenz, M., Boltshauser, E., Patterson, K.... (2015) Gene discovery for Mendelian conditions via social networking: de novo variants in KDM1A cause developmental delay and distinctive facial features. Genetics in Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/gim.2015.161
- June 8, 2016
- 07:22 AM
- 245 views
Weird stuff found in recreational drugs: Alcohol edition
by Rosin Cerate in Rosin Cerate
Today's post is the first in a series I'm going to write about extra ingredients found in illicit recreational drugs. One of the major issues with street drugs is their manufacture and distribution is often poorly regulated. This means they can accidentally become contaminated with all sorts of toxic substances during production. Additionally, a wide range of chemical compounds, some of them harmful, may be intentionally added to dilute a drug (like a bar watering down their drinks to make more ........ Read more »
Holstege CP, Ferguson JD, Wolf CE, Baer AB, & Poklis A. (2004) Analysis of moonshine for contaminants. Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology, 42(5), 597-601. PMID: 15462151
- June 8, 2016
- 04:30 AM
- 201 views
Osteo- Are- We Educated about OA and PTOA?
by Nicole Cattano in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Athletic trainers are familiar with osteoarthritis, but less familiar with posttraumatic osteoarthritis. This knowledge seems to come with years of experience in the field. ... Read more »
Pietrosimone BG, Blackburn JT, Golightly YM, Harkey MS, Luc BA, DeFreese JD, Padua DA, Jordan JM, & Bennell KL. (2016) Certified Athletic Trainers' Knowledge and Perceptions of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis After Knee Injury. Journal of Athletic Training. PMID: 27145097
- June 8, 2016
- 03:08 AM
- 186 views
Stressed medial students and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Our findings indicate that the daily consumption of probiotics such as LcS [Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota] preserves the diversity of the gut microbiota and may relieve stress-associated responses of abdominal dysfunction in healthy subjects exposed to stressful situations."So said the findings reported by Akito Kato-Kataoka and colleagues [1] who following the use of a "double-blind, placebo-controlled trial" method were able to potentially offer "healthy medical students undert........ Read more »
Kato-Kataoka A, Nishida K, Takada M, Kawai M, Kikuchi-Hayakawa H, Suda K, Ishikawa H, Gondo Y, Shimizu K, Matsuki T.... (2016) Fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota preserves the diversity of the gut microbiota and relieves abdominal dysfunction in healthy medical students exposed to academic stress. Applied and environmental microbiology. PMID: 27208120
- June 7, 2016
- 05:40 PM
- 266 views
Mobilizing mitochondria may be key to regenerating damaged neurons
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Mitochondria, sure it's the powerhouse of the cell, but maybe it can be much more that. At least that's what it looks like thanks to researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke who have discovered that boosting the transport of mitochondria along neuronal axons enhances the ability of mouse nerve cells to repair themselves after injury.
... Read more »
Bing Zhou, Panpan Yu, Mei-Yao Lin, Tao Sun, Yanmin Chen, & Zu-Hang Sheng. (2016) Facilitation of axon regeneration by enhancing mitochondrial transport and rescuing energy deficits. Journal of Cell Biology. info:/10.1083/jcb.201605101
- June 7, 2016
- 03:09 AM
- 202 views
Interest in romantic relationships is high in autism
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
It's official: "the vast majority of high-functioning adults with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] are interested in romantic relationships." Yes, the scientific findings reported by Sandra Strunz and colleagues [1] have said as much.Sorry to be so sarcastic about them but coming from a place where the words 'the bleedin' obvious' are commonly used, I couldn't believe that in 2016 anyone would genuinely believe otherwise. Yes, I know the autism awareness et al message still has some........ Read more »
Strunz S, Schermuck C, Ballerstein S, Ahlers CJ, Dziobek I, & Roepke S. (2016) Romantic Relationships and Relationship Satisfaction Among Adults With Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. Journal of clinical psychology. PMID: 27196958
- June 7, 2016
- 01:06 AM
- 246 views
Advil Increases Social Pain (if you're male)
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
Headache, Guillaume DELEBARRE (Guigui-Lille)A recent neuroessay in the New York Times asked, Can Tylenol Help Heal a Broken Heart?What’s crazy about the pain of a broken heart is that your body perceives it as physical pain.No it does not. Do you feel heartbroken every time you stub your toe?Well... I guess the social pain = physical pain isomorphism is a one way street. Anyway, the author continued:In research published in 2010, scientists found that acetaminophen can reduce physical and neur........ Read more »
Butcher, B., & Carmody, J. (2012) Sex differences in analgesic response to ibuprofen are influenced by expectancy: A randomized, crossover, balanced placebo-designed study. European Journal of Pain, 16(7), 1005-1013. DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2011.00104.x
Mogil JS, & Bailey AL. (2010) Sex and gender differences in pain and analgesia. Progress in brain research, 141-57. PMID: 21094890
VANGELISTI, A., PENNEBAKER, J., BRODY, N., & GUINN, T. (2014) Reducing social pain: Sex differences in the impact of physical pain relievers. Personal Relationships, 21(2), 349-363. DOI: 10.1111/pere.12036
- June 6, 2016
- 01:52 PM
- 235 views
The truth is out there: Scientists unlock X-Files DNA mystery
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Scientists have unlocked a crucial part of the mystery as to how our DNA can replicate and repair itself - something which is essential for all life forms. The new research has revealed how branched DNA molecules are removed from the iconic double-helical structure -a process which scientists have been looking to unlock for over 20 years.
... Read more »
AlMalki, F., Flemming, C., Zhang, J., Feng, M., Sedelnikova, S., Ceska, T., Rafferty, J., Sayers, J., & Artymiuk, P. (2016) Direct observation of DNA threading in flap endonuclease complexes. Nature Structural . DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3241
- June 6, 2016
- 11:50 AM
- 212 views
Neuroscience Medicine: The Time Has Come
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
As basic and clinical sciences advance, it becomes increasing important to understand the role of multidisciplinary efforts in scientific progress. In this post, I propose rethinking and renaming the medically-related neuroscience disciplines into a new specialty called neuroscience medicine.Basic neuroscience research has evolved and emerged as a powerful discipline due to the increasing use of multidisciplinary research teams. Basic neuroscience involves collaboration of various scientifi........ Read more »
Insel, T. (2005) Psychiatry as a Clinical Neuroscience Discipline. JAMA, 294(17), 2221. DOI: 10.1001/jama.294.17.2221
- June 6, 2016
- 10:34 AM
- 214 views
Burning seaweed to make glass and avoid a lumpy neck
by Rosin Cerate in Rosin Cerate
Seaweed is one of those tricky biological groups, as membership isn't just about being a close relative. It typically includes plant-like organisms found among several types of algae - green, brown, and red - and depending on who you're talking to also includes masses of cyanobacteria (which are distant relatives of algae). Functionally, all seaweeds enjoy growing in salty water and use the sun to manufacture sugary meals for themselves. Their need for sun means they are found in sunlit coastal ........ Read more »
Di Matola T, Zeppa P, Gasperi M, & Vitale M. (2014) Thyroid dysfunction following a kelp-containing marketed diet. BMJ Case Reports. PMID: 25355748
Fuge R. (2007) Iodine deficiency: An ancient problem in a modern world. AMBIO, 36(1), 70-72. DOI: 10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[70:IDAAPI]2.0.CO;2
- June 6, 2016
- 04:30 AM
- 193 views
Many NCAA Clinicians Fail to Screen Mental Health
by Jane McDevitt in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Only 39% of respondents from NCAA institutions indicated that they had a written mental health screening plan. There is a wide variability between mental health screening practices among NCAA institutions.... Read more »
Kroshus E. (2016) Variability in Institutional Screening Practices Related to Collegiate Student-Athlete Mental Health. Journal of Athletic Training. PMID: 27111587
- June 6, 2016
- 03:00 AM
- 206 views
C-reactive protein "may be a causal risk factor for schizophrenia"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Although the public perception of science is that researchers go around 'proving' or 'disproving' that A leads to B or X causes Y, it is still surprisingly rare to see the word 'causal' in many areas of peer-reviewed research. Aside from the fact that science generally works around the concept of 'probability' - producing data pertinent to discussions on whether something is more or less likely to be true/false - most science is not so forthright in its conclusions. Certainly science covering th........ Read more »
Inoshita M, Numata S, Tajima A, Kinoshita M, Umehara H, Nakataki M, Ikeda M, Maruyama S, Yamamori H, Kanazawa T.... (2016) A significant causal association between C-reactive protein levels and schizophrenia. Scientific reports, 26105. PMID: 27193331
- June 4, 2016
- 07:40 PM
- 189 views
Trauma research must be Open Access
by Eva Alisic in Trauma Recovery
We recently examined how global and how open the literature on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is.
Not so global, and not so open.
Only 13% of the publications of 2012 regarded samples in low- or middle-income countries and 58% were behind a paywall.
It worries me that practicing psychologists can’t access the latest research on therapy effectiveness...
... Read more »
Fodor, K., & et al. (2014) Is traumatic stress research global? A bibliometric analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v5.23269
- June 4, 2016
- 03:40 AM
- 205 views
Antibiotic brain part 2
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Mouse study finds link between gut bacteria and neurogenesis" went the press release accompanying the paper by Luisa Möhle and colleagues [1] (open-access). Describing the results of a mouse study - that's MOUSE study - researchers reported that "treatment of adult mice with antibiotics decreases hippocampal neurogenesis and memory retention."The antibiotic mix used on study mice was quite an aggressive one: "ampicillin plus sulbactam (1.5 g/l; Pfizer), vancomycin (500 mg/l; Cell Pharm), ........ Read more »
Luisa Möhle, Daniele Mattei, Markus M. Heimesaat, Stefan Bereswill, André Fischer, Marie Alutis, Timothy French, Dolores Hambardzumyan, Polly Matzinger, Ildiko R. Dunay.... (2016) Ly6Chi Monocytes Provide a Link between Antibiotic-Induced Changes in Gut Microbiota and Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Cell Reports. info:/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.04.074
- June 3, 2016
- 02:55 PM
- 287 views
Zika virus directly infects brain cells and evades immune system detection
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
The mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to microcephaly and other neurological problems in newborns of affected mothers directly infects the brain progenitor cells destined to become neurons. The team of researchers used a strain of Zika currently impacting the Americas, and found that the virus infects about 20 percent of cells on average, evades immune system detection, and continues to replicate for weeks.
... Read more »
Natasha W. Hanners,, Jennifer L. Eitson,, Noriyoshi Usui,, R. Blake Richardson,, Eric M. Wexler,, Genevieve Konopka,, & John W. Schoggins. (2016) Western Zika Virus in Human Fetal Neural Progenitors Persists Long Term with Partial Cytopathic and Limited Immunogenic Effects. Cell Reports. DOI: http://dx.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.075
- June 3, 2016
- 11:43 AM
- 264 views
Anonymising and sharing patient data
by Joana Guedes in BHD Research Blog
Patient data is extremely valuable for biomedical and healthcare research. Collecting and sharing patient data globally can lead to several benefits such as better understanding diseases, identifying patterns in public health and disease, developing and monotoring drugs and treatments, allowing researchers to build on the work of others efficiently and finding suitable candidates to take part in clinical trials. However, concerns about privacy have been a barrier for making patient data availabl........ Read more »
El Emam K, Rodgers S, & Malin B. (2015) Anonymising and sharing individual patient data. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 25794882
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