The brain is still an enigma. But that won't stop us from trying to enhance mental functioning By Gary Stix The Decade of the Brain came and went quietly. For the promoters who conceive and execute campaigns to raise public awareness and research dollars, duration is measured only in days, weeks, months or, rarely, years--never more than a decade. Any longer would exceed the natural life span of the potential audience and sponsors for the message conveyed: The Century of Kidney Disease Awareness? One Hundred Years of Schizophrenia? Organizers of the Brain Decade coped with the difficulty of deciphering the world's most complex machine by setting out a series of comparatively modest challenges for the 1990s. A representative of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, which established a series of research objectives for the Decade, assigned generally high marks for meeting the stated goals: the identification of defective genes in familial Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease and the development of new treatments for multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, among other advances. The realization that the brain is more changeable than we ever thought has transformed neuroscience. © 1996-2003 Scientific American, Inc

Keyword: Miscellaneous
Link ID: 4128 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By DENISE GRADY and GINA KOLATA Do I have a hard head?" asked Nathan Klein. "My wife always says I have a hard head." "No, it's pretty average," said Dr. Michael G. Kaplitt. "This is one of the few situations in life where you want to be average." Dr. Kaplitt had just bored a hole about the size of a quarter through the top of Mr. Klein's skull, in preparation for an ambitious experiment: the infusion deep into the brain of 3.5 billion viral particles, each bearing a copy of a human gene meant to help relieve the tremors, shuffling gait and other abnormal movements caused by Parkinson's disease. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Parkinsons
Link ID: 4127 - Posted: 08.20.2003

By Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer Susan Sheridan recalls frantically racing her days-old son to doctor after doctor because his skin was so yellow -- only to be assured that jaundice is a rite of infancy. But as pediatricians looked on, the baby's neck suddenly arched backward and he began a strangely high-pitched, catlike howl. "We all watched Cal suffer brain damage before our eyes," says Sheridan. Jaundice strikes 60 percent of newborns as their livers slowly begin functioning in the first days of life. The vast majority recover easily. But a small percentage of babies suffer extreme jaundice that, if untreated, drastically damages their brains. Like Cal Sheridan, now 8, they're left with a severe type of cerebral palsy -- his intellect untouched but trapped behind unworking muscles -- or injuries such as hearing loss. © 2003 The Associated Press

Keyword: Development of the Brain
Link ID: 4126 - Posted: 06.24.2010

NewScientist.com news service Copper may increase the growth of the protein clumps in the brain that are a trademark of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new US study on rabbits. Researchers first noticed that the rabbits they use to model Alzheimer's disease developed fewer plaques in their brains when they drank distilled water rather than tap water. These insoluble plaques, generated in the rabbits via a high-cholesterol diet, are a trademark of the degenerative illness. The tap water contained significant amounts of copper, so Larry Sparks, at the Sun Health Institute in Sun City, Arizona, and Bernard Schreurs, at West Virginia University, then gave the rabbits distilled water spiked with copper supplements. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

Keyword: Alzheimers
Link ID: 4125 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Ben Harder The popular muscle-building supplement creatine can boost performance on mental tests. Students preparing for exams might benefit from taking creatine in much the way that some competitive athletes do, an Australian neurochemist suggests. Creatine, an amino acid produced by the body and also obtained from meat in a person's diet, helps cells store ready-to-use energy. When taken during weight training, pills containing synthetic creatine accelerate gains in muscle strength. Creatine's popularity among athletes and body builders fuels a market of more than $200 million per year for the pills in the United States. Increased blood flow to the brain accelerates metabolism when someone confronts a challenging mental task, but an energy debt in taxed brain cells can last for several seconds. To see whether extra creatine could help meet the brain's demands during quick thinking, Caroline Rae of the University of Sydney and her colleagues gave a daily pill to each of 45 university students who were vegetarians. The researchers suspected that creatine might help vegetarians more than omnivores, who acquire the compound from their diets. Copyright ©2003 Science Service. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Learning & Memory
Link ID: 4124 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By MARY DUENWALD BETHESDA, Md. — The road from Dr. Nora Volkow's childhood home in Mexico to the director's office at the National Institute on Drug Abuse here was surprisingly short and straight. From the time she entered medical school, at 18, Dr. Volkow devoted herself to the study of addiction. A research psychiatrist known for her brain-imaging studies, she has published hundreds of papers, including many that demonstrate how dopamine, a brain chemical linked to pleasure and motivation, plays a major role in addictions of all kinds: to drugs, to alcohol and even, some say, to food. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 4123 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Oystercatchers that initiate a split bag better homes and more chicks. HELEN PEARSON It's better to dump than be dumped. So ornithologists have concluded after eight years camped out in a hide on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog. Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) that initiate a split - usually females - end up higher on the bird social scale, say Dik Heg of the University of Bern, Switzerland, and his colleagues1. They are more likely to land a superior nesting spot next to the mudflats where they feed, and they bear up to 20% more chicks. Abandoned partners, on the other hand, often wind up in shoddy nesting spots. They have to fly to the feeding ground, leaving offspring vulnerable to predators and new mates open to infidelity. © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2003

Keyword: Evolution; Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 4122 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Just as some people become stubbornly attached to routine as they get older, so too do neurons settle into a strict regimen with time. New research shows that whereas neurons in young mice continuously make and break their connections with one another, neurons in middle-aged mice tend to solidify those contacts. The results support the contention that old brains aren't terribly pliable. Neurons talk to each other at synapses: The axon of the speaking nerve cell sends its message across this tiny gap to the listening dendrite of another cell, which then passes the message along. Neurobiologists have long wondered whether the chain of communication is fixed like old-fashioned telephone lines or if the contacts are made and broken like the transient connections between cell phones and transmission towers. Last year, two studies that examined the receiving dendrites came to opposite conclusions: One revealed stable connections in older animals, and the other indicated dynamic ones (see Science, 4 April ). Neuroscientist Jeff Lichtman of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and colleagues decided to look instead at the transmitting axons. Copyright © 2003 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Keyword: Development of the Brain
Link ID: 4121 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Scientists project that some 13.2 million older Americans will have Alzheimer's disease (AD) by 2050 unless new ways are found to prevent or treat the disease. According to these latest estimates of the current and future prevalence of AD, reported by Denis A. Evans, M.D., and colleagues of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, the numbers of older people with AD — now at 4.5 million — will grow dramatically as the population ages. The most notable increases will be among people age 85 and older, when by mid-century 8 million people in that age group may have the disease. The projections appear in the August 2003 issue of the Archives of Neurology . "These updated estimates from Evans and his group underscore the challenge that we face in the fight against AD," says Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Ph.D., NIA Associate Director for the Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program, which funded the research. "But I am also optimistic that current research will lead to strategies for intervention early in the disease so that we can keep these projections from becoming a reality."

Keyword: Alzheimers
Link ID: 4120 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Scientists tracking the progress of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they became teenagers have shed new light on the link between ADHD and the risk of developing alcohol and substance use problems. The researchers found that individuals with severe problems of inattention as children were more likely than their peers to report alcohol-related problems, a greater frequency of getting drunk, and heavier and earlier use of tobacco and other drugs. The findings indicate that childhood ADHD may be as important for the risk of later substance use problems as having a history of family members with alcoholism and other substance use disorders. The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed pediatric mental health disorders. It occurs in three to five percent of school-aged children. While previous research has indicated that ADHD together with a variety of other childhood behavior disorders may predispose children to drug, alcohol, and tobacco use earlier than children without ADHD, this study explores more closely specific aspects of that association. "This is one of the first studies to focus on the severity of inattention problems in childhood ADHD as distinct from impulsivity and hyperactivity," says Ting-Kai Li, M.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Keyword: ADHD; Drug Abuse
Link ID: 4119 - Posted: 08.19.2003

Blocking the formation of neurons in the hippocampus blocks the behavioral effects of antidepressants in mice, say researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their finding lends new credence to the proposed role of such neurogenesis in lifting mood. It also helps to explain why antidepressants typically take a few weeks to work, note Rene Hen, Ph.D., Columbia University, and colleagues, who report on their study in the August 8th Science. "If antidepressants work by stimulating the production of new neurons, there's a built-in delay," explained Hen, a grantee of NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). "Stem cells must divide, differentiate, migrate and establish connections with post-synaptic targets — a process that takes a few weeks." "This is an important new insight into how antidepressants work," added NIMH director Thomas Insel, M.D. "We have known that antidepressants influence the birth of neurons in the hippocampus. Now it appears that this effect may be important for the clinical response."

Keyword: Depression; Neurogenesis
Link ID: 4118 - Posted: 06.24.2010

For scientists in the field of neurobiology, defining the factors that influence the arousal of brain and behavior is a "Holy Grail." Research published by Rockefeller University scientists in the Aug. 11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition are the first to give a rigorous definition of what is meant by arousal, considered to be at the base of all emotionally laden behaviors. In particular, the researchers, led by Donald W. Pfaff, Ph.D., provide an operational definition of arousal that scientists can pursue and measure quantitatively in laboratory animals, as well as in human beings. "If you ask someone on the street what arousal means, that person might have an intuitive concept of arousal in terms of sexual excitement, alertness or an emotional response such as fear," says Pfaff, professor and head of the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior at Rockefeller. "But, if you ask, 'Exactly what does arousal mean scientifically,' it's been very hard for scientists to pin down." Scientists who study arousal historically were divided into two camps: those who consider arousal to be a single, "monolithic" physiological function, and those who believe that arousal does not exist as a whole, but is a collection of small specific abilities.

Keyword: Attention; Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 4117 - Posted: 08.19.2003

WASHINGTON, DC — Environmental cues associated with prior drug use can provoke a relapse. In a new study, scientists have linked the relapse behavior to specific nerve cells in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The findings may foster further research into what makes long-abstinent drug users prone to relapse and lead the way to new strategies for treating drug addiction. “The study finds an increase in neuronal activity that persists after the behavioral response of seeking the drug is absent,” says George Koob, PhD, an addiction researcher at the Scripps Research Institute. “This suggests the existence of a neuroadaptation that may make individuals more vulnerable to resuming drug-taking behavior.” The study appears in the August 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience and was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience

Keyword: Drug Abuse
Link ID: 4116 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By SUSAN CAMPBELL, Courant Staff Writer A Connecticut scientist who helped chart the frontal lobe of the human brain died Thursday after she was hit by a car. Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Yale University School of Medicine professor of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry and psychology, was crossing Whitney Avenue in Hamden Tuesday about 5 p.m. when she was struck by a car driven by Christopher Cawley, 19, of Hamden, police said. She was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with a broken leg and head injuries. She was 66. Goldman-Rakic was the first researcher to find that certain brain cells are dedicated to specific memory tasks. Her research has helped doctors understand schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. She was recognized by a variety of professional organizations for her work. Copyright © 2003 by The Hartford Courant

Keyword: Miscellaneous
Link ID: 4115 - Posted: 06.24.2010

A burst of brain activity recorded by scientists could offer clues to a baby's level of understanding of the world around it. The researchers involved, from Birkbeck College, and University College London, believe their finding could begin to settle a controversial argument on baby brain development. When an object is shown to six-month-old babies, then hidden, they often behave as if it is no longer present. It appears to be "out of sight, out of mind", as far as their level of understanding is concerned. But scientists still suspect the baby, to some extent, does understand the object is still around, just hidden, even if it shows no physical signs of awareness. The London team wired up their babies to a harmless "hair-net" of sensors which measured electrical activity in the brain. (C) BBC

Keyword: Development of the Brain
Link ID: 4114 - Posted: 08.02.2003

For years researchers believed that the brain's ability to detect light relied solely on specialized nerve cells in the eyes, termed rods and cones. But now recent studies suggest otherwise. Although rods and cones are the light detectors that help us visualize images, another set of detectors appears to form a second eye system that monitors levels of brightness in the environment and aids a variety of different brain functions, including the control of our daily sleep and waking rhythms. Continued study could lead to the development of treatments that help people recover from problems tied to changes in environmental lighting such as jet lag. The sun seeps through the shades, radiating brighter and brighter. You lift your head from the pillow. Rise and shine. Researchers have long assumed that structures in the eyes known as rods and cones were crucial to this scenario. They believed that we relied solely on these specialized nerve cells for all of our light sensing, including the detection of the sun’s glare through the bedroom window, which has a knack for waking us up. It’s common knowledge that the rods and cones detect light information so we can visualize the window itself as well as other contents of the world, so the theory made sense. Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience

Keyword: Vision; Biological Rhythms
Link ID: 4113 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Earlier studies suggesting that painkillers might also double as "brain pills" for Alzheimer's disease are being called into question. As this ScienCentral News video reports, new research has lessened the hope that painkillers can slow the disease's progress. Dashed Hopes: Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, devastates roughly 4 million people in the U.S. today. One in 10 people over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have the disease. "Because this is a disease of aging, and our population is getting older, we project 14 to 15 million cases by mid century," says Paul Aisen, professor of neurology and medicine and director of the Memory Disorders Program at the Georgetown University School of Medicine . "The annual estimated cost of this disease today is 100 billion dollars per year. This is one of the three most important healthcare problems that we face, along with cancer and cardiovascular disease." © ScienCentral, 2000-2003.

Keyword: Alzheimers
Link ID: 4112 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Study Involving 4,023 Adolescents Finds That Exposure To Interpersonal Violence Increases The Risk For PTSD WASHINGTON — The carefree days of youth apparently aren’t so carefree anymore – if they ever were – according to the results of a new study of America’s adolescents. The study, involving 4,023 youth (ages 12-17) interviewed by telephone, finds that roughly 16 percent of boys and 19 percent of girls met the criteria for at least one of the following diagnosis: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode and substance abuse/dependence. The findings appear in the August issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA). Study lead author Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D. and colleagues from the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina were particularly struck by the prevalence of PTSD in the national sample of adolescents. “Nearly four percent of the boys (3.7%) and over six percent of the girls (6.3%) reported PTSD symptoms during the preceding six months, indicating that a high percentage of youth in the United States encounter traumatic events and experience significant emotional responses associated with these events,” according to Dr. Kilpatrick. © 2003 American Psychological Association

Keyword: Stress
Link ID: 4111 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Biologists look into DNA for the secrets of long life John Travis For more than a decade, Cynthia Kenyon has watched microscopic worms of the species Caenorhabditis elegans live far longer than they should. She has seen mutant strains of this worm, which is normally dead and gone after a mere 2 or 3 weeks, last well into their second month. It's as if a person lived to be 200 years old. Kenyon's long-lived worms are a result of mutations in individual genes. That's a radical notion to many scientists who have long thought of aging as an uncontrollable process of deterioration that isn't regulated by single genes. "There have to be genes that affect life span," counters Kenyon of the University of California, San Francisco. Noting the dramatic differences in life span among various animals—a mouse may last for 2 years while a bat can live for half a century—Kenyon has become convinced that longevity has evolved in animals many times. She argues that her long-lived nematodes can reveal some of the fundamental molecular biology that controls longevity in more-complex organisms, even people. In 1993, Kenyon and her colleagues jump-started the field of aging genetics when they reported on a mutant strain of C. elegans that lives twice as long as normal. It showed the largest proportional lifespan extension of any animal known at the time. Researchers eventually determined that this long-lived nematode strain arose from a defect in a hormone-triggered cascade of molecular signals that resembles one in people that is prompted by the hormone insulin. Mutations affecting a similar hormone-driven cascade in fruit flies can lengthen the lives of these insects as well. Copyright ©2003 Science Service.

Keyword: Hormones & Behavior
Link ID: 4110 - Posted: 06.24.2010

John Travis An enzyme prevents brain cells in aging mice from developing knots of proteins resembling those that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, scientists report. Known as Pin1, the enzyme could form the basis of new treatments for the memory-stealing disorder. In 1995, Kun Ping Lu of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Tony Hunter of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., discovered Pin1. They subsequently showed that it interacts with a protein called tau, an important component of one of the two brain lesions seen in Alzheimer's disease. Known as tangles, these snarls of tau filaments turn up inside nerve cells. In contrast, the other lesion consists of an abnormal buildup outside nerve cells of a protein fragment known as beta-amyloid. Most neuroscientists favor the hypothesis that beta-amyloid triggers the brain-cell loss in Alzheimer's disease, but some argue that tau is equally, if not more, important. Tau protein normally shapes a cell's interior skeleton, but in Alzheimer's disease, molecular tags called phosphates get added to tau. This embellishment seems to promote tangle formation. Copyright ©2003 Science Service.

Keyword: Alzheimers
Link ID: 4109 - Posted: 06.24.2010