Bruce Bower All sorts of animals groom themselves regularly, which keeps them clean and healthy. However, mice with an alteration in one of the genes that orchestrate body development lose their grip on grooming, a new study finds. These mice bite and lick themselves so hard and so often that they end up with bald patches and open sores, according to Joy M. Greer and Mario R. Capecchi, both geneticists at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Moreover, the same genetically altered rodents groom cage mates just as aggressively. The mice have a mutated version of one of the homeobox, or Hox , genes, which scientists have implicated in embryo development. The new finding offers a potential avenue for exploring the biological roots of trichotillomania, a rare condition in which people tear out their hair, as well as some of the repetitive cleaning behaviors classed as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the researchers conclude in the Jan. 3 Neuron. From Science News, Vol. 161, No. 2, Jan. 12, 2002, p. 20. Copyright ©2002 Science Service. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Genes & Behavior; OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Link ID: 1314 - Posted: 06.24.2010

A study of house finches has demonstrated that in just 30 years, finches newly settled in Montana and Alabama begin to act quite different from each other, despite being close kin. Females in one region produce male chicks first, then females; in another region, this pattern is reversed. Controlling the sex of their eggs as they lay them allows mothers to influence the size of their offspring, an important survival trait that appears to improve these avian pioneers' chances of success in a new environment. In 1939, many house finches were released in New York. From there, the finches headed south, reaching Alabama about 25 years ago. At about the same time, some native California birds colonized Montana. To see how the new habitats affected these populations, evolutionary ecologist Alexander Badyaev of Auburn University in Alabama and colleague Geoffrey Hill tagged thousands of birds at each site and followed their offspring from hatching through adulthood. Copyright © 2002 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Keyword: Evolution; Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 1311 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Tampa, FL (Jan. 11, 2002) — The glaring lights of neontal intensive care units may be more than annoying— they can harm the retinas of developing newborns and disrupt the way these tiny babies process important visual information. This and other new findings about how NICU environments impact the neurosensory development of premature infants will be presented at a University of South Florida College of Medicine conference Sunday, Jan. 13, to Wednesday, Jan. 16. The conference, titled "Evidence-Based Science for Establishing an Appropriate NICU Environment," will be held at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL. Featured speakers include top neonatologists, pediatricians and infant and child development experts from across the country. Among the topics will be: -- Early Visual Development: Effects of Preterm Birth and NICU Care -- Procedural Pain in Newborn Infants -- Lighting Quality and Quantity in the NICU -- NICU Noise and Long-Term Infant Auditory Development

Keyword: Development of the Brain
Link ID: 1310 - Posted: 06.24.2010

There is no "music center" in the brain, but distinct regions are involved in different aspects of music perception. Now there is evidence that the auditory cortex, an area of the brain that interprets sound, is important for frequency processing and pitch perception. The work, published in the January Journal of Neurophysiology, provides insight into how a physical feature such as sound can be transformed into a mental phenomenon. "We have tens of millions of neurons in our auditory cortex, and we've looked at how they might allow us to distinguish different pitches," says lead author Mark Jude Tramo, MD, PhD, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Past research has shown that a particular neuron in the brain will only respond to a few, distinct notes or tones. How all of the neurons coordinate together has been somewhat of a mystery. "Now we know that there's no question that you need the neurons in the auditory cortex for fine-tuned pitch discrimination," says Tramo. There are differences in the sounds of two voices or two musical instruments even if they hit the same note, and somehow the brain knows that. In this study, Tramo and his colleagues looked at how people perceive these differences in pitch.

Keyword: Hearing
Link ID: 1306 - Posted: 01.11.2002

Researchers at the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and the Amgen Institute have discovered a genetic mechanism involved in pain modulation that could lead to an entirely new approach to pain control. The results of their research are published in the Jan. 11 issue of the journal Cell. In the study, genetically engineered mice lacking a gene called DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonistic modulator) showed a dramatic loss of pain sensitivity compared to mice who had the DREAM gene. "This is an exciting development," says study co-author Professor Michael Salter, director of the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain and a senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children. "There's a great interest in this finding because it's so different from the traditional approaches researchers have been taking to pain management."

Keyword: Pain & Touch; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 1305 - Posted: 01.11.2002

-- Bethesda, MD -- Sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome is characterized by repetitive upper airway obstruction with ensuing cyclical hypoxia, or a decreased level of oxygen in the blood. Repetitive hypoxia is followed by persistently increased ventilatory motor output, commonly referred to as long-term facilitation (LTF). This excitatory mechanism occurs after repetitive stimulation of the carotid bodies as ventilation returns to baseline over a long duration, up to several hours. LTF is drawn out by repetitive hypoxia during sleep but only in those who snore regularly and have evidence of inspiratory (timed during inhalation) flow limitation during sleep. Given the occurrence of repetitive hypoxemia in patients with sleep apnea, researchers set out to investigate the occurrence of LTF in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA). A new study tested the hypothesis that episodic hypoxic exposure activates LTF in OSA patients during stable non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. The study was undertaken by inducing repetitive hypoxia in OSA patients using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to maintain upper airway patency and stable sleep state for the duration of the experiments. Copyright © 2001, The American Physiological Society

Keyword: Sleep
Link ID: 1304 - Posted: 06.24.2010

CHAPEL HILL – Talking Barbie dolls, some of which said, “Math is hard!” in the 1990s could one day more appropriately say “Math is fun, and I like it!” new research suggests. Using large national data sets, investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered that -- contrary to previous research -- U.S. boys hardly surpass U.S. girls in mathematical ability. “Whether boys’ mathematical skills are superior to girls’ has been a controversial topic among social scientists for decades,” said Erin Leahey, who is completing a doctorate in sociology at UNC. “Strong evidence for a male advantage comes from the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, which began in 1972.”

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Intelligence
Link ID: 1303 - Posted: 06.24.2010

CHAPEL HILL - A brain protein linked to narcolepsy, the sudden, uncontrollable and inexplicable onset of sleep, helps regulate bodily sensations . Exactly how that protein, hypocretin-2, is involved in narcolepsy remains unclear. Indications are that people and animals exhibiting narcoleptic symptoms are deficient in this protein or the molecular receptor to which it attaches. But the new findings by neuroscientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale University may open a door to the answer. Their report is the cover story for the January 15 issue of the Journal of Physiology. According to Dr. Edward R. Perl, professor of cell and molecular physiology at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the report's corresponding author, hypocretin peptides are distributed widely throughout the brain. They arise from part of the hypothalamus, a region prominently involved in regulation of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine activity, and mood and motivational states. Recently, these proteins have been implicated in the regulation of behaviors associated with arousal such as feeding and sleep.

Keyword: Narcolepsy; Sleep
Link ID: 1301 - Posted: 01.11.2002

More genetic links found; disorder may have arisen recently Irvine, Calif., — A variant form of a gene associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) indicates that the disorder is a recent affliction and may once have helped humans thrive and survive, according to a UCI College of Medicine study. The human gene study, which appears in the Jan. 8 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, suggests that behavior now considered inappropriate in a classroom may be related to behavior that once helped humans overcome their environment. Robert Moyzis, professor of biological chemistry, and his colleagues studied genes from 600 individuals worldwide. Among numerous new genetic variations of the receptor for the dopamine neurotransmitter, they found one linked strongly to both ADHD and a behavior trait called "novelty seeking," a condition often underlying addiction. Their analysis of the genetic variations also suggests that this variation occurred recently in human evolution between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago. © copyright 2001 UC Regents

Keyword: ADHD
Link ID: 1298 - Posted: 06.24.2010

DHEA - dehydroepiandrosterone - has been called the "Mother Hormone" and hailed as the new Fountain of Youth. The most abundant steroid hormone produced by the body, its enthusiasts claim it can help people stay thin, build muscle, reduce stress, improve memory and prevent killer diseases. But the verdict is still out on synthetic DHEA, which was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in the 1980s and can now be sold only as a food supplement. Now, researchers at Lehigh University believe they have established a possible cause-and-effect relationship between DHEA and the workings of the body's central nervous system.

Keyword: Hormones & Behavior; Stress
Link ID: 1297 - Posted: 01.10.2002

Toronto, Ont. -- If cellist Yo Yo Ma and fiddler Natalie MacMaster live to be 80, will their musically-trained brains help them fend off the ravages of age-related dementia? A Canadian study is underway to look at whether musical training gives children an edge over non-musical counterparts in verbal and writing skills AND gives the elderly an edge in preserving cognitive function for as long as possible. It is one of the most ambitious studies to date to look at musical training and its influence on the brain's wiring across the age spectrum. The reseach is lead by neuroscientist Dr. Christo Pantev at The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto and will be carried out together with Profs. Larry E. Roberts and Laurel Trainor from McMaster University in Hamilton. The project is funded with a $200,000 US grant from the California-based International Foundation for Music Research.

Keyword: Hearing
Link ID: 1296 - Posted: 01.10.2002

Currently, mind-robbing disease only diagnosed at autopsy MSNBC NEWS SERVICES — A new imaging agent that homes in on the gummy plaques and tangles that jam up the brains of Alzheimer’s patients has allowed doctors to see the disease in a living person for the first time, researchers said Wednesday. The mind-robbing disease, which is always fatal and has no cure, can now only be definitively diagnosed by looking at the brain after a patient has died. IN THE NEW study, the researchers were able to view the messy clumps of dead cells in the brains of nine living Alzheimer’s patients. The finding means that Alzheimer’s, which affects 4 million Americans and millions more around the world, may be diagnosed in the early stages, when treatments might be able to do some good, said Jorge Barrio of the University of California Los Angeles, who helped lead the study. MSNBC Terms and Conditions © 2002

Keyword: Alzheimers; Brain imaging
Link ID: 1295 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Question Is it true that some animals sleep with only half their brain at a time? If so, which animals do this and why? Answer Yes, it's true. So-called unihemispheric sleep happens in animals when one side of the brain shows waking activity while the other side is asleep (an electroencephalographic recording of brain activity under these circumstances shows slow synchronous waves). Unihemispheric sleep is a characteristic of several bird species and may be present in some reptiles. Not many mammals can sleep unihemispherically; only aquatic mammals such as dolphins, porpoises, toothed whales, and certain species of seal are known to alternate sleep between brain hemispheres. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd

Keyword: Sleep; Laterality
Link ID: 1294 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer The number of people being treated for depression has increased dramatically in the United States in the past decade, marking a profound shift in how Americans cope with the common emotional disorder, the most comprehensive study to date shows. Drugs such as Prozac have become the mainstay for the vast majority of those being treated, even as doctors spend less time with patients and offer comparatively less psychotherapy, researchers said yesterday in reporting the results of the study. The sea change probably does not stem from an actual increase in depression, experts said. Instead, it is most likely connected to the destigmatization of mental health problems in general and depression in particular, the rise of managed-care insurance plans, and the arrival of powerful drugs including Prozac, accompanied by multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns. © 2002 The Washington Post Company

Keyword: Depression
Link ID: 1293 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Hand-held tasting device displays highly discriminating palate. PHILIP BALL A new hand-held electronic tongue promises to give accurate and reliable taste measurements for companies currently relying on human tasters for their quality control of wine, tea, coffee, mineral water and other foods. Human tasters are still irreplaceable for subtle products such as fine wines and whiskies. But their sense of taste saturates after a while, losing its discriminating edge. The device made by Antonio Riul of EMBRAPA Instrumentação Agropecuária in São Carlos, Brazil, and colleagues rivals human taste buds and never tires1. The electronic tongue can sense low levels of impurities in water. It can discriminate between Cabernet Sauvignons of the same year from two different wineries, and between those from the same winery but different years. It can also spot molecules such as sugar and salt at concentrations too low for human detection. © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2002

Keyword: Chemical Senses (Smell & Taste); Robotics
Link ID: 1291 - Posted: 06.24.2010

St. Louis, – A tiny change in the cells of patients with neurofibromatosis (NF) seems to contribute to formation of aggressive tumors and could help explain why the disease — which predisposes patients to develop tumors — affects people in different ways. Reporting in the January 2002 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describe a small, molecular variation in some tumor samples taken from neurofibromatosis patients. “Neurofibromatosis is a common, inherited genetic disease that affects about one in 3,500 people,” says principal investigator Nicholas O. Davidson, M.D., professor of medicine and of molecular biology and pharmacology and director of the Division of Gastroenterology at Washington University School of Medicine. “The gene responsible spans a large region of chromosome 17, but we have found that a very small change in the NF gene’s messenger RNA can inactivate the final product of this gene, a protein called neurofibromin.”

Keyword: Trophic Factors; Genes & Behavior
Link ID: 1290 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Johns Hopkins scientists report success in figuring out how an experimental compound prevents mice from recognizing that it's time to eat, profoundly suppressing appetite and causing weight loss. The compound, called C75, alters the natural balance of brain messengers that normally send signals of hunger during fasting and of satiety when full. In both lean and obese mice, C75 affects those signals, according to a report on the work in the December 26, 2001 online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Obesity in humans is a major public health problem and is linked to a heightened risk of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease. While mice are not men, there are common pathways in fundamental activities. "If we can understand the pathway that triggers eating, we may be able to find safe ways to intervene," says Daniel Lane, Ph.D., professor of biological chemistry in the School of Medicine's Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. "We're close to figuring out how these neurotransmitters are connected, at least in mice, and what really affects their expression." Copyright © 1992-2002 Bio Online, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keyword: Obesity
Link ID: 1289 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By JANE E. BRODY When I complained to my son Erik about things I can no longer remember, he replied: "What do you expect? With all you've stuffed into your head all these years, something is bound to fall out." Along with the many notes on my fridge reminding me of things I have to do is a New Yorker cartoon depicting an elephant covered with Post-its, who tells his unadorned companion, "As I get older, I find I rely more and more on these sticky notes to remind me." Many of us these days seem to be in need of memory assists, and millions of Americans are falling prey to supplements that claim to boost cognitive function. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Learning & Memory
Link ID: 1285 - Posted: 01.08.2002

By DAVID TULLER Robert Cloud, a lawyer in Cincinnati, has fallen asleep while talking to clients, while eating dinner, even while meeting with a judge. Mr. Cloud, 58, has suffered for much of his adult life from narcolepsy, a little-understood sleep disorder that afflicts as many as 100,000 to 200,000 Americans. People with the condition are prone to sudden, uncontrollable attacks of intense sleepiness. They feel exhausted most of the time, and many also experience cataplexy, brief episodes of loss of muscle control that may occur for no apparent reason or be brought on by laughter, anger, embarrassment, excitement or other strong emotions, as well as physical exertion and sexual stimulation. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Narcolepsy; Sleep
Link ID: 1284 - Posted: 01.08.2002

Research at Monell Chemical Senses Center encompasses sex, health, nutrition, and more A. MAUREEN ROUHI, C&EN WASHINGTON In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Wall Street Journal reporter Stefan Fatsis wanted to know what was causing the "persistent and weird" odor in New York City. To find out, he turned to the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. The center is the world's first research institute devoted to the multidisciplinary study of the chemical senses. Work there includes probing human pheromones, inquiring about food cravings, sniffing out body odors, understanding chemically induced sensations beyond taste and smell, and controlling environmental malodors. The center attracts the interest of companies in the food, fragrance, beverage, tobacco, chemical, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries. Monell also interests ordinary folks. People with taste, smell, or body-odor disorders may find help at Monell. Couples in cross-cultural relationships may be comforted by information about the origin of food preferences and how individuals vary in their propensity to sample unfamiliar food. Copyright © 2001 American Chemical Society - All Right Reserved

Keyword: Chemical Senses (Smell & Taste)
Link ID: 1283 - Posted: 06.24.2010