New Hampshire Health News Digest

Protein behind overeating identified -Health/Science-The Times of India WASHINGTON: Researchers, for the first time, have demonstrated in mice that a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is critical in managing satiety, and is the main cause behind obesity and overeating. The study, led by Maribel Rios, PhD, and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and colleagues, revealed that it is the lack of BDNF that is responsible for triggering overeating and obesity. Researchers showed that the mice in which the BDNF gene was deleted in two of the primary appetite-regulating regions of the brain ate more and became significantly heavier than their counterparts. "Prior to this study, we knew that the global lack of BDNF and/or its receptor during development leads to overeating and obesity in young mice. However, it remained unclear and controversial whether BDNF mediate...

Information On Addictions Articles and News: Brain Imaging And Genetic Studies Link Thinking Patterns To Addiction Boettiger recruited 24 subjects:19 provided fMRI data, 9 were recovering alcoholics in abstinence and 10 had no history of substance abuse. Another five were included in the genotyping analysis. At the fMRI research facility at the University of California, Berkeley, financial decision tasks measured rational thinking and impulsivity. Sober alcoholics chose the "now" reward almost three times more often than the control group, reflecting more impulsive behavior. While decisions were being made, the imaging detected activity in the posterior parietal cortex, the dorsal prefrontal cortex, the anterior temporal lobe and the orbital frontal cortex. People who sustain damage to the orbital frontal cortex generally suffer impaired judgment, manage money poorly and act impulsively, the scientists noted. The study revealed reduced activity in the orbital frontal cortex i...

People addicted to alcohol more “impulsive” in their decision-making | TopNews Health “Our data suggest there may be a cognitive difference in people with addictions. Their brains may not fully process the long-term consequences of their choices. They may compute information less efficiently,” said Boettiger, who led the study as a scientist at UCSF's Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center. “What’s exciting about this study is that it suggests a new approach to therapy. We might prescribe medications, such as those used to treat Parkinson’s or early Alzheimer’s disease, or tailor cognitive therapy to improve executive function,” she added. Dr. Howard Fields, the senior author of the study, said that the newly found link involving the gene, impulsive behaviour and brain activity suggests that raising dopamine levels may be an effective treatment for addiction. “I am very excited about these results because of their clinical implications. The genetic findings raise the hopeful possi...

Addiction changes brain functions-Health/Science-The Times of India LONDON: Is addiction a brain disease? Yes, if researchers are to be believed, because it changes the way the brain functions. A team of international researchers has carried out a study and found that alcoholics and drug addicts are naturally more impulsive when compared to other normal people, The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday. According to lead researcher Charlotte Boettiger of the University of North Carolina, "Their (the addicts') brains may not fully process the long-term consequences of their choices." The researchers came to the conclusion after carrying out brain scans on nine sober recovering alcoholics. The participants were given financial decision tasks that allowed them to choose “less money now” or “more money later”. The addicts chose the "now" reward almost three times as often. In fact, the team found that they had less activity in the orbital frontal cortex - the part ...

New mechanism explains glucose effect on wakefulness New mechanism explains glucose effect on wakefulness One of the body's basic survival mechanisms is the neural machinery that triggers the hungry brain to the alertness needed for seeking food. That same machinery swings the other way after a hearty meal, as exemplified by the long and honored custom of the siesta. However, scientists have understood little about how the basic energy molecule, glucose, regulates such wakefulness and other energy-related behaviors. Now, in an article in the June 1, 2006, Neuron, Denis Burdakov of the University of Manchester and his colleagues have pinpointed how glucose inhibits neurons that are key to regulating wakefulness. In the process, they have discovered a role for a class of potassium ion channels whose role has remained largely unknown. Such ion channels are porelike proteins in the cell membrane that affect cellular responses by controlling the flow of potassium into the cell. The rese...

Sugars: hedonic aspects, neuroregulation, and energy balance -- Levine et al. 78 (4): 834S -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .. ABSTRACT The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in recent years in the United States, with similar patterns seen in several other countries. Although there are several potential explanations for this dramatic increase in obesity, dietary influences are a contributing factor. An inverse correlation between dietary sugar intake and body mass index has been reported, suggesting beneficial effects of carbohydrate intake on body mass index. In this review we discuss how sugars interact with regulatory neurochemicals in the brain to affect both energy intake and energy expenditure. These neurochemicals appear to be involved in dietary selection, and sugars and palatable substances affect neurochemical changes in the brain. For example, rats that drink sucrose solutions for 3 wk have major changes in neuronal activity in the limbic area of the b...

PCOS Diet / Cushing's Help and Support Low Carbohydrate PCOS Diets: Hype, Hoax or Cure? Tuesday, January 18, 2000; Page HE15 It sounds too good to be true, but many women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) say that when they eat more vegetables and meats and less bread and fruit, they start ovulating and lose weight. As a result, a growing number of nutritionists and a few physicians are advocating so-called insulin-sensitizing diets, which are similar to the "protein power" regimes being promoted in many best-selling books. When a healthy person eats a carbohydrate, insulin levels rise to break down the resulting sugar in the blood. But women with PCOS are insulin-resistant, meaning they have defective cells that hamper this metabolism and increase the risk of diabetes. In addition, to try to compensate for the defect, their bodies produce more and more insulin, which can damage the insulin-producing system. To make matters worse, this excess of insulin can trigger ...

Insulin Resistance Insulin Resistance Have you been diagnosed with clinical depression? Heart disease? Type II, or adult, diabetes? Narcolepsy? Are you, or do you think you might be, an alcoholic? Do you gain weight around your middle in spite of faithfully dieting? Are you unable to lose weight? Does your child have ADHD? If you have any one of these symptoms, I wrote this article for you. Believe it or not, the same thing can cause all of the above symptoms. I am not a medical professional. I am not a nutritionist. The conclusions I have drawn from my own experience and observations are not rocket science. A diagnosis of clinical depression is as ordinary as the common cold today. Prescriptions for Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, etc., are written every day. Genuine clinical depression is a very serious condition caused by serotonin levels in the brain. I am not certain, however, that every diagnosis of depression is the real thing. My guess is that about 10 percent of the people taking ...

Sleepiness mostly due to carbs, not turkey | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Find Articles at BNET.com Meanwhile, a new area of research shows that another brain chemical called orexin may play a key role in the drowsiness cycle, regardless of whether any turkey is on the plate. Scientists have long known that when people are hungry, they are more alert. In prehistoric times, that was probably a signal for people to get off their duffs and start stalking the latest meal, as opposed to simply taking a short hike to the refrigerator. Recent studies have shown that animals' brains secrete orexin when they are hungry and their baseline metabolism is low. Conversely, after a meal, when baseline metabolism rises and the animal gets sleepy, the output of orexin drops off.

Foods and Your Moods :: Food and Nutrition Ever wonder why certain meals make you feel great, while others leave you feeling sluggish and ready to nap? The answer lies within the way that nutrients from these foods interact with brain chemicals to either enhance our levels of alertness and motivation or to make us sleepy. Nutritionists have always known that meals comprised primarily of improper carbohydrates (such as fibre-void white bread) can cause us to feel less than energetic, while meals high in protein can help us feel alert. Research in the early ’80s performed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that carbohydrates help elevate levels of a calming brain chemical called serotonin, the precursor to melatonin, also known as the hormone of sleep. This research team also discovered that one of the main reasons we crave carbohydrates is to compensate for a reduction in serotonin levels. Carbohydrates elevate brain serotonin by stimulating insulin levels, which ...

Transient Tic Disorder - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment A large kindred affected by TS and identified two family members with TTD who are very likely obligate carriers of the TS gene. These tics are more noticeable during stressful, fatiguing or emotional times. Tics appear to get worse with emotional stress and do not occur during sleep. Tics increase in frequency and severity with stress, during relaxation after physical exercise, idleness, fatigue, exposure to heat, and use of dopaminergic drugs, such as steroids, caffeine, and CNS stimulants. Tics usually diminish with performance of engaging mental or physical activities or with consumption of marijuana, alcohol or nicotine. Some people can control the tic urges so that they only tic in the privacy of a safe place, such as their home. Tics are severe to cause problems in school or occupational functioning, then behavioral techniques are recommended. Tics may be precipitated in with ADHD when they are given methylphenidate (Ritalin...

Methylphenidate and Clonidine Help Children With ADHD and Tics For decades, doctors who have treated children with both attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tics have been warned not to prescribe methylphenidate (Ritalin), the most common drug for ADHD, because of a concern that it would make the tics worse. Now, the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of methylphenidate and another drug, clonidine (Catapres), has found that in fact these drugs do not adversely affect tics. The researchers also found that a combination of the drugs is more effective than either drug alone. For decades, doctors who have treated children with both attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tics have been warned not to prescribe methylphenidate (Ritalin), the most common drug for ADHD, because of a concern that it would make the tics worse. Now, the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of methylphenidate and another drug, clonidine (Catapres), has fou...

fasting.pdf (application/pdf Object) Summary Anecdotal evidence links the initial phase of fasting or a low-carbohydrate diet with feelings of well-being and mild euphoria. These feelings have often been attributed to ketosis, the production of ketone bodies which can replace glucose as an energy source for the brain. One of these ketone bodies, b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), is an isomer of the notorious drug of abuse, GHB (c-hydroxybutyrate). GHB is also of interest in relation to its potential as a treatment for alcohol and opiate dependence and narcolepsy-associated cataplexy. Here I hypothesize that, the mild euphoria often noted with fasting or low-carbohydrate diets may be due to shared actions of BHB and GHB on the brain. Specifically, I propose that BHB, like GHB, induces mild euphoria by being a weak partial agonist for GABA B receptors. I outline several approaches that would test the hypothesis, including receptor binding studies in cultured cells, perception studies in trained r...

Unconventional Brain Circuits Offer Clues To Insomnia-obesity Connection : Unconventional wiring of the brain circuits that govern sleep and waking might explain the prevalence of insomnia and the condition's association with obesity, according to new work published in the April issue of Cell Metabolism. Characterized by a chronic inability to fall asleep or remain sleeping, insomnia is estimated to affect one in every eight Americans. The researchers found that so-called hypocretin neurons--having important roles in both arousal and appetite--lack the ability of most neurons to filter "noise" from signal, reported Tamas Horvath and Xiao-Bing Gao of Yale University School of Medicine. The neurons also rapidly reorganize themselves, becoming even more excitable, in response to stresses such as food deprivation, they found. "The cell bodies of most neurons act as a filter," sorting through a multitude of signals to eliminate noise and generate an appropriate resp...

Neurotransmitter Orexin Associated With Pleasure And Reward Pathways In The Brain Neurotransmitter Orexin Associated With Pleasure And Reward Pathways In The Brain ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2005) — Philadelphia, PA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that the recently identified neurotransmitter orexin (also known as hypocretin) influences reward processing by activating neurons in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain. By identifying the relationship between orexin neurons and behaviors associated with reward seeking, drug relapse, and addiction, researchers hope to find new treatments for drug addiction. […] Previous studies have linked orexin activity to sleep and arousal (wakefulness), as well as feeding and appetite. Anatomical studies have shown that orexin neurons extend into the brain regions associated with reward pathways, including the ventral tagmental area and nucleus accumbens. Communication between the lateral hypothala...

Kitchen Table Hypothesis from www.zombieinstitute.net - Heidi's new site It's commonly known that a severe allergy to peanuts can cause death within minutes. What if there were an allergy that were delayed for hours and caused people to fall asleep instead? That is what I believe is happening in people with Narcolepsy. Celiac disease is an allergy to gliadin, a specific gluten protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. In celiac disease the IgA antigliadin antibody is produced after ingestion of gluten. It attacks the gluten, but also mistakenly binds to and creates an immune reaction in the cells of the small intestine causing severe damage. There is another form of gluten intolerance, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, in which the IgA antigliadin bind to proteins in the skin, causing blisters, itching and pain. This can occur without any signs of intestinal damage. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a similar autoimmune reaction to gliadin, however it usually involves the...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Overview and Theories on its Causes Lahey & Carlson (1991) reviewed the research literature and concluded that was then called formerly called ADD was found in two independent dimensions: 1. one consisting of motor hyperactivity and impulsive behavior 2. the other consisting of inattention disorganization, and difficulty completing tasks They concluded "it no longer seems doubtful that ADD/WO "exists," and that ADD without hyperactivity differs from ADD with hyperactivity in clinically important ways." Brown & Gammon (1992, 1993) at Yale suggest that more is involved in ADHD without hyperactivity than just inattention. Such is not just a mild case of ADHD, but can be a debilitating disorder in which even bright and talented people are unable to activate themselves and sustain their efforts for productive work. What is called apathy or lack of motivation is a chronic problem with activation, which may be ...

Diet therapy for narcolepsy -- Husain et al. 62 (12): 2300 -- Neurology Diet therapy for narcolepsy -- Husain et al. 62 (12): 2300 -- Neurology Diet therapy for narcolepsy -- Husain et al. 62 (12): 2300 -- Neurology The effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD) on sleepiness and other narcolepsy symptoms were studied. Nine patients with narcolepsy were asked to adhere to the Atkins’ diet plan, and their symptoms were assessed using the Narcolepsy Symptom Status Questionnaire (NSSQ). The NSSQ–Total score decreased by 18% from 161.9 to 133.5 (p = 0.0019) over 8 weeks. Patients with narcolepsy experienced modest improvements in daytime sleepiness on an LCKD.

Attention-Deficit Disorder or Lack of Sleep? Attention-Deficit Disorder or Lack of Sleep? CDH Sleep Medicine Director Says Sleep Disorders at Root of Many Childhood and Adolescent Behaviors Winfield, Ill., March 9, 2007—The impact of sleep deprivation in children and teenagers is an eye-opener, mimicking conditions ranging from attention-deficit disorder to adolescent depression to drunk driving. Children who have trouble staying on task—distractible, fidgety, constantly moving—are often diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but may have actually have a sleep disorder, says Anna Ivanenko, MD, pediatric sleep medicine director at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. “Studies have shown a clear link between sleep dysfunction, which causes excessive daytime sleepiness, and behavioral, mood and performance deficits,” says Dr. Ivanenko, who reported her findings recently at the second annual “Sleep and Learning” Seminar for DuPage County educators, sponsored by Cen...

Research Topics Adrenaline "Six studies on sleep/wake patterns and circadian rhythms were carried out. In summary: (1) Adrenaline excretion, self-rated activation, and body temperature rhythms · Persisted during sleep deprivation, · Resisted adjustment to rotating shift work, but · Adjusted rather well to permanent night work. Noradrenaline · Adjusted to most schedules and lost its rhythm during sleep deprivation. · When night sleep was reintroduced the noradrenaline rhythm reappeared while the existing adrenaline rhythm was accentuated. (2) Exposure to a performance stressor at the trough raised adrenaline to daytime levels. An equally large response was seen at the peak. (3) Interindividual [occurring between two and four individuals] day-to-day consistency of 3 and 24 hour levels was high for both catecholamines [neurotransmitters that activate--examples are dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine]. Intraindividual [being or occurr...

Blue Lighting Up The Human Brain At Work The human brain uses light not just to support vision but also to support alertness and cognitive tasks. Which colours of light are most effective and where in the brain these non-visual effects can be seen was previously not known. Now researchers at the Cyclotron Research Centre at the University of Liege and the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey have ‘shed some novel light’ on these issues by using functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) brain imaging while the participant were engaged on a working memory task. […] In a recent research paper it is reported that it is not just any light that is most effective but rather light of a particular short wavelength (480 nm, i.e. blue light rather than violet or green). This is in accordance with the hypothesis that such non-visual effects are mediated by a recently discovered ancient photoreceptor which is particularly sensitive to blue light. More importantly maybe, by using very...

Jefferson And Brigham And Women’s Researchers Find Blue Light Important For Setting Biological Clock Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston and Jefferson Medical College have found that the body's natural biological clock is more sensitive to shorter wavelength blue light than it is to the longer wavelength green light, which is needed to see. […] The discovery proves what scientists have suspected over the last decade: a second, non-visual photoreceptor system drives the body's internal clock, which sets sleep patterns and other physiological and behavioral functions. "This discovery will have an immediate impact on the therapeutic use of light for treating winter depression and circadian disorders," says George Brainard, Ph.D., professor of neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "Some makers of light therapy equipment are developing prototypes with enhanced blue light stimuli." ...

Blue-blocking Glasses To Improve Sleep And ADHD Symptoms Developed Scientists at John Carroll University, working in its Lighting Innovations Institute, have developed an affordable accessory that appears to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Their discovery also has also been shown to improve sleep patterns among people who have difficulty falling asleep. The John Carroll researchers have created glasses designed to block blue light, therefore altering a person's circadian rhythm, which leads to improvement in ADHD symptoms and sleep disorders. […] How the Glasses Work The individual puts on the glasses a couple of hours ahead of bedtime, advancing the circadian rhythm. The special glasses block the blue rays that cause a delay in the start of the flow of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Normally, melatonin flow doesn't begin until after the individual goes into darkness. Studies indicate that promoting the earlier release of melatonin results in a marked decline of ADHD symptoms. Bett...

Obesity And Insomnia Linked By Excitability Of Brain Cells A possible link between lack of sleep (insomnia) and obesity has been traced to hypocretin/orexin cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain that are easily excited and sensitive to stress, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the April issue of Cell Metabolism. "If these neurons are over-activated by environmental or mental stress in daily situations, they may support sustained arousal, triggering sleeplessness, leading to overeating," said lead author Tamas Horvath, associate professor in the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences (Ob/Gyn) and Neurobiology at Yale School of Medicine. "The more stress you have, the lower the threshold becomes for exciting these hypocretin neurons." […] They found a unique, previously un-described organization of inputs on hypocretin neurons in which excitatory nerve junctions outnumber inhibitory contacts by almost 10 fold. Stressors s...

Newsvine - Sunni Fighters Need Political Role The rise of armed Sunni groups — who now battle al-Qaida in Iraq instead of fighting U.S. troops — is widely seen as a major reason for a drop in violence across the country. But bringing these fighters into the fold of Iraq's security forces — and sparking a political reconciliation that will allow more Sunnis to participate in the governing process — is something the Shiite-dominated government is not adequately addressing, analysts say. Iraqi officials report the number of fighters in the so-called "awakening" councils as about 70,000 and rapidly growing. They expect the number of Sunni fighters in Baghdad alone to grow to 45,000 next year — a fourfold increase from present figures. By comparison, the Shiite dominated army and police make up the majority of the 440,000 Iraqi security forces. Shiite government officials have in recent weeks cautiously praised the fighters for helping reduce violence. But laced into the comme...

How long can a person survive without food?: Scientific American Alan D. Lieberson, a medical doctor, lawyer, and the author of Treatment of Pain and Suffering in the Terminally Ill and Advance Medical Directives, explains. The duration of survival without food is greatly influenced by factors such as body weight, genetic variation, other health considerations and, most importantly, the presence or absence of dehydration. For total starvation in healthy individuals receiving adequate hydration, reliable data on survival are hard to obtain. At the age of 74 and already slight of build, Mahatma Gandhi, the famous nonviolent campaigner for India's independence, survived 21 days of total starvation while only allowing himself sips of water. In a 1997 article in the British Medical Journal, Michael Peel, senior medical examiner at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, cites well-documented studies reporting survivals of other hunger strikers for 28, 36, 38 and 40 da...

Genetic Anomaly Linked To Seasonal Binge Eating -- Arehart-Treichel 40 (3): 46 -- Psychiatr News Genetic Anomaly Linked To Seasonal Binge Eating Joan Arehart-Treichel A gene variant involved in dopamine transmission may be linked to a binge-eating syndrome in seasonal affective disorder. The finding may point toward detection and prevention strategies. Although only a small percentage of North Americans experience full-blown seasonal affective disorder—about 1 percent of Americans and 2 percent of Canadians—a much larger percentage—between 10 percent and 15 percent—report depression accompanied by increased eating and weight gain during the fall and winter. Moreover, of this larger percentage, a substantial number also engage in binge eating. Now a gene variant linked to seasonal affective disorder binge eating appears to have been identified. It is a variant of the dopamine-4 receptor gene called the seven-repeat allele. The study was headed by Robert Levitan, M.D., an associate profe...

Seasonal Affective Disorders Characteristic symptoms of SAD are those of depression, which include dysphoria, feeling low, decreased in energy and activity, increased irritability, concentration difficulties, anxiety, decreased libido and social withdrawal. Unlike classically depressed patients, most SAD patients develop ‘atypical’ symptoms of increased fatigue, increased sleep duration and increased appetite and weight. Not only do SAD patients crave carbohydrates, but also they actually report eating more carbohydrate-rich foods in the winter1. A study point out that patients are more disturbed by the lethargy and fatigue than by the mood changes themselves, especially in the early phases of their winter depression, therefore often seeking the help of a physician rather than a psychiatrist6. Untreated, SAD episodes generally resolve by springtime, although some do not fully recover before the early summer. Many patients reported that travel to latitudes nearer the equator resulted in...

Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD Information - Second Opinions The last decade has seen medical care for ADHD grow into a huge industry. But it doesn't pretend to cure the problem, merely the symptoms. Yet the most common finding in children with ADHD is hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), and that is caused by a high-carb diet. When individuals have a low blood sugar response, the body releases adrenaline to raise blood sugar levels. In children, this may cause them to act aggressively. Food helps some people with ADHD to feel calm. But the foods most eaten are those rich in sugar and other carbohydrates such as sweets, cakes, pasta and fruit. Dr. Benjamin Feingold, a California paediatrician, noticed that many hyperactive children became excited after eating foods containing high concentrations of salicylates. These occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables and are especially concentrated in grapes, raisins, nuts, apples, and oranges. A study performed at t...

Tight genes: Some people don't give to charity because they are lacking the generosity gene | the Daily Mail The Scrooges of this world now have an excuse for holding on to their money. Generosity is determined by our genes, according to scientists. Research suggests that those with a variant of a certain gene are significantly more likely to give their money away. To study the phenomenon, a game was created called The Dictator in which more than 200 online participants were each given £6. The players could either keep it or give it to other players who remained anonymous. They were not told to what use the money would be put in case it influenced their decisions. After taking samples of the players' DNA code, it was found that those with a certain variation of a gene called AVPR1a were 50 per cent more likely to give the money away. Dr Ariel Knafo, who led the research at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem said: "This is the first evidence, to my knowledge, for a relation...

Addiction Breakthrough May Lead To New Treatments Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered why some individuals may be predisposed to drug addiction and believe it may lead to better treatments for this brain disorder. The new findings, published in today's edition of Science, may lead to more targeted treatments for addiction and other compulsive behaviour disorders with fewer side effects than current alternatives. Certain changes in brain chemistry have been linked with drug addiction in humans. However, previous studies were unable to conclude whether individuals were predisposed to drug addiction because of these chemical changes or if chronic drug use itself caused the chemical changes in the brain. Dr Jeff Dalley and colleagues, at the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, may have resolved this debate by demonstrating that changes in a neurotransmitter receptor in a particular part of the brain actually pre-dates drug use. Using positron emission...

Attention chronic non-finishers, I know your secret! | Jonathan Fields | Awake At The Wheel Non-finishing and the Zeigarnik Effect. Legend has it, famed Russian and psychologist and researcher, Bluma Zeigarnik, was sitting at a café in Vienna when she noticed that her waiter could remember the details of a large order perfectly until that customer was served. Once served, the order literally vanished from the waiter’s memory. Through further research, Zeigarnik discovered that people, in general, will remember the details of most any task until it is completed and then, remarkably, forget much of what unfolded. Moreover, once begun, there is an underlying psychological drive to complete the task. So, between the process of remembering what needs to be done and enduring the constant tug to bring a task to completion, every unfinished task stakes a claim to a small piece of our memory and short-term cognitive abilities. It stands to reason, then, that the more we begin and the less we fi...

Just Say Om - TIME Meditation is being recommended by more and more physicians as a way to prevent, slow or at least control the pain of chronic diseases like heart conditions, AIDS, cancer and infertility. It is also being used to restore balance in the face of such psychiatric disturbances as depression, hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder (ADD). In a confluence of Eastern mysticism and Western science, doctors are embracing meditation not because they think it's hip or cool but because scientific studies are beginning to show that it works, particularly for stress-related conditions. "For 30 years meditation research has told us that it works beautifully as an antidote to stress," says Daniel Goleman, author of Destructive Emotions, a conversation among the Dalai Lama and a group of neuroscientists. "But what's exciting about the new research is how meditation can train the mind and reshape the brain." Tests using the most sophisticated imaging t...

AHAbrochure.pdf (application/pdf Object) Regulating the Regulator: Resetting Circadian Neurophysiology to reduce cardiometabolic risk and cardiovascular disease Program Description:Cardiometabolic risk (insulin resistance syndrome) encompasses a range of simultaneous pathologies, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation,and endothelial dysfunction, all with hypothalamic etiological components. While genetic background and diet interact to potentiate the insulin resistance syndrome, it is the neuroendocrine axis that regulates gene expression and the impact of diet to control overall metabolism. Research indicates important roles for temporal shifts in circadian rhythms of hypothalamic neurochemistry in the development of the insulin resistance syndrome. Marked annual cycles between the obese, insulin resistant and lean, insulin sensitive states are well preserved across evolutionary time among vertebrate species in the wild and these seasonal shif...

Insulin levels affect the brain's dopamine systems Insulin, long known as an important regulator of blood glucose levels, now has a newly appreciated role in the brain. Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, working with colleagues in Texas, have found that insulin levels affect the brain's dopamine systems, which are involved in drug addiction and many neuropsychiatric conditions. In addition to suggesting potential new targets for treating drug abuse, the findings raise questions as to whether improper control of insulin levels - as in diabetes - may impact risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or influence the effectiveness of current ADHD medications. [...] Working with Galli and Avison, Jason Williams, Ph.D., used fMRI to demonstrate that in normal, healthy rats with plenty of insulin, amphetamine increased neural activity in the striatum. But in diabetic animals, activity in the striatum was suppressed. "This finding is in vivo evidence ...

Laugh Laughing: How the Brain Learns From Mistakes Learning from mistakes may be, in part, a matter of genetics. New research shows that a certain gene glitch may make it harder to learn from negative feedback. That gene glitch affects the number of receptors for the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine parks at dopamine receptors to do its job. Having fewer dopamine receptors is like having fewer parking spots at work -- you can't do your job if you're circling, looking for a parking spot. [...] Men with fewer dopamine receptors were less responsive than the other men to negative feedback. But all of the men were good at learning from positive feedback. The findings may shed new light on the link between fewer dopamine receptors and risky habits such as addiction and compulsive gambling, write the researchers.

Stable Sleep Patterns And Regular Routines May Improve Outcomes In Bipolar Disorder ScienceDaily (Dec. 10, 2007) — Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system -- the body's internal clock -- and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting. The results are important because they show for the first time that psychotherapy which focuses on practical lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Every year nearly six million American adults suffer from bipolar disorder, a brain disorder which causes severe shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and wake time can help balance the circadian system, which ...

Rapid acceleration in human evolution described - Yahoo! India News Rapid acceleration in human evolution described By Reuters Tuesday December 11, 04:40 AM By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human evolution has been moving at breakneck speed in the past several thousand years, far from plodding along as some scientists had thought, researchers said on Monday. In fact, people today are genetically more different from people living 5,000 years ago than those humans were different from the Neanderthals who vanished 30,000 years ago, according to anthropologist John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin. The genetic changes have related to numerous different human characteristics, the researchers said. Many of the recent genetic changes reflect differences in the human diet brought on by agriculture, as well as resistance to epidemic diseases that became mass killers following the growth of human civilizations, the researchers said. For example, Africans have new genes providing resista...

Look for a cluster of symptoms if you think you have attention deficit problems - GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA Do you often forget appointments, have difficulty getting things in order when you need to perform a task that requires organization, or delay starting a project that you know will require a lot of thought?. Are you ever fidgety when you must sit for long periods of time?. Do you consider yourself disorganized?. Are you easily bored?. Do you crave carbohydrates or caffeine? Have you had many different jobs, or have you experienced performance difficulties at work or disorganization at home (is your clutter out of control)? Do you frequently catch yourself finishing other people's sentences, or answering their questions before they have finished asking them?. These symptoms are frequently associated with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - disorders that are not just a childhood problem.. ADD/ADHD occurs in adults as well and can ...