ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Reactions to everyday stressors predict future health
• In-sync brain waves hold memory of objects just seen
• Brain imaging alone cannot diagnose autism
• Alcohol, drug abuse counselors don't always require total abstinence
• Transplantation issues: Kidney donors and children in need of transplants
• New medication shows promise as lipid-lowering therapy for rare cholesterol disorder
• Cancer bound: How some carcinogens evade removal by stabilizing the very DNA they attack
• New finding gives clues for overcoming tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer
• When considering bariatric surgery, think about bones
• Tumor-causing cells are squishier
• Active surveillance can reduce suffering among men with prostate cancer
• MRI research sheds new light on nerve fibres in the brain
• Self-harm not always a sign of serious mental health problems, Swedish research suggests
• Cannabis use mimics cognitive weakness that can lead to schizophrenia, fMRI study finds
• Simulations improve predictability of aneurysm development
• Health project in India saved many mothers and children, project finds

Reactions to everyday stressors predict future health Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT Contrary to popular perception, stressors don't cause health problems -- it's people's reactions to the stressors that determine whether they will suffer health consequences, according to new research.

In-sync brain waves hold memory of objects just seen Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT The brain holds in mind what has just been seen by synchronizing brain waves in a working memory circuit, an animal study suggests. The more in-sync such electrical signals of neurons were in two key hubs of the circuit, the more those cells held the short-term memory of a just-seen object. The work demonstrates, for the first time, that there is information about short term memories reflected in in-sync brainwaves.

Brain imaging alone cannot diagnose autism Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PDT Experts caution against heralding the use of brain imaging scans to diagnose autism and urges greater focus on conducting large, long-term multicenter studies to identify the biological basis of the disorder.

Alcohol, drug abuse counselors don't always require total abstinence Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Compared to a survey conducted nearly 20 years ago, about twice the proportion of addiction counselors now find it acceptable for at least some of their patients to have a drink occasionally -- either as an intermediate goal or as their final treatment goal, according to a new study.

Transplantation issues: Kidney donors and children in need of transplants Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PDT Three studies provide new information related to kidney transplantation -- specifically, the post-transplant health of kidney donors and the racial disparities faced by children in need of transplants.

New medication shows promise as lipid-lowering therapy for rare cholesterol disorder Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT An international effort has resulted in positive phase 3 clinical trial results for a new medicine to treat patients suffering from a rare and deadly cholesterol disorder, homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Cancer bound: How some carcinogens evade removal by stabilizing the very DNA they attack Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT PAHs are common environmental pollutants found in automobile exhaust, barbequed foods and tobacco smoke. These molecules are converted into carcinogens in the body that attack DNA and cause cancer-inducing mutations.

New finding gives clues for overcoming tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT A cancer biology team reports breakthrough findings about specific cellular mechanisms that may help overcome endocrine (hormone) therapy-resistance in patients with estrogen-positive breast cancers, combating a widespread problem in effective medical management of the disease. The team has identified a specific estrogen receptor co-activator -- known as MED1 -- as playing a central role in mediating tamoxifen resistance in human breast cancer.

When considering bariatric surgery, think about bones Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT Bariatric surgery, which significantly curtails the amount of food a person can eat, is the most effective treatment against obesity and is being recognized as a potentially valuable tool in the fight against diabetes related to obesity. It is being performed on increasing numbers of people worldwide, including teenagers. Unfortunately, some types of bariatric surgery may also cause bone loss, a cause for concern, particularly when carried out on young people who have not yet reached their peak bone mass, say endocrinologists who have just published a new review.

Tumor-causing cells are squishier Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:51 AM PDT A new tool developed by scientists separates tumor-causing cancer cells from more benign cells by subjecting the cells to a microscopic game of Plinko -- except only the squishiest cells make it through.

Active surveillance can reduce suffering among men with prostate cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT With active surveillance many men with prostate cancer could dispense with radiation treatment and surgery, and thus avoid adverse effects such as incontinence and impotence. This is the outcome of a study of almost 1,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer conducted at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

MRI research sheds new light on nerve fibres in the brain Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Experts in magnetic resonance imaging from the UK have made a key discovery which could give the medical world a new tool for the improved diagnosis and monitoring of brain diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Self-harm not always a sign of serious mental health problems, Swedish research suggests Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Self-harm is common among young people. Many have at one time scratched, punctured or cut themselves or hit their head forcefully against a wall, and the behavior is almost as common among boys as girls. However, it may not be appropriate to compare young people who self-harm and adult psychiatric patients who self-harm. Knowledge is needed in order not to over-interpret the behavior of the young people, according to a Swedish psychologist.

Cannabis use mimics cognitive weakness that can lead to schizophrenia, fMRI study finds Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Researchers in Norway have found new support for their theory that cannabis use causes a temporary cognitive breakdown in non-psychotic individuals, leading to long-term psychosis. In an fMRI study, researchers found a different brain activity pattern in schizophrenia patients with previous cannabis use than in schizophrenic patients without prior cannabis use.

Simulations improve predictability of aneurysm development Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:45 AM PDT Brain aneurysms occur in about six percent of the population. They are dilated sections of blood vessels, which can deteriorate over time until the blood vessel wall ruptures, resulting in a hemorrhage. This causes a loss of mental functions and severe headaches. Hemorrhages of this kind can even be life threatening. The treatment of such patients involves complex medical decision-making. Models developed by a Dutch researcher can be of great use in this regard. She uses information obtained from brain scans, in combination with fluid dynamics models, to predict flows and forces in the affected part of the brain.

Health project in India saved many mothers and children, project finds Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:45 AM PDT Infant mortality has fallen by half, and the number of women who died from complications during pregnancy and childbirth by three-quarters. This is the result of a four-year health care project in one of India's poorest districts.

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