ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Mental illness genetically linked to drug use and misuse
• Unique genetic basis found in autism genes that may lead to earlier diagnosis
• Parkinson's disease protection may begin in the gut
• Virtual reality games make infusions easier on young patients
• Early marijuana use associated with abnormal brain function, lower IQ
• Cancer treatment as a double-edged sword
• 'Virtual physiotherapist' helps paralyzed patients exercise using computer games
• Maximum human lifespan has already been reached
• How evolution has equipped our hands with five fingers
• Got eczema? It may just be bad evolutionary luck, study finds
• When is maternal immunization ethically justified?
• Your next nurse could be a robot
• Stress and obesity biologically linked
• Thalidomide: Understanding the purity and chirality of drugs and their metabolites
• Watching stem cells change provides clues to fighting osteoporosis in older women
• Pleasant family leisure at home may satisfy families more than fun together elsewhere, study finds
• Most gay men not aware of treatment to protect them from HIV
• Scientists speed up muscle repair
• A lead to overcome resistance to antibiotics
• Novel mechanism to steer cell identities gives clue on how organisms develop
• Hard-to-control asthma has distinct features, study shows
• Physician burnout: Researchers identify effective interventions
• New device enables rapid identification of brain cancer type and tumor margin
• ADHD diagnosis puts girls at much higher risk for other mental health problems
• Eczema in children has unique immune profile, offering new targets for treatment
• Protein linked to high risk of Alzheimer's can be removed from brain without hindering learning, memory
• Cells infected by HIV defend themselves, research shows

Mental illness genetically linked to drug use and misuse Posted: 06 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT There are many reports of drug use leading to mental health problems, and we all know of someone having a few too many drinks to cope with a bad day. Many people who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder indulge in drugs, and vice versa. As severity of both increase, problems arise and they become more difficult to treat. But why substance involvement and psychiatric disorders often co-occur is not well understood.

Unique genetic basis found in autism genes that may lead to earlier diagnosis Posted: 06 Oct 2016 07:29 AM PDT Researchers are a step closer to understanding the genetic basis of autism, which they hope will lead to earlier diagnosis of what is rapidly becoming the most prevalent developmental disorder worldwide.

Parkinson's disease protection may begin in the gut Posted: 05 Oct 2016 01:17 PM PDT Your gut may play a pivotal role in preventing the onset of Parkinson's disease. And the reason may be its knack for sleuthing.

Virtual reality games make infusions easier on young patients Posted: 05 Oct 2016 01:07 PM PDT A virtual reality gaming system specially developed for young patients is making procedures involving needles less painful for children and less stressful for parents.

Early marijuana use associated with abnormal brain function, lower IQ Posted: 05 Oct 2016 01:07 PM PDT In a new study, scientists have discovered that early marijuana use may result in abnormal brain function and lower IQ.

Cancer treatment as a double-edged sword Posted: 05 Oct 2016 12:10 PM PDT Findings by cancer researchers shed light on why treated cancers recur. The discovery could provide the key for reducing recurrence, and allow anti-cancer drugs to do their intended work.

'Virtual physiotherapist' helps paralyzed patients exercise using computer games Posted: 05 Oct 2016 11:08 AM PDT A simple device can improve the ability of patients with arm disability to play physiotherapy-like computer games, according to new research.

Maximum human lifespan has already been reached Posted: 05 Oct 2016 10:28 AM PDT A new study suggests that it may not be possible to extend the human life span beyond the ages already attained by the oldest people on record.

How evolution has equipped our hands with five fingers Posted: 05 Oct 2016 10:26 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why our hands have exactly five fingers? Scientists have uncovered a part of this mystery, and their remarkable discovery is outlined in a new report.

Got eczema? It may just be bad evolutionary luck, study finds Posted: 05 Oct 2016 09:43 AM PDT A new study probes the evolutionary history of eczema, examining a genetic variant strongly associated with the most common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis.

When is maternal immunization ethically justified? Posted: 05 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT Vaccination during pregnancy can protect women, fetuses and newborn children against infectious diseases – especially in developing countries. Maternal immunization however also raises ethical questions. One expert has made a first systematic analysis of the ethics of maternal immunization, concluding that vaccination during pregnancy is ethically appropriate if it can protect mother or child against a concrete risk of a dangerous infection.

Your next nurse could be a robot Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:50 AM PDT The nursing assistant for your next trip to the hospital might be a robot.

Stress and obesity biologically linked Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:48 AM PDT Metabolic and anxiety-related disorders both pose a significant healthcare burden, and are in the spotlight of contemporary research and therapeutic efforts. Although intuitively we assume that these two phenomena overlap, the link has not been scientifically demonstrated.

Thalidomide: Understanding the purity and chirality of drugs and their metabolites Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:43 AM PDT It was the Softenon disaster that made the pharmaceutical industry fully aware of the importance of knowing the enantiomeric purity and chirality of drugs and their metabolites. This disaster involved the chiral drug Thalidomide that was sold in the 1950s as a racemate under various brand names such as Contergan and Softenon. It was shown in the early 1960s that only the R-enantiomer has the intended pharmaceutical effect and that the S-enantiomer, when the drug is used by pregnant females, may lead to serious issues including miscarriages.

Watching stem cells change provides clues to fighting osteoporosis in older women Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:21 AM PDT For years, scientists have studied how stem cells might be used to treat many diseases, including osteoporosis. One consistent challenge has been observing and monitoring the process through which stem cells transform. Now, using an established scientific method, researchers are able to watch how human fat cells transform into bone tissue cells; in the process the research team has uncovered information about osteoporosis in older women.

Pleasant family leisure at home may satisfy families more than fun together elsewhere, study finds Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:21 AM PDT While family fun often is associated with new and exciting activities, family leisure spent at home in familiar pastimes may be a more effective route to happiness, according to a study.

Most gay men not aware of treatment to protect them from HIV Posted: 05 Oct 2016 08:21 AM PDT Only four in 10 gay and bisexual men in Baltimore without HIV are aware that pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP) may significantly reduce their risk of contracting the virus, even those who had recently visited a doctor or been tested for a sexually transmitted disease, new research suggests.

Scientists speed up muscle repair Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:17 AM PDT Athletes, the elderly and those with degenerative muscle disease would all benefit from accelerated muscle repair. When skeletal muscles, those connected to the bone, are injured, muscle stem cells wake up from a dormant state and repair the damage. When muscles age, however, stem cell number and function declines, as do both tissue function and regenerative ability. A new study investigated muscle stem cell pool size. In particular, they asked if stem cell number could be increased, and if there would be any associated functional benefits.

A lead to overcome resistance to antibiotics Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:57 AM PDT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium in the environment. It can however become a formidable pathogen causing fatal infections, especially in intubated patients, people suffering from cystic fibrosis or severe burns. The presence of certain metals in the natural or human environment of the bacterium makes it more dangerous and, in particular, resistant to antibiotics of last resort. A team of researchers has shown that a specific protein of P. aeruginosa, called Host factor q (Hfq), is essential for reacting to these metals and acquire these new properties. The results single out the Hfq protein as the Achilles heel of P. aeruginosa. Indeed, blocking its action could make this pathogen unable to adapt to a new environment and to resist to certain antibiotics.

Novel mechanism to steer cell identities gives clue on how organisms develop Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:31 AM PDT Scientists discovered a new way in which microRNAs can determine the fate of cells in the course of their development. This could be a key to understanding how complex organisms are built, say researchers.

Hard-to-control asthma has distinct features, study shows Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:31 AM PDT Bronchodilator responsiveness, nasal inflammation and allergy were among the most significant baseline features that distinguished hard-to-control asthma in inner-city children and adolescents. These characteristics identified patients whose asthma did not improve throughout the year, despite adherence to the most intensive treatment based on national guidelines. Patients with hard-to-control asthma also had exacerbations peaking in the spring and fall, and more nighttime symptoms in the fall and winter.

Physician burnout: Researchers identify effective interventions Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:41 PM PDT After highlighting that more than half of American physicians are experiencing burnout, researchers now have identified some solutions that are being used to prevent or lessen burnout around the world. The findings show that some of the approaches being used are effective and making a difference.

New device enables rapid identification of brain cancer type and tumor margin Posted: 04 Oct 2016 07:39 PM PDT A device has been developed for quick, accurate identification of a mutation strongly associated with a cancer that affects the central nervous system, potentially enabling accurate removal of the entire tumor during an operation.

ADHD diagnosis puts girls at much higher risk for other mental health problems Posted: 04 Oct 2016 12:08 PM PDT Girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at higher risk than girls without ADHD for multiple mental disorders that often lead to cascading problems such as abusive relationships, teenage pregnancies, poor grades and drug abuse, psychologists report.

Eczema in children has unique immune profile, offering new targets for treatment Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:15 AM PDT Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a common skin disorder that usually starts by 5 years of age, but virtually all of the studies that have defined the immune changes underlying eczema and are directing new treatment options have been done in adult skin. A study characterizes immune changes for the first time in the skin of young children with eczema.

Protein linked to high risk of Alzheimer's can be removed from brain without hindering learning, memory Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:03 AM PDT A protein linked to higher risk of Alzheimer's can be removed from the brains of mice without hindering memory and learning, according to a study that addresses whether potential therapeutics targeting this protein would have detrimental side effects.

Cells infected by HIV defend themselves, research shows Posted: 04 Oct 2016 09:58 AM PDT T cells, important in the immune system, defend themselves when infected by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Until now, it was considered that these cells were not aware of their infection by the virus.

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