Tag: function

A team of neuroscientists has identified a potential means to address the loss of cognitive function due to Alzheimer’s disease by targeting protein synthesis in mice. Their findings, reported in the journal Science Signaling, reveal that synthetic pharmaceuticals could rescue the activity of brain cells needed for memory formation. “This work is the first to

A common analogy used to describe the brain is that it consists of tiny interconnected computers. Each one of these computers, or neurons, process and relay activity from thousands of other neurons, forming complex networks that allow us to perceive our surroundings, make decisions, and guide our actions. Communication between neurons occurs through tiny connections called synapses,

Dozens of molecules may tangle up with rogue bundles of tau, a protein that normally gives nerve fibers structure, to cause brain cell damage that contributes to neurodegenerative diseases, a new study shows. Neuroscientists have previously found that tau can become toxic when extra chemical molecules accumulate with its structure in the brain, causing it

Low physical function and low muscle mass after hip fracture increased the risk for accelerated bone deterioration in older hip fracture patients. Acknowledgement of the risk factors is important for bone health and overall recovery. “Substantial decrements in physical function, muscle and bone strength occur after hip fracture, which markedly increase the risk for a

Beta-1 integrin, a critical component of epithelial extracellular matrix receptors, is essential for normal lung function in adulthood, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered. In a mouse model, deleting the gene for beta-1 integrin from the epithelial cells lining the alveoli of the adult lung, where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide

Higher levels of abdominal fat were linked with reduced cognitive function in a Clinical Obesity study of older Asians with type 2 diabetes—even in individuals with normal weight. In the 677-participant study, higher abdominal fat—or visceral adiposity—was associated with lower scores related to memory and language. Source: Read Full Article

An article published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) describes a new pathway in the central nervous system to expel waste substances from the brain through the creation of corpora amylacea (CA), aggregates formed by glucose polymers amassing waste products. The study, which opens new views on the clinical practice regarding neurodegenerative

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with less cognitive decline over five years in older adults in the United States, according to a new study led by University of Maine and the University of South Australia researchers. The study, conducted by researchers Alexandra Wade, Merrill Elias and Karen Murphy and published in the

Patients with lupus, an inflammatory disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, are on average seven to nine times more likely to develop heart disease than the general population. Younger women with lupus are 50 times as likely to develop the disease as young women without the disease. The endothelium—the single

Modeling changes in brain activity over time provides deeper insights into learning and behavioral responses. Observing the brain’s response to repeated stimuli has helped KAUST researchers develop a method for modeling connectivity patterns in neural networks. Mapping connectivity patterns will help to better understand brain function, ultimately improving diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases and

Results from a research study published in Nature Communications show how the inner ear processes speech, something that has until now been unknown. The authors of the report include researchers from Linköping University, Sweden, and Oregon Health & Science University, United States. A collaboration between researchers in the U.S., Sweden, Denmark, the U.K. and India

(HealthDay)—Profiles of childhood respiratory risk factors predict middle-age lung function levels and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, according to a study published in the September issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Dinh S. Bui, from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues assessed 11 childhood risk factor profiles (documented at

Older women are at higher risk for developing breast cancer than younger women are—almost half of all breast cancer cases, and most breast cancer deaths, occur in women who are 65 or older. Despite this, we know very little about how breast cancer and its treatments affect older women. In particular, we don’t fully understand

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, have found new functions and structural details of muscle attachment structures. The research is important for the basic understanding of regulation of muscle function, for instance, in muscular dystrophy patients and for muscle adaptation in physical activity and sports. In multicellular

In the current issue of Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications , Ali N. Zaidi and W. Aaron Kay from Columbus Ohio Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program, The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, The Heart Center,

Preschool irritability and concurrent irritability were uniquely associated with aberrant patterns of reward-related brain connectivity, highlighting the importance of developmental timing of irritability for brain function, finds a study published in the June 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). “Irritability is one of the most frequent

A new study, published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) by researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, found that coaching patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to drink more water does not slow down the decline of their kidney function. “Despite widespread beliefs, little scientific data exists on the optimal

(HealthDay)—Children with prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (pSRI) have better executive function (EF) at age 12 years, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, held from May 5 to 8 in Toronto. Sarah Hutchison, Ph.D., from British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, and colleagues followed 51 children

Finding ways to help patients with COPD improve their functional status is an area of interest for pulmonary healthcare providers. Currently, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is used where available to improve exercise capacity and quality of life, but the treatment requires access to trained staff and specialized facilities. A new study in the journal CHEST looked