Neurology Diagnostics

Author Archive

Neurological diseases are disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves throughout the body. Taken together, these organs control all body functions. When something goes wrong somewhere in the nervous system, you may have difficulty moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing or learning. There may also be problems with memory, senses or mood.

There are more than 600 neurological disorders. The most recognized include:

* Diseases caused by defective genes, such as Huntington’s disease and muscular dystrophy

* Problems with nervous system development, such as spina bifida

* Degenerative disease in which nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease

* Diseases of the blood vessels supplying the brain, such as stroke

* Injuries to the spinal cord and brain

* Seizure disorders such as epilepsy

* Cancer, such as brain tumors

* Infections such as meningitis

The memory of those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease could benefit thanks to the songs, because people with this disease seem to remember verbal information better if it is provided in a musical context.

In these compelling findings was a team of specialists from the University School of Medicine, Boston, who published his findings in the journal Neuropsychological.

THE BAD MEMORY

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. This chronic disease is strongly associated with age, and irreversibly develops as time passes.

Early symptoms include loss of memory and confusion, but when evil spreads arise personality changes, altered behavior and loss of cognitive abilities. People with this disease often do not recognize family members or have difficulty speaking, reading or doing everyday tasks such as combing hair or bathing. Read the rest of this entry »

Pesticides used on fruits and vegetables could be related to the onset of the condition of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. This has revealed a study by the University of Montreal, Canada.

The researchers measured the levels of pesticide were 1139 children from a urine sample each. Also interviewed the parents, to determine which children had the disorder and what does not. The participants, aged between eight and 15 years, had been part of a study carried out by the government between 2000 and 2004.

The results showed that almost all of them had up to 94 percent of this substance. One thing to remember is that children, due to their weight, are more exposed than adults to health risks caused by pesticides.

According to the study, published in Pediatrics, children who had the most amount of pesticides in the urine were more likely to develop ADHD. Read the rest of this entry »

A multicenter study is published today in JAMA has identified two genes that may be risk factors for development of Alzheimer’s disease late onset, although not help quantify the risk in carriers of these alterations.

Researchers at Boston University, U.S., in collaboration with scientists from the Rotterdam Study, coordinated by Monique Breteler, the Cardiovascular Health Study, led by Oscar Lopez, AGES-Reykjavik study, coordinated by Lenore Launer, the study in May AD , directed by Steve Younkin, the European Consortium of Alzheimer’s Disease, who leads Philippe Amouyel, the ACE Foundation in Barcelona, coordinated by Merce Boada, and the Consortium for Genetic and Environmental Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, directed by Julie Williams, have identified two genes that may be risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease late onset.

The work, published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, was carried out by analysis of genome wide association. The researchers have identified two new genes in specific locations in DNA. These genes appear to be independent of those already established by its association with the disease of Alzheimer’s, such as apolipoprotein E (APOE). Read the rest of this entry »

When someone waves to them, our brain is capable of processing the gesture as something friendly and allows us to imitate. This is possible thanks to the mirror neuron system, a set of nerve cells, to date, it was thought that could go wrong in autistic spectrum disorders. However, a study published in ‘Neuron’ indicates that their normal activity in these patients.

The theory made sense. One of the most striking features of people with autism is their inability to imitation, empathy and understanding of the intent of the gestures of others. If mirror neurons are crucial for social interaction, it was logical to think that something is wrong with this brain system. In fact, some studies appeared to confirm the hypothesis.

But these works were overlooked something important. “No evaluated the selectivity of cortical activity in areas of particular movements mirror system,” says principal investigator, Ilan Dinstein, Department of Psychiatry at the University of New York (USA). This selectivity of movement is not simply the distinction that our brain makes every gesture, by storing a single neuronal response. Read the rest of this entry »

It appears that the state of pluripotency is not necessary to achieve a certain type. It is at least what has been demonstrated in a study published today in Nature.

A team of researchers from Stanford University in California has successfully transformed murine skin cells into nerve cells functioning to the implementation of only three genes. These cells have not previously had to become stem cells, the previous step for cells to acquire a new identity. In this way, and do not have to revert to this state, prevents the teratogenic effect. Marius Wernig’s team published the results of their work today in Nature, which shows that only three factors, Ascl1, Brn2 (also called Pou3f2) and Myt1l, can become postnatal human fibroblasts and murine embryonic cells into functioning neurons in vitro.

This group has used a panel of 19 genes that are involved in epigenetic reprogramming in neuronal development and function, up to three required for reprogramming. They then applied the procedure in skin cells and mouse tail. They noted that about 20 percent of skin cells transformed into neurons in less than a week. “At first it seems a quick change, but it is an important step on the iPS, which takes several weeks. In addition, the iPS process is inefficient, because normally only between 1 and 2 percent of the original cells become pluripotent “, pointed Wernig.

Cells appeared not only neurons, but expressed neuronal proteins and formed synapses with other neurons in lab dishes. The researchers believe that this is a more direct way to achieve the desired cells to get through the iPS. Neurological cells can get directly from the patient will allow researchers to study a disease determinded such as Parkinson’s, in a laboratory dish. Someday be used for cell therapy.

Wernig’s group suggests that the pluripotent state, rather than changing an element of cells, may be more than just another cell state. Thus, with the appropriate combination of specific genes for each of the desired cell types can have a ripple effect on the target cell, erasing the modifications of DNA restriction and printing a new target for development in the genome. “This is a difficult theory to prove, but we believe that the induction of iPS is an investment for development. It’s probably more than a direct conversion of what we are looking for, from one cell to another is happening is more than simply to the embryonic state. This makes our ideas on the epigenetic regulation are reversed. “

The incidence of hearing impairment among adolescents and young adults are increasing. Unhealthy diet, lifestyle and, of course, repeated exposure to loud music are known precursors to ear damage, temporary or permanent loss of hearing and the ominous ringing in the ears or the condition called tinnitus. This article will provide an overview of tinnitus, in particular discussing their causes and herbal remedies administered by the condition.

Tinnitus Definition

Tinnitus is an ear disorder characterized by the perception of sounds in the inner ear or head, at the bottom of external sounds. What’s strange about this ear problem is that the patient can listen to “invisible” to the sounds of animals, oceans and waves of sound or notes may sense there are no sounds.

Causes of Tinnitus

The disorder can be induced by physical trauma, ear infections, irritants, excessive ear wax and other neurological disorders. If a high, ringing sound is perceived after exposure to loud noise, the immediate diagnosis of the condition becomes necessary. While medications and tinnitus maskers are often prescribed, the global action of medicinal herbs are now recognized as effective alternative treatments. Read the rest of this entry »

There are many difficult issues to deal with tinnitus that sometimes patients who have this incessant ear ringing in his head just want to resign to defeat. Some of the difficulties include:

1.) Difficulty to describe the sounds to your doctor – Is it ear ringing, whizzing, whooshing, whirring, a keen wine? The problem is exacerbated by the fact they often you’re the only one who can hear. Often, even their medical diagnostic tools can not pick up the sounds, which can often lead you to feel like it’s going a bit nuts.

2.) Determine the cause of your tinnitus – Have you suffered hearing loss or is completely unrelated to how well you hear? Is caused by TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) in your jaw? Is this a reaction to aspirin? Or have a low level of serotonin? How about an ear injury or infection? There are many different things that can cause tinnitus that can be difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

3.) Lack of a cure – there are a variety of treatments that can reduce the tinnitus ear ringing and it could simply disappear altogether, but no real known medical cure for the disease. You can not just take a pill or have surgery and remove it. Read the rest of this entry »

The research, carried out by a Spanish team, was awarded first prize at the III World Congress on Controversies in Neurology.

A group of Spanish researchers has identified the areas in the brain that are impaired when a neurodegenerative process is initiated and appears mild cognitive impairment. “The findings are relevant because they give us clues about the brain areas that we should look to in future make an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Juan Antonio Hernandez Tamames, director of the Laboratory of Medical Image Analysis and Biometrics URJC center where images were analyzed in the study.

The research, carried out by the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), in collaboration with Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer’s Project and the Department of Basic Psychology, National University of Distance Education (UNED), analyzed a total of 40 patients -18 and 22 healthy subjects with mild cognitive impairment-selected sample of 140 individuals used in the study, three-year Early detection of MCI and progression to Alzheimer’s Disease. Analysis of MCI subtype, markers, and Risk Factors. Patients with cognitive impairment were classified as amnestic, amnestic and multidomain not, ie those with amnesia problems and problems in the execution of daily tasks.

The work, which has received the first prize at the III World Congress on Controversies in Neurology held in the Czech Republic last October, shows that in subjects with mild cognitive impairment amnestic begins turning parahippocampal damage the brain – an area close to the memory and memories in the brain. Read the rest of this entry »

The brains of babies at 7 months shows a sensitivity to the human voice and the emotions communicated through the voice that is very similar to that observed in the brains of adults, according to a study by the University of London in United Kingdom published in the journal Neuron.

The study proves the origins of voice processing in the human brain and could provide information on neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

Scientists at the Center for Brain and Cognitive Development at the University of London, led by Tobias Grossmann, conducted their study in the laboratory of Angela D. Friederici Max Planck Institute in Cognitive Science and Human Brain in Germany. The researchers used near infrared spectroscopy to investigate when during development the regions of the temporal cortex became sensitive to the human voice. These specific cortical regions have had an important role in spoken language processing in adults.

Grossmann’s team found that children of seven months and not four months showed greater responses similar to those of adults in the temporal cortex as a result of the human voice compared with no vowel sounds, suggesting that sensitivity to voice emerges between 4 and 7 months of age. Read the rest of this entry »