Brain

ADHD an advantage for nomadic tribesmen?

ADHD an advantage for nomadic tribesmen?

A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in their settled cousins.

A call for standardized measurement of outcomes in depression treatment

Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers are calling on clinicians to adopt a standardized measurement of outcomes when treating depression. The commentary was published in the June edition of Primary Psychiatry.

QBI neuroscientists make Alzheimer's disease advance

Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) neuroscientists at UQ have discovered a new way to reduce neuronal loss in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease.

Memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease can be attributed to several factors.

These include a build-up of the neuro-toxin Amyloid beta – the major component of amyloid plaques found in patients with Alzheimer's – and corresponding degeneration of a specific population of nerve cells in the basal forebrain.

Experts highlight gaps in knowledge on caring for survivors of teenage and young adult cancers

London, UK: Over 95% of patients with testicular cancer are cured nowadays, but this success has produced a new problem for cancer survivors, the medical profession and national governments, a cancer expert will tell Teenage Cancer Trust's Fifth International Conference on Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Medicine, which is meeting in London on Monday and Tuesday (June 9 and 10).

Prenatal drug exposure linked to sleep problems in children

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – In the first study across time into late childhood of the effects of prenatal drug exposure on sleep, prenatal drug exposure is associated with greater sleep problems in children. In addition, nicotine has a unique effect, and early sleep problems predict later sleep problems, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Consistent sleep aids children's performance on auditory attention task

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Children who consistently get enough sleep benefit in their performance on an auditory attention task, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Link between migranes and sleep disorders in children

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Children with a migraine headache are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and lack of sleep, than children without a migraine, according to a research abstract on the effects of headaches on children’s sleep patterns that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Increases in TST Related to CPAP treatment improve cognition in Alzheimer patients with OSA

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Increases in total sleep time related to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) are associated with improvements in cognition in patients with Alzheimer disease, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Managing noncommunicable diseases in Africa: what can we learn from TB control?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, asthma, epilepsy, and mental illness, are becoming a major burden in sub-Saharan Africa but are often poorly managed in routine health care settings, say Anthony Harries from the Malawi Ministry of Health and colleagues in this week's PLoS Medicine. The authors argue that better management could be achieved by learning from the success of tuberculosis (TB) control programs.

Study shows how cocaine impairs fetal brain development