http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/disorders_and_syndromes/ Read the latest research on psychological conditions, neuroscience and diseases of the brain. Symptoms and treatment options. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/disorders_and_syndromes/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121052.htm Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm If humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? Scientists suspect that part of the answer to the mystery lies in a gene called FOXP2. When mutated, FOXP2 can disrupt speech and language in humans. Now, a new study reveals major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123602.htm A new study reveals that a previously undiscovered mouse gene reduces the two major pathological perturbations commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research finds that the novel gene interacts with a key cellular enzyme previously linked with AD pathology, thereby uncovering a new strategy for treating this devastating disorder. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research. But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher's voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm Teachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm Combination therapies to tackle multiple changes in the brain may be needed to combat the growing problem of dementia in aging societies, according to a new study. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105347.htm Researchers have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202855.htm Researchers have developed a pupil response test that is 92.5 percent accurate in separating children with autism from those with typical development. In the study, the scientists found that children with autism have slower pupil responses to light change. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110141844.htm In a new study, psychologists are able to see in detail for the first time how various regions of the human brain respond when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event. The study could lead to the creation of biological measures that could identify people with post-traumatic stress disorder or identify PTSD sufferers who would benefit from specific treatments. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110141844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110210509.htm Depression occurs in as many as one-third of patients after a stroke, and women are at somewhat higher risk, according to a large new review of studies. Post-stroke depression is associated with greater disability, reduced quality of life and an increased risk of death. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110210509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123612.htm The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a new report. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm A woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if a man in the relationship is the patient, according to a study that examined the role gender played in so-called "partner abandonment." The study also found that the longer the marriage the more likely it would remain intact. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173600.htm Human embryonic stem cells could help people with learning and memory deficits after radiation treatment for brain tumors, suggests a new study. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121345.htm The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries -- a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174345.htm Intermittent access to foods rich in fat and sugar induces changes in the brain which are comparable to those observed in drug dependence, according to new research. The findings may explain how abstinence from these foods contributes to relapse eating among dieters as well as related eating disorders. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194747.htm While too much amyloid beta protein in the brain is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, not enough of the protein in healthy brains can cause learning problems and forgetfulness, scientists have found. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016141409.htm Alcohol and drug use are known contributors to adolescents engaging in dangerous sexual activity. Yet, research suggests that fewer than half of pediatricians report screening patients for such at-risk behaviors. A new diagnostic test allows clinicians to quickly and accurately screen teens for high risk drug and alcohol use. Now, researchers have established that the same test can also identify teens who more likely to be engaging in high risk sexual behaviors. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016141409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030105026.htm Inflammatory response of brain cells -- as indicated by a molecular imaging technique -- could tell researchers more about why certain neurologic disorders, such as migraine headaches and psychosis in schizophrenic patients, occur and provide insight into how to best treat them, according to two new studies. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030105026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211647.htm Simvastatin, a commonly used, cholesterol-lowering drug, may prevent Parkinson's disease from progressing further. Neurological researchers conducted a study examining the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095638.htm Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals new research from Sweden. This discovery this could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002310.htm Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. "Gene therapy in these models successfully attenuated the symptoms of Huntington's disease and increased life span," notes Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211543.htm Women who used psychiatric medication during pregnancy have triple the odds of delivering prematurely. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131440.htm The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, say researchers in a new study. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173724.htm The long-held theory that our brains use different mechanisms for forming long-term and short-term memories has been challenged by new research. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121129.htm Research carried out among thousands of people has shown a clear connection between depression and a loss of bone mass, leading to osteoporosis and fractures. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172249.htm New research provides a comprehensive comparative functional anatomy study in human and monkey brains which reveals highly similar brain networks preserved across evolution. Scientists examined patterns of connectivity to show that the precuneus, long thought to be a single structure, is actually divided into four distinct functional regions. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145304.htm Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a new study. The researchers found structural changes in the brains of former South Vietnamese political detainees who had suffered head injuries and clearly linked those changes to psychiatric symptoms often seen in survivors of torture. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123039.htm Racial discrimination is a major threat to African American women's mental health. It undermines their view of themselves as masters of their own life circumstances and makes them less psychologically resilient and more prone to depression, according to new findings. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121046.htm Rush University Medical Center has opened the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic to offer patients suffering from major depression a safe, effective, non-drug treatment. TMS therapy is the first FDA-approved, non-invasive antidepressant device-based treatment clinically proven for treatment of depression. Psychiatrists at Rush University Medical Center were among the first to test the technique and Dr. Philip Janicak, professor of psychiatry and lead investigator at Rush for the clinical trials of TMS, helped to develop this therapy. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132255.htm Scientists are working to find a genetic marker to determine the effectiveness of Prozac and other SSRIs before they are prescribed. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101551.htm One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties. In order to answer that key question and develop new approaches to preventing the damage, scientists must first understand how amyloid-beta forms the telltale clumps. Researchers have now developed new molecular tools that can be used to investigate the process. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121217.htm Real-time observation sheds new light on multiple sclerosis. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171217.htm Researchers have improved an enzyme that degrades dense scar tissue that forms when the central nervous system is damaged -- and developed a new system to deliver it, ultimately enabling spinal cord regeneration. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171215.htm New research shows that Caucasian women may suffer from restless legs syndrome, a sleep disorder characterized by the strong urge to move the legs, up to four times more than African-American women. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132812.htm Researchers have found that readers were better able to understand, remember and emotionally respond to material found through "searching" compared to content found while "surfing." "If, as these data suggest, the cognitive and emotional impact of online content is greatest when acquired by searching, then Web site sponsors might consider increasing their advertising on pages that tend to be accessed via search engines," said one of the researchers. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171213.htm New research has found that nearly 1 in 4 patients with OSA suffers from nighttime teeth grinding. This seems to be especially more prevalent in men and in Caucasians compared with other ethnic groups. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm New research shows that frontotemporal dementia -- a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia -- is highly hereditary. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm One in seven people worldwide will suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at some point. It is the most common injury arising from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and 75 pecent of 18 to 30 year-olds who go to nightclubs and concerts may experience temporary tinnitus. A research review (150 papers over 25 years) suggests that 94 percent of people are told nothing can be done. But help is at hand. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091726.htm Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients, according to a new study. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112239.htm Night-shift workers should avoid drinking coffee if they wish to improve their sleep, according to recent research. A new study has found the main byproduct of coffee, caffeine, interferes with sleep and this side-effect worsens as people age. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102359.htm Researchers have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease. They have discovered that a novel protein -- known as protein kinase-C -- kills dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103171715.htm A new study shows that a long period of estrogen deprivation can lead to loss of sensitivity and protective effects in the brain and weaken areas normally resistant to stroke damage. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103171715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121634.htm Scientists are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. There has to date been no medication that could alter the disorder's neurologic abnormalities. The study will evaluate safety, tolerability and optimal dosage in healthy volunteers. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm Researchers have identified a part of the brain that responds to both facial and vocal expressions of emotion. They used the MagnetoEncephaloGraphic (MEG) scanner at the York Neuroimaging Centre to test responses in a region of the brain known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171409.htm Individuals who experience both childhood adversity and traumatic events in adulthood appear more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than those exposed to only one of these types of incidents, according to a new report. In addition, the risk was further increased in individuals with a certain genetic mutation. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121624.htm Thanks to a new method, there is a reason for hope for patients with very severe depression. Physicians in Germany have treated ten patients with deep brain stimulation. Subsequent to this treatment, the patients' depression improved significantly in half of the patients. All patients had suffered from very severe depression for many years and did not respond to any other therapies. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121624.htm