Australian Researchers Push Magnesium Sulphate as Cerebral Palsy Prevention

The risk of premature babies developing cerebral palsy is cut by a third if the mother is given magnesium sulphate immediately before birth, new research shows. So far it’s only been proven to work in babies born before 30 weeks, however, advocates of the research are saying that this new approach could prevent up to 150 babies a year from developing the chronic life-long condition.

Doctors are hailing the development as the biggest breakthrough in preventing the debilitating condition in 50 years, despite the fact it is not yet being routinely used in hospitals. The benefits of magnesium sulphate had been observed for a while, but obstetrics Professor Caroline Crowther says it was a large study in Australia and New Zealand in 2003 that gave compelling evidence. Read the full article »»»»

Researchers Reveal How a Single Gene Mutation Leads to Uncontrolled Obesity

The discovery offers clues about how to turn on brain sensitivity to leptin and insulin, hormones that turn off appetite.

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have revealed how a mutation in a single gene is responsible for the inability of neurons to effectively pass along appetite suppressing signals from the body to the right place in the brain. What results is obesity caused by a voracious appetite.
Their study, published March 18th on Nature Medicine‘s website, suggests there might be a way to stimulate expression of that gene to treat obesity caused by uncontrolled eating.

The research team specifically found that a mutation in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene in mice does not allow brain neurons to effectively pass leptin and insulin chemical signals through the brain. In humans, these hormones, which are released in the body after a person eats, are designed to “tell” the body to stop eating. But if the signals fail to reach correct locations in the hypothalamus, the area in the brain that signals satiety, eating continues. Read the full article »»»»

New Study Says Climate Obsessives Swayed By Media

A new published study has highlighted how the media influences opinion on emotive issues. The study undertaken by the University of Sydney was carried out to investigate whether climate change had any impact on the nature of the obsessions or compulsions experienced by sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – OCD – The study takes reference from a 1994 study which found that some children developed obsessive thoughts about Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome – HIV/Aids – once media reports on the virus became common place.

“We suggest that mental health professionals need to be aware of, and assess for the presence of such concerns” the study recommended.

This latest study has found that many patients suffering with OCD are worrying about the effects of climate change and global warming. Dr Mairwen Jones and her co-authors looked at 50 patients attending an anxiety disorders clinic. They found one-third of the patients had anxiety about the effects of climate change. The most common concerns were wasting water, gas and electricity, often leading to an obsessive checking to make sure utilities and appliances were switched off. Read the full article »»»»

HEALTH: Simply Standing Up From Desks Helps Avoid Diabetes

Research has revealed that interrupting sitting time with short bouts of light exercise can lower glucose and insulin levels by as much as 30 per cent, helping people avoid diabetes. The research was published online today in Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association. Associate Professor David Dunstan, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, was the study’s lead researcher.

“What this study is showing is that people who sit for long periods, like office workers and call centre staff and drivers, could improve their health by simply breaking up their sitting time with frequent activity breaks,” Dunstan said. ”Inside this study we used breaks every 20 minutes, just for two-minute activity bouts, and showed that it was, it substantially improved the body’s response to a glucose challenge.”

Sixty per cent of Australians are either overweight or obese with the risk of developing diabetes. Professor Dunstan says people who work sitting at their desks should stand up at least every every 30 minutes. Read the full article »»»»

Chinese Tree Offers Hope For Alcoholics

Researchers at the University of California – UCLA –  are investigating a 500-year-old Chinese hangover cure in the hope they can put its properties into a pill to help alcoholics and stave off hangovers. Alcoholism is a huge problem globally, killing 2.5 million people each year according to the World Health Organization. There has been serious research recently looking for drugs that stop people drinking, or at least encourage them to drink less.

In an article published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, they describe how dihydromyricetin blocks the action of alcohol on the brain and neurons and also reduces voluntary alcohol consumption, with no major side effects, in an early study with rats. Only an estimated 13 percent of people identified as having an alcohol use disorder receive medical treatment, partly due to a lack of effective medications without major side effects. Read the full article »»»»

Alzheimer’s Vaccine A Big Step Closer

Researchers  have had success with a vaccine that could ultimately slow down advanced Alzheimer’s disease in humans. The team from Sydney University have published – PLoS ONE – details of a study which shows the vaccine slows one type of dementia by stopping neuro-fibre tangling. Associate Professor Lars Ittner from Sydney University – Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease Laboratory says the study was conducted on mice that were already developing the condition. Ittner said it was the first time researchers had proved a vaccine that targeted the tau protien in mice that had already developed the disease. Ittner says that their approach was different, until now most research has targeted the  tau protiens in younger animals, prior to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. ”What we attempted to do was to work with older mice with a lot of damage. Because in people, by the time they realise their symptoms are Alzheimer’s disease, a lot of damage has already been done.” said Ittner. The researchers say their novel approach worked, producing some of the most improved results so far recorded in mice with advanced dementia. READ MORE