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FDA warning leads to decrease in use of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of dementia

A warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration regarding the use of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of dementia was associated with a significant decline in the use of these medications for treating dementia symptoms in elderly patients, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Feb 2011

Study reports significant decline in second-generation medication use for dementia

As loved ones with dementia disappear into symptoms of aggression, agitation or delusions, families are left with few good medical solutions. A new generation of antipsychotic medications gained popularly in the 1990s because they avoided side effects such as Parkinson's syndrome associated with conventional antipsychotic medications used to treat dementia.

8 Feb 2011

Sugary snacks and lax dental hygiene put kids at risk for tooth decay

While the most prevalent focus of February is on Valentine's sweethearts, parents are well advised to also focus on the proverbial sweet tooth - particularly when it comes to their children. That's because February is National Children's Dental Health Month, an ideal time - according to Health Net, Inc. - for moms and dads to make sure that sugary snacks, as well as lax dental hygiene - aren't putting their kids at risk for tooth decay.

7 Feb 2011

VA announces first Ai2 awards under Industry Innovation Competition

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki officially announced today the first VA Innovation Initiative awards under the agency's Industry Innovation Competition, its third competition since it began in early 2010. These four projects will use innovative new technologies in VA facilities to improve the quality of patient care for Veterans. They represent the first of nearly two-dozen more awards to be made in the coming months.

5 Feb 2011

Neurons activated by learning show extensive expansion of structure

When a laboratory rat learns how to reach for and grab a food pellet - a pretty complex and unnatural act for a rodent - the acquired knowledge significantly alters the structure of the specific brain cells involved, which sprout a whopping 22 percent more dendritic spines connecting them to other motor neurons.

3 Feb 2011

International scientist team identifies gene mutation strongly linked to schizophrenia

In a major advance for schizophrenia research, an international team of scientists, led by Jonathan Sebat, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has identified a gene mutation strongly linked to the brain disorder - and a signaling pathway that may be treatable with existing compounds.

3 Feb 2011

New study: Clinical trials exclude older patients due to age-related conditions

Older individuals, who constitute a rapidly growing population in the United States, account for a disproportionate share of health care utilization and cost. Yet more than half of clinical trials exclude people based on their age or age-related conditions, according to a new study by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars- at the University of Michigan.

2 Feb 2011

Disabled American Veterans calls VA health care funding cut as ill-advised proposal

If Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) wanted to make a name for herself by proposing to cut funding for veterans health care and disability compensation, she has succeeded. "Such an ill-advised proposal is nothing short of heartless," according to Disabled American Veterans Washington Headquarters Executive Director David W. Gorman.

29 Jan 2011

VNA's Hospice of Philadelphia becomes national partner of We Honor Veterans

It may surprise people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans. To provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Hospice of Philadelphia, a service of Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

29 Jan 2011

Research sheds light on role of helping in addiction recovery

Participating in community service activities and helping others is not just good for the soul; it has a healing effect that helps alcoholics and other addicts become and stay sober, a researcher from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reports.

29 Jan 2011

Racial disparities exist between kidney disease patients and physicians: Study

Significant disparities exist between the race of kidney disease patients and that of the physicians who will care for them, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

28 Jan 2011

MRSA screening in ICU patients can save costs for hospitals

Screening patients in the intensive care unit for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus roduces cost savings for the whole hospital, according to a study that used a statistical simulation model published in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

27 Jan 2011

Research findings reveal HIV's hiding spot, new way to stop the virus

HIV adapts in a surprising way to survive and thrive in its hiding spot within the human immune system, scientists have learned. While the finding helps explain why HIV remains such a formidable foe after three decades of research - more than 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV - it also offers scientists a new, unexpected way to try to stop the virus.

24 Jan 2011

NIMH awards Case Western Reserve $7.8M renewal grant to study manic symptoms in children

The Department of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received a $7.8 million renewal grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for the long-term study of manic symptoms in children.

21 Jan 2011

Study validates MultiStem as potential stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Athersys, Inc. announced a joint scientific study on spinal cord injury will be published today in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

20 Jan 2011

ACT program receives $3.9 million Colorado grant to create whole-person health care systems

A new program designed to create comprehensive, integrated, whole-person health care systems for the people of Colorado has received a $3.9 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation.

20 Jan 2011

Case Western Reserve, Athersys enter partnership for scientific study on spinal cord injury

19 Jan 2011

Curcumin and dye brilliant blue G may help block dangerous swelling in TBI

An old Indian spice and a dye whose cousin makes sports drinks blue are pointing scientists toward better treatment of traumatic brain injuries.

19 Jan 2011

Lower levels in plasma of biomarkers beta-amyloid 42/40 increase rate of cognitive decline

Older adults without dementia and with lower levels in plasma of the biomarkers beta-amyloid 42/40 (protein fragments) had an increased rate of cognitive decline over a period of 9 years, according to a study in the January 19 issue of JAMA. The researchers also found that this relationship was stronger among individuals with less education and lower levels of literacy.

19 Jan 2011

Research identifies childhood traumatic stress as potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood

Scientific studies often attribute obesity to poor nutrition and lack of activity, but recent research has identified childhood traumatic stress as a potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood.

19 Jan 2011

Veterans Affairs News and Research

FDA warning leads to decrease in use of atypical antipsychotics for treatment of dementia

Study reports significant decline in second-generation medication use for dementia

Sugary snacks and lax dental hygiene put kids at risk for tooth decay

VA announces first Ai2 awards under Industry Innovation Competition

Neurons activated by learning show extensive expansion of structure

International scientist team identifies gene mutation strongly linked to schizophrenia

New study: Clinical trials exclude older patients due to age-related conditions

Disabled American Veterans calls VA health care funding cut as ill-advised proposal

VNA's Hospice of Philadelphia becomes national partner of We Honor Veterans

Research sheds light on role of helping in addiction recovery

Racial disparities exist between kidney disease patients and physicians: Study

MRSA screening in ICU patients can save costs for hospitals

Research findings reveal HIV's hiding spot, new way to stop the virus

NIMH awards Case Western Reserve $7.8M renewal grant to study manic symptoms in children

Study validates MultiStem as potential stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury

ACT program receives $3.9 million Colorado grant to create whole-person health care systems

Case Western Reserve, Athersys enter partnership for scientific study on spinal cord injury

Curcumin and dye brilliant blue G may help block dangerous swelling in TBI

Lower levels in plasma of biomarkers beta-amyloid 42/40 increase rate of cognitive decline

Research identifies childhood traumatic stress as potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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