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Meditation may slow down brain aging

The regular practice of meditation appears to produce structural changes in areas of the brain associated with attention and sensory processing.

14 Nov 2005

New respiratory synctial virus treatment for at-risk infants under study

A new, enhanced-potency onoclonal antibody designed to keep the sniffles from turning into a devasting illness in at-risk babies is under study at the Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center.

14 Nov 2005

Protein discovery may have implications for treating E. coli 0157:H7 infection

A discovery by Queen's researchers of a previously unknown protein may open the door to more effective treatment of a deadly strain of the E. coli bacteria.

14 Nov 2005

Speed of PSA increase matters more than PSA level

In the largest study of its kind to date, Mayo Clinic researchers report that prostate specific antigen (PSA) kinetics, both velocity and doubling time, can be used to predict disease progression and likelihood of death after radical prostatectomy surgery, suggesting that this could be used to guide treatment decisions.

14 Nov 2005

Mayo Clinic provides new strategy for designing better treatments for juvenile dermatomyositis

Mayo Clinic researchers, working with colleagues at the University of Minnesota and University of Pittsburgh, are the first to describe a new role for a specialized cell of the immune system in children suffering from a rare muscle-damaging disease known as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

14 Nov 2005

Bright light therapy may aid patients with depressive and bipolar disorders

A report in the November Cell Metabolism reveals powerful effects of light on the adrenal glands, a finding that might explain the broad benefits of bright light therapy for a variety of conditions, including sleep and depressive disorders, according to researchers.

14 Nov 2005

Role of statin therapy in patients with heart failure

An advanced study launched at Yale School of Medicine is evaluating the role of statin therapy in patients with heart failure, one of the leading causes of hospitalization in people over age 65.

14 Nov 2005

Positive aspects of bipolar disorder

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown for the first time that a sample of children who either have or are at high risk for bipolar disorder score higher on a creativity index than healthy children.

14 Nov 2005

Why the bird flu virus H5N1 is so deadly to humans

A study published today in the open access journal Respiratory Research reveals that, in human cells, the virus can trigger levels of inflammatory proteins more than 10 times higher than the common human flu virus H1N1.

14 Nov 2005

Study suggests that subtle breakdowns in attention may offer a reliable clue to Alzheimer's-related dementia

People in early stages of Alzheimer's disease have greater difficulty shifting attention back and forth between competing sources of information, a finding that offers new support for theories that contend breakdowns in attention play an important role in the onset of the disease.

14 Nov 2005

African-American patients have worse quality of life after heart attacks

African-American patients have more chest pain, worse quality of life, and worse physical function than white patients one year after suffering acute coronary syndromes, such as heart attacks or unstable angina, according to a new study in the Nov. 15, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

14 Nov 2005

Circadian rhythm - two key groups of neurons control morning and evening activity

A Brandeis University study published in Nature shows for the first time that a molecular signal maintains coherence among brain clock cells that regulate daily activity of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies).

14 Nov 2005

The relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women

Penn State researchers, who analyzed the responses of midlife women, ages 35 to 55, to a survey on body image, have concluded that the emphasis in U.S. culture on being young and thin has a more important influence than menopause on sexual functioning and satisfaction.

14 Nov 2005

Nonsurgical management of partial adhesive small-bowel obstruction with oral therapy

Obstruction of the intestines due to adhesions resulting from previous abdominal surgery is painful, results in vomiting and dehydration and requires urgent medical and often surgical intervention.

14 Nov 2005

Physical discipline makes children anxious and aggressive

No matter what the cultural norm, children who are physically disciplined with spanking and other such approaches are more likely to be anxious and aggressive than children who are disciplined in other ways.

14 Nov 2005

UW researchers aim to understand the development of gaze-following in babies

Infants begin pulling off an amazing feat sometime in the final three months of their first year of life. They learn an important social interaction by following the gaze of an adult, a step that scientists believe gives babies a leg up on understanding language.

14 Nov 2005

Australian society's obsession with looking younger is set to collide with the reality of an ageing population

According to researcher Mair Underwood, who will present her work at the Emerging Researchers in Ageing (ERA) 2005 conference in Brisbane this week, the current fixation with trying to postpone ageing is increasing and the current older generation may be the last to age gracefully.

14 Nov 2005

Gender affects the way a person's brain responds to humor

Need more evidence that men and women are different? Look no further than the Sunday funnies. According to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study, gender affects the way a person's brain responds to humor.

14 Nov 2005

Fentanyl transdermal patch is an effective way to control pain in children

A new study says using a transdermal patch to deliver the opioid fentanyl is an effective way to control pain in children

14 Nov 2005

Biomedical device allows stem cells derived from adult bone marrow to be grown in sufficient quantities to permit far more research

Human stem cells offer tremendous hope for the development of revolutionary medical treatments for these and a variety of other human health problems.

14 Nov 2005