Brain exercises may slow cognitive decline initially, but speed up dementia later

ST. PAUL, Minn. – New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age. The research is published in the September 1, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Concussions in young athletes on the rise

New study from Hasbro Children’s Hospital reports on youth sports-related concussions

PROVIDENCE, RI – A new study from Hasbro Children’s Hospital finds visits to emergency departments for concussions that occurred during organized team sports have increased dramatically over a 10-year period, and appear to be highest in ice hockey and football. The number of sports-related concussions is highest in high school-aged athletes, but the number in younger athletes is significant and rising. The study is published in the September 2010 issue of Pediatrics and is now available online ahead of print.

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Scientists find link in humans between nerve cell production, memory

Production of new nerve cells in the human brain is linked to learning and memory, according to a new study from the University of Florida. The research is the first to show such a link in humans. The findings, published online and in an upcoming print issue of the journal Brain, provide clues about processes involved in age- and health-related memory loss and reveal potential cellular targets for drug therapy.

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Researchers urge reclassification of traumatic brain injury as chronic disease

Study shows brain trauma associated with lifelong conditions that affect quality of life and mortality

GALVESTON – Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

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UCI-Scripps study links cellular motors to memory

Findings add new dimension to how memories are encoded, suggest new therapeutic targets

Functioning much like gears in a machine, cellular motor proteins are critical to dynamic functions throughout the body, including muscle contraction, cell migration and cellular growth processes. Now, neuroscientists from UC Irvine and the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute report that motor proteins also play a critical role in the stabilization of long-term memories. The findings add an unexpected dimension to the story of how memories are encoded and suggest new targets for therapeutic interventions.

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Double-therapy approach effectively inhibited brain cancer recurrence

PHILADELPHIA — Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School have identified a novel approach of combining chemotherapy with a targeted therapy to decrease the recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive brain tumor.

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Scripps Research scientists uncover new mechanism of memory formation

New findings could lead to better treatments for memory disorders

JUPITER, FL, August 24, 2010 –- Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a mechanism that plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. The findings shed substantial new light on aspects of how memory is formed, and could lead to novel treatments for memory disorders.

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Cost of prostate cancer care varies with initial treatment choice

A new analysis has found that short-term and long-term costs of prostate cancer care vary considerably based on which treatment strategy a man initially receives. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study finds that treatments that may be less expensive in the short-term may have higher long-term costs.

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Antibiotic may reduce stroke risk and injury in diabetics

AUGUSTA, Ga. - A daily dose of an old antibiotic may help diabetics avoid a stroke or at least minimize its damage, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

Minocycline, a drug already under study at MCG for stroke treatment, may help diabetics reduce remodeling of blood vessels in the brain that increases their stroke risk and help stop bleeding that often follows a stroke, said Dr. Adviye Ergul, physiologist in the MCG Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies.

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U of M researchers identify 2 FDA approved drugs that may fight HIV

In the mouse model, the two drugs combined to eliminate the HIV virus

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center have identified two drugs that, when combined, may serve as an effective treatment for HIV.

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