Breakthrough data suggests cognitive behavioral therapy alone is effective when provided by expert therapists

According to current epidemiological data, approximately 1 in 200 young people suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD patients ’obsess’ about thoughts of bad things that can happen (obsessions) and perform repetitive, destructive actions (compulsions) as a means of dealing with those thoughts. OCD can cripple their lives, disrupt their learning, and

New research shows that phonics-based instruction can actually change brain activity in adults with dyslexia, resulting in significant improvements in reading. The findings from a collaborative study by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Georgetown University Medical Center were reported today in the journal Neuron. “With about 112 hours of phonic-based instruction, adults with dyslexia had significant improvements in reading and changes in brain activity while reading,” said L

Linking continuous monitoring of ‘health behaviour’ through non-invasive wearable sensors with decision support HEARTS offers support to healthy, ill, and high-risk people alike.

“The value added of the HEARTS system, which offers continuous monitoring, is its decision support capabilities. This innovative, patient-centric approach involves improved automatic diagnosis features based on disease knowledge. This is gathered by monitoring the ‘health behaviour’ of the wearer,” expl

Red wine may protect against the development of lung cancer in men, suggests research in Thorax, with each daily glass conferring additional benefit. No other type of alcohol seemed to have the same effect, the study found.

The researchers assessed the lifestyles of 132 patients with lung cancer and 187 patients requiring minor surgery at the same hospital in north west Spain between 1999 and 2000.

Everyone was asked about their diet, smoking habits, occupation, and the t

Natural product inhibited anti-inflammatory mediator release from human airway epithelial cells

Homing in on mechanisms for the reported effectiveness of resveratrol, which is found in red wine, researchers at Imperial College London, England, confirmed its broad anti-inflammatory action, and found potential for applications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and possibly even arthritis. Clinical preparation and delivery remain issues, though an aerosol ve

American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association, together representing more than 18,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, today announced their support for government funding of adult and embryonic stem cell research.

The “The AAN and ANA recognize there are differing ethical opinions on the status of embryos that cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of all through medical science alone,” according to American Academy of Neurology president Sand

Researchers devise optical method to safely, effectively stimulate neurons

Biomedical engineers and physicians at Vanderbilt University have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer by discovering a method that uses laser light, rather than electricity, to stimulate and control nerve cells.

The researchers have discovered that low-intensity infrared laser light can spark specific nerves to life, exciting a leg o

’LigAmp’ highly sensitive

Scientists have designed a new molecular tool, dubbed “LigAmp,” to pinpoint DNA mutations among thousands of cells, the equivalent of searching for a single typo in an entire library of books. Preliminary studies in a small number of cell lines and body fluids show the ultra-sensitive test may help detect microscopic cancer and HIV drug resistance.
“Other molecular tests make it very difficult to locate a mutation in a particular cell surrou

Family therapy and other psychological treatments may help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress among teenaged survivors of childhood cancer–as well as among their parents.

In studying a group of 150 families, researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that participants had significantly fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress after a one-day treatment program, compared to a control group who did not receive the treatment. Each family included an

Alzheimer’s, immunization, plaques

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have had preliminary success with a method of immunization intended to dissolve the plaques in brain tissue that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. When injected directly into the brain of mice, antibodies against a plaque protein retarded growth of the plaques by up to two months. No adverse side effects were found. “By injecting the antibodies directly into the brain, we were able to c

Research is racing to help healthcare professionals further understand how periodontal diseases are linked to cardiovascular disease. A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Periodontology explains another reason why people with periodontal diseases are at a significant risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).
The study looked at 108 patients with CAD with a mean age of 59.2 +/- 10.9 years and a group of 62 people without CAD with a similar mean age (57.7 +/- 8.7 years).

Novel methods for transplanting cells into areas damaged by spinal cord injury and experimental drug treatments show promise for aiding those suffering from injury to their spinal cord.

“New animal research brings increasing hope for sufferers of spinal cord injury,” says Oswald Steward, PhD, of the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. “Studies are beginning to invalidate one of the longest held ’truths’ in medicine

Biologists studying the development of plant roots, a general basic model for tissue development, are uncovering new pieces of the puzzle of how one root cell sends its molecular instructions to another in the development process.

Researchers have found hints that the channels by which such molecules move between plant cells may also be mirrored in animal cells. Thus, discoveries about plant development may be more broadly applicable to understanding the fundamental processes

Scientists at Scripps Research Institute use drug to stabilize blood vessels and block metastatic cancer cells from leaving the bloodstream

A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified a potential treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells that has never been tried before. Metastasis is a major problem with cancer because it allows tumor cells to spread to other parts of the body (See Supporting Material: Cancer and Metastasis). While solid tumor

Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms causing the irresistible urges to move and creepy-crawly sensations that characterize restless legs syndrome (RLS), a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

“Our previous studies established a physical cause for RLS showing certain cells in the brain were iron deficient,” said James R. Connor, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine,

In studies with mice that develop the equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease that runs in families, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that brain cells’ signals confuse the movement of implanted neuronal stem cells.

The observation reinforces the idea that disease can create “microenvironments” that affect the behavior of cells. These local environments might help recruit stem cell-based therapies in other conditions, say the researchers. The findings are to be presente