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New 'deep brain stimulation’ technique to cure depression?
Severely depressed patients who do not respond to conventional therapy may be helped by deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to the most-extensive study to date of the experimental procedure, Nature reports today.
In a clinical trial in Toronto, Canada, 12 out of 20 patients who had stimulating electrodes placed in a brain area called the subcallosal cingulated gyrus showed significant improvement in their depression, with seven of them going into full remission.
The benefits lasted at least a year, according to the results published this week in the journal Biological Psychiatry1. Patients in the study had failed to respond to cognitive therapy, antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsant therapy.
Neurologists think that the therapy works by activating or damping down particular brain circuits. At the moment, no-one knows which of the targets within these circuits will eventually prove to be the most optimal.
Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, a company based in Piano, Texas, that makes DBS electrodes, is now sponsoring a double-blind, controlled phase III trial on up to 200 patients at three centres in the United States.
Participants in the study, called BROADEN (Brodmann Area 25 Deep Brain Neuromodulation), will have DBS devices implanted, targeting the same part of the brain as the Canadian study. Half of the devices will be switched on immediately after surgery, while the other half will wait for six months before being stimulated. Neither the patients nor the scientists and clinicians will know who is switched on at any particular time. The study is expected to take several years to complete.
“In the meantime we need to know why some of the patients don’t respond at all,” says Mayberg. “Are we missing the target, or are there different subtypes of the disease?” Her team is now trying to find out how to identify those who will respond to DBS, and those who won’t. “Brain surgery is not like getting your nails done, so it is important to try to find out who will benefit.”
The centres are also investigating the value of DBS in other psychiatric disturbances, such as obsessive compulsive disorder and addiction.
Will this new technique revolutionise how depression is treated? Would you have such drastic treatment if you were experiencing depression? And does this mean that depression is simply a neurological illness, and not a product of situation or experience?
Severely depressed patients who do not respond to conventional therapy may be helped by deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to the... more -
HIV symptoms not being diagnosed properly, claims charity
People showing the symptoms of early-stage HIV infection are routinely being misdiagnosed by doctors, according to a report by the National AIDS Trust.
NAT, the UK’s leading independent policy and campaigning charity on HIV and AIDS, has found that in one Brighton study, almost half of those who sought medical advice for what eventually turned out to be HIV symptoms were not diagnosed correctly.
Symptoms of early-stage HIV include sore throat, fever and rash and will show within two to six weeks of infection in 70-90 per cent of cases.
But the study found that GPs and other healthcare professionals were commonly dismissing these symptoms as signs of common viral infections, with comments such as: "Probably glandular fever" or "Come back in two weeks if you’re not feeling better."
NAT argues that while these symptoms may seem innocuous, coupled with recent risky behaviour, they should suggest possible HIV infection and the need for a HIV test.
"Diagnosing HIV at an early stage could have a significant impact on reducing HIV infections in the UK," said NAT Chief Executive Deborah Jack.
"Our advice is simple; if you suspect you may have been infected with HIV seek medical advice immediately. Do not wait."
HIV testing has seen great advances in recent years. The majority of cases can now be diagnosed from 12 days after infection.
However, the figures for HIV infection rates in the UK remain high. Over 80,000 people live with HIV.
A third of people with HIV are not diagnosed, and a third of those that are diagnosed are diagnosed late.
Should patients have to specify if they're potentially high-risk for exposure to HIV on a routine visit to the doctor with something like a sore throat, fever and rash, when they could be perfectly benign symptoms? Is it up to the GP to search out this kind of sensitive information, or is it for the patient to volunteer it? Is it possible to have a trusting and sympathetic relationship with your GP (I've rarely seen the same one twice in my local surgery) or does that not even matter?
People showing the symptoms of early-stage HIV infection are routinely being misdiagnosed by doctors, according to a report by the Nat... more -
Viagra for depressed women
Studies have found that Sildenafil, marketed as Viagra, could give a boost to women whose sex lives have been damaged by being on antidepressants. The pill is known to increase blood flow to the clitoris and has already been known to improve sexual performance in men on antidepressant medication, and now evidence suggests the same could be true for women. However, it is unlikely that doctors will be approved to give Viagra to women on antidepressants any time soon, New Scientist predicts.
More pills to combat the side-effects of other pills... *sigh* there must be other ways.. Studies have found that Sildenafil, marketed as Viagra, could give a boost to women whose sex lives have been damaged by being on anti... more -
Can Schizophrenia Be Cured Before It Starts?
A new mix of therapy and medication may stave off psychosis among teens at risk.
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Is U.N. deadline to control malaria just wishful thinking?
In a dramatic call to action in April, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon—backed by the African Union, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, ExxonMobil, the World Bank, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, among other key international organizations and businesses—set a timetable for comprehensive malaria control in Africa by the end of 2010. In a dramatic call to action in April, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon—backed by the African Union, the World Health Orga... more
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Man-frog hybrids aid autism research
Human-frog hybrids might reveal the neurological secrets of autism. By fusing cells from the preserved brains of deceased autistic patients with the eggs of Xenopus, a carnivorous African frog, scientists can investigate the way the brain cells of people with autism behave. The eggs work a little like human neurons, the hybrid cells acting as a surrogate of a living brain with the condition. Researchers have previously used this technique to study epilepsy, and hope that it can also help combat depression and Parkinsons, by identifying the right neurotransmitters to tweak. Human-frog hybrids might reveal the neurological secrets of autism. By fusing cells from the preserved brains of deceased autistic pa... more
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How to treat the 5 most common headaches - Health - MSNBC.com
It's critical to identify which type of headache you suffer from so that the correct treatment can be prescribed. In one 2004 study, 80 percent of patients with a recent history of self-described or doctor-diagnosed sinus headache — but none of the signs of sinus infection — actually met the criteria for migraine. And two-thirds of those patients expressed dissatisfaction with the medications they were using to treat their headaches. Health.com has a cheat sheet to help you put a name to your pain and how to treat it.
Tension headaches
Tension headaches, the most common type, feel like a constant ache or pressure around the head, especially at the temples or back of the head and neck. Not as severe as migraines, they are not usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and they rarely stop someone from continuing their regular activities.
What to do: Over-the-counter treatments, such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Tylenol), are usually sufficient to treat tension headaches, which experts believe may be caused by contraction of neck and scalp muscles (including in response to stress), and possibly changes in brain chemicals.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches, which affect men more often than women, are recurring headaches that occur in groups or cycles. The headaches appear suddenly and are characterized by severe, debilitating pain on one side of the head, often accompanied by a watery eye and nasal congestion or a runny nose on the same side of the face. During an attack, sufferers are often restless and unable to get comfortable and not likely to lie down the way someone with a migraine usually does. The cause of cluster headaches is unknown, but they may have some genetic component.
What to do: There is no cure, but medications such as Verapamil or Lithium can reduce the frequency and duration of attacks. Breathing in 100 percent oxygen can also treat these headaches in many cases.
Sinus headaches
When a sinus becomes inflamed, usually through an infection, it can cause pain. It usually comes with a fever, and can — if necessary — be diagnosed by MRI or CT scan (which can both detect changes in fluid levels), or by the presence of pus viewed through a fiber-optic scope.
What to do: Headaches due to sinus infection can be treated with antibiotics, as well as antihistamines or decongestants.
Rebound headaches
Overuse of painkillers for headaches can, ironically, lead to rebound headaches. Culprits include over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), as well as prescription drugs. One theory is that too much medication can cause the brain to shift into an excited state, triggering more headaches. Another is that the headaches are a symptom of withdrawal as the level of medicine drops in the bloodstream.
What to do: The most effective treatment is to slowly wean yourself off headache medicines — especially painkillers. Even better is prevention: Do not use any acute headache medicine more than 10 days per month.
Migraine headaches
Migraine headaches come from a neurological disorder that can run in families and are defined by certain criteria.
At least five previous episodes of headaches
Lasting between four hours and 72 hours
Having at least two out of four of these features: one-sided pain, throbbing pain, moderate-to-severe pain, and pain that interferes with, is worsened by, or prohibits routine activity
Having at least one associated feature: nausea and/or vomiting, or, if those are not present, then sensitivity to light and sound.
What to do: Mild migraines may respond to over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or naproxen, or acetaminophen. For more severe migraines a prescription medicine may be required. It's critical to identify which type of headache you suffer from so that the correct treatment can be prescribed. In one 2004 study, 8... more -
Old hayfever treatment could be best Alzheimer's drug
An abandoned drug rescued from the scrapheap has provided the best results yet of any drug against the disease, and is also the first to continue improving symptoms of patients the longer they take it.
Developed as an antihistamine in Russia and newly tested for a year on 120 Alzheimer's patients, the drug Dimebon raised standard scores of practical cognitive abilities to almost 7 points above those receiving placebo, a relatively large difference on a 70-point scale. An abandoned drug rescued from the scrapheap has provided the best results yet of any drug against the disease, and is also the first ... more -
Group backs medical pot
LaVonne Victor is not a criminal, but sometimes she feels like one.
"Why?" she asked emphatically. "Why should we be made to feel like lawbreakers when we're only taking what our doctors prescribed?"
Victor, a Temecula resident, is talking about medical marijuana. It's a volatile subject, and the ongoing debate over its use is a source of great concern for people like her. A new support group in Riverside is offering help.
Victor suffers from multiple sclerosis, seizures and agoraphobia. She's taken many traditional medications with little results and life-altering side effects including depression, mood swings and exhaustion.
About nine years ago her husband attended Hempfest, an event promoting the positive aspects of cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves derived from the hemp plant cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short. THC acts on specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high users experience. Cannabis can be smoked, cooked into foods and ingested from a vapor.
After talking to several doctors, Victor's husband thought the infamous plant might help her. She obtained a legal prescription and started taking the cannabis. Her health improved, and she showed no side effects.
There are thousands of stories like Victor's, where cannabis has succeeded in relieving excruciating pain when traditional medications have failed. LaVonne Victor is not a criminal, but sometimes she feels like one. ... more -
How cells die determines whether immune system mounts response
Every moment we live, cells in our bodies are dying. One type of cell death activates an immune response while another type doesn't
"Cells die in two general ways: apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and necrosis, which results from injuries and infections," says Thomas A. Ferguson, Ph.D., a senior investigator on the study and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University. "In general, we don't want the immune system to respond to apoptosis, but we do want an immune response following necrosis because necrotic death can be a sign of infection. Necrotic cells release components to stimulate the immune system, and one is the HMGB1molecule."
"Apoptosis is an orderly death that occurs during development and tissue turnover, and it's an important process that allows us to replace old, worn-out cells with fresh, new ones," says Green. "We don't need the immune system paying attention as our cells die through apoptosis. When it does react to apoptosis, we can develop autoimmunity, as in diabetes, arthritis and other autoimmune diseases in which the immune system will attack the 'self.' Every moment we live, cells in our bodies are dying. One type of cell death activates an immune response while another type doesn't ... more -
Scan detects obsessive-compulsive disorder
"Scientists say they have pinpointed differences in the way the brains of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) work.
OCD provokes recurrent irrational thoughts such as fears about contamination or accidents, and compulsion to follow fixed rituals.
Scans revealed less activity in a particular region of the brains of both OCD patients and their close relatives.
It is estimated that between 2% and 3% of the population will suffer some kind of OCD at some point in their lives.
To try to provoke an "OCD" response, they were asked to choose between pictures on two screens side by side, one of which had been randomly selected as the "target".
The pictures would alternate between left and right, and the volunteer was given occasional feedback as to whether the right target was being chosen.
The test was designed to stimulate "behavioural flexibility", one of the known problems in people with OCD.
In volunteers without OCD, or a family history of the condition, the test caused activity in a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex.
However, in both the people with diagnosed OCD, and their relatives, the amount of activity was much lower.
"What it could do is help test the effectiveness of interventions for OCD, and the more we learn about which parts of the brain are being activated, the more chance we have of understanding the condition better." "Scientists say they have pinpointed differences in the way the brains of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) work. ... more -
Vomiting dummy for medic training
"A dummy that moves and feels like a real patient and can bleed, vomit and sweat has been unveiled as the latest training tool for health professionals.
The remote-controlled mannequin, called iStan, has been created by the University of Portsmouth.
The £40,000 model is set to help provide realistic training for doctors, nurses and dentists.
It has been designed to replicate a human's anatomical structure, from the skeleton to the eyes.
iStan has pupils which can dilate and contract, its skin can have goosebumps and sweat and it can suffer a heart attack.
Its blood pressure can also fall, internal organs bleed, lungs collapse and its bowels make realistic sounds.
The model can also help doctors dealing with stab victims by simulating a bowel protruding from the stomach.
Professor Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds, said: "He can be used in real-world situations."
"For paramedic students he can be put in a crashed car or collapsed at the foot of some stairs, which is precisely the sort of situation they are likely to encounter in the real world.
"He can have a cardiac arrest or an adverse drug reaction in a dental chair, allowing staff and students in dentistry to practise skills that they could not keep honed using their patients."
Phil Ashwell, a healthcare professional who teaches at the university, said: "The mannequins suspend disbelief and bring healthcare to life which means the quality of casualty care will improve.
"The students are very lucky to learn in this safe environment. When I was training all we had to practise on was 'Resus Annie', a folded up mannequin in a suitcase.
"Some of the students are a bit wary when they first meet the simulators because they are so realistic.
"But once they have started practising on one they are fine and they learn so much faster and in more depth."
Trust, I see the benefit- but I train CPR/First Aid at my job, and let's just say I'm REALLY glad the "Annie" we use doesn't puke all over me and my trainee. It is pretty wild though!
"A dummy that moves and feels like a real patient and can bleed, vomit and sweat has been unveiled as the latest training tool for hea... more -
Treating Thousands of Malnourished Children In Ethiopia
In the past month Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has admitted more than 4,000 severely malnourished children into its nutritional programs in the Oromiya and Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s regions (SNNPR) of southern Ethiopia. On May 13, MSF set up a stabilization center to provide 24-hour medical care to severely malnourished children suffering from complications such as malaria or pneumonia in Ropi, Oromiya region. Since then two more centers have been set up in Senbete Shinquille and Shashemene, Oromiya region. In total 927 children have been admitted to these three centers, with 290 currently receiving care.
Many of them are suffering from kwashiorkor—a form of edema caused by malnutrition, which manifests in liquid retention in the legs and feet. Kwashiorkor is a serious condition that can lead to death from heart failure or other complications.
Children who are not suffering from complications are treated on an outpatient basis in outpatient therapeutic programs. They are provided with therapeutic food on a weekly basis, but are able to stay at home with their families. They return to these outpatient centers every week to be monitored by MSF medical staff and can be referred to a stabilization centre if necessary. In Oromiya MSF has eleven such outpatient centers in various locations throughout the region.
On June 2, MSF teams also started working in the Kambata zone of SNNPR. One stabilization center has been set up in Kachabira district. As of June 13, 150 children were receiving medical care there. Four outpatient centers have also been established; two in Kachabira district and two in Hadero district. In the last two weeks, more than 900 severely malnourished children have been admitted into these programs and are receiving therapeutic food.
In the coming days MSF will continue to expand its activities by increasing the number of outpatient centers in both Oromiya and SNNPR. In addition, MSF teams will continue to carry out assessments in order to identify the worst affected areas and respond where necessary.
The above is from the site for MSF:
http://doctorswithoutborders.org
In the past month Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has admitted more than 4,000 severely malnourished children i... more -
'Wrong' woman given abortion
"The wrong woman was given a chemical abortion tablet after a nurse mixed up two patients with the same first name, a misconduct hearing has heard. Ann Downer gave the drug to the woman who had only gone into her clinic for an initial consultation. She had not decided to have a termination when the nurse gave her the drug.
When staff realised what had happened the distraught woman was called back to the clinic in pain and doctors subsequently advised her to undergo a surgical abortion. Miss Downer, 44, should have administered the drug to a second patient who was in the later stages of a chemical termination, the Nursing and Midwifery Council was told.
The first woman attended the Calthorpe Clinic in Edgbaston, Birmingham - which offers abortion, sterilisation and vasectomy - in October, 2006.
Another patient with the same name was due to have the drugs for the second stage of her medical abortion, only undertaken on women who have been pregnant for less than nine weeks.
The clinic's usual practice was to only call out first names of patients to protect their confidentiality while in the waiting room.
Once the patient was in a private room, other details, like their full name, date of birth and address, were checked to make sure they were the person the nurse was expecting."
By Michael Seamark "The wrong woman was given a chemical abortion tablet after a nurse mixed up two patients with the same first name, a misconduct heari... more -
Catholic Insight: Abortion
Archive of articles on the abortion issue in Canada's Catholic magazine of social and political analysis
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It's time to talk about abortion | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features
Alone among developed countries, Canada has no abortion law. Is 'settling' for a non-decision any way for a democracy to behave?
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Knights of Columbus Calls on All 230,000 Members to Demand Morgentaler Award be Re...
In a letter sent to the Canadian Governor General yesterday, Natale Gallo, the President of the Canadian Association of Knights of Columbus, demanded that the Order of Canada, which was awarded to abortionist Henry Morgentaler on Canada Day (July 1st), be "rescinded immediately." In addition, the Knights have called on all their 230,000 members and families in Canada to lobby to demand that the decision to award the Order to Morgentaler be revoked. In a letter sent to the Canadian Governor General yesterday, Natale Gallo, the President of the Canadian Association of Knights of Col... more
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Medical Magic Mushrooms
UCLA's Dr. Charles Grob discusses his research into the psychiatric and medical uses of psilocybin cubensis, also known as magic mushrooms.
This video is a clip from AMERICAN DRUG WAR: the last white hope - http://www.americandrugwar.com
UCLA's Dr. Charles Grob discusses his research into the psychiatric and medical uses of psilocybin cubensis, also known as magic mushr... more -
Woman wakes from surgery to find panty-line tattoo
"A New Jersey woman has sued her orthopedic surgeon after awakening from surgery to find a temporary tattoo below her panty line.
Elizabeth Mateo, of Camden County, N.J., filed her lawsuit Tuesday saying she found "a temporary tattoo of a red rose" below her panty line the morning after her surgery for a herniated disc, her attorney, Gregg A. Shivers, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"She was extremely emotionally upset by it," Shivers told the paper.
Her surgeon, Steven Kirshner, does not deny he placed a tattoo on Mateo. His lawyer, Robert Agre, told the Inquirer that the doctor has left washable marks on patients before to improve their spirits as they heal.
"What's offensive about this complaint is that it suggests something he did was intended to be prurient, and nothing could be further from the truth," Agre told the paper. "It was intended just to make the patient feel better."
Mateo is seeking punitive and compensatory damages."
What do you think- is this doctor a weirdo creep or is the woman going overboard? "A New Jersey woman has sued her orthopedic surgeon after awakening from surgery to find a temporary tattoo below her panty line. ... more -
Surgeons taking kidneys... through the navel!?
Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it.
The kidney was removed through a single incision in his bellybutton, a surgical procedure Cleveland Clinic doctors say will reduce recovery time and leave almost no scarring.
Preliminary data from the first nine donors who had the bellybutton procedure showed they recovered in just under a month, while donors who underwent the standard laparoscopic procedure with four to six "key hole" incisions took just longer than three months to recover.
"This represents an advance, for the field of surgery in general," said Gill, who predicted the bellybutton entry would be used increasingly for major abdominal surgery in a "nearly scar-free" way.
Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it. ... more
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