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For embarrassing memory lapses blame your neurons
Reprinted from Sify News, July 29, 2010
A specific part of our brain processes information about human and animal faces and is responsible for how we recognize them and interpret facial expressions. Now, Israeli researchers are exploring what makes this highly specialized area of the brain unique.
In her “Face Lab” at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Galit Yovel of TAU’s Department of Psychology is trying to understand the mechanisms at work in the face area of the brain called the “fusiform gyrus” of the brain. She is combining cognitive psychology with techniques like brain imaging and electrophysiology to study how the brain processes information about faces. Her most recent research on the brain’s face-processing mechanisms appears in the Journal of Neuroscience and Human Brain Mapping.
The study of face recognition does more than provide an explanation for embarrassing memory lapses. For instance, it may help business executives better match names with faces, and more important can lead to better facial recognition software to identify terrorists or criminals. Similar to faces, bodies are also processed by distinct brain areas. How we perceive faces is not totally intuitive, she says, and therefore raises the question of how this information is combined in our brain to understand how separate face and body areas generate a whole body-image impression. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Mental Health, Middle East, Science on July 29, 2010 - י"ח אב תש"ע at 10:02 am
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Sniffing Device Helps Disabled People Move, Write
Technology Helps Severely Disabled People Use Their Noses to Drive Electric Wheelchairs, Write Text Messages
July 26, 2010 — Israeli scientists have developed a device that allows severely disabled people to sniff to precisely control objects such as wheelchairs and personal digital assistants, a new study says.
The nasal-mask device works so well that disabled people who can’t move at all can learn to write text messages and drive electric wheelchairs by sniffing, researchers report in the July issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Noam Sobel, PhD, of the department of neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and colleagues set out to find a way to allow people with disabilities ranging from quadriplegia to “locked-in syndrome” to learn how to control devices with their noses just as they would using a joystick or computer mouse.
The Weizmann Institute has filed for a patent on sniff-controlled technology, which the researchers report as a possible conflict of interest.
The researchers built a “sniff controller” that measures changes in nasal pressure, which occur when the soft palate (the soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth) is repositioned. The device was tested on healthy and disabled people. The researchers report that sniffing can be done with precision, and that it requires precise movements of the soft palate, which receives signals from cranial nerves that often are not affected by paralytic injury and other disorders. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Recent Posts, Science and Technology, Special Education on July 27, 2010 - ט"ז אב תש"ע at 9:17 pm
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Common Glucose Test for Gestational Diabetes Predicts Type 2 Diabetes
A common test to diagnose gestational diabetes — a temporary condition which can harm both mother and child if left untreated — also has predictive power for Type 2 adult-onset diabetes, a new Tel Aviv University study finds.
Dr. Gabriel Chodick of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine has proven that women who “fail” the glucose challenge test, a series of four blood tests conducted over a single four-hour period, have a higher chance of developing adult onset diabetes later in life. In his latest published research, Dr. Chodick found that nearly half the women who fail all four of the four-part tests, demonstrating an elevated blood sugar level, developed Type 2 diabetes within ten years.
Dr. Chodick’s study statistically proves what has been anecdotally believed by healthcare practitioners in the past. “While doctors take this into consideration, there usually isn’t close follow-up in the clinical setting,” says Dr. Chodick. He says that women in the highest risk group (those who fail all four of the tests) should be given special counseling and intervention to prevent the onset of diabetes, which can greatly diminish quality of life and lead to adverse effects including heart disease, blindness and liver cancer. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Science, Women's Health on July 17, 2010 - ו' אב תש"ע at 10:54 pm
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Autism in the Holy Land: Conference Skyrockets Interest
Av 6, 5770, 17 July 10 11:51
by Ruth Amber Gristak and Maayana Miskin
(Israelnationalnews.com) One in 91 children worldwide, and one in 58 boys, are diagnosed with autism. Where do Jewish children rank in autism numbers? As there is no research in that specific area of autism, there is no answer. In Israel, the official statistic is 1 in 241. “Lack of answer” is the common end point for most questions about autism. There is no definitively known cause for the disorder.
This may be one reason that the Icare4autism 2010 International Autism conference in Jerusalem brought in over 500 attendees from Israel and around the globe. Attendees included educators, researchers, and those touched by autism. This conference was Israel’s first major international autism conference.
The event was held on July 5-6, 2010, by the NY-based, global non-profit, the International Center for Autism Research and Education (Icare4autism). It featured 30 speakers from around the globe and was held at the Ramada- Renaissance Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education Report, Health Sciences, Mental Health, Middle East, Recent Posts, Special Education on July 17, 2010 - ו' אב תש"ע at 9:53 pm
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Psychiatric Times. Vol. 27 No. 7
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Integrative Management of ADHD: What the Evidence Suggests
By James Lake, MD | July 7, 2010
Dr Lake is in private practice in Monterey, Calif, and is on the clinical faculty in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University Hospital. He chairs the American Psychiatric Association Caucus on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine (www.APACAM.org) and is the author of the Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care (Thieme, 2006) and Integrative Mental Health: A Therapist’s Handbook (Norton, 2009).
It is important for mental health professionals to be familiar with emerging research findings about widely used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in order to provide patients with accurate information on efficacy, safety, and appropriate use.
A high percentage of children and adults who have been given a diagnosis of ADHD use alternative therapies alone or in combination with conventional pharmacological treatment.1 More than half of parents of children with ADHD treat their children’s symptoms using 1 or more CAM therapies, most commonly vitamins, dietary changes, and expressive therapies; yet only about 10% disclose use of such nonpharmacological therapies to their child’s pediatrician.2 Most nonpharmacological therapies used to treat ADHD are supported by limited evidence; however, as many as 80% of patients who use herbal preparations and other natural products regard these therapies as the primary treatment of their symptoms.2
Conventional treatment
Stimulant medications, including dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and related compounds, are the most widely used treatments of ADHD. The nonstimulant atomoxetine has less potential for abuse but also may be less effective than stimulants.3 SSRIs and other antidepressants are used with varying degrees of success. Behavioral modification aimed at rewarding desirable behavior and extinguishing disruptive or inappropriate behavior continues to be a mainstay of conventional treatment. Psychotherapy and psychosocial support help reduce anxiety and feelings of loss of control that frequently accompany ADHD. It is estimated that ADHD is correctly diagnosed and treated in fewer than one-fifth of adults, which results in significant social and occupational morbidity.
Limitations and risks of conventional treatment
Long-term amphetamine use in childhood is associated with delays in normal development.4 One-third of individuals of all ages who take stimulants for ADHD report significant adverse effects, including insomnia, decreased appetite, and abdominal pain.5 Cases of stimulant-induced psychosis have also been reported.6 Stimulants and other conventional treatments of ADHD in adults are probably only half as effective as they are in children.4
Adverse effects of nonstimulant drugs used to treat ADHD include hypertension, decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, liver toxicity, insomnia, and seizures. A meta-analysis of 6 controlled trials concluded that stimulant therapy started in childhood reduces the risk of subsequent substance abuse by as much as one-half. In contrast, stimulants started in adolescence or adulthood increase the risk of future substance abuse.7 Nonstimulant medications and extended-release stimulants are less likely to be abused.8 Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education Report, Health Sciences, Mental Health, Recent Posts, Special Education on July 9, 2010 - כ"ז תמוז תש"ע at 11:29 am
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TAU Works on Computer Chip Implant to Treat the Brain
Tammuz 17, 5770, 29 June 10 02:23
by Hana Levi Julian, Arutz Sheva
(Israelnationalnews.com) A team of scientists at Tel Aviv University is working on a project that involves implanting a computer chip into the brain in order to treat conditions such as depression and Parkinson’s disease.
Professor Matti Mintz, a member of the Psychobiology Research Unit at the Department of Psychology, is part of a European consortium that is working on issues relating to neurophysiology, human behavior and mental health.
TAU colleague Professor Yossi Shaham-Diamond is also involved, working on the issue of adding sensors while miniaturizing the size of the deep brain electrodes used to deliver the stimulation. Two other TAU scientists, Professor Hagit Messer-Yaron and Dr. Mira Kalish, are also involved in the project as well as partners from Spain, Austria and England. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Mental Health, Middle East Report, Recent Posts, Science and Technology on June 29, 2010 - י"ז תמוז תש"ע at 9:41 am
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Top 9 Fitness Myths — Busted!
Think you know the facts about getting fit? You may be surprised to learn how many are really fiction.
It’s easy to fall into the trap: A workout buddy passes along an exercise tip, and then you pass it on to several folks you know. Your kid’s coach gives you advice, and sure enough you hear the same thing from several other parents. So you figure it must be true. But experts say that in the world of fitness, myths and half-truths abound – and some of them may be keeping you and your family from getting the best and safest workout.
“Some myths are just harmless half-truths, but many others can actually be harmful,” says professional triathlete and personal coach Eric Harr, author of The Portable Personal Trainer. “They can cause frustration in working out and sometimes even lead to injury,” he notes.
One reason myths get started, says Harr, is that we all react to exercise a little differently. So what’s true for one person may not be true for another.
“In this sense you sometimes have to find your own ‘exercise truths’ – the things that are true for you,” says Harr.
That said, experts say there are also some fitness myths that just need busting, and the sooner the better!
To help put you and your family on the path to a healthier, safer, and more enjoyable workout, WebMD got the lowdown from several top experts on what’s true and what’s not when it comes to exercise tips. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Nutrition & Fitness, Recent Posts on June 16, 2010 - ד' תמוז תש"ע at 10:44 am
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Arab Boy from Jenin Saved in Afula Hospital
Sivan 25, 5770, 07 June 10 12:33
by Hillel Fendel, Arutz Sheva
(Israelnationalnews.com) The antipathy of a Jenin Arab was replaced by appreciation after his son’s life was saved in HaEmek (Valley) Hospital in Afula.
“My son and I are not the same as we were before this happened,” the boy’s father said afterwards, “and I will share this with my family and friends.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on the story.
The incident began this past Thursday, when 15-year-old Mohammed Kalalwe of Jenin, a Palestinian Authority-controlled city in Samaria, was working in the field. At one point, the boy noticed a deadly viper snake and tried killing it with a rock, but he was unable to avoid being bitten in his right palm. Screams and panic ensued, and within minutes, the boy’s father, Hafed, grabbed his stricken son and rushed him to the Jenin Hospital.
The Arab-run hospital was ill-prepared to treat the boy, and despite the common presence of snakes in the area, had no anti-serum. The hospital staff decided to send the boy by ambulance to the HaEmek Medical Center in Afula. Hafed later related that he was genuinely afraid to be taken to the Jewish hospital, because he was sure that he and his son would be ignored. His son’s palm and arm were critically swollen and the pain was unbearable.
The reality of HaEmek contrasted sharply with Hafed’s negative expectations. They were immediately greeted in Arabic and rushed into the emergency room, where the multi-ethnic staff administered life-saving anti-serum and brought the boy back from the brink of death. Mohammed remained in the pediatric intensive care unit for the next two days, and is now resting comfortably in HaEmek’s pediatric surgical department. It is expected that he will be released in the next two days. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Islam, Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts on June 7, 2010 - כ"ה סיון תש"ע at 10:33 am
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Report condemns swine flu experts’ ties to big pharma
Trio of scientists who urged stockpiling had previously been paid, says report
Scientists who drew up the key World Health Organisation guidelines advising governments to stockpile drugs in the event of a flu pandemic had previously been paid by drug companies which stood to profit, according to a report out today.
An investigation by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the not-for-profit reporting unit, shows that WHO guidance issued in 2004 was authored by three scientists who had previously received payment for other work from Roche, which makes Tamiflu, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), manufacturer of Relenza.
City analysts say that pharmaceutical companies banked more than $7bn (£4.8bn) as governments stockpiled drugs. The issue of transparency has risen to the forefront of public health debate after dramatic predictions last year about a swine flu pandemic did not come true.
Some countries, notably Poland, declined to join the panic-buying of vaccines and antivirals triggered when the WHO declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic a year ago this week. The UK, which warned that 65,000 could die as a result of the virus, spent an estimated £1bn stockpiling drugs and vaccines; officials are now attempting to unpick expensive drug contracts.
The cabinet office has launched an inquiry into the cost to the taxpayer of the panic-buying of drugs.
Today, the Council of Europe, produces a damning report into how a lack of openness around “decision making” has bedevilled planning for pandemics. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Business and Commerce, Health Sciences, News Articles, Recent Posts on June 4, 2010 - כ"ב סיון תש"ע at 2:24 pm
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Alzheimer’s Risk Factors & Prevention
Provided as a public service of the American Health Assistance Foundation
On this page, you will find the following:
Risk Factors
Scientists have identified factors that appear to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but no definitive causes have been found for this complex disorder.
Known Risk Factors
- Age: The single greatest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is age. Approximately 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74, and almost half of those 85 years and older are estimated to have Alzheimer’s.
- Genetics: The majority of Alzheimer’s cases are late-onset, usually developing after age 65, and this form of the disease shows no obvious inheritance pattern. However, in some families, clusters of cases are seen. A gene called Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) appears to be a risk factor for the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s. There are three forms of this gene: ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4. Roughly one in four Americans has ApoE4 and one in twenty has ApoE2. While inheritance of ApoE4 increases the risk of developing the disease, ApoE2 substantially protects against it. Some current research is focused on the association between these two forms of ApoE and Alzheimer’s disease. Several other genes also appear to influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and more detailed information is available in the Heredity section.
Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) or early-onset Alzheimer’s is an inherited, rare form of the disease, affecting less than 10 percent of patients. Familial Alzheimer’s Disease develops before age 65, in people as young as 35. It is caused by one of three gene mutations on chromosomes 1, 14 and 21.
Potential Contributing Factors
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Health Sciences, Mental Health, Nutrition & Fitness, Recent Posts on May 12, 2010 - כ"ח אייר תש"ע at 10:51 pm
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