Technology has been used in a variety of innovative ways to improve patient care in different settings. For people with schizophrenia, text messaging to the person helped them to achieve more of their goals in one study (15). In another study, the use of kinematic data collected while people were completing the clock drawing test was helpful in disease categorisation (69). A Chinese study showed benefits for virtual reality cognitive training in older adults with schizophrenia (18). Also the US Heart Association has approved the use of video games (47). There has also been a call for a discussion of the ethical issues involved in using surveillance technology in homes for people with dementia (71). Other findings of interest included an estimated age of 76 for accelerated hippocampal atrophy in those without dementia (72), the importance of the Hippocampal subfields in PTSD (57), Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment (8) (which is a marker for just how much the resolution of imaging technology is improving), the benefits of cognitive enhancers in reducing grey matter loss in people with schizophrenia, an increase in hippocampal volume after a period of exercise in people with schizophrenia (61), apathy was associated with both functional decline at 13 year follow-up in the Baltimore ECA Longitudinal study (66) and also with risk of cardiovascular events (52). A useful finding was that greater purpose in life was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s Disease at 7-year follow-up (56). An increasing prevalence of dementia is being found in the oldest old (38). Brain capillaries have been found to clear debris (29). The RedUSE study found benefits from a pharmacist led program in examining prescribing for residents in care homes (73).
The benefits of brushing the teeth on cardiovascular health were identified in one study (45) and this might perhaps be relevant to another study in which there was a high prevalence of dental health problems in community dwelling older adults with mental illnesses compared to a control group (68). There was a finding that I was surprised by – that although grey matter reduces with weight in Anorexia Nervosa, it increases with an increase in weight and it will certainly be interesting to see if these findings are replicated and then to investigate the underlying physiology (26). There is a useful chemistry news resource identified by David Bradley – Chem voice while over at PLOS One there is a paper on how imaging figures are presented in the medical literature. Mind Hacks has another Spike Activity in which VB looks at a recent debate on Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder, as well as looking at ancient Egyptian neuroscience in this article and Inca neuroscience in this article.
A reinterpretation of Mesoamerican civilisation is being brought about by the finding that while Mesoamericans were producing rubber 3600 years ago they had developed further chemical processes to refine the rubber at this time. They used the rubber in shoes among other applications. There is also an ongoing debate about Ardi (13) – the ‘find of the century’ – around the issue of whether he was more man than ape and whether he was living in woodland or savannah. There is good coverage here. Also an ambitious scientist is attempting to detail the wiring of the brain in what is referred to as the connectome project.
- Lit review comparing memantine and ACHEI’s tolerability data
- Planning ability predicts cortical thickness in memory-type mild cognitive impairment
- EEG + Statistical pattern recognition helpful in identifying Alz D more res needed
- Delayed memory index not other tests helpful in distinguishing Alz D and SVasc Dem
- Squirrel monkeys develop senile plaques but NE enzyme distribution now characterised
- Diffuse Tensor Imaging findings predict risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in small study
- cardiovascular risk associated with memory in elderly women
- Fascinating – prediction of AD and MCI using hippocampal subdivisions
- Genetics and neuroimaging predict memory in Alzheimer’s Disease
- Predicting cognitive scores from MRI – ADNI
- Automated hippocampal measurement ADNI
- Benefits of understanding evolution
- Oldest human ancestor or not?
- Von Economo cells enable connections with multiple brain regions Small study finds Von Economo neuron density reduced in ACC in early onset schizophrenia compared to controls http://bit.ly/bTyGKu
- service SMS txt messgs improve goals achieved for people with schizophrenia in small trial n=62 http://bit.ly/cWu7zv
- case-control study – schizophrenia associated with thinner entorhinal cortex http://bit.ly/96glq5
- Review of gamma-osciallations, NMDA and schizophrenia http://bit.ly/aRGyrI
- small chinese study shows benefit of virtual reality cognitive training in older adults with schizophrenia http://bit.ly/dB1ZBZ
- 17% of consecutive outpatients in Co Tyrone study prescribed multiple antipsychotics http://bit.ly/9TIPbl
- Diabetes and patterns of antipsychotic prescribing in Japan http://bit.ly/bZYXdH
- Spanish study on prevalence of smoking in Schizophrenia and cardiovascular risk (n=1704)
- Venkatasubramanian study – case control corpus callosum body/genu smaller in schizophrenia http://bit.ly/br7YCt
- rating voices for male dominance http://bit.ly/aNEpiv
- complex results of experience in driving for detecting hazards http://bit.ly/aWFy9X
- software – Powerpoint – has democratised strategy suggests one researcher http://bit.ly/cHg600
- Intriguing! Grey matter volume decreases and increases with weight in this study of Anorexia Nervosa http://bit.ly/aYHJmM
- GGA3 protein prevents build up of Alzheimer D related enzyme BACE http://bit.ly/cRwzJj
- small study with continuous arterial spin labelling shows reduced frontal + parietal flow in pple with schizophrenia http://bit.ly/cO78zf
- murine study suggests that brain capillaries clear debris http://bit.ly/dBOZjd
- Nature study reveals new cell involved in neurodevelopment + possibly big human evolution role http://bit.ly/9Y9fxa
- ‘Neuron’ study suggests that ‘Junk’ EEG data holds big secrets http://bit.ly/cthEET
- German researchers turn astrocytes into neurons http://bit.ly/dakH1z
- Amyloid imaging conference http://bit.ly/aZaKjw
- Memory stored in DNA via methylation – Nat Neurosci http://bit.ly/9uE2K4
- Different causes of psychomotor slowing in Alz D and Lewy Body Dementia http://bit.ly/dgDaoC
- 35-year longitudinal study – Assoc between psychological stress in midlife females and later dementia http://bit.ly/aOL78N
- small (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging suggests involvement of hippocampus in panic disorder http://bit.ly/cEpJP1
- Date from 90+ study suggests increasing prevalence of dementia in oldest old http://bit.ly/axowwB
- cortical ACh low in PD, MSA- PD and SNP subcortical ACh lower in MSA-PD and PSP http://bit.ly/auKc2C
- study suggests more autopsy studies needed to assess FDG-PET in antemortem dementia diagnosis http://bit.ly/cwXPbe
- upper + lower extremity performance related to functional performance in Alz D (n=371) http://bit.ly/d2OlcS
- comparison of progression in Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease http://bit.ly/9df8Z6
- Kaplan-Meier analysis in Dementia using MMSE scores http://bit.ly/bJt5IQ
- Very small study (n=4) shows evidence of benefits of spaced-retrieval on name-face-occupation in ppl with Alz D http://bit.ly/bcxR4S
- Brushing teeth and cardiovascular risk http://bit.ly/djFx0b
- Should health policy focus on exercise rather than obesity BMJ commentary http://bit.ly/c2g4fH
- US heart association approves video games http://bit.ly/bUJgdc
- preventing falls in the community BMJ full article http://bit.ly/bCnnJh
- Small study finds reduced grey matter loss over 2 years in ppl with schizophrenia on cognitive enhancers http://bit.ly/92buEe
- War in Balkans associated with mood disorders http://bit.ly/bgRiwn but not substance misuse.
- TMS v Sham. Benefit of TMS in depression (n=199) http://bit.ly/9MRcgT
- Is anhedonia another risk factor for cardiac events? http://bit.ly/asZL5u
- Facebook group aims to collect 100,000 samples from oil spill http://bit.ly/beHaC5
- Evidence for Mild cognitive impairment prodrome in subj mem imp – I suspect there will be many false +ve’s http://bit.ly/99vafk
- IOP study grey matter and vulnerability for psychopathy traits http://bit.ly/dkxkkl
- Greater purpose in life associated with reduced risk of Alz Dis in 7 year f/u study http://bit.ly/9tluWZ
- MRI study shows hippocampus subfield deficits in PTSD http://bit.ly/ddnsOC
- Vascular depression hypothesis supported by study – categorisation by wm hyperintensities and neuropsych http://bit.ly/d7vyTS
- Frontal striatal and visual systems altered activity in fMRI study of body dysmorphic disorder http://bit.ly/cT8b93
- Small placebo-controlled trial – escit assoc with increased cog function post-cva http://bit.ly/b26Byz
- Hippocampal volume increase in ppl with schizophrenai after exercise http://bit.ly/cQQX5C
- Comparing salaries assoc with less contentment http://bit.ly/bWXoL2
- Psychiatrist visit to confused Gorilla in Zoo http://bit.ly/aqTCaU
- Higher prevalence of apathy & depression in Alz D than Mild Cog Imp in this study (n=245) http://bit.ly/avSHzo
- Brazilian community older adult study (n=15491), prev: Dep – 7%, clin sig dep sx 26%, sig assoc both with cv dis http://bit.ly/czOyeX
- Baltimore ECA Long Study – Apathy sig assoc with functional decline at 13-y f/u http://bit.ly/9eookK
- Replication needed but systemic rv suggests persistent delirium assoc with hypoxia, del severity among others http://bit.ly/aEXsiw
- UK study finds increased dental problems associated with mental illness in community-living older adults http://bit.ly/bODtIk
- Kinematic data during clock drawing helpful in classifying disease in older adults http://bit.ly/aNFwkU
- Homocysteine assoc with hippocampal atrophy in older adults with hypertension (n=80) http://bit.ly/cs7BXT
- Call for discussion of ethical implications of using surveillance technologies in res homes for ppl with dementia http://bit.ly/d9cScU
- Age at which hippocampal atrophy accelerates estimated in ppl without dementia (n=544) http://bit.ly/dD2DHq
- Australian pharmacist-led RedUse project shows reduction in benzo and antipsych use in nursing homes http://bit.ly/af9NQw
- ceiling and floor effects of MMSE explored in Mexican study http://bit.ly/b5vzqc
- Systematic review concludes that clock drawing test should not be used as screening tool for mild cog impairment http://bit.ly/beKKVM
- Educational theories and older adult liaison psychiatry training provision http://bit.ly/8YQBPN
- Interruption of doctors impact on tasks detailed http://bit.ly/cINch6
- study looking at supported employment efficacy – free full text http://bit.ly/baO2JC
- study shows benefit of early intervention in panic disorder http://bit.ly/9vdj0K
- study finds significant differences between psychiatric and non-psychiatric drug adverts in two journals http://bit.ly/aaaca2
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