The mysteries of the brain
There's a lot we are still learning about the brain, memory, and disease. Here is an example of recent research on how brain cells clean up old proteins using proteasomes, and why this might matter in treating memory diseases. See what other recent research you can find on neurons, memory, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, or Multiple Sclerosis. Keep it new and give us the link.
21 comments:
It's amazing how researchers have found a way to cure Alzheimer's disease through researching the connection between protein killing nerve cells and memory. I never knew that the more we are able to understand and are capable to learn something, such as basketball for example, allows our synapses to grow stronger for that particular ability. Whereas, if we lack practice our synapses will grow weaker.
I've decided to find more information on the Alzheimer's Disease. There are as many as 5 million Americans who suffer with this brain damaging disease. This disease deals with destroying the brain cells, causing problems with memory,thinking, and other social lifelong activities. This occurs because the brain contains 100 billion neuron cells that take in supplies, generate energy and construct equipment. However, in Alzheimer's disease, these cells stop working well and as the damaged cells continue, they soon die out.
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
BTG plc, a life sciences company is embarking on a Phase I clinical study of a novel treatment for multiple sclerosis. The drug is currently called BGC20-0134 which has the advantage of being taken orally once a day. It is not clear what the cause of multiple sclerosis is, there is strong evidence that autoimmune mechanisms are involved in its development. Studies have revealed that T-cell infiltration causes dysregulation of key pro-inflammatory cytokines which results in myelin loss, neuronal disease and the onset of symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and severe disability. This new drug BGC20-0134 helps restore the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Kings College in London, England has begun clinical trials this month.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/103789.php
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20080501-9999-1n1diab.html
I have decided to do more research on Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer
Disease is a degenerative disease, occurs in old age and results in a memory loss. This website explains about the research done in UCSD where some of the diabetes factor triggers the Alzheimer’s disease. They have found that the diabetes (inability to process insulin) causes a swelling of blood in the brain, in the neural cells. This study has been done in diabetic mice and assumes that this will be applied to humans as well. Research group suggests that Alzheimer’s might be another type of diabetes.
There is not much found on curing Parkinson's Disease and there is no standard treatment for Parkinson's Disease that can slow or stop the disease. Instead therapy is created to control the symptoms. Treatments include medication and surgical therapy. Because individuals with PD have a range of symptoms, the choice of medication varies between individuals. They may need more medicine or new medicine may need to be added to individual patients. Levodopa is a common medicine prescribed and it is altered by brain enzymes to produce dopamine. For most individuals, it reduces the symptoms of slowness, stiffness and tremor and still remains the most effective treatment for many of the symptoms of Parkinson disease. Over the years, a number of substitutes for levodopa have been developed, and these medications are called "dopamine agonists." Yet, there hasn't been much progression in curing the disease or slowing it down. There still needs to be much more research conducted and more time allotted for this disease to be curable.
http://www.parkinson.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=227
I decided to research Parkinson's disease because my Uncle is currently battling the disease. The most recent research I could find was from Science Daily and was published on April 9, 2008. First of all, Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine in the body and a serious decrease in dopaminergic neurons. This article was talking about how Mother cells which produce the neurons targeted by Parkinson's disease have been identified. Scientists used mouse models to study how the brain is formed. They found that these neurons are formed by “radial glia-like cells”. These radial glia cells are familiar to the scientists because they have already been discovered in helping build the brain. By figuring out what these neurons are made of, scientists hope that it will lead to the ability to grow these cells and then repair them in a patient’s brain, and therefore cure the disease. There is still a lot of research to be done, but this is important to Parkinson’s research because scientists have discovered what the neurons affected by the disease are made of.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114604.htm
A DNA vaccine may stop Multiple Sclerosis. The vaccine is designed to go only after cells that cause MS and leave the T-cells alone. This vaccine myelin basic protein or MBP, which is designed to turn off immune responses. This vaccine has been proven to halt the effects of MS. MRI scans have shown that the MS brain lesions began to decrease. These tests are not complete. This study was only done for trial studies and needs to be tested for more results.
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20070813/dna-vaccine-may-stop-ms
I have decided to take a different approach in understanding memory. A group of researchers, some even at UCI, have found a way to block memories from being written or recalled by taking a pill. The question posed in the article revolves around ethics and how it would change society by forgetting the bad things or horrible events in life. Researchers concluded that memories are linked to emotions either positive or negative, to help us have long term recall; like when you burn your finger with a match, negative emotions help you to remember that matches hurt. It is extremely interesting research that brings many things into new light or new interpretations. Even if people begin to further pursue this topic, to create specific beta-blockers, to block specific memories would be very hard and extremely complex.
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/neuro/memory_drugs_sd.html
When I read the article, I found it very interesting that neurons could become stronger or weaker. I thought that they were there and they simply did what they were made to do.
I did my research on multiple sclerosis and found out that this disorder is more commonly found in minority groups. This disorder is thought to be caused by a persons immune system that attacks healthy tissue. It attacks the central nervous system and its affects are commonly seen by vision problems, coordination problems and a list of other problems that have to do with the brain and spinal cord. I researched this information and more can certainly be researched at
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/FAQs-about-MS/index.aspx
Our memory is one of our most important personal possessions that we carry. Degenerating disease such as Alzheimer's destroys our precious memories and we currently have no cure to stop it, but recent research may allow us to see if certain people may have higher chances of being diagnosed with the disease later than life than others.
Alzheimer's is a progressive and fatal disease in which brain cells are destroyed, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. There are some treatments for Alzheimer's symptoms, but there is no cure. (info found at: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp)
http://medheadlines.com/2008/04/08/depression-now-may-mean-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-later/
On this website, recent research published on April 8, 2008 found that having depression now may lead to Alzheimer's disease later in life. This study was funded by the The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the Health Research and Development Council and used 486 people ranging in age from 60 to 90 with no symptoms of dementia. These same people were monitored for about six years each to see if anyone developed Alzheimer’s disease. Of these participant, 134 people reported at least one depressive episode that required medical intervention. During the follow-up period, 33 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease, with participants reporting earlier episodes of depression being 2.5 times more likely to develop the disease than participants who had never been clinically depressed. The risk increased, up to 4 times, for participants suffering depression before turning 60 years old. Participants reporting depressive symptoms at the beginning of the study were no more or less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those not depressed. Researchers are considering one theory in that there is a possible connection between the loss of cells in the hippocampus and the amygdala that occur with depression and the development of Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
I think that this new research will be very helpful is helping to predict if certain people have higher chances of one day being diagnosed with the Alzheimer's disease and hopefully they can try to take preventative measures earlier in life or get the right treatment before it is too late.
I found something really interesting about preventing memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. New research found that a daily cup of coffee may protect against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory loss later in life. The study found caffeine -- the equivalent of one cup of coffee a day -- blocks the effects of a high cholesterol diet on the brain, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease. Also, earlier research found high cholesterol levels can break down the blood-brain barrier leaving the brain exposed to contaminants. It will help protecting your brain and memory. Doctors said that if coffee isn't for you, any caffeinated beverage will work the same way. The research was done on animals but doctors said it supports other studies showing caffeine and its role in protecting against memory loss.
http://www.nbc10.com/health/15785140/detail.html
Much progress has been made dealing with research in Parkinson’s Disease. Scientists are now able to halt the progression of the disease and restoring lost functions. Research is now being done for a final cure as well as prevention of the disease. One of the major areas dealing with Parkinson’s Disease research is genetics. By identifying gene defects scientists are able to gain a better understanding both the inherited and random cases of Parkinson’s. Scientist have discovered that certain variations in the DNA of mitochondria can increase the occurrence of Parkinson’s Disease in someone. Scientists are also taking into consideration the effects of pesticides and herbicides that can cause Parkinson’s. Through the testing on rats, scientists have found that the exposure to the pesticide rotenone causes cell changes like those seen in Parkinson’s Disease. Scientists are also focusing on excitotoxity, the “over stimulation of nerve cells that leads to cell damage or death.”
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm#114883159
The article provided really inspires hope and peace to this mysterious and painful disease of memory, Alzheimer's. I really hope that the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center can continue to experiment with the proteasomes and see if they can strengthen the synapses in order to treat memory loss. Hopefully, in at least several years they can implement such a strategy in hospitals.
This amazing article is about researchers at MIT that have found a way to capture the effect of blocking and unblocking a single neural circuit in a living animal onto a picture. The picture provided depicts a green section which represents the area where the DICE-K technique blocked the neural-signal transmission inside a circuit in the hippocampus region. The understanding of how these transmissions can become blocked is useful in finding better treatments for Alzheimer's patients. The hippocampus is the first region in the brain that is struck by the disease resulting in the first tell-tale signs of disorientation and memory loss. Using the DICE-K technique, researchers learned that the major TSP pathway is required for new memories formed within a new environment. Hopefully with this new technique, these researchers can figure out a way to unblock the signals and thus be able to treat memory loss. To read the article:
http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/new-mit-tool-probes-brain-circuits/#more-716
I have a particular interest in the relationship between memory and the brain. It was really enlightening to read about how memories can be strengthened or weakened depending on proteins in a neuron.
Interested in neurons and how they relate to memory in other ways, I researched and stumbled upon a specific kind of neuron located in the brain called the mirror neuron. Mirror neurons are neurons that fire within the brain when an animal or human (as recent studies have shown) observes another animal or human respectively act in a certain way, and respond to this action by imitation. The mirror neurons are responsible for this particular response.
Further research has led me to find that mirror neurons might be related to autism. The article states that the malfunctioning of mirror neurons is a possible reason for autistic childrens' social isolation, which can be found in the following website: http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Mirror-Neurons-Connected-To-Autism-6224-1/
Also, researchers have found that mirror neurons may play a role in learned communication, and the restuls of such studies on birds and their singing show the progress made in this area of thinking. The article can be found here: http://www.neuroscience-gateway.org/2008/080306/full/nrn2340.shtml
This is Christina Oh by the way
Since most people posted about either the Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, I decided to look up something different that most people including myself have never heard about. It's called the TGA, short for Transient global amnesia. As the name suggest, it's a form of amnesia where you suddenly lose memory of a certain event or can't remember where you are or how you got there, sort of like a hangover of sorts. This isn't like other memory loss diseases and is not due to some sort of trama, head injury or other common neurological condition. It is also not permanent and goes away in about 6 hours and usually doesn't happen twice. Not a lot is yet know about this condition and no one cause has been found nor a cure. A detailed report of this condition can be found at
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic380.htm.
It's really great that researchers have made new discoveries in memory loss treatment. It was surprising to read that by learning something new, the synapses in our neurons actually grow stronger, and that when we no longer use/practice these things, those same synapses get weaker. I guess that's why after some four years of Spanish, I still don't know how to speak it fluently because I barely ever use those synapses in daily life... Aside from that, it's especially wonderful that new treatment methods are currently in development since many families are being torn apart because such memory loss diseases.
I decided to find research on Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system by interfering with signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Its symptoms include limb weakness or paralysis, blurred vision, and difficulties with thought and memory. There is currently no cure of MS.
Research currently being conducted on MS as part of the MS National Research Institute includes a study in which researchers are testing to see if down regulating the disease-causing T cells by use of T cell antigen receptor vaccines can eliminate these pathogens in MS patients. Thus doing can, as the research suggests, fight off the presence of T lymphocytes on the CNS neurons and altogether treat MS. This research is still ongoing, but it offers new hope for MS patients. By regulating autoimmune diseases such as MS, the treated patient can thereby cease the progression of the disease.
http://www.ms-research.org/wilson.html
What causes Multiple Sclerosis is still unknown but there are many ideas of why one would be diagnosed with MS. Genetics play a role in the diagnosed as well as environmental and immunologic. MS is caused by your defense system attacking the myelin. There are also four courses of MS which are: Relapsing-Remitting MS, Primary-Progressive MS, Secondary-Progressive MS, Progressive-Relapsing MS. However the disease takes a very different course on every patient and is therefore very hard to determine.
A new study involving MS is that Prozac reduces the disease activity. Although it was a small research study Prozac did reduce the disease activity. This was an exploratory study and is going to be used for further research.
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/research/research-news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=229
Alzheimer’s Disease is basically a disease that impairs the thought, memory and language part of the brain. Just like any other disease, scientists and doctors discover more and more information about it daily, however, there is still not a successful cure. They do not know what for sure causes Alzheimer’s, but they do know that one of the biggest factors is age and family history. Most people with this disease are over the age of 60 and every five years after that, the incidence level doubles. Even though there is no exact proof that genetics plays a role, they think that a combination of genetics and non-genetic factors may cause it. Scientists think they might have found a lead in a protein called Apolipoprotein E (ApoE). This protein can increase the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease by 15%. Currently, there is really only one true way to diagnose the disease that is figuring out if “there are plaques and tangles in the brain tissue.” And the only real way to find that out is through an autopsy which can only be performed on a dead body. So, at this time only “possible” or “probably” diagnosis are made, but there is a good probably chance of 90% that the doctor’s diagnosis are correct through current technological advances such as medical tests, brain scans, medical history, and careful examination of the patient’s symptoms.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
Researchers at Northwestern University found that scientists have found a drug that slows and maybe even stop the progression of the Parkinson's Disease. They found that a blood pressure drug called isradipine slows down the progress of the Parkinson's disease. This study was shown genetically for lab mice. The drug isradipine is usually prescribed to patients with hypertension and to prevent a stroke. Researchers also found that it restores dopamine cells. Dopamine is "a critical chemical messenger in the brain that affects a person's ability to direct his movements." Study shows that there is not yet a cure for Parkinson's disease. But if isradipine is taken early enough, it could help prevent the disease because it protects dopamine neurons. It also helps people who already have the disease. Effecting more than 1 million people today, Parkinson's disease is the second leading degenerative brain disease in the United States.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=26213
Parkinson's disease, a disease of the brain that eventually causes slowness and difficulty in moving, is typically caused by a lack of dopamine. In the early stages of the disease medicine is successful in treating it. If the disease progresses however, medication is not as successful and surgical treatment may be the only other alternative. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is one of the newest procedures affective in treating Parkinson's. In DBS, chronic stimulative electrodes are implanted in the brain that produce electical impulses deep within the brain. A pacemaker-like device is placed in the brain during a second procedure, that helps the patient manage whether the device is turned on or not.
http://www.disaboom.com/Health/parkinsonsdisease/introduction.aspx
I think its always interesting to find new and breaking research that deals with memory.Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.As with my family, early onset Alzheimer's seems to be a disease that has taken a toll on my family. Im always trying to read and find new information about the disease. however, it seems to be no real way of preventing the disease. Almost everyday there appears to be a new way of preventing the on set of the disease. In the article i found it said that those who take ibprofin on a regular basis for five years may be able to lessen the development of the disease. yet the paper suggests not to try it.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/05/06/health-buzz-ibuprofen-and-alzheimers-and-other-health-news.html
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