The Diet Factor in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – State-of-the-Art Review Article in Pediatrics

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Diets that were tried in attempt to reduce symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) include:

- sugar-restricted
- additive/preservative-free
- oligoantigenic/elimination
- fatty acid supplements

Omega?3 supplement is the latest dietary treatment with positive reports of efficacy. Interest in the additive-free diet of the 1970s is occasionally revived.

Provocative reports have drawn attention to the ADHD-associated “Western-style” diet, high in fat and refined sugars, and the ADHD-free “healthy” diet, containing fiber, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Indications for dietary therapy include:

- medication failure
- parental or patient preference
- iron deficiency
- change from an ADHD-linked Western diet to an ADHD-free healthy diet, when appropriate

In practice, additive-free and oligoantigenic/elimination diets are time-consuming and disruptive to the household; they are indicated only in selected patients.

Iron and zinc are supplemented in patients with known deficiencies; they may also enhance the effectiveness of stimulant therapy.

In patients failing to respond or with parents opposed to medication, omega-3 supplements may warrant a trial.

References:

The Diet Factor in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J. Gordon Millichap, MD and Michelle M. Yee, CPNP. PEDIATRICS Vol. 129 No. 2 February 1, 2012, pp. 330 -337, (doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2199)

Image source: Olive oil, Wikipedia

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Diary-Writing Has Psychological Benefits – Journal of Happiness Studies

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Writing has long been used as a coping strategy and has been applied to improve psychological well-being. One study found that suicidal poets used more first-person singular pronouns (I, me, my) than the control group of poets.

This study from Taiwan, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, investigated the psychological displacement paradigm in diary-writing (PDPD) and its supposed psychological benefits.

Study participants were randomly assigned to write about their recent negative life experiences two times a week for 2 weeks in PDPD group (diary-writing), or comparison group (no diary-writing).

The diary-writing group (PDPD) showed a decrease in negative emotion and an increase in positive emotion immediately after each writing session (short term effect).

They also had an increase in psychological well-being for at least 2 weeks (long term effect).

References:

The Psychological Displacement Paradigm in Diary-Writing (PDPD) and its Psychological Benefits. Jen-Ho Chang, Chin-Lan Huang and Yi-Cheng Lin. JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES 2012, DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9321-y

Comments from Google Plus and Twitter:

Lin W: I guess blog writing might have the same effect??

Ves Dimov, M.D.: It depends on the type of blogging you do, but yes, blogging can be a positive experience too.?

Dr. Amal Hasan @DrFloona: Diary-Writing Has Psychological Benefits bit.ly/wwMDmr” Until someone else reads it

Dean Giustini @giustini: Diary-Writing Has Psychological Benefits bit.ly/wwMDmr [Isn't this why we blog Ves?]

@DrVes: Well, I'm not sure. I don't blog about "negative experiences". Blog = archive for me?

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Hattiesburg Clinic pioneers new diagnostic scanning procedure

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by MBJ Staff

Published: May 7,2012

Tags: clinic, diagnosis, doctors, health, health care, imaging, medical, medicine, physicians, scans, technology

HATTIESBURG Hattiesburg Clinic Neurology is the first in Mississippi to perform the recently FDA-approved DaTscan test, which helps physicians differentiate between essential tremor and parkinsonian syndromes, according to the clinic.

After the FDA approved DaTscan in May 2011, Hattiesburg Clinic Neurology performed the diagnostic imaging modality just two months later. On July 14, Wendell R. Helveston, M.D., and Ronald L. Schwartz, M.D., CPI, ordered the first DaTscans in Mississippi. Since this initial step, the clinic has successfully performed over 100 DaTscan tests.

The test is a significant step forward in physicians abilities to effectively diagnose and provide treatment to their patient with these symptoms, Helveston said. Currently, we diagnose these disorders based on clinical examinations, MRI and neuropsychological evaluations, but lacked a method that was specific and sensitive in the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. This differentiation is paramount because the various disorders are treated differently.

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Hattiesburg Clinic pioneers new diagnostic scanning procedure

Loyola Med student wins prize for excellence in neurology

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Public release date: 10-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Ritter jritter@lumc.edu 708-216-2445 Loyola University Health System

MAYWOOD, Ill. Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine student Jason Cuomo has received a 2012 American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence in Neurology.

The award recognizes excellence in clinical neurology among medical students. The Stritch faculty selected Cuomo to receive the prize, which is awarded annually on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology. The award is given to a student who exemplifies outstanding scientific achievement and clinical acumen in neurology or neuroscience, and outstanding integrity, compassion and leadership.

"Jason is mature, inquisitive, eager to learn, motivated and highly responsible," said Dr. Jose Biller, chairman of the Department of Neurology. "He is a very accomplished and talented medical student."

Cuomo is completing his second year of medical school. He is active in Stritch's Honors in Research Program and is vice president of the Student Interest Group in Neurology. He is a co-author of nine academic articles, book chapters, abstracts and presentations.

Cuomo grew up in Guilford, Ct. He graduated from Boston College with double majors in psychology and philosophy, and has a master's degree in philosophy from Boston College.

###

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Loyola Med student wins prize for excellence in neurology

Loyola Med Student Wins Award for Excellence in Neurology

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Newswise MAYWOOD, Ill. Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine student Jason Cuomo has received a 2012 American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence in Neurology.

The award recognizes excellence in clinical neurology among medical students. The Stritch faculty selected Cuomo to receive the prize, which is awarded annually on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology. The award is given to a student who exemplifies outstanding scientific achievement and clinical acumen in neurology or neuroscience, and outstanding integrity, compassion and leadership.

Jason is mature, inquisitive, eager to learn, motivated and highly responsible, said Dr. Jos Biller, chairman of the Department of Neurology. He is a very accomplished and talented medical student."

Cuomo is completing his second year of medical school. He is active in Stritchs Honors in Research Program and is vice president of the Student Interest Group in Neurology. He is a co-author of nine academic articles, book chapters, abstracts and presentations.

Cuomo grew up in Guilford, Conn. He graduated from Boston College with a double major in psychology and philosophy, and has a masters degree in philosophy from Boston College.

The rest is here:
Loyola Med Student Wins Award for Excellence in Neurology

Healthcare social media – top articles

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Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles related to healthcare social media in the past 2 weeks:

Doctors and social media: “How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet” http://goo.gl/pIrgh

Consumer Expectations for Healthcare Social Media http://goo.gl/REXqV

Why all hospitals need Twitter accounts: Google ranking of a URL linked to number of Tweets about that URL http://goo.gl/AYf9t

Interviewee eliminated as a candidate because his Klout score was too low (34), “They hired a guy whose score was 67”. Even if you have no idea what your Klout score is, there’s a chance that it’s already affecting your life. People with formidable Klout will board planes earlier, get free access to VIP airport lounges, stay in better hotel rooms, and receive deep discounts from retail stores. A two-week vacation from social media might causes your Klout score to nose-dive. http://goo.gl/ABu2S

13 Things You Never Knew You Could Do On LinkedIn http://goo.gl/mh4da

100 Ways To Use Twitter In Education, By Degree Of Difficulty http://goo.gl/lAs5v

Pack the Right Gadgets for the Road - NYTimes http://goo.gl/SmQgA

A Review of Living Language and Rocket Languages - App Smart - NYTimes http://goo.gl/kpvJT

10 HTML Tags All New Bloggers Should Learn http://goo.gl/24FpW

Is this the future of Khan Academy? http://goo.gl/xtErX - Bozeman Biology on YouTube http://goo.gl/GUry5

Many consumers worldwide worry that technology is overtaking their lives http://goo.gl/cJj5e

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

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Omega-3 may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s: Study

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Consumption of omega-3 rich foods could reduce the risk of Alzheimers by lowering levels of plasma beta-amyloid, according to new research.

Omega-3 intake could help to slow declines in cognitive functioning, suggest the researchers

The new study published in Neurology suggests that consumption of foods that contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with lower blood levels of the protein, which has been implicated in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.

Led by Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, USA, the research team noted that previous research has shown increasing evidence that diet could play an important role in preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease.

Scarmeas revealed that consumption of one additional gram of omega-3 per day above the average omega-3 consumed by people in the study was associated with 20% to 30% lower blood beta-amyloid levels.

We found that higher dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake was associated with lower plasma beta-amyloid42 level, suggesting that the potential beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFA intake on Alzheimers disease and cognitive function in the literature might be at least partly explained by an amyloid-beta-related mechanism.

Commenting on the study, Harry Rice, PhD, VP of regulatory andscientific affairs for the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED) told NutraIngredients that whilst the research has limitations, the results are exciting given that they provide support for what many scientists have been speculating for a number of years.

Rice said that one the next steps would be to determine to what extent, if any, plasma beta-amyloid proteins reflect amyloid levels in the brain.

Scarmeas noted that while it is not easy to measure levels of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, it is relatively easy to measure the levels of beta-amyloid in the blood, which, to a certain degree, relates to the level in the brain."

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Omega-3 may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s: Study

How to have a successful blog – with slow, steady growth

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Tips from ProBlogger on how to have a successful blog:

- Regular useful content: Daily “how to” posts that solved problems and showed people how to achieve their goals, 90%

- Shareable content: inspirational posts, breaking news, humor, controversy, grand list posts, 5%

- Community: reader discussions, debates, polls, forum, 5%

- Email newsletter: collect people’s email addresses and send them weekly updates/newsletters

Here is a great quote from another blog: "Blogging is teaching, whether it’s yourself or others, and that’s the best feeling in the world" http://goo.gl/hCpF8

References:

2 Different Tales of Blog Growth. ProBlogger.

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Top articles in medicine in April-May 2012

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Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April-May 2012:

Always advocate for the patient. When in a bind, ask yourself, “Self, what's best for my patient?” You can only see ONE patient at a time. The patient in front of you is the only patient you have. http://bit.ly/HGJcU8

Adolescence is changing: age of onset of puberty is decreasing, age at which mature social roles are achieved is rising http://goo.gl/dshDG

Pilot sends plane into dive after mistaking Venus for oncoming plane http://bit.ly/INqXjw - "It's happened to most of us", starts CNN... North American-based pilots flying eastbound at night towards Europe are at increased risk of fatigue-related performance issues http://bit.ly/INqXjw

Are we ready to recommend aspirin for cancer prevention? Lancet http://goo.gl/WyRXY and http://goo.gl/oytIK

First described in 1967, Kawasaki disease is now a leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries http://goo.gl/ShL00 -- Addition of prednisolone to standard treatment with IVIG improves coronary artery outcomes in severe Kawasaki disease http://j.mp/JdUbTl

Bullying victimisation is associated with a myriad of emotional and behavioural problems throughout adolescence http://goo.gl/VzBrf

Thoughts for new medical students http://goo.gl/cr5k3 - Advice from the BMJ editor in 2003, still mostly relevant.

Consumer Expectations for Healthcare Social Media http://goo.gl/REXqV

Women are much more responsive than men to the weather, and life satisfaction decreases with rain (study) http://goo.gl/gp5KE

Use of Social Media by Western European Hospitals: Longitudinal Study shows that SoMe awareness is growing http://goo.gl/l41tz

Geriatrics update 2012: What parts of our practice to change, what to ‘think about’ - CCJM http://goo.gl/rvH9O

Family history: Still relevant in the genomics era - CCJM http://goo.gl/ty5vG

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

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What is the minimal webmaster competence for running a medical blog?

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"What is the minimal webmaster competence for running a medical blog?", asked a relatively new blogger recently. My suggestions are listed below.

Keep it simple, and free

If your blog content is great and compelling, you don't need much HTML, CSS, etc. knowledge. Knowing HTML doesn't hurt, of course, but it's not essential.

Keep it simple, and free. Many doctors are wrongly advised to spend time and money on custom installations of WordPress, hosting, and social media consultatants when all they need is a free Google/Blogger blog with a custom domain name.

"Blogging is teaching, whether it’s yourself or others, and that’s the best feeling in the world" 

Speaking from personal experience, my blogs reached more than 8 million page views and I've never used outside help for blog launch or maintenance. I don't think my blog content is that great or original apart from a few mind map diagrams, mnemonics and social media how-to articles - it's just my personal digital netbook that I share with the world.

I typically publish one post per day during the week at CasesBlog and AllergyNotes. They are scheduled 2-3 months in advance, and publish automatically, unless I edit them the day before they are due for posting.

"Blogging is teaching, whether it’s yourself or others, and that’s the best feeling in the world" http://goo.gl/hCpF8

Comments from Google Plus:

Ahmad Gandour, Jan 25, 2012: This is a great advice i will consider starting a blog in the near future .you really post interesting post i check your post every day in the morning while i am checking journal watch and BEJM news letter thanks for these great post .?

Ves Dimov, M.D., Jan 25, 2012: Thank you for your interest. I typically publish one post per day during the week at CasesBlog and AllergyNotes. They are scheduled 2-3 months in advance, and publish automatically, unless I edit them the day before they are due for posting.?

Ahmad Gandour, Jan 25, 2012: Thanks for the info i booked marked the both pages i am going to check it every day?

Ves Dimov, M.D., Jan 25, 2012: You can subscribe to the RSS feeds - this way there is no need to visit the website every day - the new post gets delivered to your RSS reader (Google Reader) or email.?

Ahmad Gandour, Jan 25, 2012: Done :)?

Jill Celeste, Jan 25, 2012: Blogger is the perfect tool for a doctor. Great post!?

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Best of Medical Blogs – weekly review, blog carnival

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What happened to "Grand Rounds" medblog carnival?

It's sad to see the demise of "Grand Rounds" medblog carnival. The weekly summary of the best medical blog posts has been published since 2004, with only few breaks. There have not been any editions for more than a month, and no new ones are scheduled. A new initiative by Health Care SoMedia Review could replace some of it http://goo.gl/73RpE

This blog post is a part of a project to recreate a weekly review, or blog carnival, of the best medical blog posts. Feel free to send your suggestions to my email at clinicalcases@gmail.com. The “Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review, blog carnival” will be published on Tuesdays, just like the old Grand Rounds. The last organizers of the Grand Rounds blog carnival. @DrVal and @NickGenes, are aware of this project.

How Doctors Manage Their Social Media Profiles

Personal vs. Professional: How Doctors Manage Their Social Media Profiles is a blog post by Matt Wood of the University of Chicago Medicine blog http://goo.gl/JNyu1. Matt has published a series of great blog posts recently about physicians’ use social media. The doctors at University of Chicago are clearly the leaders in social media use in a city with a rich history of great medical centers such as UChicago Medicine, Northwestern, Childrens’ Memorial, Rush, Loyola and Northshore. Matt tries to find out what makes the UChicago doctors more comfortable using social media that their peers at other institutions: http://goo.gl/JNyu1

Consumers use social media to make medical decisions

Consumer Expectations for Healthcare Social Media - this is a succinct summary by Ed Bennett, “a maker of lists” of healtchare oragnizations that use social media http://goo.gl/REXqV

Digital Strategies for Healthcare Organisations - a good overview by the Australian blog IV line http://goo.gl/PZtWl

Doctors’ salaries

Dr. Mandrola quotes an experienced colleague on doctors' salaries: “We are all happy with what we make. What upsets us most is seeing what others make.” Since then, I try not to dwell on what others make. http://goo.gl/WBnJq

Healthcare social media is a “moral obligation” for doctors

Healthcare social media is a 'moral obligation', says Farris Timimi, M.D., medical director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, quoted by “Fierce Health IT” . Social media needs to be grown and nurtured for patients. "Our patients are there. Our moral obligation is to meet them where they're at and give them the information they need so they can seek recovery," Dr. Timimi said. "You've got to be ready for it. You build it for the patients; not for yourself. "This is not marketing," he added. "This is the right thing to do." http://goo.gl/BHzKf

Social media is no more a moral obligation for doctors than it is to appear on TV and radio shows, and to write newspaper columns. It is great if you have the time and aptitude to do it, but the most important things is to focus on what matters most - providing correct diagnosis and best possible treatment to your patients.

Comments from Twitter:

Westby Fisher, MD @doctorwes: Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review, RIP blog carnival bit.ly/KsBSLJ

Laika (Jacqueline) @laikas: After the demise of THE Grand Rounds @DrVes starts his own weekly blog review bit.ly/Iqgcmx Gr8 initiative; but still miss the OLD GR

WB Medical Education @WBmeded: Hope to check out some of these later, looks interesting RT @DrVes: Best of Medical Blogs: weekly review, blog carnival goo.gl/fb/d870P

Mike Cadogan @sandnsurf: Another great way to control the information overload with the Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review bit.ly/K1stxo

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Memory loss – clinical focus on practical neurology

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These are excerpts from a review in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA):

Older people with mild cognitive impairment are at increased risk of progressing to dementia, but no tests are helpful in assessing this risk. Medications are not beneficial in mild cognitive impairment.

Physical activity and treatment of hypertension decrease the risk of dementia.

In people with Alzheimer’s disease, a cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine (an N-methyl- D-aspartate receptor antagonist) provides symptomatic relief. Medications do not change progression of the illness.

Behavioural and psychological symptoms are common in Alzheimer’s disease.

Atypical antipsychotics reduce agitation and psychosis but increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

Antidepressant role in managing depression with mild cognitive impairment is uncertain but they may increase the risk of delirium and falls.

References:

Memory loss. Leon A Flicker, Andrew H Ford, Christopher D Beer and Osvaldo P Almeida. Med J Aust 2012; 196 (2): 114-117.

Image source: Hippocampus, from Wikipedia, public domain.

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Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

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Public release date: 2-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rachel Seroka rseroka@aan.com 651-695-2738 American Academy of Neurology

MINNEAPOLIS A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems. The research is published in the May 2, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"While it's not easy to measure the level of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain in this type of study, it is relatively easy to measure the levels of beta-amyloid in the blood, which, to a certain degree, relates to the level in the brain," said study author Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, MS, with Columbia University Medical Center in New York and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

For the study, 1,219 people older than age 65, free of dementia, provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for the beta-amyloid. Researchers looked specifically at 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D.

The study found that the more omega-3 fatty acids a person took in, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels. Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day (equal to approximately half a fillet of salmon per week) more than the average omega-3 consumed by people in the study is associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels.

Other nutrients were not associated with plasma beta-amyloid levels. The results stayed the same after adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity, amount of calories consumed and whether a participant had the APOE gene, a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

"Determining through further research whether omega-3 fatty acids or other nutrients relate to spinal fluid or brain beta-amyloid levels or levels of other Alzheimer's disease related proteins can strengthen our confidence on beneficial effects of parts of our diet in preventing dementia," said Scarmeas.

###

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

More here:
Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Daryl Bosco, PhD: Assistant Professor of Neurology – Video

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01-05-2012 12:04 Daryl A. Bosco, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a protein chemist investigating the causes of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), talks about research at UMMS that identifies the toxic proteins that cause the disease and how that work indicates new therapeutic directions for ALS research, including RNA interference, immunotherapy and the search for small molecules that might target the rogue proteins.

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Daryl Bosco, PhD: Assistant Professor of Neurology - Video

Prana Comments on Archives of Neurology Publication Which Highlights Critical Role of Brain Metals in Huntington …

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire -05/01/12)- Prana Biotechnology (PRAN - News) (PBT.AX - News) today commented on the publication of new data of relevance to the current clinical trial, testing Prana's PBT2 as a treatment for Huntington disease.

The authors of the publication are led by Professor Diana Rosas of the Center for Neuroimaging of Aging and Neurodegenerative disease at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston. The paper, titled "Alterations in Brain Transition Metals in HD," published in the Archives of Neurology* describes how the rise in levels of Iron in the brains of people carrying the mutant gene which causes Huntington disease, correlates with the severity of symptoms and also predicts the time of disease onset. The article concluded that "an important and early role of altered metal homeostasis is suggested in the pathogenesis of Huntington disease" and this points to "metals as potential therapeutic targets." Selected patients in the current Reach2HD trial, testing PBT2, will be monitored using the imaging technology described in the publication.

According to Professor Rudy Tanzi, Prana's Chief Scientific Advisor and the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University, "The new findings serve to further support the role of brain metal imbalances in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington disease. It is becoming increasingly clear that PBT2 and Prana's other metal chaperone drugs could have broad utility as powerful modifiers of disease progress in a growing number of neurodegenerative diseases caused by misfolded proteins."

Ira Shoulson MD, Professor of Neurology, Pharmacology and Human Science at Georgetown University (Washington DC) and the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Huntington Study Group, said, "The data from the Harvard group are very encouraging and timely. The Reach2HD trial is underway and intended to characterize the safety and dosing parameters of PBT2, an experimental drug aimed at restoring function to neurons damaged by the pathological interaction between the mutant Huntingtin protein and transition metals. PBT2 has signaled some cognitive benefit in patients with Alzheimer disease that may also involve a pathological interaction between a protein and transition metals."

Huntington disease is a complex and severely debilitating genetic, neurodegenerative disease, for which there is no cure. It is caused by an abnormally high number of repeats of a DNA sequence (CAG) which encodes for the amino acid glutamine. The disease often affects young adults and, whilst associated with severe physical movement symptoms, progressively impacts the mind and emotions as well. The disease causes incapacitation and death about 15-25 years after onset. The disease affects 30,000 people in the US and about 70,000 worldwide.

There are no drugs either available or in development that have established clinical evidence for treating the cognitive decline associated with Huntington disease. In this study, Prana aims to demonstrate cognitive improvements as already demonstrated in a Phase IIa study in mild Alzheimer's patients treated with PBT2. The study will also investigate safety, functional, behavioural and motor benefits in this Huntington patient population.

PBT2 is concurrently being tested in a Phase II trial in Alzheimer's disease.

Key points from the publication

Using an advanced non-invasive MRI Imaging technique with pre-symptomatic and symptomatic patients, the authors show that:

The authors found that the MRI data correlated well with the levels and anatomical distribution of iron in postmortem brain tissue.

The rest is here:
Prana Comments on Archives of Neurology Publication Which Highlights Critical Role of Brain Metals in Huntington ...

New Wristband For Epileptic Seizures Shows Promise

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Epilepsy Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;Pediatrics / Children's Health Article Date: 02 May 2012 - 13:00 PDT

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Current Article Ratings:

5 (1 votes)

The device could potentially collect clinically useful data from epilepsy patients during their daily routines instead of having to visit the hospital for observation. If the early results are confirmed, the device would even be able to alert patients to seek immediate medical attention when their seizures are severe enough.

Professor of media arts and sciences at MIT, Rosalind Picard, and her team originally designed the sensors to measure the emotional states of children with autism given that their outward behavior can be different to that what they actual feel. The sensor measures the skin's electrical conductance, which indicates the state of the sympathetic nervous system that controls the human fight-or-flight response.

The study, conducted at the Children's Hospital in Boston, revealed that the higher a patient's skin conductance is during a seizure, the longer it took for the patient's brain to resume neural oscillations, i.e. brain waves that are measured by EEGs.

According to at least one clinical study, there is a correlation between the duration of brain-wave suppression after seizures and the number of sudden unexplained deaths in epilepsy (SUDEP) that can occur hours after a seizure. In the U.S. alone, thousands of people die from SUDEP.

At present, epileptic patients may use various criteria, one of them being the duration of the seizure, to establish whether a seizure is severe enough to seek immediate medical attention.

However, Picard says:

See more here:
New Wristband For Epileptic Seizures Shows Promise

Top articles in medicine in April 2012 (part 3)

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Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April 2012:

Botulinum Toxin for Prophylaxis of Migraine and Tension Headaches: not so great - JAMA http://j.mp/IecqxB

Varicocele Is Associated with Erectile Dysfunction: 3.3% of ED patients have it vs. 1.2% of controls http://goo.gl/R8nPi

Evaluation of nail abnormalities: subungual melanomas, account for 50% of melanomas in persons with dark skin http://goo.gl/ryWVo

Sunscreens & Vitamin D: the overwhelming majority of dermatologists recommend to get your vitamin D from food, not from the sun http://goo.gl/BcFtP

Heat waves that last for more than a week can be deadly, particularly for the elderly. For every 1 degree C increase in summer temperature, death risk of the elderly with chronic conditions rises 3-4% http://goo.gl/2sYh1

Personal vs. Professional: How Doctors Manage Their Social Media Profiles - University of Chicago Medicine blog http://goo.gl/JNyu1

45% of women overestimate the effectiveness of the Pill and condoms for pregnancy prevention (study) http://goo.gl/1QcXW

FDA approves fast-acting Viagra rival: Avanafil (Stendra) starts working in 15 min, the fastest of the 4 ED drugs http://goo.gl/Joskq

More than 40% of people in the U.S. live in counties with unsafe levels of air pollutants http://goo.gl/G2bG8

20% of Americans have gone out on a date with someone they met online. New to Online Dating: Here are 11 Tips http://goo.gl/ulviK

Most Peaceful, Least Peaceful U.S. States - For 11th year in a row, Maine is the most peaceful state in America http://goo.gl/ZTr4X

Damage control on physician-rating websites - "We've all got a megaphone now," says CEO of physician-rating site http://goo.gl/ouxiI

7 steps to responding to angry patients - "RAPSAND" acronym builds "emotional muscle" in staff members http://goo.gl/IXcWP

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

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Flavonoid-rich berries could halt memory declines: Study

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A high intake of flavonoid rich berries can delay memory decline in older women by 2.5 years, according to new research findings.

The study published inAnnals of Neurology reveals that certain types of berries could help to reduce cognitive decline in older women. The researchers add that high intakes of blueberries and strawberries, both of which are very high in flavonoids, appear to delay cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years when compared to those consuming lower amounts.

"We provide the first epidemiologic evidence that berries may slow progression of cognitive decline in elderly women," said Dr Elizabeth Devore, who led the study at Brigham and Women's Hospital, USA.

"Our findings have significant public health implications as increasing berry intake is a fairly simple dietary modification to test cognition protection in older adults."

Study details

The research team used data from the Nurses' Health Study containing data from over 120,000 women. The participants completed health and lifestyle questionnaires beginning in 1976, and have been surveyed on food consumption every four years since 1980.

The study focuses on data from 16,010 women aged over 70, who had their memory and cognitive functions tested every two years between 1995 and 2001.

"What makes our study unique is the amount of data we analyzed over such a long period of time. No other berry study has been conducted on such a large scale," said Devore.

The lead researcher said the results of the analysis show that increased consumption of blueberries and strawberries was associated with a slower rate of memory decline in older women with a greater intake of anthocyanidins and total flavonoids also associated with slowing memory decline.

Devore revealed that women who had higher berry intake had delayed memory decline by up to 2.5 years.

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Flavonoid-rich berries could halt memory declines: Study

How to get better treatment for migraines

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(Five of the six guideline authors, including Silberstein, disclosed that they had previously served on advisory boards or accepted honoraria or consulting fees from manufacturers of drugs used to treat migraines.)

Migraines which are frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances or aura, and sensitivity to light affect about 1 in 10 Americans and can be triggered by certain foods, lack of sleep, stress, jet lag, fasting, and hormonal changes during a womans menstrual cycle. Nearly 40 percent of migraine sufferers have at least four or five headaches a month, and a smaller percentage have chronic migraines defined as having pain at least 15 days a month. Women are also more likely to get them than men.

Doctors especially primary-care physicians who treat most headaches may still have the mindset of prescribing drugs to treat headaches after they set in, rather than for prevention, according to Silberstein.

There may also be reluctance on the part of patients to take medicines every day when migraines come on episodically, said Dr. Elizabeth Loder, an internist in the neurology department at Brigham and Womens Hospital and president-elect of the American Headache Society, which endorsed the guidelines. But the data show that if you have a frequent number of headaches every month, treating them individually can backfire.

Certain medications to relieve migraine pain can become less effective when used too often or could cause rebound headaches caused by withdrawal from the drugs. The triptan class of drugs such as sumatriptan (Imitrex) and frovatriptan (Frova) are the most commonly used drugs to treat pain once a migraine sets in, but the guidelines state that they should be used only occasionally for prevention, say, to avert a monthly menstrual migraine or one likely to occur from a planned religious fast.

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How to get better treatment for migraines

6 Reasons Why Doctors Blog

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Here are the 6 Reasons Why Doctors Blog, according to Dr. John M., a cardiologist and electrophysiologist:

Here are the top six reasons why I and other doctors choose to author medical blogs:

1. The Practice of Medicine inspires
2. To educate
3. To better mankind
4. To give a look behind the curtain
5. To archive useful information
6. To display our humanness

My comment is here:

Thank you for the wonderful post and sharing insights, John.

Blogging "To better mankind" is beyond reach for me, I think. However, I hope that my blogs helped "To educate" at least some of the readers who flipped through more than 8 million pages since 2005...

Doctors are highly-qualified experts who limit their impact only to patients they see - if they don't publish, give lectures - and blog. In most cases, benefits far outweigh the risk and doctors should be encouraged to at least give it a try.

I tried to describe a practical and time-efficient approach here:

Social media in medicine: How to be a Twitter superstar and help your patients and your practice
http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/social-media-in-medicine-how-to-be.html

Blogging also keeps you grounded and humble. Critical comments prompt you to back your clinical opinion, expressed in a blog post, with solid scientific references and that's a good thing.

Comments from Google Plus:

Gary Levin, Jan 22, 2012: Ves, I agree with all of the above and welcome to G+ Let's hangout sometime soon. I will send you an invite..?

Sherri Vance, Jan 22, 2012: Dr. Ves, I love your blogs. As for reasons why MDs should blog, I think the view behind the curtain (#4) is the most important. Given that our nation is weighing a myriad of conflicting viewpoints on how to fix our healthcare system, understanding these issues from the doctor's viewpoint is vital. Thanks! ?

Carlo V Caballero-Uribe, Jan 26, 2012: Excelllent. I am sharing this post with my residents and students. They will discuss about it in a seminar. Many of #hscm its centered on engagement with patients and public its ok but engagement with your students and peers in several ways that social media offers its very important

As some example some of our use include:
Twitter for journal clubs
Google plus circles to clinical cases discussions
Google docs to edit papers
Slideshare for seminars presentations
Below in the link its a post about it in my blog. Sorry its in spanish but the translator helps.
Thanks for your posts and example.

http://carvica1.blogspot.com/2011/12/como-podemos-usar-las-redes-sociales-en.html?

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