ScienceDaily (Jan. 15, 2009) — Stockholm, Sweden -- Midlife coffee drinking can decrease the risk of dementia/Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. This conclusion is made in a Finnish Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) Study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
This study has been conducted at the University of Kuopio, Finland in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and the National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. The study included participants from the survivors of population-based cohorts previously surveyed within the North Karelia Project and the FINMONICA study in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987 (midlife visit). After an average follow-up of 21 years, 1409 individuals (71%) aged 65 to 79 completed the re-examination in 1998. A total of 61 cases were identified as demented (48 with AD).
"We aimed to study the association between coffee and tea consumption at midlife and dementia/AD risk in late-life, because the long-term impact of caffeine on the central nervous system was still unknown, and as the pathologic processes leading to Alzheimer's disease may start decades before the clinical manifestation of the disease," says lead researcher, associate professor Miia Kivipelto, from the University of Kuopio, Finland and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
At the midlife examination, the consumption of coffee and tea was assessed with a previously validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Coffee drinking was categorized into three groups: 0-2 cups (low), 3-5 cups (moderate) and >5 cups (high) per day. Further, the question concerning tea consumption was dichotomized into those not drinking tea (0 cup/day) vs. those drinking tea (≥1 cup/day).
The study found that coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk for dementia and AD later in life compared to those drinking no or only little coffee. The lowest risk (65% decreased) was found among moderate coffee drinkers (drinking 3-5 cups of coffee/day). Adjustments for various confounders did not change the results. Tea drinking was relatively uncommon and was not associated with dementia/AD.
Kivipelto also notes that, "Given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia/AD. The finding needs to be confirmed by other studies, but it opens the possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia/AD. Also, identification of mechanisms of how coffee exerts its protection against dementia/AD might help in the development of new therapies for these diseases."
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Protein That Protects Against Alzheimer's?
ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2009) — Research on the mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis, to name a few, has taken a step forward thanks to the work of biological sciences Ph.D. student Sonia Do Carmo, supervised by Professor Éric Rassart of the Université du Québec à Montreal (UQAM) Biological Sciences Department, in collaboration with researchers at the Armand-Frappier Institute and the University of Valladolid in Spain.
Do Carmo and her collaborators have successfully demonstrated the protective and reparative role of apolipoprotein D, or ApoD, in neurodegenerative diseases. Their discovery suggests interesting avenues for preventing and slowing the progression of this type of illness.
These studies were inspired by work done ten years ago by Professor Rassart's team, who then discovered increased levels of ApoD in the brains of people with several types of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's.
The team hypothesized that this protein might play a protective and restorative role but were unable to demonstrate this at the time.
The experiments
To establish the protective and reparative role of ApoD, the researchers used two types of genetically modified mice: one type with increased levels of ApoD in the brain and a second type with no ApoD. The mice were then exposed to neurodegenerative agents. A group of the modified mice and a control group (unmodified) were exposed to paraquat, a widely used herbicide that has been shown to increase the risk of Parkinson's. Then the same type of experiment was performed by injecting two groups with a virus that causes encephalitis. In both cases, the mice modified for increased levels of ApoD had the best outcomes, with a better ability to combat the diseases and a higher survival rate than the unmodified mice. The knockout mice with no ApoD displayed the poorest outcomes.
These experiments serve to illustrate the protective and reparative role of this protein.
When can we expect medication?
A number of steps remain before this research can translate into effective drugs against neurodegenerative conditions.
The original investigator, Professor Éric Rassart, explains, “You cannot simply inject ApoD, as it has to enter the brain in order for it to be active. We have successfully demonstrated the role of ApoD, but now we need to understand the action of this protein. Only then will we be able to think about creating a drug to prevent these types of diseases and to slow their progression. All the same, this discovery by Sonia Do Carmo and her collaborators is a significant breakthrough, as we know very little about the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.”
The discovery has aroused considerable interest among the molecular biology community. Two major scientific journals have already published the research findings: Aging Cell (Vol. 7: 506-515, 2008) and Journal of Neuroscience (Vol. 28: 10330-10338, 2008
Do Carmo and her collaborators have successfully demonstrated the protective and reparative role of apolipoprotein D, or ApoD, in neurodegenerative diseases. Their discovery suggests interesting avenues for preventing and slowing the progression of this type of illness.
These studies were inspired by work done ten years ago by Professor Rassart's team, who then discovered increased levels of ApoD in the brains of people with several types of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's.
The team hypothesized that this protein might play a protective and restorative role but were unable to demonstrate this at the time.
The experiments
To establish the protective and reparative role of ApoD, the researchers used two types of genetically modified mice: one type with increased levels of ApoD in the brain and a second type with no ApoD. The mice were then exposed to neurodegenerative agents. A group of the modified mice and a control group (unmodified) were exposed to paraquat, a widely used herbicide that has been shown to increase the risk of Parkinson's. Then the same type of experiment was performed by injecting two groups with a virus that causes encephalitis. In both cases, the mice modified for increased levels of ApoD had the best outcomes, with a better ability to combat the diseases and a higher survival rate than the unmodified mice. The knockout mice with no ApoD displayed the poorest outcomes.
These experiments serve to illustrate the protective and reparative role of this protein.
When can we expect medication?
A number of steps remain before this research can translate into effective drugs against neurodegenerative conditions.
The original investigator, Professor Éric Rassart, explains, “You cannot simply inject ApoD, as it has to enter the brain in order for it to be active. We have successfully demonstrated the role of ApoD, but now we need to understand the action of this protein. Only then will we be able to think about creating a drug to prevent these types of diseases and to slow their progression. All the same, this discovery by Sonia Do Carmo and her collaborators is a significant breakthrough, as we know very little about the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.”
The discovery has aroused considerable interest among the molecular biology community. Two major scientific journals have already published the research findings: Aging Cell (Vol. 7: 506-515, 2008) and Journal of Neuroscience (Vol. 28: 10330-10338, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Selflessness -- Core Of All Major World Religions -- Has Neuropsychological Connection
ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2008) — All spiritual experiences are based in the brain. That statement is truer than ever before, according to a University of Missouri neuropsychologist.
An MU study has data to support a neuropsychological model that proposes spiritual experiences associated with selflessness are related to decreased activity in the right parietal lobe of the brain.
The study is one of the first to use individuals with traumatic brain injury to determine this connection. Researchers say the implication of this connection means people in many disciplines, including peace studies, health care or religion can learn different ways to attain selflessness, to experience transcendence, and to help themselves and others.
This study, along with other recent neuroradiological studies of Buddhist meditators and Francescan nuns, suggests that all individuals, regardless of cultural background or religion, experience the same neuropsychological functions during spiritual experiences, such as transcendence. Transcendence, feelings of universal unity and decreased sense of self, is a core tenet of all major religions. Meditation and prayer are the primary vehicles by which such spiritual transcendence is achieved.
“The brain functions in a certain way during spiritual experiences,” said Brick Johnstone, professor of health psychology in the MU School of Health Professions. “We studied people with brain injury and found that people with injuries to the right parietal lobe of the brain reported higher levels of spiritual experiences, such as transcendence.”
This link is important, Johnstone said, because it means selflessness can be learned by decreasing activity in that part of the brain. He suggests this can be done through conscious effort, such as meditation or prayer. People with these selfless spiritual experiences also are more psychologically healthy, especially if they have positive beliefs that there is a God or higher power who loves them, Johnstone said.
“This research also addresses questions regarding the impact of neurologic versus cultural factors on spiritual experience,” Johnstone said. “The ability to connect with things beyond the self, such as transcendent experiences, seems to occur for people who minimize right parietal functioning. This can be attained through cultural practices, such as intense meditation or prayer or because of a brain injury that impairs the functioning of the right parietal lobe. Either way, our study suggests that ‘selflessness’ is a neuropsychological foundation of spiritual experiences.”
The research was funded by the MU Center on Religion and the Professions. The study – “Support for a neuropsychological model of spirituality in persons with traumatic brain injury” – was published in the peer-reviewed journal Zygon.
“Our research focused on the personal experience of spiritual transcendence and does not in any way minimize the importance of religion or personal beliefs, nor does it suggest that spiritual experience are related only to neuropsychological activity in the brain,” Johnstone said. “It is important to note that individuals experience their God or higher power in many different ways, but that all people from all religions and beliefs appear to experience these connections in a similar way".
An MU study has data to support a neuropsychological model that proposes spiritual experiences associated with selflessness are related to decreased activity in the right parietal lobe of the brain.
The study is one of the first to use individuals with traumatic brain injury to determine this connection. Researchers say the implication of this connection means people in many disciplines, including peace studies, health care or religion can learn different ways to attain selflessness, to experience transcendence, and to help themselves and others.
This study, along with other recent neuroradiological studies of Buddhist meditators and Francescan nuns, suggests that all individuals, regardless of cultural background or religion, experience the same neuropsychological functions during spiritual experiences, such as transcendence. Transcendence, feelings of universal unity and decreased sense of self, is a core tenet of all major religions. Meditation and prayer are the primary vehicles by which such spiritual transcendence is achieved.
“The brain functions in a certain way during spiritual experiences,” said Brick Johnstone, professor of health psychology in the MU School of Health Professions. “We studied people with brain injury and found that people with injuries to the right parietal lobe of the brain reported higher levels of spiritual experiences, such as transcendence.”
This link is important, Johnstone said, because it means selflessness can be learned by decreasing activity in that part of the brain. He suggests this can be done through conscious effort, such as meditation or prayer. People with these selfless spiritual experiences also are more psychologically healthy, especially if they have positive beliefs that there is a God or higher power who loves them, Johnstone said.
“This research also addresses questions regarding the impact of neurologic versus cultural factors on spiritual experience,” Johnstone said. “The ability to connect with things beyond the self, such as transcendent experiences, seems to occur for people who minimize right parietal functioning. This can be attained through cultural practices, such as intense meditation or prayer or because of a brain injury that impairs the functioning of the right parietal lobe. Either way, our study suggests that ‘selflessness’ is a neuropsychological foundation of spiritual experiences.”
The research was funded by the MU Center on Religion and the Professions. The study – “Support for a neuropsychological model of spirituality in persons with traumatic brain injury” – was published in the peer-reviewed journal Zygon.
“Our research focused on the personal experience of spiritual transcendence and does not in any way minimize the importance of religion or personal beliefs, nor does it suggest that spiritual experience are related only to neuropsychological activity in the brain,” Johnstone said. “It is important to note that individuals experience their God or higher power in many different ways, but that all people from all religions and beliefs appear to experience these connections in a similar way".
Robotic Technology Improves Stroke Rehabilitation
ScienceDaily (Dec. 23, 2008) — Research scientists using a novel, hand-operated robotic device and functional MRI (fMRI) have found that chronic stroke patients can be rehabilitated, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
This is the first study using fMRI to map the brain in order to track stroke rehabilitation.
"We have shown that the brain has the ability to regain function through rehabilitative exercises following a stroke," said A. Aria Tzika, Ph.D., director of the NMR Surgical Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Shriners Burn Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "We have learned that the brain is malleable, even six months or more after a stroke, which is a longer period of time than previously thought."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a principal cause of severe long-term disability. Approximately 700,000 strokes occur annually in the U.S., and 80 percent to 90 percent of stroke survivors have motor weakness.
Previously, it was believed that there was only a short window of three to six months following a stroke when rehabilitation could make an improvement.
"Our research is important because 65 percent of people who have a stroke affecting hand use are still unable to incorporate the affected hand into their daily activities after six months," Dr. Tzika said.
Dr. Tzika is an affiliated member of the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in the Department of Radiology at MGH, where the research is ongoing.
To determine if stroke rehabilitation after six months was possible, the researchers studied five right-hand dominant patients who had strokes at least six months prior that affected the left side of the brain and, consequently, use of the right hand.
For the study, the patients squeezed a special MR-compatible robotic device for an hour a day, three days per week for four weeks. fMRI exams were performed before, during, upon completion of training and after a non-training period to assess permanence of rehabilitation. fMRI measures the tiny changes in blood oxygenation level that occur when a part of the brain is active.
The results showed that rehabilitation using hand training significantly increased activation in the cortex, which is the area in the brain that corresponds with hand use. Furthermore, the increased cortical activation persisted in the stroke patients who had exercised during the training period but then stopped for several months.
"These findings should give hope to people who have had strokes, their families and the rehabilitative specialists who treat them," Dr. Tzika said.
Co-authors are Dionyssios Mintzopoulos, Ph.D., Azadeh Khanicheh, Ph.D., Bruce Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Loukas Astrakas, Ph.D., and Michael Moskowitz, M.D.
This is the first study using fMRI to map the brain in order to track stroke rehabilitation.
"We have shown that the brain has the ability to regain function through rehabilitative exercises following a stroke," said A. Aria Tzika, Ph.D., director of the NMR Surgical Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Shriners Burn Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "We have learned that the brain is malleable, even six months or more after a stroke, which is a longer period of time than previously thought."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a principal cause of severe long-term disability. Approximately 700,000 strokes occur annually in the U.S., and 80 percent to 90 percent of stroke survivors have motor weakness.
Previously, it was believed that there was only a short window of three to six months following a stroke when rehabilitation could make an improvement.
"Our research is important because 65 percent of people who have a stroke affecting hand use are still unable to incorporate the affected hand into their daily activities after six months," Dr. Tzika said.
Dr. Tzika is an affiliated member of the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in the Department of Radiology at MGH, where the research is ongoing.
To determine if stroke rehabilitation after six months was possible, the researchers studied five right-hand dominant patients who had strokes at least six months prior that affected the left side of the brain and, consequently, use of the right hand.
For the study, the patients squeezed a special MR-compatible robotic device for an hour a day, three days per week for four weeks. fMRI exams were performed before, during, upon completion of training and after a non-training period to assess permanence of rehabilitation. fMRI measures the tiny changes in blood oxygenation level that occur when a part of the brain is active.
The results showed that rehabilitation using hand training significantly increased activation in the cortex, which is the area in the brain that corresponds with hand use. Furthermore, the increased cortical activation persisted in the stroke patients who had exercised during the training period but then stopped for several months.
"These findings should give hope to people who have had strokes, their families and the rehabilitative specialists who treat them," Dr. Tzika said.
Co-authors are Dionyssios Mintzopoulos, Ph.D., Azadeh Khanicheh, Ph.D., Bruce Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Loukas Astrakas, Ph.D., and Michael Moskowitz, M.D.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Alzheimer's Disease: Women Affected More Often Than Men
The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) issued the following newsrelease:Alzheimer's Disease: Women Affected More Often than Men
Nearly 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in ourcountry, and more than half of them are women, according to the NationalInstitute on Aging in Bethesda, Md. As the general population continuesto age, this number is expected to increase significantly over the nextfew decades.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a group ofbrain disorders that interferes with a person's ability to carry outdaily activities. In AD, areas of the brain change and deteriorate,which causes a decline in cognition and memory functioning. In somepatients, the deficits are large enough to get in the way of performingnormal, everyday tasks.
There is evidence that AD affects women differently than men. "Manystudies of gender differences in cognition have pointed to greaterlanguage deficits in women with Alzheimer's disease as compared to men,"explains Michael S. Rafii, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Memory DisordersClinic and an attending neurologist at the Shiley-Marcos AlzheimerDisease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego."Naming and word-recognition skills have been reported to be moreadversely affected in female patients with AD than in male patients, andthe differences have been shown to be sustained over time."Notable sex and gender differences in behavior among Alzheimer patientshave been observed as well. "
Male patients exhibit greater problems thanfemale patients in wandering, abusiveness and social impropriety,particularly in the more advanced stages of the disorder," Rafii pointsout. In fact, major tranquilizers and behavior management programs areused more frequently on male patients.While there is currently no cure for AD, researchers continue to makeprogress. More drugs are being studied, and researchers have identifiedseveral genes associated with the disease. "Recent work has been focusedon identifying the molecule that may be causing AD symptoms," saysRafii. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Johns HopkinsUniversity "discovered a protein complex in the brain that appears toimpair memory."Combined with sophisticated imaging techniques, this discovery isenabling scientists to take a clear picture of the protein deposits inthe brain. According to Rafii, "This could lead to accurate diagnosis ofAD at very early stages.Previously, a definitive diagnosis of the disease could only be madethrough an autopsy after the patient's death, typically at a very latestage of the illness."
Diagnosing AD can be tricky, especially because many people are underthe assumption that forgetfulness is a normal part of the aging process.But patients with AD suffer from much more than simple memory lapses.
Here are a few common signs and symptoms of the disease:- Persistent forgetfulness or memory loss-
Disorientation-
Problems performing routine tasks-
Inability to express thoughts coherently or finish sentences- Loss of judgment-
Changes in personality
As in other diseases, early diagnosis is very important for patientswith AD. Certain medications have been found to be useful in the earlierstages of the disease, so the sooner the diagnosis is made, the better.
Nearly 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in ourcountry, and more than half of them are women, according to the NationalInstitute on Aging in Bethesda, Md. As the general population continuesto age, this number is expected to increase significantly over the nextfew decades.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a group ofbrain disorders that interferes with a person's ability to carry outdaily activities. In AD, areas of the brain change and deteriorate,which causes a decline in cognition and memory functioning. In somepatients, the deficits are large enough to get in the way of performingnormal, everyday tasks.
There is evidence that AD affects women differently than men. "Manystudies of gender differences in cognition have pointed to greaterlanguage deficits in women with Alzheimer's disease as compared to men,"explains Michael S. Rafii, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Memory DisordersClinic and an attending neurologist at the Shiley-Marcos AlzheimerDisease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego."Naming and word-recognition skills have been reported to be moreadversely affected in female patients with AD than in male patients, andthe differences have been shown to be sustained over time."Notable sex and gender differences in behavior among Alzheimer patientshave been observed as well. "
Male patients exhibit greater problems thanfemale patients in wandering, abusiveness and social impropriety,particularly in the more advanced stages of the disorder," Rafii pointsout. In fact, major tranquilizers and behavior management programs areused more frequently on male patients.While there is currently no cure for AD, researchers continue to makeprogress. More drugs are being studied, and researchers have identifiedseveral genes associated with the disease. "Recent work has been focusedon identifying the molecule that may be causing AD symptoms," saysRafii. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Johns HopkinsUniversity "discovered a protein complex in the brain that appears toimpair memory."Combined with sophisticated imaging techniques, this discovery isenabling scientists to take a clear picture of the protein deposits inthe brain. According to Rafii, "This could lead to accurate diagnosis ofAD at very early stages.Previously, a definitive diagnosis of the disease could only be madethrough an autopsy after the patient's death, typically at a very latestage of the illness."
Diagnosing AD can be tricky, especially because many people are underthe assumption that forgetfulness is a normal part of the aging process.But patients with AD suffer from much more than simple memory lapses.
Here are a few common signs and symptoms of the disease:- Persistent forgetfulness or memory loss-
Disorientation-
Problems performing routine tasks-
Inability to express thoughts coherently or finish sentences- Loss of judgment-
Changes in personality
As in other diseases, early diagnosis is very important for patientswith AD. Certain medications have been found to be useful in the earlierstages of the disease, so the sooner the diagnosis is made, the better.
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