Dr. House
Dr. House
Monday, June 4, 2018
Drowsy Worms Enhance Our Understanding of Sleep
Through a series of experiments in the roundworm C. elegans, the researchers show that glial cells play an unexpected role in ensuring that worms don’t suddenly succumb to sleep-associated immobility. It’s the latest in a growing list of functions ascribed to glial cells, which were once thought to function solely as scaffolding for neurons, but are turning out to be sophisticated biological actors in their own right.
The research may offer new insight into the function of glial cells in humans, and reveals a nuanced relationship between sleep and movement. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/role-of-glia-in-sleep-investigated-in-drowsy-worms-304685?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63464653&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8EzT3zMIDr4XsxRzdckefhQV6CnggNvjOAit3Jssw2HriZcLblvcTez2D-ubIwM1qBBMcqPfOYgNWDkykMDdoFx2KFzA&_hsmi=63464653
Neural Correlate of Spirituality Identified
Yale scientists have identified a possible neurobiological home for the spiritual experience — the sense of connection to something greater than oneself.
Activity in the parietal cortex, an area of the brain involved in awareness of self and others as well as attention processing, seems to be a common element among individuals who have experienced a variety of spiritual experiences, according to a study published online May 29 in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
“Spiritual experiences are robust states that may have profound impacts on people’s lives,” said Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry, of the Yale Child Study Center, and of neuroscience. “Understanding the neural bases of spiritual experiences may help us better understand their roles in resilience and recovery from mental health and addictive disorders.”
Spiritual experiences can be religious in nature or not, such as feeling of oneness in nature or the absence of self during sporting events. Researchers at Yale and the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University interviewed 27 young adults to gather information about past stressful and relaxing experiences as well as their spiritual experiences. The subjects then underwent fMRI scans while listening for the first time to recordings based on their personalized experiences. While individual spiritual experiences differed, researchers noted similar patterns of activity in the parietal cortex as the subjects imagined experiencing the events in the recordings. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/neuroscientists-pin-point-personal-spiritual-belief-brain-network-304679?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63464653&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8EzT3zMIDr4XsxRzdckefhQV6CnggNvjOAit3Jssw2HriZcLblvcTez2D-ubIwM1qBBMcqPfOYgNWDkykMDdoFx2KFzA&_hsmi=63464653
Some Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancers Can Safely Skip Chemotherapy
reports that research indicates “many women with early-stage breast cancer who would receive chemotherapy under current standards do not actually need it, according to a major international study that is expected to quickly change medical treatment.” Investigators “found that gene tests on tumor samples were able to identify women who could safely skip chemotherapy and take only a drug that blocks the hormone estrogen or stops the body from making it.” The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/health/breast-cancer-chemo.html
Group Medical Appointments Result In Better Health For Some Patients.
reported on group medical appointments that “aim to offer patients expanded information, access and control over their health,” and “help providers see more patients more efficiently.” The article said the shared appointment “has proved promising in areas such as managing diabetes and reducing emergency room visits,” and featured several patients who have experienced significant improvements in their health after attending group medical appointments. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/going-to-the-doctor-in-a-group-means-better-health-for-some-patients/2018/06/01/180a051c-47d6-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html?utm_term=.81e3ab016766
Among Older Adults, Osteoporosis May Be An Independent Risk Factor For Sudden Sensory Neural Hearing Loss
Among adults aged at least 50 years, osteoporosis may be an independent risk factor for sudden sensory neural hearing loss,” researchers concluded after analyzing “Korean national health insurance data.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/in-the-journals/%7B4af2a9ee-5151-4bb2-afa8-6edf2821af6a%7D/osteoporosis-associated-with-risk-for-sudden-hearing-loss
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