Mental health is a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life.
Brain imaging study supports the ‘cognitive reserve’ hypothesis. Greater education has been associated with better cognitive function during life. – Individuals with higher education levels appear to score higher on cognitive tests despite having evidence of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
County-level autism prevalence rates and counts among school-aged children were positively associated with a county’s mean annual precipitation. – Children living in counties with higher levels of annual precipitation appear more likely to have higher prevalence rates of autism, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The results raise the possibility that an environmental trigger for autism may be associated with precipitation and may affect genetically vulnerable children.
Gladstone scientists identify role of fatty acids in Alzheimer’s disease, large-scale analysis of brain lipids identifies potential therapeutic strategy. – Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) and the University of California have found that complete or partial removal of an enzyme that regulates fatty acid levels improves cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
High-dose vitamin B supplementation for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease did not slow the rate of cognitive decline. – A clinical trial led by Paul S. Aisen, M.D., professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, showed that high-dose vitamin B supplements did not slow the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.
The United States Congress has passed legislation — The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. – The following is a statement from Mark Covall, Executive Director, National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems on passage of The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008:
Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning useful in a non-invasive assessment of the formation of Alzheimer’s disease?related plaques in the brain. – A type of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning may be useful in a non-invasive assessment of the formation of Alzheimer’s disease?related plaques in the brain, according to small study posted online today that will appear in the October 2008 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
People living with a partner in mid-life are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of age-related dementia. – Living with a spouse or a partner decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases. This according to a study by Krister H?kansson, researcher in psychology at V?xj? University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The results were presented for the first time yesterday at the world’s largest dementia conference.
Exercise may slow the atrophy of the brain brought on by Alzheimer’s Disease, suggests researchers at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. – Mild Alzheimer’s disease patients with higher physical fitness had larger brains compared to mild Alzheimer’s patients with lower physical fitness, according to a study published in the July 15, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Hazardous drinking, defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend, may be a new ‘check stop’ on the way to alcohol dependence. – Current diagnostic guides divide alcohol-use disorders into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence. Some researchers and clinicians believe this is insufficient, that there should be a third, preceding diagnosis known as “hazardous drinking,” defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend.
Elan and Wyeth have released results of a phase 2 study of bapineuzumab, an attempt at treating Alzheimer’s disease. – Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) and Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) announced encouraging preliminary findings from a Phase 2 study of bapineuzumab (AAB-001) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. In the 18-month trial, bapineuzumab appeared to have clinical activity in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
