Low vitamin B12 may lead to brain shrinkage and cognitive problems

Low vitamin B12 levels may lead to brain shrinkage, cognitive problems – Older people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 markers may be more likely to have lower brain volumes and have problems with their thinking skills, according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

Adolescent binge drinking can damage spatial working memory

Adolescent binge drinking can damage spatial working memory – Binge or “heavy episodic” drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol’s effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period. Heavy alcohol use has been associated with decrements in cognitive functioning in both adult and adolescent populations, particularly on tasks of spatial working memory (SWM).

Brain development linked to symptoms of ADHD

Brain imaging study of preschoolers with ADHD detects brain differences linked to symptoms — Smaller brain volumes associated with severity of ADHD symptoms – Brain development appear to play an important role among children presenting with early onset symptoms of ADHD (Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Researchers found reduced caudate volumes in affected children compared to the children who did not present with ADHD symptoms.

Blast related injuries detected in brains of US military personnel

Blast-related injuries detected in the brains of US military personnel – An advanced imaging technique has revealed that some U.S. military personnel with mild blast-related traumatic brain injuries have abnormalities in the brain that have not been seen with other types of imaging. The abnormalities were found in the brain’s white matter, the wiring system that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with each other.

Chronic low back pain treatment can reverse abnormal brain activity

No pain, big gain — Treatment of chronic low back pain can reverse abnormal brain activity and function – It likely comes as no surprise that low back pain is the most common form of chronic pain among adults. Lesser known is the fact that those with chronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety.

Social status affects the way our brains respond to others

Our own status affects the way our brains respond to others – Our own social status influences the way our brains respond to others of higher or lower rank, according to a new study reported online on April_28 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

Swine flu vaccine causing sudden sleep disorder narcolepsy in children

Swine flu vaccine causing sudden sleep disorder narcolepsy in children – A swine flu vaccine which has been given to thousands of children in Britain may cause the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness and nodding off suddenly without warning.

EEG can diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants

Using EEGs to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants — Machine-learning system finds differences in brain connectivity – A computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children’s Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant’s autism risk.

Antipsychotic drugs may lead to brain loss in schizophrenia patients

Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia Associated With Subtle Loss in Brain Volume – Patients with schizophrenia who take antipsychotic medications appear to lose a small but measurable amount of brain tissue over time, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

First biological test can detect autism with 94% accuracy

University of Utah and Harvard researchers take major step toward first biological test for autism – Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy.

Health Newstrack