TIGIT as a Therapeutic Target and Marker of T Cell Senescence and Exhaustion
In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that TIGIT is a prominent negative immune regulator involved in immunosenescence. This novel finding is highly significant, as targeting TIGIT might be an effective strategy to improve the immune response and decrease age-related comorbidities. (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - January 24, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
Important insights on the growing home use of tDCS brain stimulation: older-than-expected users, positive self-reported results for treatment of depression but negative for self-enhancement, and a couple areas of concern (severe burns, frequency)
This study provides the largest and most comprehensive survey to-date of users of consumer tDCS devices. Obtaining a deeper knowledge of what drives home users—to purchase and use a consumer tDCS device (or for many, to cease to use it)—has important implications, both for ongoing debates about the ethical implications of the home use of tDCS, as well as for discussions of the regulation of direct-to-consumer neurotechnology. Thus, the present study not only provides an empirical foundation on which to base policy recommendations, but also offers a concrete, empirical perspective on a debate that has too-often been one...
Source: SharpBrains - January 18, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Alvaro Fernandez Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology brain-stimulation Consumer neurotechnology Direct-to-consumer neuroscience do it yourself Neuroethics non-invasive tDCS Transcranial-direct-current-stimulation Source Type: blogs
On the value and the limits of cognitive screening, as seen in President Trump ’s examination
DISCUSSION: Among cognitively normal older adults MoCA performance remains relatively stable over time, however across the older adult age-span MoCA performance declines in a linear fashion. These results will help clinicians better understand the normal course of MoCA change in older adults while researchers may use these results to inform sample size estimates for intervention studies.
Cognitive monitoring and testing in the near future:
The FDA clears two computerized cognitive tests to assist in medical evaluations following brain injury or concussion
Biopharma embraces digital cognitive assessments to identify ...
Source: SharpBrains - January 17, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Age-associated Alzheimer’s Disease cognition Cognitive variability cognitive-decline cognitive-function cognitive-screening executive brain function Intraindividual change memory impairment Source Type: blogs
Medical marijuana
There are few subjects that can stir up stronger emotions among doctors, scientists, researchers, policy makers, and the public than medical marijuana. Is it safe? Should it be legal? Decriminalized? Has its effectiveness been proven? What conditions is it useful for? Is it addictive? How do we keep it out of the hands of teenagers? Is it really the “wonder drug” that people claim it is? Is medical marijuana just a ploy to legalize marijuana in general?
These are just a few of the excellent questions around this subject, questions that I am going to studiously avoid so we can focus on two specific areas: why do patient...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 15, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Peter Grinspoon, MD Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Drugs and Supplements Health Pain Management Source Type: blogs
Media Has it Out for Pharma …Still
Many would say that the media is no friend to the pharmaceutical industry. However, CNN has recently started to (seemingly) build a case against Avanir Pharmaceuticals for its promotion and marketing of its pseudobulbar affect (PBA) drug, Nuedexta.
In October 2017, CNN published its first article on the subject, where it was noted that the company “aggressively targets frail and elderly nursing home residents for whom the drug may be unnecessary or even unsafe.” While PBA afflicts less than 1% of Americans, it is most commonly associated with patients who have multiple sclerosis (MS) or ALS.
Then, in December 2017, C...
Source: Policy and Medicine - January 12, 2018 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs
Tai Chi For Seniors: Exercises, Benefits, and Tips For The Elderly
View Original Article Here: Tai Chi For Seniors: Exercises, Benefits, and Tips For The Elderly
Tai chi, a form of Chinese martial arts that focuses on slow, controlled movements. It’s low impact and gives people with limited mobility a chance to improve their balance, range of motion and coordination. Research shows that tai chi for seniors can reduce the incidence of falls in elderly and at-risk adults by about 43 percent. With fewer than 34 percent of aging adults getting enough exercise, it’s important for caregivers, older individuals and people who work with seniors to know about this gentle but effective activity...
Source: Shield My Senior - January 8, 2018 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Vin Tags: Senior Safety Source Type: blogs
Tai Chi For Seniors: Exercises, Benefits, and Tips For The Elderly
Tai chi, a form of Chinese martial arts that focuses on slow, controlled movements. It’s low impact and gives people with limited mobility a chance to improve their balance, range of motion and coordination. Research shows that tai chi for seniors can reduce the incidence of falls in elderly and at-risk adults by about 43 percent. With fewer than 34 percent of aging adults getting enough exercise, it’s important for caregivers, older individuals and people who work with seniors to know about this gentle but effective activity.
What Is Tai Chi?
Tai chi is an ancient way of moving that is practiced by more than 200 milli...
Source: Shield My Senior - January 8, 2018 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Vin Tags: Senior Safety Source Type: blogs
IRF4 as a Discriminating Target for Selective Destruction of Immune Cells
There are many issues that might be solved by destroying a sufficiently large number of immune cells. Take autoimmune disease, for example, in which the immune system attacks tissues. This is a configuration problem, and that configuration is entirely contained in immune cells. If those cells are removed, autoimmunity is cured. The age-related decline in the immune system, similarly, is in part a problem of too many unhelpful, over-specialized, or damaged, senescent, and exhausted immune cells cluttering up the body.
The only currently working approach involves high doses of harsh immune suppressant drugs to clear o...
Source: Fight Aging! - December 21, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Does Pregnancy Alter the Brain ’ s Immune Function?
Recent research published in the November 2017 issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity suggests that a woman’s immune response in the brain may decrease during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These findings, discussed by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, might help to establish a connection between the brain’s immune function and the anxiety and mood disorders that are common throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Previous research has shown that during pregnancy, the response of the body’s peripheral immune system (the part of our protective system that does not protect the brain) is suppress...
Source: World of Psychology - December 19, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Brain and Behavior General Grief and Loss Health-related Mental Health and Wellness Research Women's Issues Bipolar Depression fetal development immune changes Immune Function Immunity immunosuppression Mania miscarriage Moth Source Type: blogs
Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 217
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blogJust when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia FFFF…introducing Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 217: children who changed medicine. Question 1In 1796, What did James Phipps (1788-1853) participate in that significantly changed the course of modern medicine?+ Reveal the Funtabulous Answerexpand(document.getElementById('ddet87874616'));expand(document.getElementBy...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - December 8, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Mark Corden Tags: Frivolous Friday Five Christmas disease cow pox Doogie Howser Edward Jenner Haemophilia B IVF James Phipps Lorenzo's oil. Lorenzo Odone Louise Joy Brown small pox stephen christmas test tube baby Source Type: blogs
Mayo Clinic Develops a Lab Test for Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases
The spectrum ofinflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDD) includes neuromyelitis optica, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, optic neuritis, and transverse myelitis, all of which need to be differentiated from multiple sclerosis (MS).Mayo Clinic scientists have developed a test for an antibody to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) which can help to differentiate the former set of diseases from the latter disease (see:Mayo Clinic develops neuro test that distinguishes demyelinating diseases from MS). Below is an excerpt from the article announcing its availability:Mayo Clinic has launched a first-i...
Source: Lab Soft News - November 29, 2017 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Clinical Lab Industry News Clinical Lab Testing Medical Research Source Type: blogs
A New Gimish Model of Complex Disease?
By DAVID SHAYWITZ, MD
The appeal of precision medicine is the promise that we can understand disease with greater specificity and fashion treatments that are more individualized and more effective.
A core tenet (or “central dogma,” as I wrote in 2015) of precision medicine is the idea that large disease categories – like type 2 diabetes – actually consist of multiple discernable subtypes, each with its own distinct characteristics and genetic drivers. As genetic and phenotypic research advances, the argument goes, diseases like “type 2 diabetes” will go the way of quaint descriptive diagnoses like “dropsy”...
Source: The Health Care Blog - November 28, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Broad Institute CAD Circulation Disease Categories Gimish Model of Disease Kathiresan Khera Massachussetts General Hospital Source Type: blogs
A More Precise Definition of Precision Medicine?
By DAVID SHAYWITZ, MD
The appeal of precision medicine is the promise that we can understand disease with greater specificity and fashion treatments that are more individualized and more effective.
A core tenet (or “central dogma,” as I wrote in 2015) of precision medicine is the idea that large disease categories – like type 2 diabetes – actually consist of multiple discernable subtypes, each with its own distinct characteristics and genetic drivers. As genetic and phenotypic research advances, the argument goes, diseases like “type 2 diabetes” will go the way of quaint descriptive diagnoses like “dropsy”...
Source: The Health Care Blog - November 28, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Broad Institute CAD Circulation Disease Categories Gimish Model of Disease Kathiresan Khera Massachussetts General Hospital Source Type: blogs
Why “ Precision Health ” May Not Be the Precise Word
By DAVID SHAYWITZ, MD
The appeal of precision medicine is the promise that we can understand disease with greater specificity and fashion treatments that are more individualized and more effective.
A core tenet (or “central dogma,” as I wrote in 2015) of precision medicine is the idea that large disease categories – like type 2 diabetes – actually consist of multiple discernable subtypes, each with its own distinct characteristics and genetic drivers. As genetic and phenotypic research advances, the argument goes, diseases like “type 2 diabetes” will go the way of quaint descriptive diagnoses like “dropsy”...
Source: The Health Care Blog - November 28, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: OP-ED Uncategorized Broad Institute CAD Circulation Disease Categories Gimish Model of Disease Kathiresan Khera Massachussetts General Hospital Source Type: blogs
