BrainBlog

From the FDA on the 17th of May: FDA Approves New Treatment for Parkinson's Disease The Food and Drug Administration today approved Azilect (rasagiline), a new molecular entity, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The drug is a monoamine oxidase type--B (MAO-B) inhibitor that blocks the breakdown of dopamine, a chemical that sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination. "This is a welcome development for the more than 50,000 Americans who are each year diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, " said Dr. Steven Galson, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Parkinson's is a relentless disease with limited treatment options, and each new therapy is an important addition to the physicians' treatment options." [snip] Azilect was approved for use as an initial single drug therapy in early Parkinson's disease, and as an addition to levodopa in more advanced patients.  Levodopa i...

From today's New York Times : Study Points to a Solution for Dread: Distraction By SANDRA BLAKESLEE Published: May 5, 2006 The New York Times For those who dread a colonoscopy or a root canal so much that they avoid it altogether, scientists have good news. The first study ever to look at where sensations of dread arise in the brain finds that contrary to what is widely believed, dread does not involve fear and anxiety in the moment of an unpleasant event. Instead, it derives from the attention that people devote beforehand to what they think will be extremely unpleasant. So the solution to dread, the researchers say, is self-distraction. "We sort of knew that things like self-hypnosis help relieve dread, but now we know why," said Dr. Gregory S. Berns, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, who led the study. The research, being published today in the journal Science , is "terrific, " said a leading expert on brain imaging, Dr. R...