BrainBlog

Just noticeable difference in olfaction: A discriminative tool between healthy elderly and patients with cognitive disorders associated with dementia Rhinology. 2011 15 1; 49(5): 513-518. Chopard G, Galmiche J, Jacquot L, Brand G Abstract Olfactory dysfunction appears to be one of the earliest signs of several age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer`s disease (AD) or Parkinson`s disease (PD). To rate performance and olfactory deficits in patients with cognitive disorders, various olfactory tasks have been used such as odor detection, discrimination, recognition memory, identification and naming but no study has been focused on just noticeable difference (JND), a sensitive tool of detection. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare variations in JNDs in healthy elderly and in patients with cognitive disorders associated with dementia. The results showed significantly higher olfactory JNDs in a population with cognitive disorders associated with dementia...

Today on WYNC's Leonard Lopate show, Dr. Michael Gazzaniga. Listen and/or download here

Intellectual ability and executive function in pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2011 Nov 24; Williams TS, Westmacott R, Dlamini N, Granite L, Dirks P, Askalan R, Macgregor D, Moharir M, Deveber G Abstract Aim  Moyamoya vasculopathy is characterized by progressive stenosis of the major arteries of the Circle of Willis, resulting in compromised cerebral blood flow and increased risk of stroke. The objectives of the current study were to examine intellectual and executive functioning of children with moyamoya and to evaluate the impact of moyamoya type, stroke (clinical or silent), vasculopathy laterality, and disease duration on neurocognitive abilities. Method  Thirty pediatric participants (mean age 10y 10mo, SD 4y; 18 females, 12 males) completed age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence Scales before any therapeutic revascularization procedures. Reports of executive function were obtained from parents and teachers using the Behavior Rating Inde...

An interesting posting on the Pharmalot blog today: Russian Trial Rules Are A ‘Serious Blow’ To Pharma By Ed Silverman November 29th, 2011 // 9:56 am Read the blog post

Today, NPR's All Things Considered will be airing a report it prepared with ProPublica about problems with the US military's approach to testing the cognitive function of individuals. Here is a link to a ProPublica article about the issue: Testing Program Fails Soldiers An audio link and a transcript of the report will likely be made available by NPR on the All Things Considered website after it airs. The ProPublica report includes links to a number of documents about the issue, for those interested in looking deeper into the controversy. ADDENDUM: The NPR story can be listened to and/or downloaded at this link: Listen here .

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Leadership Council Holds Inaugural Meeting Council convenes at the New York Academy of Sciences to discuss strategies for tackling barriers to translation in dementia. Posted 11/28/2011 "NEW YORK, November 23, 2011- The newly created Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Leadership Council gathered for its inaugural meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, November 15. The leadership council, consisting of key opinion leaders in industry, academia, and government, is charged with creating strategic objectives for the Academy's Translational Science Initiative, which aims to accelerate the transfer of basic scientific discoveries into new methods for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, initially focused on Alzheimer's disease and dementia." Read the full NYAS press release From the One Mind for Research organization: Read the press release

Elan to create research centre with Cambridge University DUBLIN Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:14am EST "(Reuters) - Elan Corp Plc has signed an agreement with Britain's Cambridge University to create a research center focused on therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the Dublin-headquartered biotech group said on Sunday." Read the full article Addendum (28 November 2011): From Cambirdge Business Media : 28 November 2011 12:32 $10m neuroscience drug discovery centre for Cambridge Lautaro Vargas Read the full article

CBC Radio's "Spark" show's Nora Young discusses this topic on its 30 October 2011 show. Dr. Kalina Christoff, an assistant professor in the Psychology department and the Brain Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, is interviewed. Available as a podcast from the show's webpage .

A new post at the New York Times blog, "The New Old Age": November 23, 2011, 12:18 PM It’s Mild Cognitive Impairment. Now What? By PAULA SPAN "How would you react to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment — memory problems that allow you to continue normal daily activities, but presage an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease within a few years?" Read the full post

From the FDA: For Immediate Release: Nov. 23, 2011 FDA approves first insomnia drug for middle-of-the-night waking followed by difficulty returning to sleep [snippet] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Intermezzo (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets) for use as needed to treat insomnia characterized by middle-of-the-night waking followed by difficulty returning to sleep. This is the first time the FDA has approved a drug for this condition. Intermezzo should only be used when a person has at least four hours of bedtime remaining. It should not be taken if alcohol has been consumed or with any other sleep aid. Insomnia is a common condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. It can range from mild to severe, depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Insomnia can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of energy. It also can make a person feel anxious, depressed, or irritable. People with insomnia may have trouble focusing on tasks, p...

This week's Science Weekly podcast from The Guardian includes a report about the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) annual conference ("the brainiest science conference on the planet") and a report about dementia. Listen to the podcast here

Hippocampal Subregions are Differentially Affected in the Progression to Alzheimer's Disease Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2011 Nov 18; Greene SJ, Killiany RJ, Abstract Atrophy within the hippocampus (HP) as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising biomarker for the progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subregions of the HP along the longitudinal axis have been found to demonstrate unique function, as well as undergo differential changes in the progression to AD. Little is known of relationships between such HP subregions and other potential biomarkers, such as neuropsychological (NP), genetic, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) beta amyloid and tau measures. The purpose of this study was to subdivide the hippocampus to determine how the head, body, and tail were affected in normal control, mild cognitively impaired, and AD subjects, and investigate relationships with HP subregions and other potential biomarkers. MRI scans of 120 participants of the Alzheimer's Di...

An interesting post on the Wellcome Trust Blog: What I Learned at the BBC By Johanna Hoog 18 November 2011 A look at how science gets on television. Read the post

Increasing the diagnostic accuracy of medial temporal lobe atrophy in Alzheimer's disease Journal of Alzheimer's Disease . 2011;25(3):477-90 Jacobs HI, Van Boxtel MP, van der Elst W, Burgmans S, Smeets F, Gronenschild EH, Verhey FR, Uylings HB, Jolles J Abstract Medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy is considered to be one of the most important predictors of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigates whether atrophy in parietal and prefrontal areas increases the predictive value of MTL atrophy in three groups of different cognitive status. Seventy-five older adults were classified as cognitively stable (n = 38) or cognitively declining (n = 37) after three years follow-up. At follow-up, the grey matter of the MTL, inferior prefrontal cortex (IPC), and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was delineated on MRI scans. Six years later, a dementia assessment resulted in distinguishing and separating a third group (n = 9) who can be considered as preclinical AD cases at scan time....

A meta-analysis of cognitive deficits in first-episode Major Depressive Disorder Journal of Affective Disorders. 2011 Nov 14; Lee RS, Hermens DF, Porter MA, Redoblado-Hodge MA Abstract BACKGROUND: Recurrent-episode Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with a number of neuropsychological deficits. To date, less is known about whether these are present in the first-episode. The current aim was to systematically evaluate the literature on first-episode MDD to determine whether cognition may be a feasible target for early identification and intervention. METHODS: Electronic database searches were conducted to examine neuropsychological studies in adults (mean age greater than 18years old) with a first-episode of MDD. Effect sizes were pooled by cognitive domain. Using meta-regression techniques, demographic and clinical factors potentially influencing heterogeneity of neuropsychological outcome were also investigated. RESULTS: The 15 independent samples reviewed yielded data for ...

On the Discover Magazine website: Maybe You Do Need a Hole in Your Head—to Let the Medicine In Carl Zimmer November 2011 Read the article

Here is the conference homepage to the National Academy of Neuropsychology's (NAN) annual conference, taking place this week in Florida: Conference Homepage

A press release from the NIH: Ultrathin flexible brain implant offers unique look at seizures in NIH-funded research 13 November 2011 [snippet] Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a flexible brain implant that could one day be used to treat epileptic seizures. In animal studies, the researchers used the device — a type of electrode array that conforms to the brain's surface — to take an unprecedented look at the brain activity underlying seizures. "Someday, these flexible arrays could be used to pinpoint where seizures start in the brain and perhaps to shut them down," said Brian Litt, M.D., the principal investigator and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. The findings appear in this month's Nature Neuroscience . The team will also discuss their findings at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience meeting, Nov. 12-16 in Washington, D.C. "This group's work reflec...

This week's Science Weekly podcast from The Guardian includes a segment called The Inscrutable Brain . [snippet] "On this week's show Alok Jha meets science writer Bryan Appleyard to discuss his new book The Brain is Wider than the Sky: Why Simple Solutions Don't Work in a Complex World . It's "part memoir and part reportage" on what he sees as our tendency to oversimplify the complexity of the human experience – particularly in the field of neuroscience – and misunderstand the limits of science." [snippet] Listen to the podcast

From a New York Times blog: Preventing Hospital Delirium By SUSAN SELIGER November 11, 2011, 4:09 PM Read the full blog entry

From Fierce Biotech : Key AZ/Targacept depression drug flunks first Phase III test By John Carroll November 8, 2011 — 6:49am ET [snippet] "The high-profile depression drug TC-5214 has failed the first in a string of Phase III studies, dealing AstraZeneca's struggling R&D operation another stinging setback and walloping Targacept with a meltdown in its share value this morning." [snippet] Read the full article

Neuropsychological rehabilitation for multiple sclerosis Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;11:CD009131 Rosti-Otajärvi EM, Hämäläinen PI Abstract BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits are a common manifestation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and have a wide effect on the patient's quality of life. Alleviation of the harmful effects caused by these deficits should be a major goal of MS research and practice. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of neuropsychological/cognitive rehabilitation in MS by conducting a systematic review. SEARCH STRATEGY: A systematic literature search was carried out on reports drawn from Cochrane MS Group Specialised Register (To October 2010), Evidence-based medicine (EBM) reviews (To September 2010), MEDLINE (January 1950 to September 2010), EMBASE (1974 to September 2010), PsycINFO (January 1806 to September 2010), WEB OF SCIENCE (WOS) (January 1986 to September 2010), CINAHL (1982 to September 2010), and identified from the references in...

A new interview with Dr. Milner: The Daily talks to McGill researcher Brenda Milner Canadian neuroscientist honoured with Greengard Prize for achievements of women in science LAURENT BASTIEN CORBEIL The McGill Daily Published on November 10, 2011 Read the full interview

Decrease in gait variability while counting backward: a marker of "magnet effect"? Journal of Neural Transmission. 2010 Oct; 117(10): 1171-1176 Beauchet O, Allali G, Poujol L, Barthelemy JC, Roche F, Annweiler C Abstract Counting backward (CB) and walking are both rhythmic tasks. An improvement of CB performance has been reported while walking, and has been interpreted as a "magnet effect" which is the tendency of biological oscillators to attract each other. The objective of this study was to compare the coefficient of variation (CoV) of stride time (ST) and the number of enumerated figures while single- and dual-tasking between older adults who increased and decreased their CoV of ST while CB. The number of enumerated figures and the CoV of ST under single-task (i.e., CB while sitting or walking alone) and dual-task (i.e., CB while walking) were measured among 100 community-dwelling older subjects (mean, 69.8 ± 0.07 years). Subjects were separated into two groups...

The measurement of everyday cognition: Development and validation of a short form of the Everyday Cognition scales Alzheimers Dement . 2011 Nov; 7(6): 593-601. Tomaszewski Farias S, Mungas D, Harvey DJ, Simmons A, Reed BR, Decarli C Abstract BACKGROUND: This study describes the development and validation of a shortened version of the Everyday Cognition (ECog) scales [Tomaszewski Farias et al. Neuropsychology 2008;22:531-44], an informant-rated questionnaire designed to detect cognitive and functional decline. METHODS: External, convergent, and divergent validities and internal consistency were examined. Data were derived from informant ratings of 907 participants who were either cognitively normal, had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or had dementia. RESULTS: Twelve items were included in the shortened version (ECog-12). The ECog-12 strongly correlated with established functional measures and neuropsychological scores, only weakly with age and education, and demonstrated high internal...

From the Society for Neuroscience: Wireless Internet Access

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTNote October 2011 POSTNote: Clinical Trials (pdf).

A new word (for me, at least) for a new discipline of study in neuropsychology and neuroscience. Best wishes, Prof. Jones! Investigating the brain’s white matter Cardiff University News Centre 07 November 2011 [snippet] "Pioneering brain research at Cardiff has received a major boost with the winning of the University’s first prestigious Investigator Award from the Wellcome Trust. " Professor Derek Jones, Director of Cardiff University Brain Repair Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) , has received the Award to develop the new discipline of Tractometry." [snippet] Read the full article

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This sounds like a good read: O'Halloran CJ, Kinsella GJ, & Storey E. (2011). The cerebellum and neuropsychological functioning: A critical review Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. .

Here is the website, chock full of information, for the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, Neuroscience 2011: Neuroscience 2011

Reliability of repeated cognitive assessment of dementia using a brief computerized battery American Journal of Alzheimers Disease and Other Dementias. 2011 Jun; 26(4): 326-333. Hammers D, Spurgeon E, Ryan K, Persad C, Heidebrink J, Barbas N, Albin R, Frey K, Darby D, Giordani B Abstract OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term stability and reliability of a brief computerized cognitive battery in established dementia types. METHOD: Patients were administered the computerized battery twice with administrations approximately 2 hours apart, with intervening conventional neuropsychological tests. Patients were classified clinically, via consensus conference, as healthy controls (n = 23), mild cognitive impairment (n = 20), Alzheimer's disease (n = 52), dementia with Lewy Bodies ([DLB], n = 10), or frontotemporal dementia (n = 9). RESULTS: Minimal practice effects were evident across Cog-State test administrations. Small magnitude improvements were seen across a...

A TEDtalk by University of Cambridge neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert: TEDtalk From the webpage: "Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not to think or feel, but to control movement. In this entertaining, data-rich talk he gives us a glimpse into how the brain creates the grace and agility of human motion."

Pearl Meister Greengard Prize website From the Montreal Gazette : Montreal scientist wins Pearl Meister Greengard Prize Montreal Gazette November 3, 2011 "Neuropsychologist Dr. Brenda Milner was presented the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize at an award ceremony at Rockefeller University in New York on Thursday." Read the full article

Relationships Between Behavioral Syndromes and Cognitive Domains in Alzheimer Disease: The Impact of Mood and Psychosis American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry . 2011 Nov 1; Koppel J, Goldberg TE, Gordon ML, Huey E, Davies P, Keehlisen L, Huet S, Christen E, Greenwald BS Abstract OBJECTIVES:: Behavioral disturbances occur in nearly all Alzheimer disease (AD) patients together with an array of cognitive impairments. Prior investigations have failed to demonstrate specific associations between them, suggesting an independent, rather than shared, pathophysiology. The objective of this study was to reexamine this issue using an extensive cognitive battery together with a sensitive neurobehavioral and functional rating scale to correlate behavioral syndromes and cognitive domains across the spectrum of impairment in dementia. DESIGN:: Cross-sectional study of comprehensive cognitive and behavioral ratings in subjects with AD and mild cognitive impairment. SETTING:: Memory disorders researc...

The BBC Newspod podcast of the 1st of November discusses schizophrenia a hundred years on. It occurs in the final four minutes of the podcast, available from the BBC website and from iTunes as a free download.

List of official neurobloggers The conference begins on the 12th of November.

From the New York Times blog, The New Old Age : Another Hospital Hazard for the Elderly By SUSAN SELIGER November 2, 2011, 12:37 PM Read the blog entry

Science Communication Conference 2012 Wellcome Trust Blog 31 October 2011 by Mun-Keat Looi [snippet] "The British Science Association, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, have opened a call for proposals to run sessions at the 2012 Science Communication Conference. "The conference will again be held at Kings Place, London, on Mon 14 & Tues 15 May 2012 and address key issues facing science communicators. It’s always a good opportunity to network, share ideas and good practice." [snippet] Read the full blog entry

From The University of Cambridge: The Ethics of Smart Drugs 31 October 2011 Read the full article here

From a press release from the NIH: Stanford researcher to speak at NIH on the role of neuroimaging in understanding pain NCCAM presents Opening Windows to the Brain: Lessons Learned in the Neuroimaging of Pain [snippet] What: Sean Mackey, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Pain Management Division and associate professor of anesthesia and pain management at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., will be the featured speaker for the third annual Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Mackey’s lecture is entitled Opening Windows to the Brain: Lessons Learned in the Neuroimaging of Pain. Why: Millions of Americans suffer from pain that is chronic, severe, and not easily managed. People who suffer from chronic pain may take various prescription and non-prescription medications; these do not always provide adequate relief and may have unwanted side effects. As a result, people sometimes turn to non-pharmacological ...