BrainBlog

In The Guardian: Obituary In The New York Times: Obituary In The Economist: Obituary Her 1986 Nobel Lecture: Nobel Lecture

Dr. Molly Crockett's TED talk is a great addition to this season's blowback against neurobollocks. It is good viewing! Molly Crockett - Beware Neuro-bunk View Molly Crockett's TED Talk

Telemedicine in a rural memory disorder clinic-remote management of patients with dementia. Canadian Geriatrics Journal 2012 Dec;15(4):96-100. doi: 10.5770/cgj.15.28. Epub 2012 Dec 4. Azad N, Amos S, Milne K, Power B. Abstract BACKGROUND: There are many reasons to develop telemedicine clinics for assessment and management of dementia. Time constraints, location, and poor weather conditions can all impact on the ability of patients and providers to attend rural clinics. The utility of telemedicine in the diagnosis of dementia and subsequent follow-up appears promising in the literature, as it provides a viable means of assessing cognition in patients in remote areas with limited access to medical specialists. RESULTS: This study explored the feasibility of introducing a telemedicine memory disorder follow-up clinic in a rural community. The evaluation of 32 clinic sessions found high levels of satisfaction, with over 90% of physicians and patients indicating that they'd be...

Neuropsychological Signs of Alzheimer's Disease 8 Years Prior to Diagnosis Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2012 Dec 19. Schmid NS, Taylor KI, Foldi NS, Berres M, & Monsch AU. Abstract We investigated the earliest neuropsychological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by comparing the baseline performance of 29 individuals who subsequently developed AD within an average of 7.91 ± 2.70 years with 29 pairwise-matched individuals who remained cognitively healthy (NC). We hypothesized that subtle, qualitative changes in cognition precede clinical AD by several years, and therefore examined subjective as well as standard quantitative measures of cognition, in addition to subjective estimates of mood and medical status. Participants were selected from the 825 members of the longitudinal BASEL study (BAsel Study on the ELderly), all of whom had been ApoE-genotyped and received comprehensive bi-annual neuropsychological assessments. Within 13 years, 29 were diagnosed with p...

A short but informative blogpost earlier today from the blog, In The Pipeline : CNS Drug Development Claims Another Victim Read the post

A blog entry from the 13th of December from Neuropsych Bookworm : "Useful Neuropsychology Texts" Read the blog entry

The DSM's impact on mental health practice and research by Allen Frances, M.D 02 December 2012 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dsm5-in-distress/201212/dsm-5-is-guide-not-bible-ignore-its-ten-worst-changes

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/what-neuroscience-really-teaches-us-and-what-it-doesnt.html

From today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette : A Life Hijacked: Alzheimer's takes bigger toll on former pilot November 25, 2012 12:08 am By Gary Rotstein / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette <a href=" http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-north/a-life-hijacked-alzheimers-takes-bigger-toll-on-former-pilot-663524/?print=1 ">Read the article</a>

Read the article

A talk by Tim Andrews and a look at "Over The Hill: A Photographic Journey" See website for information: Ethics in Performance

An excellent episode of his brain series: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12408

Video from The Guardian

Oliver Sacks, Exploring How Hallucinations Happen: http://www.npr.org/2012/11/10/164817448/fresh-air-weekend-oliver-sacks-and-oddly-normal?ft=1&f=13

From Wired Science : http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/11/brain-music/

A press release from the NIH, from 15 November 2012: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2012/nidcd-15.htm

The CBC show, "The Sunday Edition," has an excellent feature 0n 18 November 2012 called "Redefining Dementia in Denmark." It can be heard at the link below and via their podcast. The Sunday Edition

From the New Statesman Your brain on pseudoscience: the rise of popular neurobollocks By Steven Poole New Statesman 06 September 2012 "The “neuroscience” shelves in bookshops are groaning. But are the works of authors such as Malcolm Gladwell and Jonah Lehrer just self-help books dressed up in a lab coat?" Read the article

Effects of Delirium Are Found to Linger By PAULA SPAN nytimes.com 29 August 2012 Read the full article

Raising the Ritalin Generation The New York Times By BRONWEN HRUSKA 18 August 2012 Read the full article

Peter Donovick ’61 Uncovers the Mysteries of the Brain By Tiffany Bentley Lafayette (lafayette.edu) 09 August 2012 Read the article

Hippocampal neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits in SAMP8 mice. Neurol Sci. 2012 Aug 8; Authors: Li G, Cheng H, Zhang X, Shang X, Xie H, Zhang X, Yu J, Han J Abstract The objective of this study is to examine whether neuron loss occurs in SAMP8 and whether neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits of these mice. Neuronal loss is considered as one of the most important pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition to the early-onset, irreversible, severe deficits of learning and memory, SAMP8 mice show spontaneous age-related neurodegenerative changes and other characteristics seen in AD patients, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. However, it is still unknown whether neuron loss occurs in SAMP8 and whether neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits of these mice. We employed 8-month-old SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice to investigate the cognitive function and neuron numbers. The behaviors were examined by the grading score of sene...

Trials for Alzheimer’s Drug Halted After Poor Results By KATIE THOMAS The New York Times 06 August 2012 Read full article --- Corporate Press Release: Read the release Commentary from the In The Pipeline blog: In The Pipeline Commentary from Pharmalot : Pharmalot

Critical reading for those interested in Alzheimer's clinical trials: first results from the BAP Phase III program. The link includes additional links to a New York Times article and a company press release. From FierceBiotech : UPDATED: Pfizer, J&J Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab flunks out in big PhIII July 23, 2012 By John Carroll Read the full article Examine media reports this week for these results and accompanying analysis and commentary. Those who have been following this clinical-trial program should examine the corporate press release for additional details about the other three Phase III trials in this program (which were not part of today's results).

Does pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease relieve caregiver burden? Drugs Aging . 2012 Mar 1; 29 (3):167-179 Levy K, Lanctôt KL, Farber SB, Li A, Herrmann N Abstract Caregiving for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with negative outcomes for the caregiver such as depression, anxiety, medical illness, poorer general health and mortality, which further translate into adverse outcomes for the patient. The burden experienced by caregivers of AD patients, both professional and informal, has been found to be positively related to the presence and severity of the patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms, also referred to as the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). As such, management of BPSD may help in alleviating caregiver burden. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the effects of pharmacological interventions for BPSD on the burden of AD patient caregivers. A litera...

A report from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Vancouver: Alzheimer's drug IVIg could halt sufferers' decline Trial involving 16 patients excites scientists by suggesting treatment prevented deterioration of memory and cognitive skills Alexandra Topping and agencies The Guardian Wednesday 18 July 2012 10.21 BST [snip] "A new treatment for Alzheimer's could halt deterioration in people with early symptoms of the disease, a limited human trial has shown. The treatment, called the "most exciting drug in development" by scientists, is currently prescribed to people with immune system problems but could have a significant impact on the quality of life of Alzheimer's sufferers, the trial suggests. "The drug, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), prevented the decline in cognitive skills, memory and the ability to live independently, among patients with mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's. Those who took a...

Lifetime Award goes to memory expert The British Psychological Society 13/07/2012 [snip] "Professor Alan Baddeley FRS CBE from the University of York has received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the [British Psychoogical] Society’s Research Board." [snip] Read article

Here is a link to the official AAIC Overview document: www.alz.org/aaic/downloads/aaic12_overview.pdf Here is the current schedule of press briefings (Pacific Time) for the conference, as cited on the conference website: Sunday, July 15 7:30 a.m. Gait disturbances and Alzheimer's disease risk/early detection Monday, July 16 7:30 a.m. Irregular sleep patterns affect cognitive function and dementia risk Tuesday, July 17 7:30 a.m. Alzheimer's therapies update Wednesday, July 18 7:30 a.m. AAIC 2012 Developing Topics - including several clinical trials If you are not attending the conference, you might anticipate being able to access media reports on these topics along this schedule, in addition to overall media coverage of the event.

Beginning on the 14th, the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Vancouver. Visit the website for all information: www.alz.org/aaic/ . All eyes and ears will be on clinical trials findings! However, even if you are a student, this is an excellent annual conference to attend and you will find great interactions with others. Enjoy!

In Preventing Alzheimer’s, Mutation May Aid Drug Quest The New York Times By GINA KOLATA 11 July 2012 [snip] Two decades ago, researchers began discovering rare gene mutations that cause Alzheimer’s disease in all who inherit them. Now, they have found the opposite: a mutation that prevents the devastating brain disorder. The protective mutation also is very rare — it is not the reason most people do not develop Alzheimer’s disease. But what intrigues researchers is how it protects the brain. It does the reverse of what the mutations that cause Alzheimer’s do. Those mutations lead to excessive amounts of a normal substance, beta amyloid, in the brain. The protective mutation slows beta amyloid production, so people make much less. [snip] Read the full article

GOOD or BAD responder? Behavioural and neuroanatomical markers of clinical response to donepezil in dementia. Behav Neurol. 2012; 25 (2):61-72 Authors: Bottini G, Berlingeri M, Basilico S, Passoni S, Danelli L, Colombo N, Sberna M, Franceschi M, Sterzi R, Paulesu E Abstract We explored the neuropsychological and neuromorphometrical differences between probable Alzheimer's disease patients showing a good or a bad response to nine months treatment with donepezil. Before treatment, the neuropsychological profile of the two patient groups was perfectly matched. By the ninth month after treatment, the BAD-responders showed a decline of the MMSE score together with a progressive impairment of executive functions. A voxel-based morphometry investigation (VBM), at the time of the second neuropsychological assessment, showed that the BAD-responders had larger grey and white matter atrophies involving the substantia innominata of Meynert bilaterally, the ventral part of caudate nuclei an...

Variability in performance: Identifying early signs of future cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology . 2012 Jul; 26 (4):534-540. Authors: Gamaldo AA, An Y, Allaire JC, Kitner-Triolo MH, Zonderman AB. Abstract Objective: The current study examined whether year-to-year variability in cognitive performance differ between individuals cognitively unimpaired and individuals who subsequently develop dementia. Method: Analyses included a case-control sample of Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA; mean [M] age = 69.90, standard deviation [SD] = 8.92) participants. One hundred and 35 clinically diagnosed demented participants were matched with 135 nondemented participants based on age at initial testing and sex. Cognitive performance was examined using measures of memory, executive function, attention, language, and global mental status performance. Cognitive performance was examined from baseline to 5 years before cognitive impairment (M, assessments = 3.03, SD = 2.80). Results: As...

Here's the International Neuropsychological Society's conference homepage: homepage

Survey shows dim faith in Lilly, Pfizer Alzheimer's drugs Ransdell Pierson | Reuters The Chicago Tribune June 19, 2012 [snip] "Results from the survey of 146 investors were released late on Tuesday by Mark Schoenebaum, a pharmaceutical analyst for the investment research services group. Wall Street is eagerly awaiting results of the trials and expects huge potential sales if either of the medicines proves able to arrest the progression of the memory-robbing disease. "Pfizer and Lilly are expected in the third quarter to disclose the main findings from large studies of their respective medicines, bapineuzumab and solanezumab. Complete data are expected to be presented at medical meetings in the fourth quarter. "The survey responders, on average, gave solanezumab only a 14 percent chance of meeting all the primary goals of its two Phase III studies, compared with an average 21 percent probability for the two big trials of bapineuzumab, Schoenebaum said....

Understanding the relation between subjective complaints and objective performance findings is always a crucial factor in clinical assessment. It is a source of debate by clinicians and researchers and a literature has developed examining the issues that are generated by the relation. Here, an example: Lenehan ME, Klekociuk SZ, Summers MJ. Absence of a relationship between subjective memory complaint and objective memory impairment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI): is it time to abandon subjective memory complaint as an MCI diagnostic criterion? Int Psychogeriatr. 2012 May 1: 1-10. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract Background: Subjective memory complaints are a requirement in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as they are thought to indicate a decline in objective memory performance. However, recent research suggests that the relationship between subjective memory complaint and objective memory impairment is less clear. Thus, it is possible that many people withou...

Boulle F, Kenis G, Cazorla M, Hamon M, Steinbusch HH, Lanfumey L, A van den Hove DL. TrkB inhibition as a therapeutic target for CNS-related disorders. Prog Neurobiol . 2012 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract The interaction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with its tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB) is involved in fundamental cellular processes including neuronal proliferation, differentiation and survival as well as neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. TrkB signaling has been widely associated with beneficial, trophic effects and many commonly used psychotropic drugs aim to increase BDNF levels in the brain. However, it is likely that a prolonged increased TrkB activation is observed in many pathological conditions, which may underlie the development and course of clinical symptoms. Interestingly, genetic and pharmacological studies aiming at decreasing TrkB activation in rodent models mimicking human pathology have demonstrated a promising ...

How Do You Live Knowing You Might Have an Alzheimer’s Gene? By GINA KOLATA The New York Times 07 June 2012 Read the full article

Vaccine which could help delay Alzheimer's by five years passes first test Daily Record (UK) By Mike Swain 09 June 2012 Read the full article Abstract of publication in Lancet Neurology: link here

A piece today by Vaughn Bell in The Observer : The Trouble With Brain Scans by Vaughn Bell The Observer 27 May 2012 "Many of the methods on which brain scan studies are based have been flawed – as one image of a dead salmon proved" Read the full piece  here .

Remember to Buy Milk on the Way Home! A Meta-analytic Review of Prospective Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2012 May 18 ;:1-11 Authors: van den Berg E, Kant N, Postma A Abstract Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to execute delayed intentions. Previous studies indicate that PM is impaired in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but the extent, nature, and cognitive correlates are unclear. A meta-analytic review was, therefore, performed (literature search 1990 to July 2011) on case-control studies on PM in dementia (10 studies, 336 patients, 505 controls) and MCI (7 studies, 225 patients, 253 controls). Differences between event-based and time-based PM and between measures of prospective and retrospective memory were examined, as well as correlations with other cognitive functions. Results showed that patients with dementia or MCI exhibit large deficits in PM (Hedges...

Factor Structure of a Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale in Clinically-Referred Children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 2012 May 8; Authors: Jacobson LA, Murphy-Bowman SC, Pritchard AE, Tart-Zelvin A, Zabel TA, Mahone EM Abstract "Sluggish cognitive tempo" (SCT) is a construct hypothesized to describe a constellation of behaviors that includes daydreaming, lethargy, drowsiness, difficulty sustaining attention, and underactivity. Although the construct has been inconsistently defined, measures of SCT have shown associations with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly inattention. Thus, better characterization of SCT symptoms may help to better predict specific areas of functional difficulty in children with ADHD. The present study examined psychometric characteristics of a recently developed 14-item scale of SCT (Penny et al., Psychological Assessment 21:380-389, 2009), completed by teachers on children referred for outpatient neur...

An NIH press release: Awake mental replay of past experiences critical for learning 07 May 2012 Read the release

The Wellcome Trust's collection of its YouTube videos: Neuroscience and Understanding the Brain

From Pharmalot blog, a good read about the Amyvid approval decision: Should FDA Have Approved Lilly Alzheimer’s Agent? Pharmalot By Ed Silverman April 9th, 2012 // 11:23 am Read the full blog post

A fine blog entry at the Dana Foundation Blog : Creating a Neuroscience Learning Community (05 April 2012).

I teach the first run tomorrow of my new 6-hr continuing-education program about Memory. Looking forward to it!

Does the brainʼs wiring make us who we are? Event homepage And, as discussed by Carl Zimmer: The Loom

The Greater Seattle Brain Science Cluster xconomy.com Luke Timmerman 16 March 2012 Read article

A press release from the FDA: FDA approves first generic Lexapro to treat depression and anxiety disorder 14 March 2012 Read the full press release

Making memories: How one protein does it The JHU Gazette 12 March 2012 [snip] "Studying tiny bits of genetic material that control protein formation in the brain, Johns Hopkins scientists say that they have new clues to how memories are made and how drugs might someday be used to stop disruptions in the process that lead to mental illness and brain-wasting diseases. "In a report published in the March 2 issue of Cell, the researchers say that certain microRNAs—genetic elements that control which proteins get made in cells—are the key to controlling the actions of so-called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF , long linked to brain cell survival, normal learning and memory boosting." [snip] Read the full article

Visit the Brain Awareness Week homepage at the Dana Foundation!

I noticed the abstract for this new paper earlier in the day. It should be a good read. Bauer RM, Iverson GL, Cernich AN, Binder LM, Ruff RM, Naugle RI (2012). Computerized neuropsychological assessment devices: Joint position paper of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (2012 Mar 1).

Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Ascending Dose Study of the Oral γ-Secretase Inhibitor BMS-708163 (Avagacestat): Tolerability Profile, Pharmacokinetic Parameters, and Pharmacodynamic Markers Clin Ther. 2012 Feb 28; Tong G, Wang JS, Sverdlov O, Huang SP, Slemmon R, Croop R, Castaneda L, Gu H, Wong O, Li H, Berman RM, Smith C, Albright CF, Dockens RC Abstract BACKGROUND: γ-Secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are being investigated for their potential to modify the progression of Alzheimer disease based on their ability to regulate amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation. BMS-708163 (avagacestat) is an oral GSI designed for selective inhibition of Aβ synthesis currently in development for the treatment of mild to moderate and predementia AD. In addition to the desired effect on Aβ synthesis, GSIs affect Notch processing, which is thought to mediate some toxic adverse effects reported with this drug class. Avagacestat produced up to 190-fold greater selectivity for Aβ synth...

From the Neurohacks blog: Neurohacks column at BBC Future 27 February 2012 Read the blog posting

From the BBC : Understanding the brain on dance 27 February 2012 Last updated at 23:29 ET [snip] "How does the brain perceive and interpret beautiful movement? "This is one of the key questions being asked by scientists at Bangor University who have enlisted the help of a professional dancer in their quest to better understand how our brains process movement and how we learn by observation. "Dr Emily Cross' research focuses on the relatively new field of science called neuroaesthetics which looks at how the brain perceives artistic endeavours." [snip] Read the full article

The 24th Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar: Translational Neuroscience For full information, click here .

The February edition of Neuropod presented by Kerri Smith is up and is a great listen today. Listen to or download the edition and enjoy features about the connectome , thoughts on just how many neurons are present in the average human brain, and "The Good, the Bad, and the Monkey." Just where did that number of 100 billion come from? One number is sure: it is the 50th episode of this popular podcast. Congrats! Enjoy! Homepage and link to podcast

The Guardian's Science Weekly podcast for this week examines consciousness. " On 7 March at the Royal Institution in London, Science Weekly presenter Alok Jha will host a debate entitled Consciousness: The Hard Problem? "To discuss this slippery subject ahead of the debate Alok brought the three leading researchers and thinkers who will be participating into the Science Weekly studio: Professor Anil Seth, co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at Sussex University; Professor Chris Frith, professor emeritus at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London; and Dr Barry Smith, director of the Institute of Philosophy at the School of Advanced Study at Birkbeck, University of London." Read the full article and listen to the podcast

Ulric Neisser Is Dead at 83; Reshaped Study of the Mind By DOUGLAS MARTIN The New York Times Published: February 25, 2012 "Mr. Neisser helped lead a postwar revolution in the study of the human mind by advancing the understanding of mental processes like perception and memory." Read the full obituary

The Charlie Rose show is airing episodes from Series 2 of its "Brain Series." Series 2 is a series of episodes that deal with brain disorders. Home page

Effects of Practice on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Across 3- and 6-Month Intervals Clinical Neuropsychologist. 2012 Feb 21; Estevis E, Basso MR, Combs D Abstract A total of 54 participants (age M = 20.9; education M = 14.9; initial Full Scale IQ M = 111.6) were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV ) at baseline and again either 3 or 6 months later. Scores on the Full Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension, Working Memory, Perceptual Reasoning, Processing Speed, and General Ability Indices improved approximately 7, 5, 4, 5, 9, and 6 points, respectively, and increases were similar regardless of whether the re-examination occurred over 3- or 6-month intervals. Reliable change indices (RCI) were computed using the simple difference and bivariate regression methods, providing estimated base rates of change across time. The regression method provided more accurate estimates of reliable change than did the simple difference between baseline and fol...

From Business Wire : neuGRID, the European Online Diagnosis Tool for Alzheimer’s, Goes Global with outGRID and the ITU 20 February 2012 "neuGRID, a cloud-computing infrastructure funded by the European Commission that stores and analyses a vast database of 3D brain scans, is now expanding globally to help find treatments for Alzheimer’s. This ground-breaking initiative will help develop a global online system to centralise and boost Alzheimer’s research initiatives." Read full article

Impaired Cognitive Function and Hippocampal Neurogenesis Following Cancer Chemotherapy Clin Cancer Res . 2012 Feb 14; Christie LA, Acharya MM, Parihar VK, Nguyen A, Martirosian V, Limoli CL Abstract PURPOSE: A substantial proportion of breast cancer survivors report significant, long-lasting impairments in cognitive function, often referred to as "chemobrain." Advances in detection and treatment mean that many more patients are surviving long-term following diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. Thus, it is important to define the types, extent and persistence of cognitive impairments following treatment with cytotoxic cancer drugs. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined the effects of chronic treatment with two agents commonly used in breast cancer patients, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin (Adriamycin). Athymic nude rats were given 50mg/kg cyclophosphamide, 2mg/kg doxorubicin or saline injections once per week for 4 weeks. A novel place recognition task and contextual and cued fear...

Intraneuronally Injected Amyloid Beta Inhibits Long-Term Potentiation In Rat Hippocampal Slices J Neurophysiol. 2012 Feb 15; Nomura I, Takechi H, Kato N Abstract Extracellular accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been reported that extracellular perfusion of Aβ inhibits long-term potentiation (LTP), which is strongly related to memory in animal models. However, it has recently been proposed that intracellular Aβ may be the first pathological change to occur in AD. Here, we have investigated the effect on LTP of intracellular injection of Aβ (Aβ(1-40), Aβ(1-42)) into hippocampal pyramidal cells using patch clamp technique. We found that injection of 1 nM Aβ(1-42) completely blocked LTP and extracellular perfusion of a p38 MAPK inhibitor or a metabotropic glutamate receptor blocker reversed these blocking effects on LTP. Furthermore, we have examined the effects of different concentrations of Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42) on LTP and showed that...

A good read from the Dana Foundation Blog : Social Media as Science Facilitator Dana Foundation Blog 17 February 2012 Social media creates a new culture surrounding science. Read the blog post

Congratulations to Dr. Kerry Hamsher for Distinguished Career Award from International Neuropsychological Society (INS)! Ceremony takes place tomorrow evening, during the first day of this year's Annual Meeting. #INS12

From today's New York Times : What’s New? Exuberance for Novelty Has Benefits By JOHN TIERNEY Published: February 13, 2012 "Novelty-seeking, a personality trait long associated with trouble, turns out to be one of the crucial predictors of emotional and physical well-being." Read the full article

Discussions about Targretin (bexarotene): From The Wall Street Journal : Alzheimer's Families Clamor for Drug By Shirley S. Wang 11 February 2012 Read the article From the In The Pipeline blog: Bexarotene for Alzheimer's 13 February 2012 Read the blog posting

From The Guardian's website, with a podcast to follow: Memory and amnesia in the movies by Mo Castandi Neurophilosophy 13 February 2012 Read the full article

From the NIH: Members of new Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee announced 13 February 2012 [snip] "The committee will work to identify critical gaps in basic and clinical research on the symptoms, causes, and treatment of pain and will recommend federal research programs in these areas. The focus will be to coordinate pain research activities across the federal government with the goals of stimulating pain research collaboration, fully leveraging the government resources dedicated to supporting pain research, and providing an important avenue for public involvement. The committee will explore public-private partnerships to broaden collaborative, cross-cutting research and consider best practices in disseminating information about pain to public and professional audiences." [snip] Read the full press release

Visualizing long-term memory formation in two neurons of the Drosophila brain Science. 2012 Feb 10;335(6069):678-85 Chen CC, Wu JK, Lin HW, Pai TP, Fu TF, Wu CL, Tully T, Chiang AS Abstract Long-term memory (LTM) depends on the synthesis of new proteins. Using a temperature-sensitive ribosome-inactivating toxin to acutely inhibit protein synthesis, we screened individual neurons making new proteins after olfactory associative conditioning in Drosophila. Surprisingly, LTM was impaired after inhibiting protein synthesis in two dorsal-anterior-lateral (DAL) neurons but not in the mushroom body (MB), which is considered the adult learning and memory center. Using a photoconvertible fluorescent protein KAEDE to report de novo protein synthesis, we have directly visualized cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB)-dependent transcriptional activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and period genes in the DAL neurons after spaced but not...

The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale: initial validity and internal consistency findings from three multisite studies with adolescents and adults. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;168(12):1266-77. Posner K, Brown GK, Stanley B, Brent DA, Yershova KV, Oquendo MA, Currier GW, Melvin GA, Greenhill L, Shen S, Mann JJ. Abstract Research on suicide prevention and interventions requires a standard method for assessing both suicidal ideation and behavior to identify those at risk and to track treatment response. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) was designed to quantify the severity of suicidal ideation and behavior. The authors examined the psychometric properties of the scale. The C-SSRS's validity relative to other measures of suicidal ideation and behavior and the internal consistency of its intensity of ideation subscale were analyzed in three multisite studies: a treatment study of adolescent suicide attempters (N=124); a medication efficacy trial wit...

A curious website task: eyewire.org

New nursing guidelines have been announced for dealing with Acute Confusional States by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). New AACN Practice Alert Outlines Protocols to Assess and Manage Delirium in Critically Ill Patients Feb. 10, 2012, 8:30 a.m. EST PR NewsWire press release More information available at the AACN website: Here .

Nobel winner joins Lou Ruvo Center By Paul Harasim Las Vegas Review-Journal Feb. 3, 2012 | 6:42 p.m. [snip] "Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Stanley Prusiner, who discovered a revolutionary new class of proteins that cause devastating brain diseases in both animals and humans, has become chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health." [snip] Read the full article

A randomized controlled trial of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention for persons with multiple sclerosis Clin Rehabil . 2012 Feb 2; Stuifbergen AK, Becker H, Perez F, Morison J, Kullberg V, Todd A Abstract Objective: To explore the feasibility and effects of a computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation intervention - Memory, Attention, and Problem Solving Skills for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MAPSS-MS) - for persons with multiple sclerosis on cognitive performance, memory strategy use, self-efficacy for control of symptoms and neuropsychological competence in activities of daily living (ADL).Design: A randomized controlled single-blinded trial with treatment and wait list control groups.Setting: Southwestern United States.Subjects: Convenience sample of 61 persons (34 treatment, 27 wait list control) with multiple sclerosis (mean age 47.9 years, SD 8.8).Intervention: The eight-week MAPSS-MS intervention program included two components: (a) eight weekly group sessions focused ...

Brain development of very preterm and very low-birthweight children in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2012 Jan 28; de Kieviet JF, Zoetebier L, van Elburg RM, Vermeulen RJ, Oosterlaan J Abstract Aim  The aim of this article was to clarify the impact and consequences of very preterm birth (born PMID: 22283622 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

I begin work this week drafting the structure of a multi-hour continuing-education (CE) program that I will be teaching several months from now on the topic of memory functioning for clinicians and clinical researchers. I will be presenting an overview to current clinical and research findings about normal memory, memory problems in certain clinical conditions, the neurodegenerative diseases, and an overview to efforts to assess the effectiveness of trying to enhance memory and trying to prevent or slow memory decline. If you were to attend a program like this, what would you like to hear about?

Odor identification deficits identify Parkinson's disease patients with poor cognitive performance Movement Disorders. 2011 Sep;26(11):2045-50 Damholdt MF, Borghammer P, Larsen L, Ostergaard K Abstract Olfactory dysfunction is a prodromal and prevalent nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease. Unlike olfactory dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease, it is believed to be unrelated to cognitive impairment. However, recent research has implicated cholinergic denervation in Parkinson's disease hyposmia and linked it to verbal memory. This research hypothesized that severe odor identification deficits may identify patients with Parkinson's disease at risk for cognitive impairment. The current study tested this hypothesis by comparing 24 functionally anosmic, nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease and 39 nonanosmic, nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease with 29 healthy control participants on composite scores of memory, processing speed, executive functi...

A quick overview sheet presented by the Wellcome Trust Blog : pdf sheet

From The Independent : Switzerland's 'Dementiaville' designed to mirror the past Plan to build 1950s-style village for Alzheimer's sufferers divides geriatric-care experts TONY PATERSON TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2012 [snip] "Its detractors may end up dubbing it "Dementiaville", but Switzerland is brushing aside a debate raging among geriatric-care experts with plans to build a mock-1950s village catering exclusively for elderly sufferers of Alzheimer's and other debilitating mental illnesses." [snip] Read the full article

From The New Yorker : RE-START by John Seabrook 30 January 2012 issue Read the full piece

From the Dana Foundation Blog: Gearing Up for Brain Awareness Week 20 January 2012 [snip] "Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is less than two months away (March 12–18) and here at the Dana Foundation we are excited...Remember, the Dana Foundation and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (DABI) are here to help. If you register your organization with DABI and become a BAW partner at www.dana.org/brainweek/ , you’ll get access to free BAW materials. Each year hundreds of BAW partners from Texas to Morocco register events with DABI and receive fun and valuable materials and resources for free." [snip] Read the full blog entry Hashtag it at #BrainWeek

From the FDA: FDA permits marketing of first test for risk of rare brain infection in some people treated with Tysabri For Immediate Release: January 20, 2012 [snip] "Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed marketing of the first test to help determine the risk for a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in people using the drug Tysabri (natalizumab) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) or Crohn’s disease (CD). "The Stratify JCV Antibody ELISA test, when used with other clinical data from the patient, can help health care providers determine the risk for developing PML in MS and CD patients." [snip] Read the full press release

This blog post from the New York Times discusses "The 36-hour Day": The Caregivers’ Bookshelf: An Alzheimer’s Classic The New Old Age Blog The New York Times by Paula Span January 20, 2012, 2:27 PM Read the full blog entry

Exergaming and older adult cognition a cluster randomized clinical trial Am J Prev Med. 2012 Feb;42(2):109-19 Anderson-Hanley C, Arciero PJ, Brickman AM, Nimon JP, Okuma N, Westen SC, Merz ME, Pence BD, Woods JA, Kramer AF, Zimmerman EA Abstract BACKGROUND: Dementia cases may reach 100 million by 2050. Interventions are sought to curb or prevent cognitive decline. Exercise yields cognitive benefits, but few older adults exercise. Virtual reality-enhanced exercise or "exergames" may elicit greater participation. PURPOSE: To test the following hypotheses: (1) stationary cycling with virtual reality tours ("cybercycle") will enhance executive function and clinical status more than traditional exercise; (2) exercise effort will explain improvement; and (3) brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) will increase. DESIGN: Multi-site cluster randomized clinical trial (RCT) of the impact of 3 months of cybercycling versus traditional exercise, on cognitive function i...

Errorless learning in cognitive rehabilitation: A critical review Neuropsychological Rehabilatation. 2012 Jan 16; Middleton EL, Schwartz MF Abstract Cognitive rehabilitation research is increasingly exploring errorless learning interventions, which prioritise the avoidance of errors during treatment. The errorless learning approach was originally developed for patients with severe anterograde amnesia, who were deemed to be at particular risk for error learning. Errorless learning has since been investigated in other memory-impaired populations (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and acquired aphasia. In typical errorless training, target information is presented to the participant for study or immediate reproduction, a method that prevents participants from attempting to retrieve target information from long-term memory (i.e., retrieval practice). However, assuring error elimination by preventing difficult (and error-permitting) retrieval practice is a potential major drawback of the error...

This looks like a great contribution. I am looking forward to reading it. Age group and sex differences in performance on a computerized neurocognitive battery in children age 8-21 Neuropsychology. 2012 Jan 16; Gur RC, Richard J, Calkins ME, Chiavacci R, Hansen JA, Bilker WB, Loughead J, Connolly JJ, Qiu H, Mentch FD, Abou-Sleiman PM, Hakonarson H, Gur RE Abstract Objective: Examine age group effects and sex differences by applying a comprehensive computerized battery of identical behavioral measures linked to brain systems in youths that were already genotyped. Such information is needed to incorporate behavioral data as neuropsychological "biomarkers" in large-scale genomic studies. Method: We developed and applied a brief computerized neurocognitive battery that provides measures of performance accuracy and response time for executive-control, episodic memory, complex cognition, social cognition, and sensorimotor speed domains. We tested a population-based sample of 3,500...

From the CBC : Concussion prevention effort features mobile app Four sports organizations partner with government on new education programs CBC News Posted: Jan 19, 2012 11:27 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 19, 2012 3:19 PM ET [snip] Four sports organizations will receive $1.5 million in federal funding for new education programs designed to reduce concussions and other brain injuries in children and youth who play team sports. The Public Health Agency of Canada's "Active and Safe" program is supporting a joint project of ThinkFirst Canada, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Coaching Association of Canada, and Hockey Canada to help coachers, trainers, parents, and athletes recognize and prevent serious brain injuries. In announcing the funding in Ottawa Thursday, Minister of State for Amateur Sport Bal Gosal noted that an estimated 90 per cent of severe brain injuries were preventable if parents, coaches and the kids themselves knew more about the risks. "We can...

N-backer: An auditory n-back task with automatic scoring of spoken responses Behav Res Methods. 2011 Sep;43(3):888-96 Monk AF, Jackson D, Nielsen D, Jefferies E, Olivier P Abstract The n-back task is commonly used to load working memory (WM) in dual-task and neuroimaging experiments. However, it typically involves visual presentation and buttonpress responses, making it unsuitable for combination with primary tasks that involve vision and action, such as sequential object use and other tasks of daily living. The N-backer software presented here will automatically present and score auditory-verbal n-back sequences utilising the standard speech synthesis and recognition facilities that come with Microsoft Windows. Data are presented from an experiment in which 12 student participants carried out three tasks from the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT) while their attention was divided between the primary task and a continuous auditory-verbal 2-back secondary task. The participants' 2-bac...

A press release from the NIH : NIH announces funding for new learning disabilities research centers Centers in Boulder, Houston, Tallahassee, and Seattle 17 January 2012 "Funding for four centers to conduct research on the causes and treatment of learning disabilities in children and adolescents has been provided by the National Institutes of Health." Read the full press release

From the Guardian : NHS warned of 'neurology timebomb' Call for 'neurology tsar' as growing numbers are diagnosed with Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis The Guardian Tuesday 17 January 2012 Read full article

A special features section of the Guardian and the Observer : Homepage

Thank you Dana Foundation Blog for posting about this series at the Rubin Museum of Art, the homepage for which follows: Brainwave 2012 From the homepage: "Now in its fifth year, Brainwave brings people from diverse walks of life together to engage with neuroscientists in one-on-one conversations in order to better understand the workings of our minds. Starting February 2012 we will focus on how memory is processed in the brain." The Rubin is located in Chelsea (NYC). Information about the schedule and the museum are available on the homepage.

Landmark sequencing and route knowledge: An fMRI study Cortex. 2011 Dec 16; Nemmi F, Piras F, Péran P, Incoccia C, Sabatini U, Guariglia C Abstract INTRODUCTION: The ability to navigate in a familiar environment mainly relies on route knowledge, that is, a mental representation of relevant locations along a way, sequenced according to a navigational goal. Despite the clear ecological validity of this issue, route navigation and route knowledge have been scarcely investigated and little is known about the neural and cognitive bases of this navigational strategy. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we tested the validity of the predictions based on the main cognitive models of spatial knowledge acquisition about route-based navigation. METHODS: An order judgment task was used with two conditions (route and activity). Subjects were required to detect potential mismatches between a current sensory input and expectations deriving from route and activity knowledge. RESULTS: A...

From the Mind Hacks blog: A Relationship Through Brain Injury

The Guardian/Observer Memory Week Read the article "The free 'Making the Most of your Memory' 24-page booklets, are available with the Guardian this Saturday 14 January and the Observer on Sunday 15 January."

An open-access free download of the research paper upon which today's news in based: Archana Singh-Manoux, Mika Kivimaki, M Maria Glymour, Alexis Elbaz, Claudine Berr, Klaus P Ebmeier, Jane E Ferrie, & Aline Dugravot (2012). Timing of onset of cognitive decline: results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal . Article

A report from the BBC : Brain function can start declining 'as early as age 45' BBC 5 January 2012 Last updated at 20:08 ET [snip] "The brain's ability to function can start to deteriorate as early as 45, suggests a study in the British Medical Journal. "University College London researchers found a 3.6% decline in mental reasoning in women and men aged 45-49. "They assessed the memory, vocabulary and comprehension skills of 7,000 men and women aged 45 to 70 over 10 years." [snip] Read the full article Related report from the CBC : Brain may start decline at age 45 Cognitive function may begin deteriorating earlier than previously believed CBC News Posted: Jan 5, 2012 6:45 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 6, 2012 7:14 AM ET [snip] "Memory, reasoning and comprehension skills can start to decline at age 45, research published Thursday suggests. "The findings go against previous research that had found cognitive decline starts after age 60 — and highlight ...

Rehabilitation targeted at everyday communication: can we change the talk of people with aphasia and their significant others within conversation? Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilation . 2012 Jan;93(1 Suppl):S70-6 Wilkinson R, Wielaert S Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether aphasia therapy can change the talk of speakers with aphasia and/or their significant others within conversation. DESIGN: Small number of intervention studies targeting conversations involving speakers with aphasia are reviewed. All are single case studies. SETTING: Key assessment in the studies was an audio or video recording of 1 or more conversations between the dyad, usually made in the home setting. Intervention in these studies took place in the participants' home or another setting, such as a therapy room. PARTICIPANTS: In all of the studies reviewed, the participants consisted of a person with aphasia (PWA) and a significant other, usually the PWA's spouse. INTERVENTIONS: In all studie...

Cambridge University figures in New Year Honours list The Cambridge Student Online 31 December 2011 [snip] "A CBE is awarded to another medical man, Professor Trevor Robbins, "for services to Medical Research". Professor Robbins is Head of the Department of Experimental Psychology, and Director of Cambridge University's Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute. His research interests focus on the brain systems relevant to neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Professor Robbins is a Fellow of Downing College, and of the Royal Society." [snip] Read full article