ScienceDaily: Top Health News

---

• Potential way to repair brain damage in multiple sclerosis
• Sleep duration affects hunger differently in men and women
• Causation warps our perception of time
• Unexpected factor contributes to melanoma risk in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals
• Global genome effort seeks genetic roots of disease
• Single protein targeted as root biological cause of several childhood psychiatric disorders
• How and why herpes viruses reactivate to cause disease
• Fat molecule ceramide may factor in muscle loss in older adults
• Microscopic packets of stem cell factors could be key to preventing lung disease in babies
• Guidelines developed for extremely premature infants shown to be life-changing
• How the brain controls our habits: Neuroscientists identify a brain region that can switch between new and old habits
• Too much risk associated with SSRI usage and pregnancy, research suggests
• Metabolic syndrome makes a difference in hormone therapy risk, analysis suggests

Potential way to repair brain damage in multiple sclerosis Posted: 31 Oct 2012 12:16 PM PDT Blocking a certain enzyme in the brain can help repair the brain damage associated with multiple sclerosis and a range of other neurological disorders.

Sleep duration affects hunger differently in men and women Posted: 31 Oct 2012 12:16 PM PDT A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that adults get could lead to reduced food intake, but the hormonal process differs between men and women.

Causation warps our perception of time Posted: 31 Oct 2012 11:20 AM PDT Events that occur close to one another in time and space are sometimes "bound" together and we perceive them as meaningful episodes, a phenomenon that philosophers and psychological scientists call "temporal binding." New research suggests that our ability to understand causal relations plays an important role in temporal binding, revealing important insights into how we experience time.

Unexpected factor contributes to melanoma risk in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals Posted: 31 Oct 2012 11:18 AM PDT The established elevated risk of melanoma among people with red hair and fair skin may be caused by more than just a lack of natural protection against ultraviolet radiation. Researchers report finding that the type of skin pigment predominantly found in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals may itself contribute to the development of melanoma.

Global genome effort seeks genetic roots of disease Posted: 31 Oct 2012 11:17 AM PDT By decoding the genomes of more than 1,000 people whose homelands stretch from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, scientists have compiled the largest and most detailed catalog yet of human genetic variation. The massive resource will help medical researchers find the genetic roots of rare and common diseases in populations worldwide.

Single protein targeted as root biological cause of several childhood psychiatric disorders Posted: 31 Oct 2012 10:27 AM PDT New research may revolutionize the biological understanding of some childhood psychiatric disorders. Scientists found that if the protein, SRGAP3, is malformed, it causes problems in brain functioning of mice, creating symptoms similar to mental health and neurological disorders in children. This protein functions similarly in humans, possibly representing a "missing link" for several disorders, while offering a new target for treatments to correct the biological cause rather than treat the symptoms.

How and why herpes viruses reactivate to cause disease Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:55 AM PDT The word "herpes" conjures negative stereotypes, but most people are infected with some form of the virus. After a flare-up, the virus usually remains latent until the right circumstances to return. Now, research sheds some light on what triggers the virus to reactivate. It shows that the immune system may actually lose control over the virus when facing new microbial threats, such as fending off other viruses or bacteria.

Fat molecule ceramide may factor in muscle loss in older adults Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:50 AM PDT A small study of older and younger men suggests that a build-up of a fat molecule known as ceramide might play a leading role in muscle deterioration in older adults.

Microscopic packets of stem cell factors could be key to preventing lung disease in babies Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:50 AM PDT Researchers have found that microscopic particles containing proteins and nucleic acids called exosomes could potentially protect the fragile lungs of premature babies from serious lung diseases and chronic lung injury caused by inflammation.

Guidelines developed for extremely premature infants shown to be life-changing Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:35 AM PDT For the last decade, prematurity has been the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. As a result of prematurity many infants enter this world too early with a small chance of survival. In order to help treat these extremely premature infants, physicians have developed a set of guidelines tailored to meet the needs of these tiny infants, some born up to four months early. Now, a new study shows that these guidelines are not only improving survival rates for extremely premature infants, but also improving their quality of life.

How the brain controls our habits: Neuroscientists identify a brain region that can switch between new and old habits Posted: 31 Oct 2012 08:14 AM PDT Neuroscientists have found that a small region of the brain's prefrontal cortex, where most thought and planning occurs, is responsible for moment-by-moment control of which habits are switched on at a given time.

Too much risk associated with SSRI usage and pregnancy, research suggests Posted: 31 Oct 2012 05:12 AM PDT Elevated risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, neonatal health complications and possible longer term neurobehavioral abnormalities, including autism, suggest that a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) should only be prescribed with great caution and with full counseling for women experiencing depression and attempting to get pregnant, say researchers.

Metabolic syndrome makes a difference in hormone therapy risk, analysis suggests Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:05 PM PDT A new analysis of the Women's Health Initiative trials show that women who had metabolic syndrome before they started hormone therapy had a greatly increased risk of heart attack or dying of heart disease. Women who didn't have metabolic syndrome beforehand showed no increased risk.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top Health News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610