A comprehensive study published in the September 27, 2007 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine 1 has demonstrated “no causal association” linking exposure to a mercury-based preservative used in routine childhood vaccines to abnormalities in later neuropsychological development.
The preservative, known as thimerosol, is approximately 50% (by weight) mercury and had been used as [...]
Archive for September, 2007
New Study Demonstrates No Link Between Vaccines, Child Development Problems
Posted in Autism, Disability, Medical Research, mercury, vaccination on September 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
A Role for Vitamin A in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s?
Posted in Alzheimer's, Disability, Medical Research, Medicine, Parkinson's on September 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
An article to appear in the October, 2007 issue of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience 1 will present the strongest evidence to date that a form of vitamin A known as retinoic acid may be of value in the treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
While vitamin A-complex (meaning the vitamin itself as [...]
“Chemo-Brain” is a Potential Side-Effect of Cancer Therapy
Posted in Chemo-brain, Disability, Medical Research, Medicine, Memory on September 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
For years those that have received chemotherapy as part of their treatment for cancer have been reporting a set of neurological symptoms that include difficulties with short-term memory and decision-making that developed after receiving anti-cancer medical therapy. These symptoms, informally called “chemo-brain” or “chemo-fog,” are finally being recognized and studied by researchers in fields from [...]
What is a Clinical Trial?
Posted in Medical Research, Medicine on September 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Clinical trials (also known as clinical investigation or medical research) 1 are an important part of the process in which new drugs, treatment plans, or other such interventions are tested and validated under very strict medical supervision. Clinical trials are also known as investigational trials or as clinical research.
The purpose of a clinical trial [...]
“Brain Pacemaker” for Epilepsy Entering Clinical Trials
Posted in Epilepsy, Medical Research, Medicine on September 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects an estimated 2 to 3 million people in the United States alone. Despite continuing improvements in medical therapy, up to 40% of those with the condition continue to experience seizure activity while on 2 or more medications. Additionally, although surgery for epilepsy has demonstrated dramatic improvement [...]
Tourette Syndrome
Posted in Disability, Medical Research, Tourette Syndrome on September 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disease that is associated with muscular or vocal tics. 1 More severe cases of this condition may be associated with self-abuse such as punching or slapping oneself or even the involuntary use of profanity (the action that many people associate with Tourette, but it is present in less than 5% [...]
Adult ADHD
Posted in ADHD, Autism, Medicine on September 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
While much of the published body of medical literature regarding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children, the burden of this condition in the adult population is only now being appreciated.
There are 3 general categories of childhood and adult ADHD accepted by the American Psychiatric [...]
The Four Theaters, Autism, and the Theory of Mind
Posted in Disability, Medical Research, Medicine on September 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
In A User’s Guide to the Brain psychiatrist John Ratey offers a model of the human neuropsychological forces that give each individual their own “personality signature” and how a problem in one “upstream” area may not become obvious until it impacts another area “downstream.”
This, of course, is certainly not a new observation in any [...]
Two Unusual Manifestations of Brain Injury
Posted in Medical Research, Medicine on September 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Two interesting reports published have shed new light on the neurophysiology of the brain and, in one case, contributed to a better understanding of how the brain functions in addiction.
The first report, 1 which appeared in the journal Science, involved a 28 year old man who had been a long-term (14 year) cigarette user until [...]
Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Posted in Disability, Medical Research on September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that is estimated to affect more than 400,000 Americans. While the exact cause of MS has been widely thought to be a manifestation of some type of autoimmune reaction, current research indicates that, in addition to autoimmunity, several other factors may be involved [...]
