June 24th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, News, Research
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Scientists at Arizona State University have developed a new method of non-surgical brain stimulation using pulsed ultrasound that enhances cognitive function in mice, and may one day be used to non-invasively treat patients with mental retardation, Alzheimer’s disease and other central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions.
In intact motor cortex in mice, ultrasound was found to stimulate action potentials and elicit motor responses comparable to those only previously achieved with implanted electrodes and related techniques. It also activates meaningful brain wave patterns and the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus — one of the most potent regulators of brain plasticity. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
June 12th, 2010 by GruntDoc in Better Health Network, True Stories
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Recently I was seeing a patient who was left with somewhat of a stutter after a prior stroke. It was a long history and probably longer for the patient, who had to work very hard to be understood through an unwanted speech impediment.
Inexplicably, when I walked out of the room I started to stutter, too — I wasn’t trying to make light of the patient’s problem, and I had to stop talking for a few moments before I could speak in my normal cadence. It was super-strange, like my brain heard the new cadence and said “Oh, that’s how you do it.” Awful.
It was embarrassing and weird. Fortunately the patient didn’t hear it, and I apologized to the staff who did. I have no idea why my mouth-brain connection picked that anomaly to repeat. Strange.
Anyone else have this?
*This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc*
May 25th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Book Reviews
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I had the distinct pleasure of reading Stroke Diaries this past week. Its author, Dr. Olajide Williams, is a dear friend and contributor to this blog. I first met Dr. Willliams (or Jide, pronounced “gee-day”) as a young neurology resident at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. I was in my third year of medical school and rotating through the neurology service.
A few things struck me about Jide back then. First, he was the only resident who never got an answer wrong when put on the spot (aka “pimped”) by his superiors. I was in awe of his knowledge base — something he’d developed by disciplining himself to do additional reading long after his peers were asleep.
Second, Jide was always immaculately dressed — his stylish, brightly-colored shirts and ties complimented his dark skin and cheerful, British accent.
And third, his love for his patients and medical students was abundantly clear, as he always went out of his way to educate them in the most friendly and sensitive of ways. In short, Jide was an inspiration to me — as a teacher, a neurologist, and a friend.
Stroke Diaries is a reflection of Jide’s character — a perfect blend of poetic vignette and straightforward science. This short book (130 pages) chronicles the true life stories of various patients who’ve suffered strokes. Read more »
May 22nd, 2010 by Michael Sevilla, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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May is American Stroke Month as designated by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. As I talk about in this video, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and every 40 seconds someone in the United States suffers from a stroke.
The key thing to recognize is that symptoms are sudden — whether it’s weakness on one side of the body, difficulty with talking, difficulty with walking, or other neurological changes. One of the important things to remember is that even subtle weakness or difficulty with speech can be an early sign. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous*
May 13th, 2010 by DrRob in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Humor, Medical Art, Opinion, True Stories
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Back to the subject at hand.
To those who are relatively new to this blog, one of the most popular…uh…tolerated series of posts has been my series on the physical exam. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to go back and read the posts to get in the proper mindset (or destroy enough brain cells).
Astute readers will note that doctors are not the only professionals to examine the hand.
Long before we knew anything about carpal tunnel syndrome or the thenar eminence, we had Madam Linda and her cohorts looking at the hand for signs of what the future will bring for the individual that happens to be connected to the hand in question. Just as stars and planets can have a peculiar interest as to whether a person will run into money, the lines on a person’s hand can foreshadow a person’s future. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
