
Noticias De Salud Medical Library

Conditions

Neurology » Stroke Articles & Stories

Your Local Doctors

Neurology

Find Neurology Doctors

New York

- Westchester

How Sleep Apnea Can Cause a Stroke

Obstructive sleep apnea decreases blood flow to the brain and causes changes in the brain that increase sufferers' risk of suffering from a stroke or dying in their sleep, according to a study published by The American Physiological Society. The decreased blood flow to the brain causes elevated blood pressure within the brain that eventually harms the brain's ability to modulate these changes and prevent damage to itself. ( Read more about How Sleep Apnea Can Cause a Stroke)

Expert Commentary: Steven Park, M.D. 3/9/2010

We know a lot about the molecular and biochemical processes that occur with Alzheimer's Disease. Autopsy studies show amyloid plaque deposition and neurofibrilary tangles. About 5% are hereditary, and the rest are spontaneous. There are different types of dementia, of which vascular dementia is the largest component. We also know that patients with atherosclerotic risk factors and history of stroke have the highest risk for AD. ( Read more about Expert Commentary: Steven Park, M.D. 3/9/2010)

Ice Cream's Effect On The Brain

Your brain may be to blame for interfering with your best efforts to stop indulging in scoop after scoop of ice cream or even that extra burger. Research appearing in The Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that fat from certain foods we eat goes directly to our brain before it targets our stomach or thighs. These fat molecules cause the brain to send messages to the body's cells, telling them to ignore appetite-suppressing signals from leptin and insulin - hormones responsible for weight regulation.
( Read more about Ice Cream's Effect On The Brain)

Biomaterial Gel Can Spark Brain Tissue Regeneration

Brain tissue may be able to regenerate at the site of a traumatic brain injury through use of an injectable biomaterial gel, according to research conducted by a Clemson University engineer. Assistant professor of bioengineering, Ning Zhang, has demonstrated that the biomaterial gel composed of both synthetic and natural sources has the potential to spark the growth of an individual's own neural stem cells in the body, allowing recovery of injured brain tissue.
( Read more about Biomaterial Gel Can Spark Brain Tissue Regeneration)

Mechanics of Sleep Apnea Show Why It's Perilous

Sleep apnea – in which a sleeping person repeatedly ceases breathing for intervals – restricts the brain’s blood flow and raises its blood pressure, eventually disrupting the brain’s ability to control these dynamics and shield itself from damage, a recent study showed.

The study, published by the American Physiological Society in the Journal of Applied Physiology, was performed by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. The results revealed why America’s 18 million sleep apnea sufferers are at much greater risk than others for stroke and for dying in their sleep.

Metabolic Abnormalities Linked to a Form of Dementia

The condition known as metabolic syndrome – a group of abnormalities that opens the door to heart disease and diabetes – appears to be linked with an amplified risk of developing so-called vascular dementia, but not Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study revealed.

Vascular (blood-supply-related) dementia is the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s. It’s caused by the gradual narrowing of blood vessels in the brain, reducing oxygen supply and leading to deterioration of a person’s intellectual powers. The condition is often associated with stroke, and common risk factors are smoking and high blood pressure.

"Silver Bullet" for Age-Related Diseases?

A simple natural compound found in grape juice and red wine seems to have the potential to work on the common root of a variety of age-related illnesses and virtually cure them. And that compound, resveratrol, may become one in a new class of drugs that target the disorders, which include cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cardiovascular problems.

( Read more about "Silver Bullet" for Age-Related Diseases?)

A Potential Cure for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Deep cerebral stimulation with microelectrodes in very tiny, specific target areas of the brain produce a dramatic improvement in many of those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results of a recent clinical trial show. OCD can devastate people's lives by consuming them with an obsession for cleanliness, order and symmetry. OCD sufferers are also often paralyzed by doubts and irrational fears. To control their anxiety, they engage in rituals of tidying, washing or verification, sometimes for several hours a day. The problem can last for years. This behavior shouldn't be confused with obsessive, perfectionist and meticulous personality traits, which are entirely normal.

Women in Red Attract Men More

In a study that has powerful implications for dating, the fashion industry, product design and marketing, the color red was shown to distinctly boost men's attraction to the opposite sex. "It's fascinating to find that something as ubiquitous as color can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness," said Andrew Elliot, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester in upstate New York.

( Read more about Women in Red Attract Men More)

Five Healthful Brain Exercises

Doctors repeatedly counsel that we should be greatly concerned about maintaining muscle mass and building aerobic (heart and lung) health as we age. But just as important, many say, is to work on the health of our brains. As Americans live longer and longer in this, the 21st century, the threat of contracting Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia is growing. This threat can be reduced, medical observers say, by practicing the following five exercises.

( Read more about Five Healthful Brain Exercises)