Links between brain damage and contact sports continue to emerge, with scientists now tying repetitive head impacts to a condition that can lead to Parkinson's disease. Researchers have already tied repetitive head impacts with the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia. Now, investigators who examined 694 brains after death report ties with Lewy body disease. Lewy body disease may be behind the motor problems that have been attributed to CTE, said the researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and the VA Boston Healthcare System. Lewy body disease is associated with thinking, movement and sleep problems, depression and visual hallucinations. It can progress to Parkinson's disease -- a brain disease that affects movement and thinking -- and Lewy body dementia, the study authors explained. The degree of risk was related to "the number of years an individual was exposed to contact sports, including football, ice hockey and boxing," corresponding … [Read more...] about Head Injuries Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
Depression and parkinsons disease
Your dreams could be an early clue to Parkinson’s disease
Actor Alan Alda revealed that he has Parkinson's disease — and in an interview Tuesday on "CBS This Morning," the award-winning actor said an unusual dream helped lead to his diagnosis. Alda, best known for his portrayal of Army Capt. "Hawkeye" Pierce in the TV series "M*A*S*H, was diagnosed three and a half years ago after experiencing a lesser-known early sign of Parkinson's. He said he asked his doctor to test him for the disease after reading an article about how physically acting out your dreams can be one of the earliest precursors of the neurological disorder. "I asked for a scan because I thought I might have it," Alda said. "I read an article by Jane Brody in The New York Times that indicated that if you have — if you act out your dreams, there's a good chance that might be a very early symptom, where nothing else shows." He recognized that it had happened to him. "By acting out your dreams, I mean I was having a dream where someone was attacking me and … [Read more...] about Your dreams could be an early clue to Parkinson’s disease
The Weekly Health Quiz: Belly Fat, Depression and the Unique Benefits of Standing
Well By TOBY BILANOW JUNE 15, 2018 1Fat deep within the abdomen carries serious cardiac health risks. Men and women should generally strive for waist measurements below: 33 for women and 38 for men 34 for women and 39 for men 35 for women and 40 for men 36 for women and 41 for men 2Exercise seems to improve cardiac health by preventing unhealthy changes in the lining of the arteries, a new study found. Standing seems to have this effect: Like exercise, standing also protects the lining of the arteries Improves insulin sensitivity Leads to healthier cholesterol levels Improves both insulin sensitivity and cholesterol profiles 3Lasik surgery promises better vision without glasses. But many patients experience side effects that sometimes persist. The most common problem following Lasik appears to be: Seeing halos Dry eyes Poor night vision Double vision 4Over a third of Americans take at least one medication that includes depression as a side effect. These popular drugs … [Read more...] about The Weekly Health Quiz: Belly Fat, Depression and the Unique Benefits of Standing
Studying poop samples, scientists find clues to health and disease
Daniel McDonald is scientific director of the American Gut Project, University of California San Diego Have you ever wondered what's going on in your poop? Perhaps not. But this is precisely what we think about every day at the American Gut Project, the world's largest microbiome citizen science effort, located at UC San Diego School of Medicine. And we don't just think about it. We develop new cutting-edge analytical methods – in the lab and on the computer – to analyze the DNA and molecules that microbes make while living in your gut. Anyone can send us their poop, and we'll tell them what's going on! But this probably still sounds pretty weird. Why would we want people to send us their waste? After all, normally you just flush it down the toilet. As it happens, the microbial ecology and molecular landscape of poop is incredibly complex, and we're just starting to discover which microbes are critical to your health and why. Microbes are responsible for breaking … [Read more...] about Studying poop samples, scientists find clues to health and disease
Nutrition: Diet tips for those with Parkinson’s Disease
PARKINSON'S Disease is neurological condition that affects around 8,000 people in Ireland. It is named after Dr James Parkinson, who first identified it in 1817. Parkinson's disease affects the way the brain co-ordinates body movements.Wednesday April 11 is World Parkinson's Day, with events happening all over the UK and Ireland all week to help raise awareness about the condition. :: What is Parkinson's Disease?Parkinson's disease is characterised by its three main symptoms: slowness of movement, shaking and stiffness, caused by a loss of the nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. These cells are responsible for producing the neurotransmitter dopamine, responsible for sending messages between the brain and the nervous system to help control and coordinate movement in the body. If these nerve cells become damaged or die, the amount of dopamine is reduced and movement becomes slow and abnormal. Symptoms develop over time and can range from anxiety and depression, … [Read more...] about Nutrition: Diet tips for those with Parkinson’s Disease