Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is on the rise, finds study
A new study has found a brain pressure disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension is on the rise, and the increase corresponds with rising obesity rates. The study is published in the January 20, 2021, online issue of
Neurology
®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that for women, socioeconomic factors like income, education and housing may play a role in their risk.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is when the pressure in the fluid surrounding the brain rises. It can mimic the symptoms of a brain tumor, causing chronic, disabling headaches, vision problems and in rare cases, vision loss. It is most often diagnosed in women of childbearing age. Treatment is often weight loss. In some cases, surgery may be required.
Credit: Kai Triebner
UV-radiation can affect hormone levels of postmenopausal women negatively and this may contribute to several health issues.
The concentration of oestrogens in the blood affects a woman s health in many ways. For example, oestrogens contribute to a strong bone structure and help wounds heal more quickly: When a woman reaches menopause, we see the levels of oestrogens decline and an increase of other hormones, called gonadotropins , says Kai Triebner at the University of Bergen.
For several years, he has studied the hormonal balance of women in relation to menopause: What effects changing hormone levels have on health and wellbeing, how environmental factors affects hormone levels and how to estimate the progress of the menopausal transition, among other things. Read more: Calculating menopause with fuzzy logic.
Researchers evaluate the accuracy of NEWS2 scoring system for predicting COVID outcomes
In the first systematic large-scale evaluation of the UK National Early Warning Risk Score (NEWS) 2 as a scoring system for predicting severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients, researchers at King s College London have found poor-to-moderate accuracy for identifying patients at risk of being transferred to intensive care units (ICUs) or dying after 14 days of hospitalization. Accuracy of predictions in short term (three days) showed moderate success.
For people who are hospitalized with severe COVID-19, it is vital to quickly identify which patients may deteriorate and require transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU) for organ support or may die. NEWS2 is an early warning score that combines physiological parameters such as respiration rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and temperature. NEWS2 is currently used almost universally in UK NHS Trusts to identify which patients are at risk of deterio
Servier and MiNA Therapeutics Enter Collaboration in Neurological Diseases
MiNA eligible for up to 220 M€ in upfront, development and commercial milestone payments for first target.
Servier, a global and independent pharmaceutical Group, and MiNA Therapeutics, the pioneer in RNA activation therapeutics, announced today a research partnership to identify and develop small activating RNA (saRNA) therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders.
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As part of the collaboration, MiNA Therapeutics will use its saRNA platform to identify new potential treatments to restore normal cell function in neurological disorders. Servier will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development of lead candidates and will have the rights for the commercialization of any products resulting from the collaboration. Under the terms of the agreement, MiNA Therapeutics
Size of synapses determines the strength of information transmission
Nerve cells communicate with one another via synapses. Neuroscientists at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have now found that these connections seem to be much more powerful than previously thought. The larger the synapse, the stronger the signal it transmits. These findings will enable a better understanding of how the brain functions and how neurological disorders arise.
The neocortex is the part of the brain that humans use to process sensory impressions, store memories, give instructions to the muscles, and plan for the future. These computational processes are possible because each nerve cell is a highly complex miniature computer that communicates with around 10,000 other neurons. This communication happens via special connections called synapses.