http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Fibromyalgia-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 05:36:26 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/the-cognitive-dysfunction-of-down-syndrome-and-alzheimers-disease-cognizance-and-treatment-98376-1.htm The most common genetic disorder in live born children occurring as an outcome of a chromosomal abnormality is Down syndrome (DS).It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-long cognitive dysfunction that can range from mild to severe but which further deteriorates as individuals with DS age. It is not currently possible to effectively treat the cognitive impairments associated with DS....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/the-cognitive-dysfunction-of-down-syndrome-and-alzheimers-disease-cognizance-and-treatment-98376-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Neurotransmitter-Might-Improve-the-Treatment-of-Cancer-94498-1.htm A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute says that doses of a neurotransmitter might offer a way to boost the effectiveness of anticancer drugs and radiation therapy. Using animal models of human breast and prostate cancers, the researchers found that injections of the neurotransmitter dopamine can improve blood flow to tumors and improve delivery of an anticancer drug, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Neurotransmitter-Might-Improve-the-Treatment-of-Cancer-94498-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Healthy-Repair-in-Chronic-Liver-Disease-Promoted-by-Serotonin-Manipulation-94166-1.htm Research has revealed that the extent of tissue damage in liver disease depends on the balance between the generation of scar tissue and the regeneration of new liver cells. In a significant minority of people who get injury to their organs instead of repairing them, they form scars. This can progress to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis where the scarring is so extensive the liver is unable to clean blood or produce vital hormones and clotting factors. Liver scars also provide an ideal environment for the development of cancers....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Healthy-Repair-in-Chronic-Liver-Disease-Promoted-by-Serotonin-Manipulation-94166-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Psychological-Intervention-Helps-Teens-With-Fibromyalgia-93798-1.htm Adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia experience less depression and functional disability when they undergo cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), shows clinical trial study. The psychological intervention was found to be safe and effective, and proved to be superior to disease management education. Full findings from this multi-site clinical trial are published in iArthritis (and) Rheumatism,/i a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Medical evidence ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Psychological-Intervention-Helps-Teens-With-Fibromyalgia-93798-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-System-in-Brain-Damaged-More-Readily-by-Alcohol-in-Women-Than-in-Men-93649-1.htm New research indicates that a significant decrease in the function of the serotonin system in women's brains can be seen after only four years of problem drinking. This is the system that regulates such functions as impulse control and mood. It takes 12 years before a corresponding decrease is seen in men. This is the conclusion of multidisciplinary research carried out at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The research group ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-System-in-Brain-Damaged-More-Readily-by-Alcohol-in-Women-Than-in-Men-93649-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Poor-Sleep-Habits-in-Women-may-Increase-Risk-of-Fibromyalgia-93555-1.htm An association between sleep problems and increased risk of fibromyalgia in women has been uncovered by Norwegian researchers. The risk of fibromyalgia increased with severity of sleep problems, and the association was stronger among middle-aged and older women than among younger women. Results of the prospective study, based on ten years of data, appear in iArthritis (and) Rheumatism,/i a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Experts ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Poor-Sleep-Habits-in-Women-may-Increase-Risk-of-Fibromyalgia-93555-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Aerobic-Exercise-Benefits-Fibromyalgia-Patients-93360-1.htm Aerobic exercise helps improve cognitive performance in fibromyalgia patients, say Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. They say the changes indicate brain functioning is more streamlined after an exercise intervention because less of the brain's resources is devoted to processing bothersome fibromyalgia perceptions such as pain.The study, presented at the Society of Neuroscience's annual meeting, Neuroscience 2011, used functional MRI scans to assess changes in the brain....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Aerobic-Exercise-Benefits-Fibromyalgia-Patients-93360-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Eliminating-One-Neurotransmitter-in-the-Brain-Might-Improve-Behavioral-Function-93228-1.htm Elimination of one of the neurotransmitters in the part of the brain associated with Parkinson's disease may improve brain function without major adverse effects, according to a team of researchers at The University of Western Ontario. The research is published November 8 in the online, open-access journal IPLoS Biology/I. Marco Prado, Vania Prado and a team of researchers at the Schulich School of Medicine (and) Dentistry's Robarts Research Institute used unique genetically modified mice ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Eliminating-One-Neurotransmitter-in-the-Brain-Might-Improve-Behavioral-Function-93228-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Yoga-Practice-Reduces-Fibromyalgia-Pain-88342-1.htm Practicing yoga promotes relaxation and reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia, a new study has found. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue; common symptoms include muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety and depression. Previous research has found that women with fibromyalgia have lower-than-average cortisol levels, which contribute to pain, fatigue and stress sensitivity....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Yoga-Practice-Reduces-Fibromyalgia-Pain-88342-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Drug-Used-for-Depression-Reduces-Fatigue-in-Fibromyalgia-Patients-87616-1.htm bA drug used for depression called duloxetine has been approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia./b BR bFibromyalgia is a chronic condition wherein patients suffer from pain arising from multiple tender spots spread all over the body/b. However, no demonstrable inflammation or other changes are observed at these spots. Patients also suffer from symptoms like sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and problems with memory and concentration. bThey are greatly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Drug-Used-for-Depression-Reduces-Fatigue-in-Fibromyalgia-Patients-87616-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Studies-Reveal-Yoga-Benefits-Rheumatoid-Arthritis-Fibromyalgia-Patients-85532-1.htm Two studies presented today at the EULAR 2011 Annual Congress have revealed individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia who practice yoga showed statistically significant improvements in disease activity . The results of the study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among 47 patients (26 yoga patients and 21 controls) demonstrate that patients who completed 12 sessions of Raj yoga** which is one of the gentler styles of yoga, combining exercise and breathing techniques showed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Studies-Reveal-Yoga-Benefits-Rheumatoid-Arthritis-Fibromyalgia-Patients-85532-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/How-We-Judge-Couples-Intimacy-Influenced-by-Serotonin-83744-1.htm The brain chemical serotonin plays an important role in the judgments we make about peoples' close personal relationships, says a new study. Healthy adult volunteers recruited by experts at the University of Oxford were made to watch photos of couples, and rate how 'intimate' or 'romantic' they perceived them to be. The volunteers, whose levels of serotonin activity had been lowered, rated couples in photos as being less intimate and less romantic than volunteers with normal serotonin activity....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/How-We-Judge-Couples-Intimacy-Influenced-by-Serotonin-83744-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Mood-Regulator-Serotonin-May-Have-Anti-Diabetic-Properties-76756-1.htm Serotonin - a brain chemical known to help regulate emotion, mood and sleep - might also have anti-diabetic properties, new findings by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggest. The findings also offer a potential explanation for why individuals prescribed certain kinds of anti-psychotic drugs that affect serotonin signaling sometimes have problems with their metabolism, including weight gain and the development of diabetes. "In this paper, we describe a circuit in the brain ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brain-Mood-Regulator-Serotonin-May-Have-Anti-Diabetic-Properties-76756-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/High-Rate-of-Restless-Legs-Syndrome-Identified-in-Adults-With-Fibromyalgia-75474-1.htm A study in the Oct. 15 issue of the IJournal of Clinical Sleep Medicine/I found that adults with fibromyalgia had a much higher prevalence and risk of restless legs syndrome than healthy controls. The study suggests that treating RLS may improve sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia. Results show that the prevalence of restless legs syndrome was about 10 times higher in the fibromyalgia group (33 percent) than among controls (3.1 percent). After statistical adjustments ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/High-Rate-of-Restless-Legs-Syndrome-Identified-in-Adults-With-Fibromyalgia-75474-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-Patients-Benefit-from-Yoga-Practice-75345-1.htm A recent study finds Yoga practice has positive effects on Fibromyalgia (FM), a debilitating condition affecting 11 million individuals in the US alone. FM carries an annual direct cost for care of more than (Dollor) 20 billion and drug therapies are generally only 30% effective in relieving symptoms and 20% effective in improving function. Standard care currently includes medications accompanied by exercise and coping skills approaches. In a study published in the November issue of IPAIN,/I researchers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-Patients-Benefit-from-Yoga-Practice-75345-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Therapies-for-Schizophrenia-Possible-After-Serotonin-Research-75061-1.htm Research on how serotonin works is being conducted by Scripps Research Institute scientists. The work could affect the development of new therapies for a number of disorders, including schizophrenia and depression. Serotonin affects the control of perception, cognition, sleep, appetite, pain, and mood and mediates these effects through interactions with receptors located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. The team has shown for the first time that the neurotransmitter ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Therapies-for-Schizophrenia-Possible-After-Serotonin-Research-75061-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ADHD-Children-Have-Mothers-With-Genetic-Serotonin-Deficiencies-75001-1.htm Children who could develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have mothers who are gentically programmed to have a defective production of serotonin. "Serotonin is a hormone and transmitter that performs a broad range of physiological functions in the human body," the authors write as background information in the article. "In addition to its transmitter function in the mature nervous system, serotonin has an important role during development"; it is involved ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ADHD-Children-Have-Mothers-With-Genetic-Serotonin-Deficiencies-75001-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Clinical-Pain-in-Women-With-and-Without-Fibromyalgia-Enhanced-by-Anger-74502-1.htm A study by researchers from Utrecht University on the effect of negative emotions on pain perception in women with and without fibromyalgia found that anger and sadness amplified pain equally in both groups. Full findings are now online and will publish in the October print issue of IArthritis Care (and) Research/I, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology. Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic pain condition, has among the largest impact of all rheumatic and chronic pain conditions. In ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Clinical-Pain-in-Women-With-and-Without-Fibromyalgia-Enhanced-by-Anger-74502-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-Levels-Linked-to-Being-a-Crybaby-71485-1.htm A new study has said that you can blame your serotonin levels for being a crybaby. Frederick van der Veen of the Erasmus Medical Centre and colleagues have found that due to the differences in the neurotransmitter some people are more likely to cry in emotional situations than others. The researchers gave 25 female volunteers a single dose of either paroxetine - a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that briefly increases serotonin levels - or a placebo. Four hours later they ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-Levels-Linked-to-Being-a-Crybaby-71485-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gestational-Diabetes-Associated-With-Pregnant-Mothers-Dietary-Protein-and-Serotonin-70619-1.htm Gestational diabetes is linked to serotonin, a chemical produced by the body, and is influenced by the amount of protein in the mother's diet early in pregnancy, scientists have said. Researchers at UCSF said that the find could lead to simple dietary solutions and possible therapeutics for the disorder and could even help reverse non-gestational diabetes. The onset of pregnancy causes a woman to double the number of insulin-producing islet cells in her pancreas. The team found that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gestational-Diabetes-Associated-With-Pregnant-Mothers-Dietary-Protein-and-Serotonin-70619-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Serotonin-System-Influences-Vulnerability-and-Treatment-in-PTSD-70218-1.htm In recent years scientists have evinced a great deal of interest in factors that contribute to the vulnerability to developing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. One factor that appears to contribute to the heritable vulnerability to PTSD is a variation in the gene that codes for the serotonin transporter, also known as the serotonin uptake site. Having a shorter version of the serotonin transporter gene appears to increase one's risk for depression and PTSD after exposure to extremely stressful situations....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Serotonin-System-Influences-Vulnerability-and-Treatment-in-PTSD-70218-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-may-be-Diagnosed-by-New-Reliable-Method-Based-on-Patients-Gait-68286-1.htm A reliable method when combined with the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Reumathology that helps to diagnose fibromyalgia has been detailed by a researcher from the a href="http:www.ugr.es"University of Granada/a. Some of the altered parameters in this type of patient are: walk speed, step length, sole pressure on the ground, time on each foot, time on both feet, and step length. Thus, as it can be drawn from the research conducted at the a href="http:www.ugr.es"University of Granada/a,....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-may-be-Diagnosed-by-New-Reliable-Method-Based-on-Patients-Gait-68286-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Obesity-Could-Increase-Fibromyalgia-Risk-Study-68282-1.htm Norwegian University of Science and Technology scientists have established a link between the level of leisure time physical exercise and a future risk of developing fibromyalgia. The research team also identified BMI as an independent risk factor for fibromyalgia. The study's findings appear in the May issue of Arthritis Care and Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Obesity-Could-Increase-Fibromyalgia-Risk-Study-68282-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lifestyle-Adjustments-Improve-Fibromyalgia-Symptoms-67060-1.htm A new study has said that short bursts of physical activity can ease fibromyalgia symptoms. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal IArthritis Research (and) Therapy/I have shown that encouraging patients to undertake 'Lifestyle Physical Activity' (LPA) can markedly increase the average number of steps taken per day and produce clinically relevant reductions in perceived disability and pain. Kevin Fontaine, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, worked with ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lifestyle-Adjustments-Improve-Fibromyalgia-Symptoms-67060-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Osteoporosis-Could-be-Cured-by-Inhibiting-Serotonin-in-Gut-64784-1.htm An international team led by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center says that an investigational drug that inhibits serotonin synthesis in the gut, administered orally once daily, effectively cured osteoporosis in mice and rats. The study appears in the Feb. 7 issue of INature Medicine/I. Serotonin in the gut has been shown in recent research to stall bone formation. The finding could lead to new therapies that build new bone; most current drugs for osteoporosis can only prevent the breakdown of old bone....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Osteoporosis-Could-be-Cured-by-Inhibiting-Serotonin-in-Gut-64784-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Key-Culprit-in-Infants-Sudden-Cot-Death-Study-64562-1.htm After struggling for years to explain why some apparently healthy babies die suddenly in their sleep, a study published Tuesday finds serotonin deficiency as a key culprit in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or cot death. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston found that infants who died of cot death, which is the leading cause of death in babies under the age of one in the United States, had significantly lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin and the enzyme that helps make it in their brainstems....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Key-Culprit-in-Infants-Sudden-Cot-Death-Study-64562-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Boosting-Neurotransmitter-Could-Reverse-Down-Syndrome-61107-1.htm Boosting a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine in Down Syndrome sufferers could help reverse the condition, which is the most common cause of mental retardation in children, a study showed Wednesday. "If you intervene early enough, you will be able to help kids with Down Syndrome to collect and modulate information," said Ahmad Salehi, the lead author of the study, which was published in Science Translational Medicine. "Theoretically, that could lead to an improvement in cognitive functions in these kids," he said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Boosting-Neurotransmitter-Could-Reverse-Down-Syndrome-61107-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Inexpensive-Drug-May-Help-to-Relieve-Fibromyalgia-Pain-Study-50131-1.htm For Tara Campbell, the onset of her fibromyalgia began slowly with repeated sore throats, fevers and fatigue. By the time she was diagnosed, a year later, she had become so debilitated by flulike symptoms and exhaustion that she often couldn't get off the couch all day. "Fall, a year ago, I hit my very, very worst," said Campbell, 39, of Walnut Creek, Calif. "I felt overall pain to the point that even when my children or husband just touched me it hurt." Campbell's symptoms still linger, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Inexpensive-Drug-May-Help-to-Relieve-Fibromyalgia-Pain-Study-50131-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Prenatal-Exposure-To-Alcohol-Linked-To-Cognitive-Dysfunction-Risk-45468-1.htm Prenatal exposure to alcohol increases the risk of cognitive dysfunction, according to a new study. The results of the study suggest that alcohol can damage white matter-nerve fibres through which information is exchanged between different areas of the central nervous system-in the frontal and occipital lobes of the foetus' brain, which are specifically relevant for executive functions and visual processing. The researchers behind the study, which is to be published in the March issue ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Prenatal-Exposure-To-Alcohol-Linked-To-Cognitive-Dysfunction-Risk-45468-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Uncover-Neurotransmitter-Defect-Behind-Autoimmune-Disease-42747-1.htm A neurotransmitter defect that may trigger Devic's disease, a potentially blinding neurological disorder that is often confused with multiple sclerosis, has been uncovered by researchers at the Mayo clinic. In their study report, published in the online edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers say that their finding may result in new treatment options for the devastating disease. Individuals with Devic's disease often experience rapid visual loss, paralysis, and loss of leg, bladder, and bowel sensation....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Scientists-Uncover-Neurotransmitter-Defect-Behind-Autoimmune-Disease-42747-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Levels-Linked-to-Anger-37643-1.htm A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge has found that low levels of the chemical serotonin are linked to anger in people. Lead researcher Molly Crockett said the chemical appears to keep aggressive social responses in check. "Because we directly manipulated serotonin levels and observed an effect on behavior we can say there is a causal link between serotonin and aggressive responses," Crockett said. The serotonin levels in 20 healthy volunteers were manipulated ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Levels-Linked-to-Anger-37643-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-Occurs-More-in-Women-Than-Men-36001-1.htm Fibromyalgia is more likely to affect women than men, experts have opined. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that manifests as exhaustion, sleep disturbances and diffuse pain in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that increase and decrease over time and often resemble other conditions that often leads to misdiagnosis. "There are various theories, depending on which research you're looking at, but nothing absolutely ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fibromyalgia-Occurs-More-in-Women-Than-Men-36001-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Level-Makes-Adolescents-to-Engage-in-Self-harming-Behaviours-33835-1.htm A strained mother-daughter relationship along with a low level of serotonin, the brain chemical that plays a crucial role in mood stability, may make adolescents, predominantly girls, more vulnerable to engage in self-harming behaviours like cutting, says a new study. The new study from University of Washington has revealed that the combination of mother-daughter disagreement, low serotonin level account for 64 percent among the girls involved in self-harming behaviours. ''Girls who engage in self ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Low-Serotonin-Level-Makes-Adolescents-to-Engage-in-Self-harming-Behaviours-33835-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Warm-Swimming-Pool-Dip-Cures-Fibromyalgia-33319-1.htm A new research says that a regular dip in a warm swimming pool can heal the pain of fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a painful syndrome involving chronic and severe pain and tenderness in muscles, ligaments and tendons along with problems with sleep, anxiety and depression. More than 90 percent of females suffer from the disorder. The team including Narcis Gusi of the Faculty of Sports Sciences, at the University of Extremadura, in Caceres, Spain and Pablo Tomas-Carus of the Department of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Warm-Swimming-Pool-Dip-Cures-Fibromyalgia-33319-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Compound-in-Marijuana-Helps-to-Ease-Fibromyalgia-Pain-33045-1.htm A recent study at the University of Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital has revealed that nabilone, a synthetic form of marijuana may aid in reducing pain and anxiety among fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread muscle and joint pain that is difficult to diagnose and cannot be cured. The condition is far more prevalent in women and the incidence increases with age, reaching 7 percent among women 65 years and older. The researchers at the University of Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Compound-in-Marijuana-Helps-to-Ease-Fibromyalgia-Pain-33045-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Exercise-Program-Improves-Symptoms-in-Women-With-Fibromyalgia-29320-1.htm An exercise program that incorporates walking, strength training and stretching may improve daily function and alleviate symptoms in women with fibromyalgia, according to a report, according to an issue in the JAMA/Archives journals. These benefits appear to be enhanced when exercise is combined with education about managing the disease. Fibromyalgia affects approximately 3.4 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men in the United States, according to background information in the article. Patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Exercise-Program-Improves-Symptoms-in-Women-With-Fibromyalgia-29320-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Neuron-Mismatch-Could-Cause-Pain-in-Fibromyalgia-Patients-28720-1.htm Patients with fibromyalgia often suffer from unexplained pain and scientists suggest that it could be due to a mismatch between sensory and motor systems. In a study published in the journal Rheumatology, researchers asked patients to look at a reflection of one arm whilst moving their other in a different direction, which was hidden behind the mirror. This created a mismatch between what the brain sees via sensory input and what it feels through the motor system that controls movement. Of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Neuron-Mismatch-Could-Cause-Pain-in-Fibromyalgia-Patients-28720-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Pregabalin-Effective-in-Reducing-Pain-for-Patients-After-Knee-Replacement-Surgery-27917-1.htm The drug pregabalin (an anti-convulsant) significantly decreased patient pain while increasing and expediting mobility after surgery, a new study has revealed. Total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the most prevalent and painful orthopedic surgical procedures. While extremely successful in ultimately ending or minimizing knee pain and disability, the procedure can result in postoperative knee stiffness, mechanical failure, and severe, chronic pain. Asokumar Buvanendran, M.D., director of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Pregabalin-Effective-in-Reducing-Pain-for-Patients-After-Knee-Replacement-Surgery-27917-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-Responsible-for-Inhibiting-Milk-Production-27606-1.htm Scientists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have established that the neurotransmitter serotonin is responsible for inhibiting milk production and secretion in human mammary glands. As growing demand outstrips milk supplies in some parts of the world, the finding could aid development of therapeutics or technologies that would increase milk production and yields from other mammals. Results of the human study, led by Nelson Horseman, PhD, UC professor of molecular and cellular physiology, appear in the Oct....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Serotonin-Responsible-for-Inhibiting-Milk-Production-27606-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Explains-Why-Painkillers-are-Ineffective-on-Fibromyalgia-27101-1.htm People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don't respond to the types of medication that relieve other people's pain. New research from the University of Michigan Health System helps to explain why that might be: Patients with fibromyalgia were found to have reduced binding ability of a type of receptor in the brain that is the target of opioid painkiller drugs such as morphine. The study included positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brains ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Explains-Why-Painkillers-are-Ineffective-on-Fibromyalgia-27101-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Reduced-Serotonin-Levels-Make-Women-and-Men-Respond-Differently-26582-1.htm Scientists have found that women and men respond differently to manipulation of serotonin levels, a biochemical whose reduced transmission has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD), a common mental disorder. The study published in Biological Psychiatry involved a technique called acute tryptophan depletion to decrease serotonin levels in the brains of healthy participants. Dr. Espen Walderhaug, one of the study's authors, said that the aim of the study was to determine important ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Reduced-Serotonin-Levels-Make-Women-and-Men-Respond-Differently-26582-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Serotonin-Level-to-Be-Low-Among-Rotating-Shift-Workers-24444-1.htm People who work rotating shifts have significantly lower levels of serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter in the central nervous system believed to play an important role in the regulation of sleep, according to a study published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP. The study, authored by Carlos J. Pirola, PhD, of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, focused on 683 men of self-reported European ancestry, in which 437 day workers were compared with 246 rotating shift workers....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Serotonin-Level-to-Be-Low-Among-Rotating-Shift-Workers-24444-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Neurotransmitter-That-can-Yield-New-Insights-in-the-Fight-Against-Diabetes-Identified-23305-1.htm Neuroscientists at the University of Southern California have identified a chemical that can carry the electrical signal that alerts the brain to low blood sugar levels. The key to the new finding, which is expected to yield new insights in the fight against diabetes, is the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. According to the researchers, the chemical travels from the hindbrain, which receives warnings of low glucose levels from the body, to the paraventricular hypothalamus, which authorises ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Neurotransmitter-That-can-Yield-New-Insights-in-the-Fight-Against-Diabetes-Identified-23305-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=16300 Many people with fibromyalgia - a debilitating pain syndrome that affects 2 to 4 percent of the population - have faced the question of whether the condition is real. Fibromyalgia often has been misdiagnosed as arthritis or even a psychological issue. Increasingly, though, the scientific knowledge about fibromyalgia is growing, and a new paper from the University of Michigan Health System says there are "overwhelming data" that the condition is real, is characterized by a lower pain threshold ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=16300 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15861 Pregabalin, typically used to treat nerve pain or seizures, appears to offer extended pain relief for those with fibromyalgia, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC. Fibromyalgia is an often misunderstood syndrome that causes widespread chronic muscle pain and tenderness in 2 percent of the U.S. population, most commonly women. In addition to pain, fibromyalgia is often associated with fatigue, sleep disturbances and memory problems....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15861 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=12544 According to a new research conducted at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center it was found that increased serotonin aids to curb appetite. Serotonin is a brain chemical which can be stimulated by various drugs such Fen-phen and other diet drugs. That knowledge could aid in the design of safer anti-obesity drugs nearly a decade after Fen-phen was banned for causing harmful side effects. The study, which tested the effect of several drugs that alter serotonin levels in the brain, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=12544 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11937 Pregnant women with fibromyalgia (FM) experience significant pain, fatigue and psychological stress, symptoms that are often misdiagnosed or under treated as a normal part of pregnancy. According to a pilot study by Karen M. Schaefer, D.N.Sc., R.N., assistant professor of nursing at Temple University's College of Health Professions fibromyalgia is a chronic condition commonly found in women that causes pain in the muscles and soft tissues of the body. Many sufferers get so fatigued that they ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11937 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11491 A New study says acupuncture helps to reduce the symptoms related with fibromyalgia such as fatigue and anxiety . Fibromyalgia is a condition with unknown cause, characterized by episodes of chronic widespread aches and pains, fatigue and sleep problems. So treatment generally involves a combination of painkillers, antidepressants and exercise therapy. About 50 fibromyalgia patients participated in the study (for 2 to 3 weeks) conducted by the researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11491 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11303 A recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic has revealed that acupuncture reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a disorder considered disabling by many, and is characterized by chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and symptoms such as fatigue, joint stiffness and sleep disturbance. No cure is known and available treatments are only partially effective. Mayo's study involved 50 fibromyalgia patients enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial to determine if acupuncture improved their symptoms....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=11303 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=9524 According to a Johns Hopkins University behavioral neuroscientist evidence is mounting that estrogen, should also be thought of as a neurotransmitter when acting in the brain. The study was funded by the National institute of mental health. In the same direction is an article by Gregory Ball, professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the university's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, to be published in the May issue of Trends in Neuroscience. It is with Belgian collaboration....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=9524