Strokes are linked to dementia, increases risk of the brain disease by 70%

People who have suffered a stroke are more likely to develop dementia, a study conducted by the University of Exeter Medical School confirmed. The study involved an analysis of 3.2 million people across the world. Researchers found that the link between stroke and dementia persisted even after taking into account other dementia risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “We found that a history of stroke increases dementia risk by around 70%, and recent strokes more than doubled the risk. Given how common both stroke and dementia are, this strong…

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Wish To Keep Your Brain Healthy? Take Care Of Your Heart First

It turns out maintaining low blood pressure does not just help prevent heart attacks — it can also keep your mind sharp. Research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago found that at-risk people whose blood pressure was kept lower than the recommended level had a significant reduction in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the precursor to dementia. The research was part of the federally funded Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), a large-scale, long-term clinical study that also measured the effects of lower blood pressure on cardiovascular…

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Brain tumours can be cured, defeatist attitude towards it must go, say doctors

Doctors from across the world assembled for an international conference at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here said there is a widespread defeatist perception about brain tumour even among doctors, which is not right. “Even in a Bollywood movie, if someone has to die, the character is told to be suffering from brain tumour and there is an immediate acceptance by all about his death,” said Rakesh Jalali, Director of South East Asia’s First Proton Therapy Centre (SEFPTC), Apollo Hospital, Chennai. Jalali is one of the 400-odd…

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Dear parents, take note. Pre-schoolers with ADHD symptoms may have reduced brain size

Pre-schoolers with symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may have reduced brain volumes in regions essential for behavioural control, says a new study. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed form of psychopathology during the pre-school years, and during early childhood it is associated with significant long-term health. The study represents the first comprehensive examination of cortical brain volume in pre-school children with ADHD and provides an indication that anomalous brain structure is evident in the early stages of development. According to the researchers, the findings can help in determining new ways…

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Moms-to-be, take care of your health. Your immune system may influence baby’s brain

The state of a woman’s immune system during pregnancy may shape the connectivity of her child’s brain, suggests a study, emphasising the influence of maternal health on a child’s susceptibility to psychiatric disorders later in life. The findings showed that short and long-term brain functioning can be influenced by immune system activity during the third trimester of gestation. Infections, stress, illness, or allergies are commonly known to trigger immune responses. When the body’s immune system detects one of these factors, two proteins namely IL-6 and CRP are released as part…

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Pathological signatures: Autism, schizophrenia share gene activity in brain

Researchers have found that certain psychiatric disorders like autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share some physical characteristics at the molecular level, specifically, patterns of gene expression in the brain. The findings, published in the journal Science, raise hope for better diagnosis and therapies for people with major psychiatric disorders. “These findings provide a molecular, pathological signature of these disorders, which is a large step forward,” said senior study author Daniel Geschwind, Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The major challenge now is to understand how these changes arose,”…

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