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Resolution of uncertainty in prefrontal cortex

Whether finding your way through an unfamiliar neighborhood to a friend's house or deciding on a political candidate, your brain is adept at adapting.

9 Jun 2006

Antipsychotic use in children increasing

A steadily increasing number of patients younger than age 20 received prescriptions for antipsychotic medications between 1993 and 2002, according to a report published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

9 Jun 2006

Quebec's first successful combined heart/liver transplant

Doctors at the McGill University Health Center have announced Quebec's first successful combined heart/liver transplant.

9 Jun 2006

Most children diagnosed with autism at age 2 years appear to have the condition at 9 years

About three-fourths of children who are diagnosed with autism at age 2 years appear to have the condition at age 9 years, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

9 Jun 2006

Radionuclide therapy with chemotherapy effective in treating prostate cancer

A new treatment for prostate cancer may provide a distinct advantage over other conventional protocols and induce actual regression of the disease - not just relief from bone pain or a limited control of the disease.

9 Jun 2006

Protein called Elk-1appears to play role in neurodegeneration and schizophrenia

Pprotein called Elk-1 interacts with mitochondria, the energy storehouse of a cell, suggesting that this protein - typically active in the nucleus - could play a role in cell death and mitochondria-related diseases such as neurodegeneration and schizophrenia.

9 Jun 2006

COX enzymes work together in ways that suggest new biological roles

COX enzymes - well-known for their contrasting role in cardiovascular biology - interact physically to form a previously unrecognized biochemical partnership and function in the development of blood vessels in a mouse model.

9 Jun 2006

Microbes could represent the future of medicine

Not all bacteria are bad. In fact, beneficial microbes could represent the future of medicine, with the potential to treat a variety of diseases in humans and animals from diarrhea and eczema to gum disease and autoimmune disorders.

9 Jun 2006

University of Florida finding could lead to approaches to treat macular degeneration

University of Florida scientists conducting experiments with mice have found evidence that the body naturally replenishes small amounts of cells in the eye essential for healthy vision.

9 Jun 2006

Love-hate relationships

People who see their relationships as either all good or all bad tend to have low self-esteem, according to a series of seven studies by Yale researchers published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

9 Jun 2006

Discovery of new defect in artery growth

From the beginning, arteries and veins are different in the way they branch into vascular networks, say Dartmouth heart researchers.

9 Jun 2006

Discovery of SLIRP gene could lead to cancer breakthroughs

Western Australian researchers have discovered a new gene that could lead to breakthroughs in breast and prostate cancer, as well as diabetes.

9 Jun 2006

"Mechanistic basis for understanding why we treat symptoms"

In the 1990s, the notion of "six degrees of separation" emphasized human linkages that connected people around the world.

9 Jun 2006

Benefits of naps for medical residents

The first study to assess the benefits of naps for medical residents during extended shifts found that creating protected times when interns could sleep during a night on-call significantly reduced fatigue.

8 Jun 2006

Substantial burden of PTSD among people who experience a disaster

In the year after a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack or other natural or man-made disaster, 30 to 40 percent of adults who were directly affected may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Michigan researcher.

8 Jun 2006

Markey Cancer Center receives approval to test cancer drug DB-67

Tom Burke died of colon cancer only a few years ago, but not before he helped create a new drug to fight cancer.

8 Jun 2006

Men think in more sexual terms than women

In the latest issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly, researchers find that men rate themselves and the women they just interacted with higher on sexual traits, such as flirtatiousness, than women rate men.

8 Jun 2006

New football boots and toxic shock syndrome

As the World Cup kicks off, doctors in this week's British Medical Journal report an unusual condition that can develop in budding young footballers.

8 Jun 2006

NHS could save 2 billion pounds by switching to generic cholesterol lowering drugs

The NHS in England could save over £2bn in the next five years if doctors simply switched patients to cheaper generic cholesterol lowering drugs (statins), say two senior doctors in this week's British Medical Journal.

8 Jun 2006

What is the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy?

Taking antibiotics for three days is just as effective for community acquired pneumonia as continuing treatment for the recommended 7-10 days, finds a study in this week's British Medical Journal.

8 Jun 2006