Physical Fitness may Help Improve Academic Performance

Physical activity during adolescence and childhood may help improve physical and mental health throughout life. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that it may also play a key role in brain health and academic performance. In a new study scheduled for publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers studied the independent and combined influence of components of physical fitness on academic performance.

 Cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular strength, and motor ability are components of physical fitness that have documented potential to improve health, each of which may have different effects on the brain and, therefore, academic performance. According to Irene Esteban-Cornejo, MSc, Autonomous University of Madrid, "Because these physical fitness components are highly associated with each other, it is important to differentiate which physical fitness components are important in relation to academic performance." 

The study sample included 2,038 Spanish children and adolescents (6-18 years of age) with complete data on physical fitness, body composition, and academic performance. Esteban-Cornejo and the UP & DOWN Study Group members found that cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability, both independently and combined, were related to academic performance. However, the association of academic performance and physical fitness was stronger for motor ability than cardiorespiratory capacity, meaning that motor ability may be more important for academic performance. In contrast, children and adolescents who had both lower levels of cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability had lower grades. Muscular strength was not independently associated with academic performance. 

Although the combined components of physical fitness can influence academic performance, this study suggests that cardiorespiratory capacity and, to a greater extent, motor ability, may be greater influences. Notes Esteban-Cornejo, "Having high levels of cardiorespiratory and motor fitness may, to some extent, reduce the risk of school failure." Efforts should be made to promote physical activities for children and adolescents that involve aerobic exercises and motor tasks to enhance cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability, thereby improving academic development. 

 Source:Journal of Pediatrics

Constant Worrying Can Cause Short Term Memory Loss

Constantly stewing over a problem can lead to excessive release of cortisol in the brain which can cause short-term memory loss or mental disability, says a study.
 

Cortisol, also referred to as 'stress hormone' is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland. It is a hormone released in response to stress.  Cortisol at optimal levels is needed for survival, but an abnormal release of the hormone can lead to memory impairment and mental health problems. 

A new study by the University of Iowa researchers has associated high levels of cortisol with slow and steady synapses loss in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for short-term memory. 

Synapses are the connections between neurons that help us in processing, storage and recall of information. Prolonged and constant exposure to cortisol causes shrinkage and eventual disappearance of these synapses.

"Stress hormones are one mechanism that we believe leads to weathering of the brain," according to Jason Radley, assistant professor in psychology. 

Besides, chronic stress also stimulates chemical imbalance in the brain which makes it more prone to mental ailments, such as short-term memory loss and dementia. White matter structure defects can also cause depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Neuroscientists have also identified a link between anxiety and brain defects.  While low anxiety levels can affect memory recalling capacity of the brain, high anxiety levels can lead to white matter development that can in turn result in brain defects.  

A study published by the National Institutes of Health called "White Matter in Learning, Cognition and Psychiatric Disorders" features the brain's production of white matter and how it influences the development of a variety of disorders. 

According to Rachel Anderson, the research lead, and Radley, short-term memory disabilities linked to cortisol start arising around age 65. 

However, researchers reminded that cortisol is only one of the many factors responsible for memory loss and mental decline as we grow old. 

Brain degeneration is also linked to sleep deprivation in older adults and drinking in excess of two and a half drinks per day can cause more memory loss and cognitive impairment than in people who drink within limits or who don't drink at all. 

Although, the study is only preparatory, the findings have laid the groundwork for treating short-term memory loss by decreasing levels of cortisol. 

 Source:University of Iowa 

Overweight + gene mutation = elevated liver values in children

A study carried out at the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Eastern Finland shows that a common mutation in the PNPLA3 gene combined with overweight results in elevated ALAT values in children. The ALAT value is an indicator of liver metabolism. In adults, this gene mutation is known to promote the accumulation of fat in the liver. The new results indicate that a healthy lifestyle is important already in childhood in order to prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver, and it is especially important for those carrying the risk gene. The results will be published in Pediatric Obesity. A pre-print version is available on the journal website.
Overweight is often associated with the accumulation of fat in the liver, which is harmful for health. This results in decreased insulin sensitivity in the liver, making the overweight-induced problems in glucose and lipid metabolism worse. In addition to the amount of overweight, genetic factors also play a role in the accumulation of fat in the liver. A common mutation in the PNPLA3 gene prevents the breakdown of triglycerides in the liver and promotes the accumulation of fat. The role of the gene in the accumulation of fat in the liver has been studied very scarcely in children, and there aren't any previous follow-up studies.
This recently published study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland showed that the liver ALAT values of overweight children who are carriers of the gene mutation are more elevated than those of other children.
Furthermore, a follow-up of just two years showed that the liver values of overweight children who are carriers of the gene mutation are clearly elevated when compared to other children. The gene mutation without the presence of overweight did not elevate liver values. The observations indicate that it is specifically the co-existence of extra fat tissue and the gene mutation that causes the elevated liver values already in childhood. Moreover, merely being overweight without being a carrier of the gene mutation was linked to elevated liver values; however, the gene mutation significantly increased the occurrence of elevated liver values.
The significance of the research finding for public health is emphasised by the fact that 41% of the children who participated in the study were carriers of the PNPLA3 gene mutation associated with fatty liver, and 15% of the children were overweight.
The study included 481 healthy 6-to-8 year-old girls and boys from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study, PANIC. The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study is an on-going lifestyle intervention study, which produces valuable information on children's lifestyles, health and well-being all the way into adulthood.
Source:Pediatric Obesity.

Scientists break the genetic code for diabetes in Greenland

METABOLIC GENETICS

New Danish genetics research explains the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Greenlandic population. The ground-breaking findings have just been published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

New Danish genetics research explains the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Greenlandic population. The ground-breaking findings have just been published in theprestigious scientific journal Nature.

A spectacular piece of detective work has mapped a special gene variant among Greenlanders which plays a particularly important role in the development of type 2 diabetes. The results have been published in Nature and can be used to improve prevention and treatment options for those genetically at-risk.

In collaboration with Greenland researchers from Steno Diabetes Center and University of Southern Denmark, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have carried out the ground-breaking genetic analysis based on blood samples from 5,000 people or approx. 10% of the modestly-sized population inhabiting an area larger than western Europe.

– We have found a gene variant in the population of Greenland which markedly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The gene variant is only found in Greenlanders and explains 15% of cases of diabetes in the country, explains Professor Torben Hansen from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Researchat the University of Copenhagen who conducts research into the link between our genetic make-up and the development of diabetes and obesity as well as the effect of treatment. Together with Associate Professor Anders Albrechtsen from the Bioinformatics Centreat the University of Copenhagen, he is the driving force behind the findings.

The study was a challenge in several ways. Collecting samples from 10% of the population of such a big country was a huge logistical task, and it was only possible because so many Greenlanders volunteered to participate. Additionally, the study was a statistical challenge as many of the participants are of both Inuit and European ancestry – and because many of the participants are related:

– For some of the analyses, we therefore had to develop new methods, and for others, we used methods which were only developed recently, explains postdoc Ida Moltke from the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. She is one of the two first authors of the article and responsible for the statistical analyses.

Several epidemiological studies have looked at the health implications of the transition from life as sealers and hunters in small isolated communities to a modern lifestyle with appreciable dietary changes.

Potent gene variant

By means of advanced gene chip technology – which over the past ten years has led to a marked increase in the speed of genetic analyses – the Danish team analysed the 5,000 blood samples for 250,000 gene variants which play a role in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

– Our attention was quite soon caught by a particular variant of the TBC1D4 gene which controls glucose uptake in muscle cells. Roughly speaking, this means that in carriers of this particular gene variant, the uptake of glucose by the muscles is hampered, for example after a meal which results in raised blood glucose levels. However, this particular gene variant is primarily found in Greenlanders, and about 23% of the Greenlandic population are carriers of the variant which prevents the optimum functioning of the glucose transporters in the cells. The gene variant is not found in Europeans at all, explains Assistant Professor Niels Grarup from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen, the other first author of the article.

Sixty per cent of the test individuals aged 40+ who have inherited the gene variant from both their mother and their father have type 2 diabetes. For the 60+ group, the figure is 80%:

– If you have inherited the gene variant from both your parents, the risk of developing diabetes is, of course, extremely high. This was the case for 4% of the Greenlanders we examined. We already know of a number of gene variants in European populations which slightly raise the risk of developing diabetes, but this new gene variant has a much more pronounced effect than we have ever seen before, says Niels Grarup.

From seal meat to too many sweets

From a scientific point of view, looking at relatively isolated communities makes a lot of sense when you are conducting research into pathological genes. Particular biological mechanisms are much more easily identified in isolated populations, such as the people of Greenland.

– Several epidemiological studies have looked at the health implications of the transition from life as sealers and hunters in small isolated communities to a modern lifestyle with appreciable dietary changes. Perhaps the gene variant which has been identified can be interpreted as a sign of natural selection as the traditional Greenlandic diet consisted primarily of protein and fat from sea animals, i.e. an extremely low-carb diet. However, so far these are but speculations, says Associate Professor Anders Albrechtsen.

The data will be studied further in the coming years. For example, Professor Marit Jørgensen from the Steno Diabetes Center and Professor Peter Bjerregaard from the National Institute of Public Health will continue the epidemiological studies, among other things to establish the risk of cardiovascular disease among carriers of the special gene variant.

Studies Show Cannabis Relieves Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease

Observational studies show cannabis relieves motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Studies focused on cannabinoid-based treatments for Parkinson’s disease have been conducted since the seventies, due to the important number of patients suffering from the illness reporting an improvement of their symptoms following the consumption of cannabis.

Motor symptoms

Motor symptoms have been at the centre of these studies, as they constitute the most visible and most debilitating disorders in relation with Parkinson’s disease.
As early as the eighties, cannabinoids have been shown to alleviate dystonia, dyskinesia, and akinesia, all of them motor symptoms which have been known to impact certain Parkinson’s patients. For instance, controlled doses of synthetic cannabinoids have been able to reduce dyskinesia in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonism for years by 30%. Incidentally, medicinal cannabis as well as cannabis extracts-based medications are already being used to treat general spasticity in the context of other conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome.

Neurodegeneration

Research focusing on the degeneration of brain cells and its resulting impact on cognitive capacities – which is the origin of the aforementioned motor symptoms – has also been relatively active, with a few breakthrough studies published during the previous decade. The neuroprotective properties of cannabinoids had already been proven on many occasions, and the impact it could have on Parkinson’s disease was confirmed as well . In 2004, a research laboratory injected rats with an agonist of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of the major psychoactive substances of cannabis, followed by the injection of a toxin triggering an animal version of Parkinson’s. Upon testing of these rats in parallel with a control group of healthy subjects, researchers observed that their brains were virtually indistinguishable. In a second series of tests, other rats were this time first injected with the toxin, then with the THC agonist, with positive results as well, especially when THC was combined with Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid known for its medicinal properties. In human terms, the second test suggested that cannabinoids intake could slow down the progression of the disease for several years.

Recent advances

Despite numerous studies underlining the multiple benefits of cannabis on Parkinson’s, no palliative or curative treatment has been developed, partly due to the lack of availability of medicinal cannabis dedicated to research. This is why the aforementioned studies have so far been considered with relative caution, especially since it was observed that an excessive dose of cannabis could reverse its own effects and temporarily worsen some of the motor symptoms. These results were however partly linked to the relative inefficacy of clinical tests conducted with synthetic cannabinoids, as well as the lack of familiarity of the subjects tested with medicinal marijuana or cannabis extracts-based medication.

In order to bypass the legal restriction of cannabis being illegal in most countries these last two years, many observational studies were published, focusing on patients already self-medicating with cannabis. The tests measured their reaction to a “dose” of medicinal cannabis, once again with positive outcomes in regards to motor symptoms as well as non-motor symptoms.  Patients participating to the study reported that a “dose” of cannabis could relieve them for a period of 2 to 3 hours.

Medical Cannabis Nursery

Finally, in March 2014, researchers from Tel-Aviv managed to show results for 22 patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, whose symptoms, both motor and non-motor, were relieved following the use of cannabis. The medical team registered important fluctuations in pain, sleep, and several motor symptoms, namely tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. In addition to these results being the first study showing cannabis relieving motor and non-motor symptoms alike, no adverse effects were observed following the intake of cannabis. It is likely that these recent advances will trigger a newfound enthusiasm from the medical community to pursue research in this direction, especially since large amounts of medicinal cannabis have been unlocked for research in the United States.

EC concerned over interpretation of Sec 3(d) as additional patentability criteria in India's Patent Act

The European Commission (EC) has expressed concern over the interpretation of Section 3(d) as additional patentability criteria in India's Patent Act and has sought further clarification on Section 3(d) such as what type of inventions, including new forms or uses of known substances, would fulfil the patentability criteria in India.

In response to the draft 'Guidelines for Examination of Patent Applications in the Field of Pharmaceuticals' issued by the Indian Patent Controller recently,  EC's directorate-general for trade Anders C. Jessen said that the interpretation of Section 3(d) of India's Patent Act introduces a patentability criterion ("enhanced therapeutic efficacy") additional to the three provided for under TRIPs and could thus conflict with it.   TRIPs requires "any inventions ... in all fields of technology" to be patentable "provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application." The agreement leaves no room for additional patentability criteria, the EC said.

The Guidelines note that after having established that an application involves an inventive step, Section 3(d) sets an additional hurdle "the amended portion of Section 3(d) clearly sets up a second tier of qualifying standards for chemical substances/pharmaceutical products" (Point 10.5).   “This interpretation of Section 3(d)
therefore appears to set an additional patentability criterion rather than giving guidance regarding the assessment of the inventive step”, the EC lamented.

This additional patentability criterion would appear to result in an exclusion from patentability for so-called inventions of second medical or non-medical use. However, those inventions are potentially valuable, patentable inventions.  European patent law also requires for a new form of a known substance to be patentable that it involves an inventive step, i.e. that a specific technical problem is solved in a novel and non-obvious way, but allows these second use inventions to be patented, it said.

In addition there appears to be an overly extensive interpretation of the therapeutic efficacy criterion restricting patentability of pharmaceutical inventions. The Guidelines appear to exclude inventions whose main benefit relates e.g. to increased resistance to heat or humidity. Under European patent law the inventive step can relate to other aspects than efficacy such as improved application or storage, the EC further said.

Supporting the incremental innovation, the EC said that the basis for excluding inventions relating to other features in view of the fact that these can fulfil the three patentability criteria of novelty, inventive step and being capable of industrial application. Incremental improvements based on existing knowledge and products are the norm rather than exception in the process of innovation. In pharmaceutical technology completely new chemical entities are the exception rather than the rule. Numerous pharmaceuticals inventions are incremental improvements that may be of tremendous value such as improved application, storage or manufacturing properties. Since these compounds fall under the exceptions of Section 3 (d) these would appear not to qualify for protection in India. It is important to use the patent system to incentivise this incremental innovation, including new forms or uses of known substances. 

If the Guidelines' aim is to prevent undue extension of a patent monopoly, achieved by insignificant changes to an already existing patented product, sometimes referred to as 'ever-greening', this can be done by a strict application of patentability criteria, the EC opined.
Source:Pharmabiz

Hand Shiatsu Explored as a Sleep Aid by Pain Pilot

Nancy Cheyne and many other sufferers of chronic lower-back pain could find relief with the Japanese massage practice called shiatsu as a potential treatment.
 

There was a time, back in Nancy Cheyne's youth, when she combined the poise and grace of a ballerina with the daring and grit of a barrel racer. When she wasn't pursuing either of those pastimes, she bred sheepdogs, often spending hours on her feet grooming her furry friends at dog shows. 

All that seems like a lifetime ago. After 15 years of living with chronic lower-back pain, Cheyne, 64, can't walk from the disabled parking stall to the elevator at work without stopping for a rest. She eats mostly junk food because it hurts too much to stand over the stove and spends most of her spare time in a recliner with a heating pad. 

Despite pain patches and opiates, Cheyne often lies awake at night in the same recliner—sleeping in a bed is like torture—after waking every couple of hours in excruciating pain. 

"Pain affects everything I do," says Cheyne. "The chronic ongoing lower-back pain, it's all the time." 

Researchers at the University of Alberta are exploring the traditional Japanese massage practice called shiatsu as a potential treatment to help Cheyne and others like her find slumber—and stay asleep. A small pilot study followed nine people living with chronic pain as they self-administered shiatsu pressure techniques on their hands at bedtime. 

"We know that sleep involves both physiology and learning. You don't just flip a switch and go to sleep," says Cary Brown, an associate professor of occupational therapy in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. "What we saw with this pilot is that it appears self-shiatsu may help your body to prepare for sleep and help you stay asleep for longer periods." 

For the study, occupational therapy and physical therapy students were taught the basic shiatsu techniques and in turn trained participants, who reported falling asleep faster—sometimes even while administering treatment—and slept longer after two weeks and eight weeks of treatment, compared with a baseline measurement. 

Cheyne spent about 10 to 15 minutes every night performing the treatments and found that instead of waking up every 45 or 60 minutes, she could stay asleep for 1.5 to two hours. Given she hasn't felt well rested in more than a decade, every minute counts and she still keeps up her treatments months after the pilot concluded. 

"Usually within a few minutes of doing the pressure treatments, I'm gone—asleep," she says. "Sometimes I can't even finish, I just go out." 

Results promising, but more study required 
Brown cautions it's impossible to draw strong conclusions about the pilot given the small sample size, self-reported nature of the data and limitations in gender; however, she believes the results are promising enough to warrant further study. 

Brown also notes there's a difference between people with pain passively going to a therapist versus taking control of their sleep problem in the form of self-administering hand shiatsu, which requires more mental effort—a theory of cognitive attention that she would like to explore further. Hand shiatsu, when self-administered, takes some concentration because our minds cannot focus on two demands at one time, she says, making it less likely that negative thoughts would interfere with sleep. 

"One of the barriers to falling asleep for people who have pain is they worry about what's going to happen and while you're laying there you're thinking about all these negative things, it occupies your attention," Brown says. "This relates to research on attention in cognitive theory." 

The pilot was an attempt to explore low-cost, unintimidating alternatives to drugs to help people with chronic pain fall asleep, noting medication is seldom recommended for long-term use. Brown collaborated on the project with shiatsu therapist Leisa Bellmore of the Artists' Health Centre at Toronto Western Hospital and U of A colleague Geoff Bostick. 

For patients suffering from chronic pain due to low-back and other musculoskeletal injuries, the only thing that matters is finding results that work, Brown says. Not only does sleep deprivation lower a person's pain threshold, it also affects their health, from increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and traffic accidents.

More research is needed in foundational areas to break the cycle, she adds. 

"If you have insomnia, you face a higher risk of experiencing chronic pain. If you have chronic pain, you're not going to get as much sleep." 
 Source: