Next: Genetic profiles on Facebook?

November 4, 2008

Project seeks volunteers to make their DNA profiles public for researchers

People may be thinking about genetic testing again, after reading recent press reports about the Personal Genome Project.

Late last month, the first few volunteers saw some of their genetic information made public on the Internet.

This effort seeks 100,000 volunteers willing to have their DNA sequenced, databased, and stored online, along with identifying medical and personal information, in order to speed the development of medical genomics.

For a quick brush-up on the pros and cons of reading your own gene map, the search term
risks genetic testing
offers some balanced reflections.

In some cases, diagnosis by history and examination has already given way to genetic testing. For instance, it’s now time to think “genotype first” when you see a child with a developmental issue, said an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine a few weeks ago.

See what you can find by searching through the article categories with the search term “genetic testing”.

Evidence-based Articles

Scroll down first page of results for genetic testing to find a recent systematic review in JAMA about genetic testing for chronic adult diseases.

Practical Articles/News

This category holds a news article showing that an inconclusive genetic result can be as distressing as a positive one.

Patient Education

Scroll down here to find a Mayo Clinic blog for patients who may want to learn more about the topic on their own time.

No Comments » | Cancer, Cardiovascular, Diabetes_Endocrine, Family Medicine, Gastrointestinal, Internal Medicine, Medical ethics, Nervous System, Psychiatry, Respiratory_Infectious | Tagged: , | Permalink
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Parkinson’s also causes pain

September 23, 2008

Besides depression, pain shown to be non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s

Patients who develop Parkinson’s disease are significantly more likely than other individuals to esperience pain. It is usually associated with dystonia and most likely to occur in the shoulder, back, leg or foot

This information comes from a new multicenter case control study by researchers in Bari, Italy reported in Archives of Neurology.

There is growing recognition of the importance of nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson’s, including depression

However, it’s too soon to find any advice about treating this kind of pain in guidelines about Parkinson’s disease.

Related searches

treatment depression Parkinsons

Evidence-based Articles

What is the relationship between pain and depression? No evidence yet with regard to Parkinson’s per se, but there are insights in studies from other disorders.

CME

The query pain Parkinson’s in this category does turn up an online course about neuropathic pain.

No Comments » | Parkinson | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by smnewsletters

From India, online: Toxic “cures”

September 9, 2008

High levels of toxic metals found in Internet-based Ayurvedic remedies

Among Ayurvedic herbal remedies available on the Internet from 37 manufacturers, 21% contained metals such as lead and arsenic at dangerously high levels, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Ayurvedic products from sources in the United States had generally lower levels than those from India, which contained toxic metals at 100 to 10,000 times acceptable levels. Products from American sources that claimed to follow Good Manufacturing Practices or to carry out toxic metal testing did not show lower levels of these metals.

There were similar results from Ayurvedic products bought in ethnic markets in Boston, according to a previous report from the same authors. Since then, several local health departments elsewhere have issued similar warnings.

Complementary Medicine

Learn more about ayurvedic medicine—from clinically authoritative sources—with a search in this article category.

Related searches

arsenic poisoning symptoms

lead poisoning symptoms

mercury poisoning symptoms

No Comments » | Family Medicine, Gastrointestinal, Internal Medicine, Nervous System | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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For resistant depression: Rewire brain

July 8, 2008

Deep brain stimulation shows promise for treatment-resistant depression

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is back in the news, after an Emory University speaker reviewed evidence for its efficacy in treatment-resistant depression at the APA meeting. Patients remain awake during the procedure, and some report an immediate lift.

The FDA has approved DBS for Parkinsonism and then for tremor caused by a number of neurologic disorders.

Investigators are trying the procedure on a host of other illnesses, and more headlines are sure to appear.

Related searches

Helen Mayberg (the speaker at APA)

Brodmann area 25 (the affected cortical region).

Evidence-based Articles

Ponder this: A recent meta-analysis by Johns Hopkins researchers finds a “high rate of suicide” among Parkinson’s patients treated with DBS.
You have the option to purchase full text by clicking the link “View Medline

Clinical Trials

You can learn from information about clinical trials where the procedure is being tested.

No Comments » | Depression, Nervous System | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by smnewsletters

What Botox may hide besides wrinkles

July 1, 2008

Brain changes make persistent pain entirely different in older people

Pain is biologically different in older patients, and persistent pain requires entirely different management in the elderly than you’d user for younger people, according to a report in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.

(Do you want the full text of this article? We can’t provide it for you, but you can purchase a copy for $28 by clicking the link “Full text” at the upper right of the abstract.)

Data in the study show brain changes in perception and response to pain that have implications for treatment. In many cases, social isolation also contributes to the problem.

The researchers found that mindfulness meditation may be especially useful for persistent pain in this population.

Related searches:

descending inhibition pain

oral cannabis pain

Research/ Reviews

Find other new information about research into chronic pain in this category.

Practice Guidelines

It’s easy to look up the latest guidelines for management of chronic pain.

Practical Articles/News

How do you manage the risk of addiction while treating pain?

No Comments » | Family Medicine, Geriatrics, Internal Medicine, Nervous System, Uncategorized | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by smnewsletters

What Botox may hide besides wrinkles

July 1, 2008

Brain changes make persistent pain entirely different in older people

Pain is biologically different in older patients, and persistent pain requires entirely different management in the elderly than you’d user for younger people, according to a report in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.

Do you want the full text of this article? We can’t provide it for you, but you can purchase a copy for $28 by clicking the link “Full text” at the upper right of the abstract.

Data in the study show brain changes in perception and response to pain that have implications for treatment. In many cases, social isolation also contributes to the problem.

The researchers found that mindfulness meditation may be especially useful for persistent pain in this population.

Related searches:

descending inhibition pain

oral cannabis pain

Research/ Reviews

Find other new information about research into chronic pain in this category.

Practice Guidelines

It’s easy to look up the latest guidelines for management of chronic pain.

Practical Articles/News

How can you manage the risk of addiction while treating pain?

No Comments » | Geriatrics, Nervous System | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by smnewsletters

Parkinson relatives shown at high risk of anxiety, depression

January 17, 2008

The risk of anxiety and depression are increased among first-degree relatives of people with Parkinson’s disease. The evidence comes from a huge medical-records database affiliated with the Mayo Clinic.

Is this part of the Parkinson’s spectrum due to genes or to the situation? An epidemiological report like this one in Archives of General Psychiatry can say nothing about the relative contributions of heredity and environment.

Only last October the same group reported increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in close relatives of Parkinson’s patients.

Studies about the burden on Parkinson’s caregivers give solid reason to suspect that environment may contribute to mood disorders in the spouse.

Now you’ve learned a little something. Look beyond the main search results to the specific article categories, and know a lot more.

Clinical Trials for Patients
Perhaps entering a clinical trial on the subject might give families a fresh perspective on their situation.

Evidence Based Articles and Meta-Analyses
What are the most effective ways to address the stress on a relative who acts as a caregiver?

Practical Articles & News
What insights can you gain from articles by colleagues who found ways to help these families cope?

No Comments » | Depression, Nervous System, Parkinson | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama

FDA approves Abilify for adolescents with schizophrenia

November 27, 2007

Based on the recent multinational study showing a significant benefit for adolescents with schizophrenia, the FDA has approved aripirazole (Abilify) for kids aged 13 to 17. The study showed significant improvements over placebo, and a discontinuation rate of only about 4% over six weeks.

In that clinical study involving more than 300 adolescents in 13 countries, the most common side effects were extrapyramidal symptoms and drowsiness. About 5% of the teens gained at least 7% over their baseline weight.

The action closely follows approval of risperidone for kids with schizophrenia only two months ago.

Learn more quickly with SearchMedica’s content categories:

Practical Articles and News
Find guidance for encouraging adherence despite body-image issues in young schizophrenia patients.

Clinical Trials for Patients
A new clinical trial (but not for adolescents) is comparing Abilify head-to-head with injectable Risperdal to test the effects on adherence. (The hypothesis favors Risperdal).

No Comments » | Adolescent, Nervous System, Schizophrenia | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama

NSAIDs May Prevent Parkinson’s

November 19, 2007

People who regularly took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin for at least a month were significantly less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease in the following two years, according to a study just published in Neurology.

Association does not equal causation, but the study adds to growing evidence that implicates neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s.

Recently a trial was suspended when NSAIDs showed no protective effect against Alzheimer’s.

Refine Your Search

Patient Education Materials
For someone eager to start prophylaxis now, point out that the strategy is not proven and offer information about side effects that they can take home and read later.

Clinical Trials for Patients
No clinical trials are underway to test this possibility. But one that was completed in October is assessing brain markers of inflammation in Parkinson’s and similar disorders.

No Comments » | Nervous System | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama