Herbs for Brain Atrophy and Demantia - All Forums

Pulsatillae Root (白头翁)

Sun, 06 May 2012 09:35:51 +0000

Latin:
Radix Pulsatillae

Origin:
Chinese pulsatilla root is the root of the perennial plant Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel, of the Ranunculaceae family. Native to East Asia, it is grown from east Siberia to Inner Mongolia, the northeast and north of China. A related herb, Pulsatilla nigricans, is native to northern Europe and England. This wild plant grows in sunny meadows, pastures, and fields.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. A crown of leaves forms on the ground, from which a single flower grows in March and May. The stem reaches a height of about 10-40 cm and has downy hairs that grow on it. The flower is colored blue violet.

The root is harvested in spring. When used, remove leaves and residual flower stems and fibrous roots from the roots, retaining the white tassels at the root heads, dry them in the sun and use when raw.

Also called Anemone Root, Wood Anemone, Wild-flower Root, Pasque Flower Root.

Properties:
Bitter in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the large intestine channel.

Functions:
Clears away heat to expel toxic substances, removes heat from the blood and arrests diarrhea.

The plant was used medicinally during ancient times as an external remedy for ulcers and eye inflammation. During the 19th century, European physicians had noted pulsatilla's use in the treatment of melancholy, swelling of the knees, and nervous system disorders.

Applications:
1. For treating dysentery with bloody stools due to toxic heat:

This herb can be used alone or in combination with Chinese goldthread rhizome (Rhizoma Coptidis), cork tree bark (Cortex Phellodendri) and ash bark (Cortex Fraxini), e.g., Baitouweng Tang. In recent years, it has produced good results in the treatment of bacillary dysentery and amoebic dysentery.

2. For treating vaginal itching and malaria:

A) Vaginal itching (trichomonal vaginitis):

This herb is decocted together with ash bark (Cortex Fraxini) for external washing.

(B) Malaria:

It is used with Chinese thorowax root (Radix Bupleuri), skullcap root (Radix Scutellariae) and betel nuts.

Dosage and Administration:
6-15 g.

Decoct the ingredients for drinking. Use an adequate amount externally.

Cautions on Use:
This herb should be avoided by anyone who suffers from diarrhea due to cold of the insufficiency type.

When chewed, a caustic substance contained in the plant burns the tongue and throat. When applied topically, it may cause blisters on the skin.

Reference Materials:
Shen Nong's Herbal Classic : "To treat pyrexial malaria, mania, chills and fever, masses in the abdomen, goiter, etc."

"Eliminating blood stasis, killing pain and healing incised wounds."

On Drug Properties : "Abdominal pain, dysentery with bloody stools, toothache, ... general arthralgia."

Toxic or Side Effects:

Modern Researches:
The plant contains lactones protoanemonin, saponins, anemone camphor, tannins, and a volatile oil. It is antispasmodic and antibacterial and acts on the nervous system.

The fresh herb is a cardiac and nervous sedative, producing a hypnotic state with a diminution of the senses followed by a paralizing action.

A constituent similar to digitalis can be extracted from the whole herb with the roots removed. This is cardiotonic.

The Chinese pulsatilla root has clear antimicrobial effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus pyocyaneus, Bacillus subtilis and salmonella. Its decoction and the saponin contained therein can resist amoebae to a marked degree. This herb has notable results in killing Trichomonas vaginalis. It also has a mild inhibitory effect on influenza virus.

The root is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, astringent and sedative. The root is an effective cure for bacterial and amoebic dysentery. It is also used in the treatment of malaria, epistaxis and haemorrhoids and is used externally to treat trichomonas vaginitis.

Shanzhuyu Fructus Corni (山茱萸)

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:32:19 +0000

Latin Name:
Fructus Corni

Properties:
sour, slightly warm

Channels entered:
Kidney, Liver

Text in which first appeared:
Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica

Actions and Indications:
Stabilizes the Kidneys and retains the essence: for leakage of fluids due to weak essence with such symptoms as excessive urination, incontinence, spermatorrhea, and excessive sweating

Stops excessive sweating and supports that which has collapsed: for excessive sweating, especially in cases of devastated yang and collapsed qi, as in shock.

Tonifies and augments the Liver and Kidneys: for Liver and Kidney deficiency with such symtptoms as lighheadedness, dizziness, sore and weak lower back and knees, or impotence. This herb both tonifies the essence and assists the yang.

Stabilizes the menses and stops bleeding: for deficiency patterns of excessive uterine bleeding and prolonged menstruation. It has only a weak effect on the bleeding.

Major Combinations:
With Fructus Rosae Laevigate (jin ying zi) for spermatorrhea or premature ejaculation.

With Os Draconis (long gu), Concha Ostreae (mu li), Radix Lateralis Carmichaeli Preparata (fu zi), and Radix Ginseng (ren shen) for profuse sweating due to devastated yang.

Radix Astragali Membranacei (huang qi) and Radix Codonopsitis Pilosulae (dang shen) for spontaneous sweating usually resulting from yang or qi deficiency.

With Radix Angelicae Sinensis (dang gui) and Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae (shu di huang) for night sweats due to yin deficiency.

With Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis (wu wei zi) for spermatorrhea, abnormal sweating, palpitations, and shortness of breath due to yin and yang deficiency of both the Liver and Kidneys.

With Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae (shu di huang) and Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae (shan yao) for urinary frequency (during the day and night), dizziness, tinnitus, lower back pain, and other symptoms associated with Kidney deficiency. Add GElatinum Cornu Cervi (bu jiao jiao) and Fructus Psoraleae Corylifoliae (bug u zhi) for impotence and premature ejaculation due to Kidney yang deficiency.

With Os Sepiae seu Sepiellae (hai piao xiao), Radix Rubiae Cordifoliae (qian cao gen), and charred Fibra Stipulae Trachycarpi (zong lu tan) for thin, pale, profuse uterine bleeding that either gushes or continually trickles out due to instability of the penetrating vessel.

With Cortex Eucommiae Ulmoidis (du zhong) and Radix et Caulils Jixueteng (ji xue teng) for hypertension due to Liver and Kidney deficiency.

Cautions and Contraindications:
Contraindicated in cases with painful and difficult urination or those with damp- heat. According to some traditional sources, this herb antagonizes Radix Platycodi Grandiflori (jie geng), Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae (fang ji). See Toxicity below.

Major Known Ingredients:
verbanalin, saponins, morroniside, 7- o- methylmorroniside, loganin, cornusiin A and B, ursolic acid, tannin, vitamin A

Pharmacological & Clinical Research:
Antibiotic effect: Decoctions of Fructus Corni Officinalis (shan zhu yu) have shown an in vitro inhibitory effect and lowered blood pressure with little effect on serum glucose.

Toxicity:
This herb has very low toxicity. When given to various animals no signs of toxicity were noted except increased congestion of the gastic mucosa. It had no effect on rabbit conjunctiva. Fructus Corni Officinalis (shan zhu yu) also has a very low incidence of side effects and is a mild parasympathomimetic.

Ophiopogon Root (麦门冬)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:35:34 +0000

Ophiopogon Root

Other Common Names
Ophiopogon

Pharmaceutical Latin
Radix Ophiopononis

Pinyin
Mai Men Dong

Atmospheric Energy
Cold

Taste
Sweet and bitter

Organ Meridian Systems
Lung, Heart and Stomach

Part Used and Form
Tuberous root

Primary Functions
Provide cooling Yin to the Heart, Lungs and Stomach, to promote production of body fluids, to clear heat in the heart and relieve irritability, to relieve dry cough, dry mouth and tongue, and to moisten the bowels

Qualities
This herb is very similar in its actions to wild Asparagus root, a close relative. It is primarily used as a Yin tonic, and especially as a Yin tonic to the heart and lung. It is excellent for moistening any dryness in the body. Being a cold herb, it can cool down hot symptoms and relieve Yin deficiency conditions such as Yin-deficiency insomnia and irritability, especially when blended with herbs such as fresh Rehmannia, Asparagus root and Coptis.

It is a great herb for people who experience hot, dry lungs. Smokers and people exposed to smoke, smog, desert heat and dust will benefit from a daily dose of this herb. Singers and public speakers will find that Ophiopogon moistens the throat and vocal cords, improving vocal quality. It helps relieve sticky sputum For dry throat and lungs, Ophiopogon can be combined with herbs such as Fritillaria, Asparagus root, Glehnia and fresh Rehmannia.

When blended with Dong Gui and Cistanche, Ophiopogon is very useful for relieving dry-type constipation.

The Taoists perceived an even deeper level of purpose for consuming the this herb. They considered Ophiopogon a major Shen tonic herb. Like Asparagus root, it was considered extremely valuable for mastering one's own heart. It is found in a wide number of Taoist formulas. By cooling down the heat in the heart it helps to steady the emotions and control the mind. Combine with major Shen developing tonics such as wild Ginseng, Ganoderma, and Asparagus root, etc.

Ophiopogon root is an ingredient in an extremely popular tonic preparation called Formula for Restoring Pulse Beating, which consists of relatively equal parts of Panax Ginseng, Ophiopogon root and Schizandra fruit. This formula is famous for quickly rebuilding energy in those that have experienced trauma or surgery and for those recovering from illness.

Primary Combinations
Combine with:

1. Glehnia root, Asparagus root, Raw Rehmannia to tonify Lung yin
2. Glehnia root, Asparagus root, Raw Rehmannia and Fritillary bulb to treat dry cough due to Lung yin deficiency
3. Raw Rehmannia, Zizyphus seed and Coptis to treat irritability and insomnia due to pathogenic heat entering the heart

Varieties and Grading
Most Ophiopogon available in Asia is of similar quality. But fresher Ophiopogon, which is gummier and more pliable is better than stiff, hard, dry tubers.

Contraindications
Use moderately in cases of cold, deficient Spleen resulting in diarrhea.

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Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:22:23 +0000

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Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:18:15 +0000

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Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:13:29 +0000

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【Attention】No spicy food, no wine, no tea, no fried, greasy, food below room temperature. Taking the medicine orally 60 minutes to 30 minutes before the meal. Stop taking the medicine when getting a cold.
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Chinese Researchers Say Internet Addiction Causes Grey Matter Atrophy in Cerebral Cor

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:16:49 +0000

Research out of China shows that too much time spent playing games in front of a computer screen each day can actually rot your brain. Using MRI scans, researchers found grey matter atrophy in very heavy internet game players.

Internet gaming addiction is a pretty big problem in China, and researchers there wondered what spending all day, every day, staring into a computer screen might be doing for brain development and neural health.

To find out, they recruited 18, 19 year old university students, all of whom had been classified as internet addicts (they played online games for an average of 8 to 13 hours per day, at least 6 days per week) and then used MRI scans to compare the brains of the internet addicted teens to 18 control subjects, each of whom spent 2 hours per day or less online.

They found that the internet addicted teens displayed grey matter atrophy in certain areas of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain responsible for higher order processing, like thinking, memory and speech – and that longer durations of internet addiction resulted in worsened grey matter atrophy.

While the researchers acknowledge that these brain abnormalities could have pre-existed the excessive internet usage, they believe that the internet usage is in fact causing the brain changes, arguing, 'Our results suggested long-term internet addiction would result in brain structural alterations. '

Commenting on the findings, Dr Aric Sigman of the Royal Society of Medicine in the UK called the study a “wake up call” for change and said, 'It strikes me as a terrible shame that our society requires photos of brains shrinking in order to take seriously the common-sense assumption that long hours in front of screens is not good for our children’s health. '

The full study results can be found in the PLoS One

Read more: Chinese Researchers Say Internet Addiction Causes Grey Matter Atrophy in Cerebral Cortex

Principal Cause of Cerebral Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis Unknown.

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:15:20 +0000

Until now, it was thought that the lesions or plaques observed in the white matter were the cause of the damage to the brain. New data indicates that these plaques account for only 30% of the atrophy in the grey matter; other unexplained neurodegenerative mechanisms are therefore also implicated.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is the most common chronic neurologic disease in young people and adults in Europe and affects approximately 2.5 million people throughout the world. The study, published in the journal Archives of Neurology (66(2):173-9), was carried out by the team of Dr. Pablo Villoslada at the University of Navarre. Last December, these researchers joined Hospital Clínic, Barcelona-IDIBAPS. Until now, it was thought that the atrophy seen in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis was caused by the plaque in the white matter. The new results show that these plaques explain only 30% of the lesions. Until now it was assumed that multiple sclerosis predominantly affected myelin, a fat that sheaths the nerves. It was thought that the plaques that form in the myelin were directly responsible for the atrophy of the grey matter. This study was designed to determine whether the loss of volume–atrophy–in the brain’s structures was related to the presence of lesions or cuts in the nerves connected to them. Scheme of the raising of the study published at Archives of NeurologyThe researchers analyzed the brains of 81 people (61 with multiple sclerosis and 20 healthy people) using magnetic resonance imaging and a morphometric method (volumetry). The study focused on the optical pathway, starting with the hypothesis that lesions in this part of the brain, and in no other, correlate with atrophy of the occipital cortex and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the main centers for processing visual information. The results indicate that the lesions in the white matter of the nerves originating in the LGN explain up to 28% of the variation in volume. Atrophy of the occipital cortex did not correspond to the presence of lesions in the optical pathway, probably because it is associated with many other pathways. Thus, although the sclerotic plaques in the nerves contribute significantly to the atrophy of the grey matter, the remaining 72% must still be explained. The data suggest that other neurodegenerative processes are involved. Because atrophy of the grey matter is the main cause of the progressive form of the disease and its severe sequelae, it is important to gain a better understanding of the principal mechanism of the damage, apart from the classic plaques, in order to be able to apply this knowledge to treating the disease.

Mild Hearing Loss Linked to Brain Atrophy in Older Adults, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:13:46 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — A new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that declines in hearing ability may accelerate gray mater atrophy in auditory areas of the brain and increase the listening effort necessary for older adults to successfully comprehend speech.

When a sense (taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch) is altered, the brain reorganizes and adjusts. In the case of poor hearers, researchers found that the gray matter density of the auditory areas was lower in people with decreased hearing ability, suggesting a link between hearing ability and brain volume.

"As hearing ability declines with age, interventions such as hearing aids should be considered not only to improve hearing but to preserve the brain," said lead author Jonathan Peelle, PhD, research associate in the Department of Neurology. "People hear differently, and those with even moderate hearing loss may have to work harder to understand complex sentences."

In a pair of studies, researchers measured the relationship of hearing acuity to the brain, first measuring the brain's response to increasingly complex sentences and then measuring cortical brain volume in auditory cortex. Older adults (60-77 years of age) with normal hearing for their age were evaluated to determine whether normal variations in hearing ability impacted the structure or function of the network of areas in the brain supporting speech comprehension.

The studies found that people with hearing loss showed less brain activity on functional MRI scans when listening to complex sentences. Poorer hearers also had less gray matter in the auditory cortex, suggesting that areas of the brain related to auditory processing may show accelerated atrophy when hearing ability declines.

In general, research suggests that hearing sensitivity has cascading consequences for the neural processes supporting both perception and cognition. Although the research was conducted in older adults, the findings also have implications for younger adults, including those concerned about listening to music at loud volumes. "Your hearing ability directly affects how the brain processes sounds, including speech," says Dr. Peelle. "Preserving your hearing doesn't only protect your ears, but also helps your brain perform at its best."

The research appears in the latest edition of The Journal of Neuroscience and was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Physicians should monitor hearing in patients as they age, noting that individuals who still fall within normal hearing ability may have increasing complaints of speech comprehension issues. Patients should talk to their physician or an audiologist if they are experiencing any difficulty hearing or understanding speech.

Low Vitamin B12 Tied to Brain Atrophy, Cognitive Impairment

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:11:50 +0000

September 27, 2011 — A new study provides more evidence that poor vitamin B12 status is a risk factor for brain atrophy and cognitive impairment, and highlights the importance of vitamin B12 metabolites that are not routinely assessed.

The study found that higher levels of several markers of vitamin B12 deficiency, most notably methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine, were associated with lower global cognitive function scores and lower total brain volume roughly 5 years later. However, the serum vitamin B12 concentration was not associated with either global cognitive function or total brain volume.

The results, from Christine C. Tangney, PhD, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and colleagues, were published September 27 in Neurology.

"Practice-Changing" Study

"What this study tells me is that I need to be taking B12 assessment in the elderly patient to a different level," Daniel C. Potts, MD, from Alabama Neurology and Sleep Medicine, PC, in Tuscaloosa, who was not involved in the study, noted in a telephone interview with Medscape Medical News. "I need to be routinely measuring the metabolites, and not just the serum B12," he said.

"With this study, I am probably going to change my practice a bit," added Dr. Potts, associate clinical professor, College of Community Health Sciences, University of Alabama School of Medicine, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Tangney's team studied 121 participants in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, an ongoing cohort study of adults aged 65 years and older living on the south side of Chicago.

They looked for interrelations between baseline levels of serum vitamin B12 and several vitamin B12-related markers, including MMA, homocysteine, 2-methylcitrate, and cystathionine, and brain magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological test results obtained an average of 4.6 years later.

According to the investigators, 17.5% of participants had elevated homocysteine levels, defined as higher than 14 μmol/L, and 15.2% had elevated MMA concentrations (>271 nmol/L). Serum homocysteine and MMA concentrations were highly correlated (P < .0001).

After adjusting for age, sex, education, race, and serum creatinine concentrations that can affect homocysteine levels, each of the vitamin B12-related markers, but not vitamin B12 itself, was associated with global cognitive scores.

For example, for each 1 μmol/L increase in homocysteine concentration, global cognitive score decreased by 0.03 standardized units (P = .04).

However, the relationship of the different vitamin B12 markers to the scores of the individual cognitive domains were not consistent.

Serum homocysteine concentration was not associated with any of the individual cognitive domains, although scores for perceptual organization and speed had marginal associations.

Serum concentrations of MMA, cystathionine, and 2-methylcitrate were each associated with lower episodic memory scores: the higher the concentrations, the lower the scores.

Higher MMA concentrations were also associated with lower perceptual speed, and higher cystathionine and 2-methylcitrate concentrations were each associated with poorer semantic memory.

"These associations remained in analyses that adjusted individually for [body mass index], smoking status, lifetime alcohol intake, hypertension, dementia, or APOE4," the authors say.

Similar to the cognitive function findings, serum vitamin B12 levels were not associated with any magnetic resonance imaging measures in adjusted models. Homocysteine concentration was the only vitamin B12 metabolite associated with the volume of white matter hyperintensity; the volume increased by 0.103 units/μmol/L increase in homocysteine level.

Elevated levels of serum homocysteine, MMA, cystathionine, and 2-methylcitrate were significantly associated with decreased total brain volume.

The investigators note that the effect of homocysteine on global cognition was "modified and no longer statistically significant with adjustment for white matter volume or cerebral infarcts." Likewise, the methylmalonate-global cognition effect was modified and no longer significant with adjustment for total brain volume.

Serum B12 Measurement "Not Enough"

Dr. Potts called this is "an important study that sheds some light for the first time on some individual components of cognition and what the B12 metabolites mean for those [components]."

"The global take-home for me," he added, "is that B12 may be playing a more important role than we once thought in terms of brain health in the elderly. I need to be more seriously considering the role of B12 in global cognitive health of an elderly person, and not just think that because they have a normal serum B12 level at their primary care physician that that's enough for me; it's not enough now, and I'm going to dig a little deeper," he said.

"At the very minimum, measure an MMA level, homocysteine plus a serum B12," he advised, as marginal vitamin B12 status in older adults is often missed by measuring serum vitamin B12 levels alone.

Dr. Tangney said it is too early to say whether increasing vitamin B12 levels in older people through diet or supplements could help prevent cognitive problems and brain atrophy, but it is "an interesting question to explore."

Results of the Vitamins in Cognitive Impairment (VITACOG) study, released 1 year ago and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, provide some support for vitamin B supplementation.

In the study, treatment with a supplement containing vitamin B6, B12, and folate for 2 years reduced homocysteine levels and slowed brain atrophy in British adults with mild cognitive impairment, although concomitant changes in cognitive scores were not reported.

The current study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Tangney has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Some of the study authors have disclosed relationships with Pfizer, Bayer Schering Pharma, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lily and Company. Dr. Potts has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Treatment

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:04:41 +0000

The acupuncture procedures and the hidroalcoholic herb extracts are used in special treatment plans that are designed in accordance with the patient's health condition and the evolution of the disease from its onset to the beginning of the treatment. The treatment schemes are adjusted during the treatment, depending on the patient's evolution and his body's reaction to the applied therapies.

In an advanced stage of the disease, as the cerebral areas are deeply altered by the atrophy process, these areas will be isolated in order to arrest the evolution of the disease. The functions of the respective areas are transferred to areas of healthy brain tissue. The brain tissue structure of these areas is similar to that of the initial areas. The entire procedure is possible by accessing the brain area containing information about the structure and the functions of the entire brain. The brain makes a map in real time of the active brain areas and of their functions and it stores the information in a specific brain area. By accessing this brain area, the necessary information is taken to perform the transfer of the functions affected by the degenerative process.

The regeneration of the atrophied cerebral area is possible when the brain tissue is partially affected by the degenerative process. In this particular situation, the degenerated areas are dysfunctional, but to an extent that allows the restoration of the vascularisation and the recovery of the optimum oxygenation level. The treatment procedures also restore the local metabolic functions.

At the same time the factors are removed that have given birth to the brain atrophy. This process arrests the evolution of the degenerative process in the first place and it prepares the affected brain tissue for the later procedures that will relocate the functions or regenerate the atrophied regions.

Brain-eating amoebas blamed in three deaths

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:02:06 +0000

(CNN) -- It's eerie but it's true: Three people have died this summer after suffering rare infections from a waterborne amoeba that destroys the brain.

This is the time of year when there is an uptick in cases. The amoebas flourish in the heat -- especially during the summer months in the South, thriving in warm waters where people swim.

Health officials usually record about two to three cases in a given year -- 1980 was the highest with eight deaths. And most of the time, they occur in children and teenagers.

"These are rare infections, but super tragic for families," said Jonathan Yoder, the waterborne disease and outbreak surveillance coordinator at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We don't want to minimize how hard it is for families."
'Amoebas act extremely quickly'
RELATED TOPICS

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* Microbiology
* Children's Health

The amoeba, called Naegleria fowleri, is the only type that infects humans and is more than 95% lethal. The first death in 2011 occurred in June in Louisiana, according to the CDC.

A 16-year-old died Saturday after becoming infected by an amoeba in Brevard County, Florida, according to CNN's affiliate WFTV. The amoeba could have entered the teen's body as the teen swam in a nearby river.

Her mother, P.J. Nash-Ryder, said her daughter complained of a headache, threw up 20 times and ran a fever as high as 104 degrees.

"She would sit up in bed and just look at me, and I would ask her what was wrong," Nash-Ryder said. "She would say, 'I don't know.' And I'd tell her to lay back down. Her eyes were rolling ... and she wouldn't shut them all the way."

A spinal tap showed that Naegleria fowleri was present in her spinal fluids.

In another case, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed Friday that a child from central Virginia died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, which is caused by the amoeba. The Richmond Times Dispatch said the child was a 9-year-old boy from Henrico County.

The child died within the last few weeks, said Dr. Keri Hall, the state's director of epidemiology. She declined to share other details. Virginia's last confirmed case was in 1969.

Amoeba infections in humans are extremely rare. The CDC found 32 reported cases in 10 years -- compared with 36,000 drowning deaths from 1996 to 2005.

Rare but deadly amoeba infection hard to prevent

The median age of the victims is 12, possibly because children and teenagers are more likely to play and swim in water. Nearly two-thirds of those killed by the amoeba are children under the age of 13.

The amoebas enter the human body through the nose after an individual swims or dives into warm fresh water, like ponds, lakes, rivers and even hot springs.

Lurking in fresh waters during the summertime, they're more likely to infect humans in July, August and September.

It's unclear why out of the millions of people who swim in the same fresh waters, a small fraction of people are infected by the amoeba.

"It's difficult to know," Yoder said. "It's not a disease that's easy to study because the end result is so severe. It's difficult to study in the lab."

Scientists speculate that the lack of certain antibodies could be why some children get infected, while others who've swum in the same water don't, said Francine Cabral, professor of microbiology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

The amoeba is not a parasite. A human is an "accidental end point for the amoeba after it's forced up the nose," Yoder said. It does not seek human hosts.

But when an amoeba gets lodged into a person's nose, it starts looking for food. It ends up in the brain and starts eating neurons.

"It causes a great deal of trauma and a great deal of damage," Yoder said. "It's a tragic infection. It's right at the frontal lobe. It affects behavior and the core of who they are -- their emotions, their ability to reason -- it's very difficult."

Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and neck stiffness. Later symptoms include confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations.

The amoeba multiplies, and the body mounts a defense against the infection. This, combined with the rapidly increasing amoebas, cause the brain to swell, creating immense pressure. At some point, the brain stops working.

Death typically occurs three to seven days after the symptoms start.

At hospitals, the infection is often mistaken for bacterial meningitis. Even when the diagnosis is made, the infection is difficult to treat.

The primary treatment for Naegleria infection is amphotericin B, an antifungal medication injected into the veins and brain.

But so far, only one person -- back in 1978 -- is known to have survived an infection, Yoder said.

Everybody panics because the amoeba infection is so deadly, but Cabral reminded: "The incidence of this disease is very very small, but when it happens it's tragic."

Here are the CDC's tips for prevention:

* Refrain from activities in warm, untreated or poorly treated water, especially when water levels are low and temperatures are high.

* Hold the nose shut or use nose clips when swimming in warm fresh water.

* Avoid digging or stirring up underwater sediments while submerged in shallow, warm freshwater areas.

Moderate drinking may help prevent Alzheimer's, other dementia

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:00:18 +0000

TUESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, especially wine, may lower the risk of dementia, according to a review of previous research.

The team at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 365,000 people who took part in 143 studies that were conducted since 1977.

Moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of "cognitive impairment," a phrase used to describe a decline in thinking skills. Moderate drinking is generally defined as a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

On the other hand, heavy drinking (more than three to five drinks per day) was associated with a higher risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but the researchers said this finding was not statistically significant.

"We don't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking. But moderate drinking -- if it is truly moderate -- can be beneficial," study co-author Edward J. Neafsey, a professor in the department of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics, said in a Loyola University Medical Center news release.

Wine appeared more beneficial than beer or spirits, but that finding was based on a relatively small number of studies, the study authors noted.

The researchers said the protective effect of moderate drinking remained after they factored in age, education, sex and smoking, and that the effects of alcohol were the same in men and women.

They also noted that the association between moderate drinking and reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment was statistically significant in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States.

Still, experts in neurological health weren't entirely sold on the findings.

"This study was well-designed and well-executed but falls in the category of epidemiology [population wide, observational studies]," said Dr. Sam Gandy, chair in Alzheimer's Disease Research and professor of neurology at the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "There are at least a dozen reports such as this, touting the beneficial neurological effects of alcohol. Each report brings calls and visits from patients, interested in what advice they can take away and apply to their own lives."

Gandy said that proof that moderate drinking helps curb dementia rates could only come from a prospective, randomized clinical trial -- something that hasn't happened yet. "Until there are some randomized clinical trial data, no patient guidance is warranted," he said.

Another expert agreed. Dr. James Galvin, director of the Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said that there is growing evidence of a beneficial effect of moderate drinking on dementia, but "we should not rush out to buy bottles of Merlot, Cabernet or Pinot just yet."

And he added that the brain-healthy effects of moderate drinking noted in studies might just be a marker for an overall healthy lifestyle. "The Mediterranean diet with whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil and moderate red wine also reduces the risk of dementia, as does exercise, social engagement, mental activities and an optimistic outlook on life," Galvin said. "It is clear that heart healthy behaviors are also brain healthy behaviors."

For their part, the researchers said that it's not clear why moderate drinking may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but one premise suggests that alcohol might improve blood flow in the brain and thus brain metabolism, the researchers said. And they offered up another theory, that small amounts of alcohol may make brain cells more fit by slightly stressing them and increasing their ability to cope with major levels of stress that can eventually cause dementia.

The review appears in the August issue of the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about dementia.

Childhood abuse linked to brain damage in adolescence

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:57:22 +0000

HealthDay News -- Teens who experienced childhood maltreatment (CM) had reduced cerebral gray matter (GM) morphology, results from a study published in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine indicate.

"Although adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment may have symptoms and behaviors that may not yet meet criteria for psychiatric diagnoses, detection and early intervention may help improve functioning and reduce risk for the development of mood, addictive, and other psychiatric disorders," Hilary P. Blumberg, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and colleagues wrote.

They examined the correlation between self-reported exposure to CM and regional GM morphology in 42 adolescents without psychiatric diagnoses. They measured exposure to CM using a childhood trauma self-report questionnaire for physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and for physical and emotional neglect. Voxel-based analyses of structural magnetic resonance images were used to assess the correlation between subtypes of CM exposure and regional GM volume.

The researchers found a significant negative correlation between total questionnaire scores and GM volume in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, amygdala, sensory association cortices and cerebellum. Associations were positive for physical abuse, physical neglect and emotional neglect, with rostral prefrontal reductions.

Physical abuse correlated with reductions in the dorsolateral and orbitofrontal cortices, insula and ventral striatum. Physical neglect was associated with reductions in the cerebellum. Emotional neglect correlated with reductions in the dorsolateral, orbitofrontal and subgenual prefrontal cortices, striatum, amygdala, hippocampus and cerebellum.

GM atrophy varied by gender, with girls who experienced CM more likely to experience decreases in areas of the brain associated with emotion regulation regions, whereas boys had deficits in areas of the brain associated with impulse control.

In an accompanying editorial, Philip A. Fisher, PhD, and Jennifer H. Pfeifer, PhD, acknowledged the importance of the findings and suggested further studies to examine functional, as well as anatomical connectivity within the brain.

"One particularly relevant new mind-set would consider the regional developmental trajectories of gray matter and white matter in a movement toward thinking about these effects at the level of networks rather than isolated regions," Fisher and Pfeifer wrote.
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Sourse: http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/

Brain Atrophy Tied to Cognition Loss in Parkinson's

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:08:45 +0000

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Brain atrophy in Parkinson's disease correlates with cognitive decline, which worsens with the degree of tissue shrinkage, investigators reported.

In a study of 84 patients with Parkinson's disease, those with normal cognition had brain volumes similar to those of participants in a healthy control group, according to Daniel Weintraub, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and co-authors.

In contrast, Parkinson's patients with mild cognitive impairment had significant atrophy of the hippocampus compared with the Parkinson's patients who had normal cognition (P=0.001), and dementia-level cognitive deficits were associated with significant atrophy of the hippocampus (P=0.004) and medial temporal lobe (P=0.003), they wrote in the December issue of Archives of Neurology.

Parkinson's patients with mild cognitive impairment exhibited a pattern of brain atrophy that differed significantly from that of Parkinson's patients with normal cognition (P=0.04) and was similar to the pattern observed in patients with severe cognitive impairment.

"Our preliminary results using a pattern classification approach to identify patterns of atrophy associated with dementia in Parkinson's disease suggest that it is possible to differentiate Parkinson's disease dementia and Parkinson's disease-normal cognition patients," the investigators wrote in conclusion.

"Emerging evidence implicates hippocampal involvement early in the course of cognitive -- and specifically memory -- decline in Parkinson's disease," they added.

Patients with Parkinson's disease have an estimated cumulative prevalence of dementia ranging as high as 80%. An additional 25% of patients without dementia meet neuropsychological criteria for mild cognitive impairment, according to the background of the article.

Extensive research into biomarkers of Parkinson's disease dementia has shown the most consistency for atrophy of the parietal-temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex, the authors continued.

Less information has emerged regarding the neural substrate of Parkinson's patients with mild cognitive impairment. Moreover, studies of patients with Parkinson's disease and normal cognition have often included patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Weintraub and colleagues have evaluated brain imaging as a means of identifying structural changes associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease. Additionally, they have developed and begun to evaluate a pattern classification system to identify Parkinson's disease dementia.

"We hypothesized that Parkinson disease-mild cognitive impairment patients would demonstrate hippocampal and prefrontal cortex atrophy and have a spatial pattern of atrophy similar to that of Parkinson disease dementia patients," they wrote.

The study included 84 patients with Parkinson's disease and a control group of 23 healthy adults. All of the participants had structural MRI of the brain and neuropsychological testing performed within six months of each other.

On the basis of total scores on the Dementia Rating Scale-2, 61 of the Parkinson's patients had normal cognition (mean DRS-2 score 139.4), 12 had mild cognitive impairment (DRS-2 127.8), and 11 had dementia (DRS-2 108.5, P<0.001 for trend). The control group had a mean DRS-2 score of 141.5.

Scores on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised showed significant differences between the Parkinson's patients with normal cognition and those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia with respect to immediate and delayed recall (P=0.03 to P<0.001), and a significantly lower mean score for the dementia group on recognition discrimination (P<0.001).

Structural imaging of the brain consisted of standard T1-weighted MRI with sagittally acquired images.

The images showed significant atrophy of the hippocampus in the Parkinson's patients with dementia (P<0.001) and those with mild cognitive impairment (P=0.001) as compared with the Parkinson's patients with normal cognition. The patients with mild cognitive impairment and those with dementia did not differ significantly (P=0.79).

The Parkinson's patients with dementia also had significant atrophy of the medial temporal lobe versus Parkinson's patients with normal cognition (P=0.006).

Using data from the imaging studies, the authors developed a classification method for distinguishing between two groups of patients.

"This approach considers all brain regions jointly and identifies a minimal set of regions in which volumes jointly and maximally differentiate between the two groups under consideration on an individual scan basis," they wrote.

The method of pattern classification results in a structural phenotype score, called SPARE-PDD (spatial pattern of abnormality for recognition of Parkinson's disease with dementia-level cognitive deficits).

Application of the SPARE-PDD score to the Parkinson's patients showed overall differences according to cognition (P=0.002). The authors noted a significant difference in the score between patients with normal cognition and those with mild cognitive impairment (P=0.04). Patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia had similar scores.

Patients with normal cognition had scores similar to those of the control group.

Examination of data maps revealed regions atrophy in gray matter and white matter that most clearly distinguished the patients with dementia from those with normal cognition.

Gray matter areas were the hippocampus, medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, occipital lobe, and pericentral sulcus.

White-matter regions were the internal and external capsules, inferior temporal lobe and gyrus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, occipital lobe, and precuneus.

Hope shines for cerebral palsy patients

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:05:35 +0000

ALLAHABAD: Benefits of orthopedic selective spasticity control surgery (OSSCS) were highlighted in a function held in the city on Monday. The function was organised on the occasion of World Cerebral Palsy Day which is observed on October 3.

Detailing on the benefits of OSSCS, Dr J K Jain said: "It's like a medical miracle that children suffering from the stinging, distressing disease of cerebral palsy have been blessed with a ray of new hope." He added that Cerebral Palsy is a condition of damaged brain that inhibits the normal functioning of the motor nerves and leads to disablement in maintaining body posture.

Children afflicted with cerebral palsy depict symptoms of late motor development skills and may also be hearing, speech and visually impaired accompanied by other associated diseases. The very utterance of the two words "Cerebral Palsy" conjures up images of these poor little souls striving to get the fundamental things of life straight.

Regarding OSSCS, the doctor said that the efficacy of this surgery has been witnessed in not only younger children, but among older groups as well, kindling rays of optimism and prospects for the young people. Research studies till now had been focusing on proffering treatment for cerebral palsy to the affected children as early in life as possible as brain deformities, at such beginning stages could be molded and trained to one's advantage more easily.

Radix Linderae (乌药)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:10:14 +0000

Properties:
The herb is pungent in flavour, and warm in nature. It acts on the lung, spleen kidney and urinary bladder channels. Pungent for dispersing, warm for clearing and aromatic for moving around, it is good at promoting circulation of Qi in the upper, middle and lower-jiao to disperse cold and alleviate pain. The herb is often used to treat cold accumulation, Qi stagnation, distending pain in the chest and abdomen, cold of insufficiency type in the lower abdomen, frequent urination the other syndromes.

Effects:
Promoting circulation of Qi, alleviating pain, warming the kidney and dispersing cold.

Indications:
1. The herb is often used in combination with corydalis tuber, cinnamom twig, Chinese angelica root and other herbs for promoting Qi circulation, dispersing cold, regulating menstruation and alleviating pain, to treat cold accumulation, Qi stagnation, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea and amenia; with common fennel fruit, aucklandia root and evodia fruit for warming the liver, dispersing cold, promoting Qi circulation and alleviating pain, to treat accumulation of cold in the liver chdannel, abdominal colic due to invasion of cold and abdominal pain; and with galangal rhizome, aucklandia root, corydalis tuber and other herbs for warming the middle jiao, dispersing cold, promoting Qi circulation and alleviating pain, to treat cold accumulation, Qi stagnation, distending pain in the stomach, incoordination between the spleen and stomach, anorexia and vomiting.

2. To treat cold of insufficiency type in the lower jiao, hypofunction of the urinary bladder with cold syndrome, frequent urination or incontinence of bitter cardamon for warming the kidney and arresting polyuria, such as Suoquan Pill.

Dosage and Administration:
3-10g.

Directions:Every sachet is equivalent to raw herb 10 grams.

The dosage is for adults, one sachet each time, twice a day. Please put the granule into a cup, then put 50-100ml boiling water into the cup and stir it with spoon. You will get some tea, drink it when it is luke-warm. For children, the dosage should be reduced according to the weight.

RE: Brain Atrophy

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:41:24 +0000

> -------Original Message-------
> From: janet thoya >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> To: dr lee
> Subject: RE: Brain Atrophy
> Sent: Jun 21 '11 03:11
>
> Dr Lee,
>
> Trust all is well at your end. We are keeping well and our son has shown a
> lot of improvements . His speech has developed really much. Would like to
> order 20 boxex of the same brain atrophy pills . How much will that cost
> and the shipping charge ? We are still in Zambia Lusaka city.
>
> Thanks much
>
> Jannet Thoya.
>

Asparagus cochinchinensis (天门冬)

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:18:20 +0000

Latin Name:
Radix Asparagi

Botanical name:
Asparagus cochinchinensis

Pharmaceutical Name:
Radix or Tuber Asparagi Cochinchinenses

Characteristics：
Root， tuber long-cambiform, slightly curved, 5-18 cm long. 009.jpg (8008 bytes)Surface with bark removed appearing yellow-white to yellow-brown, semi-opaque, slightly longitudinally wrinkled. Fracture surface showing a narrow stele and a broad cortex. Soft and sticky in texture. Sweet and bitter in taste, cold in nature, and attributive to lung and kidney channels.

Indication：
Nourish yin, clear away heat, moisturize the lung and benefit the kidney: For yin-deficiency with lung dryness manifested as dry cough, hemoptysis, dry throat and thirst; diabetes with consumption of body fluid; yin-deficiency with hectic fever, night sweat, nocturnal emission, flaccidity of lower limbs; constipation due to dryness of intestine. Recently, used for chronic pharyngolaryngitis, whooping cough, mammary hyperplasia, breast cancer, malignant lymphoma, etc.

Pharmacological Action：
Asparamide and B-sitosterol are the chief 009-1.jpg (2309 bytes)cornponents.

1. Asparamide is an expectorant, antitussive and antiasthmatic.

2. Inhibiting the cell growth of acute lymphocytic, acute monocytic and chronic granulocytic leukemias in vitro.

Administration：
Decoction: 5-15g. 30g of herb stewed with wine three times daily for breast diseases.

Smilax (土茯苓)

Thu, 26 May 2011 13:51:23 +0000

Name:
Sarsaparilla

Biological Name:
Ichnocarpus fruitescens, Apocymene frutescens, Echites frutscens, Smilax officinalis, Liliaceae, Apocynaceae

Other Names:
Black Creeper, Sarsaparilla, Sariva, Kalisar, Dudhilata, Sugandhi, Honduras sarsaparilla, red sarsaparilla, Spanish sarsaparilla, Tu fu ling, Dwipautra, Paalvalli, Sariva, Siamalata

Description:
Sarsaparilla is a tropical American perennial plant. It is also found throughout India and in the Himalayas under 5,000 feet. Its long, tuberous rootstock produces a vine which trails on the ground and climbs by means of tendrils growing in pairs from the petioles of the alternate, obicular to ovate, evergreen leaves. The small, greenish flowers grow in axillary umbels.

Parts Used:
Root, milk, stalk, leaves

Medicinal Applications:

Action
The root is an alterative tonic, diuretic, diaphoretic, carminative

Uses
Sarsaparilla root is said to be good for gout, rheumatism, colds, fevers, and catarrhal problems, as well as for relieving flatulence. A tea made from it has also been used externally for skin problems, scrofula, and ringworm. Sarsaparilla would be classed generally as a "blood purifier." It was once commonly taken as a tonic in spring.

It is also used for venereal diseases, herpes, skin diseases, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, epilepsy, insanity, chronic nervous diseases, abdominal distention, intestinal gas, debility, impotence, turbid urine.

Sarsaparilla purifies the urino-genital tract, dispelling all infection and inflammation. Its purifying action wends to the nervous system and it helps cleanse the mind of negative emotions; therefore it is useful in many nervous disorders.

Sarsaparilla's diaphoretic and blood-cleansing action is useful for rheumatic inflammation.

For herpes and venereal complaints, it can be combined with gentian. It stimulates the production of reproductive hormones and has tonic action on the sexual organs.

As a blood-purifier it works well with burdock root. Externally, it can be used as a wash for genital sores or herpes, or as a hot fomentation for painful, arthritic joints.

Dosage:
Decoction, powder, pills

Infusion:
Steep 1 tsp. rootstock in 1 cup water. Take 1 to 2 cups a day.
Tincture: A dose is from 30 to 60 drops.

Safety:
No information about the safety of this herb is available.

Use caution:
Ayurvedic herbs are often taken in combination with others to neutralize the toxicity one herb with the opposing effect of other. Do not take except under the supervision of a qualified professional.