Author Archives: drlewis

“Nutrients, the things we eat, are a very important part of how our immune system functions in addition to things like physical activity and not smoking,” said Dr. Philip Calder, professor of nutritional immunology at the University of Southampton and author of a recent peer-reviewed study, “Nutrition and immunity: lessons for COVID-19.”

Good nutrition is essential to supporting a strong immune system, and Data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study of more than 420,000 people show eating seafood reduced respiratory deaths by 20 percent. In fact, higher fish and omega-3 fatty acid intakes were significantly associated with lower total mortality.

Read more at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/how-eating-fish-can-boost-your-immune-system-and-keep-viruses-away-301414284.html

Researchers found that when omega-3 DHA was added to an internationally prescribed, nutrient-dense ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) similar to peanut butter, the children’s overall cognition improved. The kids who ate the DHA-fortified food surpassed those who did not in gross and fine motor abilities, language proficiencies and social skills – all related to brain health.

Additionally, reducing the amount of linoleic acid — a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid — in the food also aided the children’s neurological abilities. This is because the chemical composition of the omega-6 fatty acid thwarts production of the brain-boosting DHA, the latter of which is essential for brain development during pregnancy and early childhood and also is associated with improved vision, heart health and immune system function.

Read more at: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/enhanced-therapeutic-foods-improve-cognition-in-malnourished-children/

A multi-site, non-randomized design, utilizing two American football teams was employed. One team (n = 3 1) received supplementation with a highly bioavailablew-3 FA formulation (2000mg DHA, 560mg EPA) during pre-season and throughout the regular season, while the second team served as the control (n = 35) and did not undergo supplementation. Compared to the control group, American football athletes in the treatment group experienced large increases in plasma EPA (p < .001, d = 1.71) and DHA (p < .001, d = 2.10) which contributed to increases in the O3I (p < .001, d = 2.16) and the EPA:AA ratio (p = .001, d = 0.83) and a reduction in the w-6: w-3 ratio (p < .001, d = 1.80). w-3 FA supplementation attenuated elevations in Nf-L (p = .024). The control group experienced a significant increase in Nf-L compared to baseline at several measurement time points (T2, T3, and T4 [p range < .001 – .005, drange = 0.59-0.85]).

Conclusions

These findings suggest a cardio- and neuroprotective effect of combined EPA+DPA+DHA w-3 FA supplementation in American-style football athletes.

Read more at: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00461-1

Sound sleep plays a critical role in healing traumatic brain injury, a new study of military veterans suggests. Among veterans in the study, those who slept poorly had more evidence of these enlarged spaces and more post-concussive symptoms.

The study, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, used a new technique involving magnetic resonance imaging developed at Oregon Health & Science University. Researchers used MRI to evaluate the enlargement of perivascular spaces that surround blood vessels in the brain. Enlargement of these spaces occurs in aging and is associated with the development of dementia.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-tbi-18032/

In asthma, the airways become hyperresponsive. Researchers from Uppsala University have found a new mechanism that contributes to, and explains, airway hyperresponsiveness. The results are published in the scientific journal Allergy.

Some 10 per cent of Sweden’s population suffer from asthma. In asthmatics, the airways are hyperresponsive (overreactive) to various types of stimuli, such as cold air, physical exertion and chemicals. The airways become constricted, making breathing difficult.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/serotonin-asthma-mast-cells-18035/

A two-week course of high doses of CBD helps restore the function of two proteins key to reducing the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, and improves cognition in an experimental model of early onset familial Alzheimer’s, investigators report.

The proteins TREM2 and IL-33 are important to the ability of the brain’s immune cells to literally consume dead cells and other debris like the beta-amyloid plaque that piles up in patients’ brains, and levels of both are decreased in Alzheimer’s.

The investigators report for the first time that CBD normalizes levels and function, improving cognition as it also reduces levels of the immune protein IL-6, which is associated with the high inflammation levels found in Alzheimer’s, says Dr. Babak Baban, immunologist and associate dean for research in the Dental College of Georgia and the study’s corresponding author.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/cbd-alzheimers-17995/

New research led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that a single head injury could lead to dementia later in life. This risk further increases as the number of head injuries sustained by an individual increases. The findings also suggest stronger associations of head injury with risk of dementia among women compared to among men and among white as compared to among Black populations.

The researchers, whose findings were published today in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, conducted the investigation using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, which aimed to uncover associations between head injury and dementia over the span of 25 years in a diverse population in the United States.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/head-injury-dementia-18002/

A study has found that adolescents who frequently use cannabis may experience a decline in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) over time. The findings of the research provide further insight into the harmful neurological and cognitive effects of frequent cannabis use on young people. The paper, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in Psychological Medicine.

The results revealed that there were declines of approximately 2 IQ points over time in those who use cannabis frequently compared to those who didn’t use cannabis. Further analysis suggested that this decline in IQ points was primarily related to reduction in verbal IQ.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/iq-cannabis-17630/

Melatonin synthesized in the lungs acts as a barrier against SARS-CoV-2, preventing expression of genes that encode proteins in cells such as resident macrophages in the nose and pulmonary alveoli, and epithelial cells lining the alveoli, all of which are entry points for the virus. The hormone, therefore, prevents infection of these cells by the virus and inhibits the immune response so that the virus remains in the respiratory tract for a few days, eventually leaving to find another host.

The discovery by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP), in Brazil, helps understand why some people are not infected or do not manifest symptoms of COVID-19 even when reliably diagnosed as carriers of the virus by RT-PCR. In addition, it offers the prospect of nasal administration of melatonin, in drops or as a spray, to prevent disease from developing in pre-symptomatic patients. 

Pre-clinical and clinical trials will be needed to prove the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin against the virus, the researchers stress in an article on the study published in the journal Melatonin Research. 

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/melatonin-lungs-covid-17632/

Researchers at McGill University have identified a new cellular pathway that limits the growth and spread of brain tumors by controlling the recycling of cell surface receptor proteins. The study, which will be published January 14 in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), suggests that the pathway, which involves a protein called Rab35, is defective in many patients with glioblastoma and that restoring Rab35’s activity could be a new therapeutic strategy for this deadly form of brain cancer.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain cancer, and because it is largely untreatable, the average patient dies within 14 months of diagnosis. Like in other cancers, the proliferation and spread of glioblastoma cells depends on various receptor proteins on the outside of the cell. The levels of these receptor proteins are controlled by cellular transport pathways that internalize the receptors and then either degrade them or return them to the cell surface.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/glioblastoma-rab35-cancer-17581/

Patients with previous traumatic brain injury experienced significant improvement in motor functioning after implantation of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells, according to interim data from the STEMTRA phase 2 trial published in Neurology.

Kawabori and colleagues conducted a 1-year, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, surgical sham-controlled trial of 61 patients (mean age, 34.4 years; men, 70.5%; median time since injury, 68.9 months) who were at least 12 months past the initial TBI. Patients had Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended scores of 3 to 6 and focal cerebral injuries that were visible on MRI that correlated with chronic motor deficits. The mean Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (FMMS) score at baseline was 52.2 in patients who received the SB623 implant and 52.3 in controls.

Read more at: https://www.healio.com/news/neurology/20210114/stromalstem-cell-implant-improves-motor-function-in-patients-with-history-of-tbi

In a world first, a newly authorized handheld device will allow doctors to detect traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in under 15 minutes, potentially saving lives by dramatically shortening the time it takes to properly diagnose the issue.

TBI is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S. There were 2.87 million TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Athletes and older people are the most at-risk of TBIs. Unfortunately, many patients with mild TBI struggle to get an accurate and timely diagnosis, even as they grapple with ongoing symptoms. This ultimately results in delayed treatment.

The device is made by Abbott, a medical device company based in the United States. Abbott’s new blood test may serve as an objective tool to help doctors triage TBI patients, because it relies on molecular signatures in the blood rather than on murkier clues, such as patient interviews. The test requires a small blood sample drawn from the arm, from which plasma is extracted and inserted into the handheld instrument.

Read more at: https://www.connectradio.fm/2021/01/12/new-traumatic-brain-injury-test-is-game-changing-concussion-experts-say/

A scalpel-free alternative to brain surgery has the potential to benefit people with Parkinson’s disease symptoms that are much more severe on one side of the body, new research suggests. More testing is needed, but the approach, which uses a technology called focused ultrasound, could offer a new option for patients whose symptoms are poorly controlled by medications and those who cannot or do not wish to undergo traditional brain surgery.

To determine if the technology could benefit patients with “asymmetrical” Parkinson’s symptoms, Elias and Binit Shah, MD, from UVA’s Department of Neurology, collaborated with Spain’s Centro Intregral de Neurociencias to evaluate the approach in 40 volunteers in a randomized, double-blinded study. Twenty-seven study participants received treatment with focused ultrasound, while 13 others received a simulated treatment, so that the researchers could compare the results between the real procedure and the placebo. The average age of study participants was 57.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/focused-ultrasound-parkinsons-17555/

A study that tracked amateur Australian Rules football players for five years has found they likely returned to play from concussion with elevated levels of damaged brain cells, despite reporting no symptoms. The Monash University study collected blood samples from 28 male and female players, from Melbourne University Blacks, at two, six and 13 days after getting concussed between 2017 and 2019 to complete the study.

Researchers then focused on the blood bio-marker, known as the protein Neurofilament light (NfL), which if found at elevated levels can indicate brain cell damage. NfL was observed at increased levels in 20 players’ blood samples at six and 13 days post-concussion, but not after two days when symptoms were present. Researchers therefore found that blood bio-marker changes were present in those concussed after symptoms had subsided.

Read more at: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/study-reveals-longer-term-damages-from-concussion-20210110-p56t0v.html

Amid growing global support for medical cannabis, an increasing number of countries and states have approved the use of a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD) to treat childhood epilepsy. However, a new study in the journal Drug Science, Policy and Lawindicates that full-spectrum cannabis medications containing the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may be more effective at reducing the frequency and severity of seizures.

Cannabis’ potential to treat childhood epilepsy began to gain widespread attention in 2011, when a new cannabis strain called Charlotte’s Web was developed as a medication for young girl named Charlotte Figi, who suffered from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. Containing mostly CBD and only trace amounts of THC, this new cannabis variety put a halt to Charlotte’s relentless seizures, which had previously occurred around once every 30 minutes.

Based on this data, the study authors call on the authorities to expand access to full-spectrum cannabis medications through the National Health Service.

Read more at: https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/medical-cannabis-containing-thc-cbd-treats-childhood-epilepsy-study-finds/

Analysis from a workshop convened by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in 2017 reveals gaps in and opportunities for research to improve understanding of the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in women.

A new paper in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation summarizes and updates the findings presented during the “Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury in Women” workshop and provides strategies for advancing research efforts in this area. NINDS is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Studies suggest that women may have different outcomes, depending on when during their menstrual cycle they were injured. For example, there is evidence that head injuries occurring during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, when levels of progesterone are high, may be associated with worse outcomes and decreased quality of life. Additional research on reproductive hormones, such as progesterone or estrogen, may provide important clues to recovery from head injury.

Read more at: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210107/Understanding-traumatic-brain-injury-in-women.aspx

Given sparse literature examining receipt of behavioral health service in children and caregivers following traumatic brain injury (TBI), the study sought to identify predictors of unmet need. Researchers performed an individual participant data meta-analysis using generalized linear mixed-effect models to examine predictors of behavioral health service use and unmet need. They included 572 children, ages 3 to 18, who were hospitalized overnight following complicated mild to severe TBI between 2002 and 2015. Caregivers completed ratings of depression and distress, child behavior problems, family functioning, and behavioral health service utilization

They found that unmet needs are common after pediatric TBI and relate to family factors. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring service needs following pediatric TBI and point to disparities in service use.

Read more at: https://www.docwirenews.com/abstracts/journal-abstracts/caregiver-and-child-behavioral-health-service-utilization-following-pediatric-traumatic-brain-injury-5/

Assessing the ability of unresponsive patients with severe brain injury to understand what is being said to them could yield important insights into how they might recover, according to new research. A team at the University of Birmingham has shown that responses to speech can be measured using electroencephalography, a non-invasive technique used to record electrical signals in the brain. The strength of these responses can be used to provide an accurate prognosis that can help clinicians make the most effective treatment decisions.

In the study, published inAnnals of Neurology, the team assessed 28 patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) who were not under sedation, and who failed to obey commands. The patients were assessed within just a few days of their injury. They were played streams of sentences and phrases made up of monosyllabic words while their brain activity was monitored using EEG.

Read more at: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210105/Non-invasive-technique-can-provide-accurate-prognosis-in-unresponsive-brain-injury-patients.aspx

The SanBio Group has published the interim analysis data from its Phase II clinical STEM cell therapy for the TRAumatic brain injury (STEMTRA) trial of investigational product, SB623, to treat traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. A cell-based product, SB623 is developed from allogeneic modified and cultured adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that go through temporary genetic modification.

Implanting SB623 cells into injured brain nerve tissue can potentially stimulate the brain’s natural regenerative ability to recuperate lost motor functions. The randomised, double-blind, surgical sham-controlled, global trial is analysing the efficacy and safety of SB623 versus sham surgery in patients with stable chronic neurological motor deficits secondary to TBI.

In this study, SB623 cells were implanted directly around the site of brain injury. Interim data from the study showed that the patients who received SB623 treatment significantly improved from the baseline of Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (FMMS) score at six months, meeting the primary efficacy endpoint.

Read more at: https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/sanbio-publishes-interim-data/

Study reports brain tumors may arise when damaged brain tissue does not heal correctly. Researchers say some glioblastoma form when the normal healing process gets derailed by mutations. This process could begin many years before patients become symptomatic of brain cancer.

The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur tumour growth when new cells generated to replace those lost to the injury are derailed by mutations, Toronto scientists have found. A brain injury can be anything from trauma to infection or stroke.

The findings were made by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre who are also on the pan-Canadian Stand Up To Cancer Canada Dream Team that focuses on a common brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

Read more at: https://neurosciencenews.com/tissue-healing-brain-cancer-17523/