Monthly Archives: November 2012

Although adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been reported to be very small in human subjects, applicability of animal neurogenesis research to human disorders is still a current investigative focus. Recent studies have implicated adult-born hippocampal neurons in pattern separation, a process … Continue reading

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Identifying biological processes which occur at the earliest stage of progressive disease and those which are secondary to the neuropathological process is important for targeted disease prevention. Whether mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has a distinct neuropathological profile which constitutes an … Continue reading

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Cerebrocortical injuries after stroke are a major source of disability. Epilepsy is a common sequela of cortical stroke, but the mechanisms responsible for seizures following cortical injuries remain unknown. In addition to local neuronal reorganization, long-range connections outside the cortex … Continue reading

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The prefrontal cortex is involved in complex emotional and cognitive behavior. It is known that early social experiences may affect its myelination during development, but it is unclear whether this form of plasticity persists in the adult brain. Given that … Continue reading

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Elevated presynaptic striatal dopaminergic function is a well-known feature of schizophrenia. However, the relationship between elevated dopamine and response to dopamine-blocking antipsychotic treatments is still unclear. The authors of this study tested the hypothesis that response to antipsychotic treatment would … Continue reading

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Multiple sclerosis is characterized by multiple lesions in brain and spinal cord which are the result of demyelination, inflammation, gliosis and axonal damage. The underlying cause for the permanent neurological deficits in Multiple Sclerosis patients is axonal loss. Demyelinated axons … Continue reading

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The authors of this study report that RNA profiling can be used to subdivide multiple sclerosis patients into two groups that exhibit different levels of disease activity. The first group, which exhibited higher expression of molecules involved in lymphocyte signaling, … Continue reading

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Levetiracetam is an effective and generally well-tolerated antiepileptic drug, but may provoke psychiatric adverse effects such as aggression and irritability in some patients. Clinical data suggest that patients with pre-existing impulsive and aggressive tendencies might be at risk for adverse … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Epilepsy: Psychiatric adverse effects of levetiracetam linked to genetic variation in dopamine signaling