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Study Provides Greater Understanding Of Lyme Disease-Causing Bacteria
Lyme disease in the U.S. is caused by the tick-borne bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and usually begins with a skin lesion, after which the bacteria spread throughout the body to the nervous system, heart or joints. About 60 percent of untreated individuals develop arthritis, which affects the knees in particular. Lyme disease usually responds well to antibiotic therapy, but in rare cases arthritis can persist for months or years after treatment, a rare condition known as antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis. Joint fluid usually tests negative for B burgdorferi after treatment, indicating that joint inflammation may persist even after the bacteria has been eradicated.
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Limbal Stem Cells - To Be Or Not To Be?
There has been a recent questioning of the role of the limbal stem cell in corneal maintenance and the recent Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in Fort Lauderdale May 3 -7, 2009 saw some fairly hot debate son this topic. Professor Colin Green, University of Auckland, New Zealand reviews an interesting series of sessions for The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology.
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Existing Parkinson's Disease Drug May Fight Drug-Resistant TB
Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson"s disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health.
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Epilepsy And Schizophrenia Clues From 'Singing Brains'

Studying the way a person"s brain "sings" could improve our understanding of conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia and help develop better treatments, scientists at Cardiff University have discovered. Research by a team working in Cardiff University"s Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) has discovered that a person"s brain produces a unique electrical oscillation at a particular frequency when a person looks at a visual pattern. Importantly, the team found that the frequency of this oscillation appears to be determined by the concentration of a neurotransmitter chemical, GABA, in the visual cortex of each person"s brain. The more GABA was present, the higher the frequency or "note" of the oscillation. GABA is a key inhibitory neurotransmitter and is essential for the normal operation of the brain. The research was primarily carried out by Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy and Dr Richard Edden and has just been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. Professor Krish Singh of Cardiff University"s School of Psychology, who led the research, said: "Using sophisticated MEG and MRI brain imaging equipment, we"ve found that when a person looks at a visual pattern their brain produces an electrical signal, known as a gamma oscillation, at a set frequency. "In effect, each person"s brain "sings" at a different note in the range 40-70 Hz. This is similar to the notes in the lowest octaves of a standard piano keyboard or the lower notes on a bass guitar. Importantly, we also found that this frequency appears to be controlled by how much of an essential neurotransmitter, GABA, is present in a person"s visual cortex." The researchers believe that their findings will have important implications for future clinical studies, especially in terms of increasing our understanding of conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, where it is known that there may be a problem with GABA. Professor Singh added: "As a result of our research, we are already looking to share this work with our medical colleagues. In particular, we hope that the study of gamma oscillation frequency will provide a new window into the action of neurotransmitters such as GABA and how their function is compromised in diseases such as epilepsy and schizophrenia." "We also believe that our findings could have important implications for the development, production and effectiveness of drugs to treat these and other neurological conditions." Suresh D Muthukumaraswamy, Richard A E Edden, Derek K Jones, Jennifer B Swettenham, Krish D Singh - Resting GABA concentration predicts peak gamma frequency and fMRI amplitude in response to visual stimulation in humans was published in the Early Edition Section of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS). Professor Krish Singh Cardiff University


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