A new PSA test can detect prostate cancer seems more reliable than the currently available PSA test. The so-called Pro-PSA test can be demonstrated especially the aggressive type of tumor. For this result, a large clinical study comes in the United States. “The new test is more specific and accurate than currently available blood tests for early detection of prostate cancer,” says study leader Dr. William Catalona of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This would enable unnecessary biopsies can be avoided in older men. Catalona is considered the father of the PSA test. In 1991 he succeeded in showing that a simple blood test that measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is suitable for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
PSA is a protein that is produced by the prostate gland (prostate). An elevated PSA level in the blood can have various causes, including inflammation of the prostate, benign prostate enlargement or even prostate cancer. Current PSA tests to determine the PSA level often deliver false-positive results, that is a suspicion of prostate cancer, which turns out only after a biopsy to be false.

Accurate other hand will be the new Pro-PSA test. It measures not just the total amount of PSA in the blood, but rather defines a specific form of the antigen, the so-called (-2) Pro-PSA. Even more revealing is the result when the measured value of Pro-PSA into a mathematical formula involved. “The logic behind this formula is: the higher the pro-PSA and the total amount of PSA, and the lower the amount of free PSA, the more likely the patient is suffering from an aggressive form of prostate cancer,” said Catalona.

That the new test method actually works, could show the researchers in a study with about 900 participants. Especially useful for the pro-PSA test is therefore in patients has been revealed by the standard PSA test, a result between two and ten. This area is known as a diagnostic gray zone where the assessment of ‘cancer – yes or no’ difficult. Most – but not all – men with readings in the upper region have cancer, most men with lower levels do not.

The FDA is still evaluating the new study data on Pro-PSA test. In Europe, however, he is already approved for commercial use.

After a stroke, there is often an accumulation of fluid in the brain (cerebral edema) that can cause life-threatening brain swelling. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have now found a possible new therapeutic approach to treat these fluid collections effectively.

Normally, cerebral edema, which are formed as a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis-thrust, successfully treated with so-called glucocorticoids (eg cortisone). In stroke, the same drugs prove ineffective or even harmful. Carola Förster and team have now been able to elucidate the cause of the difference in effectiveness.

The oxygen deprivation that occurs during a stroke, leads to the lymph vessels in the brain (brain endothelial cells) to change. It builds a certain protein complex (proteasome) the glucocorticoid receptors, which mediate the effects of glucocorticoid drugs, over-heavily. The cells lose the ability to respond to the therapy. Early blockade of the proteasome could therefore restore the susceptibility of the endothelial cells of glucocorticoid. Even then in stroke treatment with cortisone and other steroids would be possible again.

Initial tests on mice ran promising results so far. The experiments could provide the basis for this to brain swelling in stroke patients treated in the future to do better. Until a drug for people in the market, according to estimates by Carola Förster, however, took another ten years.

A stroke is usually caused by a sudden disturbance of blood supply in the brain. The nerve cells are thus deprived of oxygen and nutrients – they die. Currently, stroke is the second leading cause of death in Germany.

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One in five primary school students of grades one to four according to a study suffers from sleep problems. In most cases, however, only the resulting symptoms such as poor concentration, hyperactivity or anxiety, not with the sleep problem itself, said the Cologne Sleep Specialist Alfred Wiater on Friday at a symposium in Warnemünde. He appealed to doctors and parents, especially at an early age to pay attention to sleep habits and to consider problems sleep expert.
Sleep disorders may have many causes, said Frank Kirchhoff, director of the Children Sleep Laboratory, at the Rostock Clinic South City. In some cases, they are genetic, sometimes they are also due to snoring, for example, due to large tonsils and adenoids, to nocturnal seizures or obesity. In the sleep laboratory every year around 500 children aged between 0 and 18 years are examined, overnight, all bodily functions documented.

“In one case, moving a child sleeping in the legs often violently, so it was constantly disturbed during deep sleep,” said Kirchhoff. With the little sleep during the day it was unfocused and constantly tired, could not sleep at night, however. The reason was lack of iron, the sleep disorder was resolved and the overall health improved considerably.

Sleep doctors advise parents to observe the sleeping habits of their children more closely. “In the interviews for our study, in most cases the children themselves describe their problems very well,” said Wiater, who sits on the board of the Society for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research. “Only one in three cases, the sleep problems and the Parent.” Good sleep is important but for recreation and also for memory function. Why would such as snoring children often poorer school performance than those who sleep without snoring, Wiater said.

On the basis of a small genetic difference, doctors can apparently predict the extent of disability after a stroke. The report Spanish researchers at the University of Salamanca. The results are published in the online edition of the journal “Journal of Experimental Medicine”.

As a result of a stroke brain cells die, from the so-called neurons. The TP53 gene that controls cell death occurs in the human body is in a R-and P-variant. The difference: the R-variant triggers the cell death more effectively than the P-variant. The researchers studied two groups of stroke patients. Those who had only the R-variant of the cell death gene, suffered a few months after the stroke than subjects with major complaints of the P-variant group. Further investigations showed, isolated brain cells, in which the R-variant active, more susceptible to cell death through lack of oxygen.

The scientists now want to Angeles Almeida clarify whether it is possible using the TP53 variants also draw conclusions on the prognosis of other neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

A stroke occurs when blood flow is disturbed in the brain. This can lead to speech, movement and visual disturbances. Because every brain reacts differently to a stroke, it is now difficult to estimate the long-term consequences.

Patients with inflammatory diseases or infections often also suffer from fatigue and exhaustion, insomnia and even depression. What causes these symptoms now, researchers from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the University Hospital Erlangen. They identified a chemical messenger that controls communication between the immune system and brain crucial.

The researchers studied patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as mice that show due to a genetic defect, a similar disease. Both people and mice suffering from inflamed joints and severe pain. There are also many cases in tiredness and fatigue, insomnia and depression. It was known previously that these symptoms occur in the central nervous system. However, as affect the immune system and inflammation in the joints, the nervous system, could not explain the science to date.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, they examined the brains of anesthetized mice. The team led by Prof. Georg Schett doctors discovered that inflammation is an important neurotransmitter – mediates between the brain and immune system and thereby influences the perception of pain significantly – the so-called tumor necrosis factor alpha. This effect was observed, the researchers also in humans. “Interestingly, drugs that inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha, already successfully used worldwide for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,” said Schett. The drugs slowed the pain and increased well-being before the inflammation had subsided.

This effect can explain the researchers from Erlangen now if you inhibit the tumor necrosis factor, reduces the pain response in the brain, and the psychological changes such as tiredness and fatigue are positively influenced. “Our research results are probably due to a number of inflammatory diseases or infections transmitted also” hopes Schett.

The “Jaws” from James Bond or Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of “American Psycho” – psychopaths have difficulty feeling compassion. Their behavior is similar to that of people here who have suffered a serious injury at the anterior skull. The reports the University of Haifa in a recent press release.

Scientists have studied 17 people who were diagnosed as psychopathic, and 25 other people on a frontal lobe injury. Each of the subjects had to complete a computer-based test, which the system analyzed in emotion recognition in others and the ability to show compassion. The analysis showed that both had the psychopath group and the group of injury-related difficulties to respond, sympathetically. In comparison, individuals had the two control groups who had no mental disorder or no brain injury, no problems with their empathy.

Psychopaths suffer from a severe personality disorder. They behave extremely anti-social, add to other pain and can not feel pity and compassion.

The fact that many psychopaths are skilled manipulators and to come with finesse and guile to their destination, but it shows that they evaluate their behavior and reactions of others may well. Sometimes they even use that knowledge specifically to harm them.

The hope of the brain researchers aimed at new forms of therapy: “When psychopaths behave like people with a brain injury, they could also benefit from the same treatment options,” says study leader Simone Shamay-Tsoory.

The anti-retroviral therapy could increase the risk of stroke from HIV-infected people. This presumption draw from a study by U.S. scientists.

An increased risk of stroke have HIV-infected people. This emerges from a study by the University of California at San Diego. From 1997 to 2006 dropped words, whilst the number of hospitalizations due to stroke in the United States by seven percent. But in the same period the number of HIV-infected stroke patients increased by 60 percent. With an average age of 50 years, the HIV-infected patients with stroke were also younger than other stroke patients without the infection.

Two possible reasons for the lead scientist for this development. One of them is a side effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART). HIV-infected people to live long must take anti-retroviral agents, to maintain the virus in check and delay the onset of AIDS as long as possible. So far side effects of ART, such as diabetes or lipid disorders were known. Another reason, according to the researchers draw their report in the journal “Neurology” an interplay of several metabolic processes into account. Also, the virus itself could be the cause of stroke. The scientists will now conduct research in this area.

Tears are odorless. Still stuck in them, signaling substances that cause weeping women contribute to men less attractive. This is the result of a study, which presents the Israeli Weizmann Institute of Neurobiology in a press release.

For their experiment, the team gathered around Shani Gelstein the tears of women who considered themselves a sad movie. Then the researchers tested whether men were able to sniff out the difference between tears and a saline solution. Conclusion: An olfactory differentiation could not.

was more surprising that the tears haze still had an effect: When the scientists the men submitted faces of women, which they should differ assign attributes evaluated the tear-trial be men, the women depicted although not as sad as under the influence of the salt solution, but as sexually unattractive.

During the experiment, the researchers measured skin temperature, heart rate and hormone levels of the subjects. And I showed that the sexual arousal of men who sniffed in tears, actually decreased. The value of the sex hormone testosterone decreased. On the basis of brain scans, researchers have noticed that also certain brain regions responsible for sexual arousal, were less active under the influence of tears.

This experiment was part of a double-blind study. Neither the researchers nor the subjects knew during the course of who sniffed tears, and who in salty water.

Has long been known that people – perceive many elements in the body fluids, which contain subtle messages to other members of the species – like most animals. That tears also carry a biochemical message in itself, however, new.

What is the one thing you want more than anything when you have diarrhoea? You want it to stop, obviously. In fact, the sooner the diarrhoea stops the better. Since we all get this condition at some point, usually a couple times every year, finding a good diarrhoea treatment is important. Once you find a product that works fast, and in only one dose, you’ll always want to have some tucked away in the medicine cabinet.

When you get diarrhea, it sometimes feels like you need to find a toilet immediately or else you’ll be having an accident. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to all of us sometimes. This is not the time, however, that you’ll want to be dashing off to the local chemists for a good diarrhea treatment. You know that if you try, this will be the day you get stuck in traffic and have to get to the loo right away.

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