** Latest News ** - The Office of Minority Health

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	Study sheds light on causes of HIV dementia Scientists from around the world have pinpointed the likelihood of developing HIV-related dementia to a variation of the virus that is more prevalent in the U.S. and Western Europe. It has been estimated that about half of all people infected with HIV will develop some degree of neurological complications
	Depression Common among Med Students In a study of almost 500 medical students, researchers found that depression was common among survey participants, especially during internship years.
	Down's symptoms May be Treatable in the Womb Experiments conducted on mouse pups that have a chromosomal abnormality similar to that of Down syndrome in humans, showed improvements in developmental delays after receiving treatments of nerve-protecting chemicals before birth.
	New Test for Depression Researchers from the University of London have developed a test to determine whether people are depressed that they believe can be universally used in several countries, according to the article published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
	Analysis Supports Surgery to Treat Medication-resistant Epilepsy Brain surgery is now being supported as a promising alternative for people with medication-resistant epilepsy, according to an article in the Dec. 3 issues of JAMA.
	Exercise Benefits Brain A study in the November Journal of Applied Physiology, finds that exercise can actually reverse the decline in neural stem cell productions that is a result of aging.
	Alzheimer’s Rapid Test Developed In the online Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers from Emory University have developed a rapid test for the beginning stages of the disease.
	Researchers Look to Marijuana for Solutions Scientists from Ohio State University believe that some of the elements in marijuana may reduce inflammation in older brains, thereby reducing memory impairment.
	PTSD Brochure Released The brochure, which the National Alliance on Mental Illness released on Veteran’s Day, is geared toward helping people who have been diagnosed and their family members.
	Updated Factsheets Available Online Fact sheets are available online through the Suicide Prevention Resource Center for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, detailing statistics of suicide and their financial repercussions and demographics.
	National Depression Centers Network Formed Fourteen university-based departments have merged resources and effort to address mental illness and offer expertise on a national scale. The Comprehensive Cancer Center Network served as an example for this new network.
	Researchers Link Autism to Environment The cause for autism in “genetically vulnerable children” seems to point toward several environmental factors, according to researchers at Cornell University and their article published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
	Obese Women More Impulsive A study out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that obese women were more impulsive than obese men and men and women with healthy weights.
	Link found between Education and Alzheimer’s In the November issue of Archives Neurology, researchers have found that highly educated people had higher cognitive scores despite the fact that they had plaque buildup in their brains like Alzheimer’s patients.
	Effect of Location on Suicide In a study published online in Social Science and Medicine, a sociologist from Temple University found that time and place are factors in suicide.
	Mother’s Mental Health Linked to Pregnancy Results A study out of the University of Manchester found that women who had a history of serious mental illness were more likely to have a stillborn birth or give birth to a child that dies within the first few months.
	The Effects of Stress A study out of the University of Southern California found that older Americans altered their decision-making behavior, regarding risk, more often than younger adults, after being exposed to stressors, according to an article appearing in Psychological Science.
	Health factors in old age A study published in the October issue of Gerontology found that older people who had the best health also had a positive outlook on life, abstained from tobacco use, rarely consumed alcohol and had low levels of stress and a higher income.
	Primed for Alzheimer’s Researchers from the Université Laval have found that the mice that were fed diets high in animal fat and low levels of Omega 3 had neurological markers for Alzheimer’s disease.
	Side Effects of Bipolar Disorder Scientists at the University of Granada have found that people with bipolar disorder not just have issues with mental health, but that their overall health tends to be compromised.
	Erasing the Past Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia have successfully removed selective new and old memories from mice by quickly manipulating brain proteins.
	Genes Linked to Schizophrenia A report published in the American Journal of Human Genetics researchers believe they have identified three genes that may lead to schizophrenia.
	Rate of Suicide Increases A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the suicide rate have increased for the first time in a decade with middle-age Caucasian women showing the greatest increase.
	Marijuana’s effect on teenage brain Researcher presented at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics meeting on Oct. 12 revealed that brains of teens who use marijuana are working harder than teens who abstain from the drug. The effects were even more noticeable in females and resulted in a compromise of the prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of concentration, planning and decision making.
	People with Autism Make Rational Decisions A study funded by The Wellcome Trust has found that people with varying degrees of autism tend to make more rational decisions. According to the research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, people with autism rely less on their “gut feelings” to make a decision, regardless of how a question was framed.
	Molecule in Brain may Predict Relapse Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia are looking to molecules in the brain to see if they are signaling an impending relapse in patients with schizophrenia.
	The Perks of Walking A study conducted at the University of Illinois found that children with ADHD showed increased attention levels and decreased symptoms after a 20-minute walk in the park, compared to a walk in a more urban setting for the same length of time.
	Spinal Cord injuries An upcoming study at the University of Cincinnati is looking at whether mentally “rehearsing” physical movements can help improve the recovery results of spinal cord injury patients. The multi-year study is funded by NIH and will take place in Cincinnati.
	Meth’s on the Brain Results of a study at Brookhaven Labs show that the effect of methamphetamines on the brain is similar to that of cocaine, but meth lingers longer in the brain while traces of cocaine clear the brain about 90 minutes after taking the drug.
	The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep A study of older African Americans out of North Carolina State University has found a link between the quality of sleep elderly receive and their cognitive abilities. The study showed that participants who had more trouble falling asleep were also more likely to experience problems in memory.
	Circadian clock may affect Memory Researchers at Stanford have found hamsters with disrupted circadian systems have more trouble remembering things and learn new information.
	Online Bullying Common among Young Internet Users According to a study published in the Journal of School Health, online bullying is not a rarity among students, ages 12 to 17, who frequently use the internet. More than 70 percent of survey participants encountered one incident in the previous year and more than 80 percent of them also experienced a bullying event at school.
	PTSD a Factor for All Veterans Research published in the October issues of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found that people in the military experienced post traumatic stress disorder whether they were in combat or on peacekeeping missions.
	Making the VA Mobile Representatives of the Department of Veteran Affairs announced Wednesday, Aug. 27 that the VA will launch its new four-unit mobile clinic to serve veterans in rural areas. The units will circulate around 24 counties, offering primary care and mental health care.
	Controlling Dyslexia through Exercises Researchers from the University of Finland studied preschool-age children; one group had a parent with dyslexia while the other did not. They found that with the children who showed signs of future problems with reading and writing, benefited from “game-like exercises” and repetition.
	Cocoa’s link to brain’s health Researchers at Mars Botanical, a new division of the candy corporation, published their work Monday, Aug 18, showing a link between natural compounds found in cocoa and the increased flow of blood to the brain.
	MIT Examines Structures Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have used new computer-based technology to identify the protein structure that leads to Alzheimer’s in hopes of finding ways to prevent those particular structures from forming.