Investigating 'brain shrinkage' in alcoholics
Previous studies have demonstrated that the brains of alcoholics are smaller, lighter and "shrunken" when compared to nonalcoholic brains. Symposium speakers at the October 2004 Congress for the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism in Mannheim, Germany reviewed what is known about the causes, consequences and clinical implications of alcohol-related brain shrinkage. Proceed...High Levels of Protein Linked to Brain Shrinkage
Researchers say that high levels of the amino acid homocysteine may increase the risk of brain atrophy and blood vessel disease, researchers report. It is still too soon to be certain that lowering homocysteine levels will reduce the risk of Alzheimer's// and other types of dementia, but the approach is worth investigating. Prior research has shown that elevated levels of homocysteine...Shrinkage Of Brain Size Linked To Chronic Pain
A recent study shows chronic back pain shrinks the brain by as much as 11 percent, which is equivalent to the degeneration of 10 to 20 years of aging.// Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and automated analysis techniques, researchers compared the brain images of 26 participants with chronic back pain to those of normal participants. The participants with chronic back pain had...Stress the Main Cause of Brain Shrinkage in Old Age
Researchers at Edinburgh University have found that stress is a major cause of depression and Alzheimer's disease in old age// .They have identified an area of the brain which shrinks in old age resulting in depression and Alzheimer's disease. This discovery has paved a way to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The shrinkage of a region of the brain called the ant...