Entries categorized as Stroke

Transcendental Meditation Helps Patients With Heart Disease Lower Cardiac Disease Risks By 50 percent

On March 10, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Meditation / No Comments

Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to non-meditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on Nov.16, 2009. (read the full story)

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Weight Loss Diets Significantly Reverse Arterial Clogging

On March 6, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Nutrition, Public Health / No Comments

A two-year study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) found that healthy, long-term weight loss diets can significantly reverse carotid (main brain artery) atherosclerosis, a direct risk factor for strokes and heart attacks. The study is one of the first to prove the potential of moderate weight loss as a strategy to reverse atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in overweight and mildly obese people. (read the full story)

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A New EEG Study Finds That Transcendental Meditation Activates The Default Mode Network Of The Brain

On March 5, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Meditation, QEEG / No Comments

A new EEG study conducted on college students at American University found they could more highly activate the default mode network, a suggested natural “ground state” of the brain, during their practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. This three-month randomized control study is published in a special issue of Cognitive Processing dedicated to the Neuroscience of Meditation and Consciousness, Volume 11, Number 1, February, 2010. (read the full story)

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Diabetes And Depression Are Associated With A Higher Risk For Major Complications

On March 4, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Depression, Diabetes / No Comments

People with type 2 diabetes and coexisting major depression are more likely to experience life-threatening diabetes-related complications, according to a recent NIMH-funded study published in the February 2010 issue of Diabetes Care. Research has shown that depression is commonly associated with diabetes. People who have both diabetes and depression tend to have more severe symptoms of both diseases, higher rates of work disability and use more medical services than those who only have diabetes alone. (reading the full story)

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Severe Complications Of Diabetes Higher In Depressed Patients

On February 28, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Depression, Diabetes / No Comments

Depression raises risks of advanced and severe complications from diabetes, according to a prospective study of Group Health primary-care patients in western Washington. These complications include kidney failure or blindness, the result of small vessel damage, as well as major vessel problems leading to heart attack or stroke. The findings were published this week in Diabetes Care, a scientific journal of the American Diabetes Association. (read the full story)

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Brain-Controlled Cursor Doubles As A Neural Workout When Hooked Up To A Computer

On February 20, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Neuroscience, News / 1 Comment

Brain Image - University of WashingtonHarnessing brain signals to control keyboards, robots, or prosthetic devices is an active area of medical research. Now a rare peek at a human brain hooked up to a computer shows that the two can adapt to each other quickly, and possibly to the brain’s benefit. Researchers at the University of Washington looked at signals on the brain’s surface while using imagined movements to control a cursor. Check the end of this review for a link to download the original study. (continue reading)

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Antidepressant Medication May Result In Improved Cognitive Function After Stroke

On February 4, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Antidepressant medication has taken a beating in recent published scientific literature that examines its efficacy to treat depression. Now for some good news on antidepressant medication. Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning, and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (continue reading)

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Science Daily Research News Update 11-07-09

On November 7, 2009 / By Chris Fisher / In News / No Comments

newspaper_genericThe early November edition of the Science Daily Research New Update series features a good variety of newly published Health Psychology related studies. Read on to learn more about: a new link between pregnant womens’ folate levels and ADHD, fish oil may not only help fight cardiovascular disease, but also stroke and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers regrow spinal nerves in animals, stressed-induced changes in the brain may lead to cocaine relapse, “no pain no gain” also applies to happiness, new evidence for a link between gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and mental health disorders, migraine headache with aura doubles risk of stroke, and new explanations as to why antidepressants do not work for so many people. (more…)

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“MOST-EEG” Gives New 3-D Perspective On Brain Activities

On September 12, 2009 / By Chris Fisher / In QEEG / No Comments

eegUniversity of Victoria (UVic) researcher Phil Zeman has developed a new and less expensive procedure for analyzing EEG (electroencephalogram) data that identifies the location of special brain activities. Traditionally, it is functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) that is used to identify which areas of the brain are active during different mental states. Zeman’s technology is an inexpensive alternative to fMRI—$100,000 versus several million dollars. It also requires little maintenance and can be used in an ordinary laboratory or office. (more…)

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Science Daily Research News Update 7-29-09

On July 29, 2009 / By Chris Fisher / In News / No Comments

newspaper_generic This Science Daily Research Update is long overdue so let us jump right into the details. Today’s update highlights new and interesting research, such as the relationship of weight loss and vitamin D, several new studies on pregnancy (low birth weight, flu, and depression), the genetic link among anxiety, depression, and insomnia, REM Sleep and creative problem solving, napping may help childhood hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety, and CBT and teen depression. Also take a look at the research article the show the first images of a memory being formed and controlling a wheelchair with brainwaves. (more…)

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Blue Cross Blue Shield Continues To Block Coverage for Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

On May 14, 2009 / By Chris Fisher / In Neurofeedback, News / No Comments

newspaperI obtained a copy of a recent Position Statement from Blue Cross/Blue Shield that pertains to biofeedback and neurofeedback from a professional online neurofeedback user group. Unfortunately, Blue Cross/Blue Shield still considers neurofeedback “Investigational and Not Medically Necessary” for all conditions. It appears that Blue Cross/Blue Shield failed to include vital studies, some reviewed on this website, such as Gevensleben et al.’s (2009) ADHD research, Kouijzer et al.’s (2009) Autism research, and Hoedlmoser et al.’s (2008) sleep and memory research. A copy of the entire Position Statement is posted at the end of this report. (more…)

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Obesity Reduces Human Life Expectancy By 3-10 Years

On March 22, 2009 / By Chris Fisher / In Obesity, Public Health / No Comments

belly_fatThe research arm of the University of Oxford* reports that even moderate levels of obesity can significantly reduce one’s life span. In the largest ever study of the effects of obesity on mortality, researchers analyzed 57 studies that tracked approximately 900,000 participants for an average of 10-15 years. The results will appear in a future volume of The Lancet. Body mass index, or BMI, was used to assess participant obesity. One in 9 (or 100,000) persons died during the study period. Moderate obesity was defined as a BMI of 30-35, and severe obesity as a BMI of 40-50. (more…)

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