Researchers compared the form and structure of the brains of 26
patients with chronic (continuous) back pain and 26 healthy individuals
via MRI and computer analysis. The chronic back pain patients were
divided into sciatic pain due to nerve damage, and non-nerve damage
groups. The patients with chronic back pain had 5% to 11% less gray
matter in the higher part of the brain (the neocortex involved in
higher levels of thought) than the healthy subjects. This is equal
to the amount of grey matter loss you may see over 20 years of
normal aging. Grey matter is responsible for activities such as
memory or processing information. The study is published in the
November 17th, 2004 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
SAMe Quickly Helps Major Depression in HIV Positive Patients
20 HIV positive patients, who were diagnosed with major depression,
were supplemented with SAMe for 8 weeks in an open study. This
population is reluctant to add another potent pharmaceutical with
its own set of side effects to a highly complex antiviral regimen.
The researchers rationalized that SAMe because it is safe and easy
too use would be a more acceptable treatment. The Hamilton Rating
Score and the Beck Depression Inventory are two widely used methods
to assess the severity of depressive symptoms and the effectiveness
of anti-depression therapy. These analytical tools were used at
weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 after initiating therapy with SAMe. The data
shows a significant and quick result in the reduction of symptoms of
depression in both measurement systems. SAMe has a rapid and evident
effect starting as soon as the first week of therapy, with a
progressive decrease in the symptoms of depression throughout the
8 week study. The study is published in the November 11, 2004 issue
of the journal Bio Med Central Psychiatry.
Dental Plaque Linked to Pneumonia in the Elderly
Bacteria in dental plaque can cause pneumonia in elderly nursing
home residents. All nine microbes recovered from eight patients
diagnosed with pneumonia matched those recovered from their dental
plaque. The lack of good oral hygiene in the nursing home setting
causes an increase in the severity of dental plaque and fosters an
oral environment that promotes the growth of pneumonia-causing
bacteria in their periodontal disease- associated plaque. The study
is published in the November 2004 issue of the journal Chest.
Reds Hx Recipe!
"InVite yourself to a blast of flavor!" By: Lenore Salvia
