Health

Multiple Sclerosis Nerve Damage Repaired by Antihistamine

- Adam Clare

Just released research findings from the University of California San Francisco found that nerve damage in people suffering from multiple sclerosis can be repaired by an over the counter antihistamine. MS damages nerves by removing a protective sheath around nerves which typically can’t be fixed, this new research may provide new methods to help those nerves. The antihistamine isn’t 100% effective and won’t cure MS but it does help those dealing with the disease. The more this treatment is understood the more options we have to help those with MS.

Now, researchers from the University of California San Francisco have identified an over-the-counter antihistamine called clemastine that can reverse damage to the myelin sheath and, what’s more, they’ve identified a biomarker that can measure the drug’s effectiveness.

It all hinges on something called the “myelin water fraction” or MWF. Water that is trapped between the layers of myelin that wrap around nerves in the brain can’t move as freely as water that floats between brain cells. The MWF measures the ratio of myelin water to the brain tissue’s total water content and indicates myelin integrity.

The researchers examined 50 patients with MS enrolled in the ReBUILD trial, who were divided into two groups: the first received clemastine for the first three months of the study, and the second received it only in months three to five and were given a placebo to start. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they measured the MWF in the patients’ corpus callosum, the thick bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain’s left and right sides that is dense with myelin.

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Indoor Plants That Eliminate Carcinogenics

- Adam Clare

Plants are one of the most obvious good things that there can be, and certain plants are excellent at cleaning specific chemicals out of the air. We all know that plants clean the air, but what aspects of air they clean can change from plant to plant. Researchers tried to find which plants are best at cleaning gasoline vapour out of indoor air. Gasoline contains four chemical compounds which are also found in products that use volatile organic compounds (like fire retardent on a couch); so by studying which plants work best they can create an efficient plant based purifier.

The researchers and Ambius designed a Small Live Green Wall (SLGW) using indoor plants known for their phytoremediation abilities. Phytoremediation is the proper term for using plants to clean up contaminated soil, air and water is phytoremediation.

They tested nine SLGW systems, each containing devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum), arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum), and spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). A control was prepared that contained only potting mixture and no plants. The SLGWs were placed in sealed perspex chambers, exposed to volatile organic compounds, and then analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

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If you’re looking for a simple list of what plants you can put inside today to start cleaning your indoor air then here you go:

  1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata): Snake plants are excellent at removing formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene from the air. They are known for their ability to thrive in low light conditions and require minimal maintenance.

  2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.): Peace lilies are known for their beautiful white flowers and their ability to remove common indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. They prefer shady areas and moderate watering.

  3. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): Golden Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy, is a popular choice for indoor spaces. It is effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and carbon monoxide. It is an easy-to-care-for plant that can tolerate low light conditions.

  4. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata): Boston ferns are known for their high transpiration rates, which helps to humidify the air and remove formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. They thrive in bright, indirect light and require consistent watering.

  5. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens): Areca palms are effective at removing formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air. They are also known for their ability to add moisture to the environment. Areca palms prefer bright, indirect light and regular watering.

  6. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis): Aloe vera plants not only have medicinal properties but also help in purifying the air by removing formaldehyde and benzene. They prefer bright, indirect light and minimal watering.

  7. Dracaena (Dracaena spp.): Dracaena plants come in various species like Dracaena marginata, Dracaena reflexa, and Dracaena fragrans. They can effectively remove formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene. Dracaenas thrive in moderate to bright indirect light conditions

Trichloroethylene Exposure Linked to Parkinson’s

- Adam Clare

Finding the source of Parkinson’s disease has been a challenge for many researchers and this year we’ve gotten a lot closer to figuring it out. There are multiple ways that one can get the neurodegenerative disease with no one factor being the deciding one. This year alone researchers have found common enzymes in people suffering from Parkinson’s and are in the process of generating faster detection methods for people so treatment can start earlier. Just this week it was revealed that a widely used chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE) has a strong association with people who have Parkinson’s- so much so that it looks like exposure to the chemical can actually cause the disease.

The report, published today in JAMA Neurology, involved examining the medical records of tens of thousands of Marine Corps and Navy veterans who trained at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from 1975 to 1985. Those exposed there to water heavily contaminated with TCE had a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease decades later compared with similar veterans who trained elsewhere. The Camp Lejeune contingent also had higher rates of symptoms such as erectile dysfunction and loss of smell that are early harbingers of Parkinson’s, which causes tremors; problems with moving, speaking, and balance; and in many cases dementia. Swallowing difficulties often lead to death from pneumonia.

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Three Day Weekends Rule, Good For Your Health

- Adam Clare

work and smile

Unions fought hard for a five day work week and now we need to fight for a four day work week. A global study of people who get a three day weekend from their job have better health and are happier. This is quite unsurprising to anyone who has enjoyed a three day weekend. For workplaces that have made shift to a four day work week they have also noticed an uptick in productivity. What are we waiting for?

“When people go on holiday, they’re changing their everyday responsibilities because they’re not locked down to their normal schedule,” Dr Ferguson says.

“In this study, we found that movement patterns changed for the better when on holiday, with increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour observed across the board.

“We also found that people gained an extra 21 minutes of sleep each day they were on holiday, which can have a range of positive effects on our physical and mental health. For example, getting enough sleep can help improve our mood, cognitive function, and productivity. It can also help lower our risk of developing a range of health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

“Interestingly, the size of these changes increased in line with the length of the holiday – so the longer the holiday, the better the health benefits.”

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Diagnosis by Dreams

- Adam Clare

What you do while dreaming might be a sign of things to come. This isn’t non-scientific phooey, rather this is real science that can help doctors and patients address neurological issues. There’s been an increase in scientists looking at what people do while dreaming to see if they have Parkinson’s or other neurological difficulties, and by examining dream behaviour it might be possible to provide an earlier diagnosis.

In recent years awareness of RBD and an understanding of how it relates to synucleinopathies have grown. Studying this link is giving researchers ideas for early intervention. These advances contribute to a growing appreciation of the so-called prodromal phase of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders—when preliminary signs appear, but a definitive diagnosis has not yet been made. Among the early clues for Parkinson’s, “RBD is special,” says Daniela Berg, a neurologist at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. “It’s the strongest clinical prodromal marker we have.”

…
Does damage to the brain stem also affect the content of dreams and the actions of dreamers? Sleep researcher Isabelle Arnulf, a professor of neurology at Sorbonne University in Paris, developed a keen interest in the dream-time behaviors of her Parkinson’s patients after noticing an unusual pattern: although these people struggled with movement while awake, their spouses often reported that they had no trouble moving while asleep. One particularly memorable patient, according to Arnulf, had been dreaming of crocodiles in the sleep lab when he lifted a heavy bedside table above his head and loudly shouted, “Crocodile! Crocodile!” to an empty room. When awake, he struggled to lift objects and to speak.

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