(Press-News.org) New Rochelle, NY, October 6, 2011—Measurable changes in brain function and communication between brain regions may be a consequence of virus-induced injury during the early stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These abnormalities and their implications in disease prognosis are detailed in an article in the groundbreaking new neuroscience journal Brain Connectivity, a bimonthly peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Diminished cognitive function will develop in about half of individuals infected with HIV, which may include deficits in memory, attention, psychomotor capabilities, or verbal fluency. Evidence of cognitive decline in HIV infection has implications for prognosis, reduced survival time, and increased risk of death.
Xue Wang and colleagues from Northwestern University (Chicago and Evanston, IL) and North Shore University Health System (Evanston), used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to obtain blood-oxygen-level-dependent measurements in multiple brain regions that yield information on resting-state brain connectivity. They compared the measurements collected in HIV-infected (less than 1 year) and healthy subjects. The authors report "prominent changes" between the two groups in the functional connectivity of visual networks, which have a role in visuo-motor coordination. Based on these findings, they conclude that functional connectivity measurements may be a useful, noninvasive tool for identifying neurological involvement and central nervous system injury early in the course of HIV infection. The findings from the NIH-funded Chicago Early HIV Infection Study are presented in the article, "Abnormalities in Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection."
"These findings indicate that changes in brain function are occurring very early in HIV infection, and subclinical alterations in functional connectivity may reflect vulnerability to cognitive decline," says Ann Ragin, PhD, Principal Investigator and Research Professor, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL.
INFORMATION:
"Abnormalities in Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection" is available free online for the next week at www.liebertpub.com/brain
Brain Connectivity is the journal of record for researchers and clinicians interested in all aspects of brain connectivity. The Journal is under the leadership of founding and Co-Editors-in-Chief Christopher Pawela, PhD, assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Bharat Biswal, PhD, associate professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The Journal includes original peer-reviewed papers, review articles, point-counterpoint discussions on controversies in the field, and a product/technology review section. To ensure that scientific findings are rapidly disseminated, articles are published Instant Online within 72 hours of acceptance, with fully typeset, fast-track publication within 4 weeks.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative medical and biomedical peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Neurotrauma and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, newsmagazines, and books is available at www.liebertpub.com
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 www.liebertpub.com
Phone (914) 740-2100 (800) M-LIEBERT Fax (914) 740-2101
Changes in brain function in early HIV infection: A reliable indicator of disease prognosis?
2011-10-10
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Teen Pop Star Austin Powell Releases Newest Song, "Hey Beautiful"
2011-10-10
Teen sensation Austin Powell has tons of fans worldwide. The world and all that it has to offer is his. The multi-talented teenager can sing, act and has a smile that won't quit. His newest single, "Hey Beautiful" has drawn critical acclaim not only from his legion of followers but from critics, as well.
And with good reason. Not only does Powell have a great personality, but he's a terrific performer. Unlike other fabricated pop idols, Powell's talent is for real. And give Powell credit. He had a dream, pursued it and has never given up. From his starring ...
CorkSport Adds Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Sway Bar and Mazda/Mazdaspeed Protege Skid Tray to Product Line-Up
2011-10-10
CorkSport is pleased to announce today, the release the new CorkSport 1999-2003 Mazda/Mazdaspeed Protege Skid Tray. This comes on the heels of a release early this month to add to the growing list of product offerings designed to enhance and improve Mazdaspeed 6 performance, with the Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Sway Bar.
The CorkSport Mazda/Mazdaspeed Protege Skid Tray will provide solid protection against rocks and road debris and is designed to prevent damage to key components of the 1999-2003 Protege undercarriage. Made from 0.090" precision machined aluminum, the CorkSport ...
Earlier male circumcision may help to slow rates of HIV, HPV transmission in South Africa
2011-10-10
TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2011) – According to Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D., program leader in cancer epidemiology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues in the Netherlands, earlier circumcision of males in South Africa may be a positive step in slowing the spread of both HIV and the human papillomavirus (HPV). Their commentary and data were published in a recent issue of the British medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases (Vol. 11) 581-582.
"Countries with high incidences of HIV also have high incidences of cancer-related HPV," said Giuliano. "This is especially ...
More insight into the secret life of the American teen
2011-10-10
Andrew Fuligni and his colleagues want to understand the secret life of the American teenager. Their research has examined whether stress in the teen years affects kids' health as adults (it does), whether teens maintain their religious ties and beliefs as adults (they do) and if ethnic minority–based stigmatization affects how they perform in school (it does).
Now the researchers are looking at another big-ticket item for teens: arguments. Specifically, they're examining how arguments with friends at school may spill over and cause arguments at home, along with the ...
Kroger Achieves Faster Prescription Filling and Improves Inventory Management with Eyecon Tabletop Automation System
2011-10-10
Kroger Pharmacy, the fifth largest national pharmacy chain, has chosen the Eyecon as the tabletop automation solution approved for use within Kroger pharmacies. The Eyecon, by Avery Weigh-Tronix, improves overall process efficiency, accuracy and safety. The Eyecon is an automated prescription validation, counting and filling system, which not only enhances inventory management by improving filling accuracy, but also increases customer satisfaction.
Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers over 1900 locations and operates under many different banners nationwide, ...
Preschool program improves standardized test scores through grade 5
2011-10-10
Continued participation in the Harrisburg Preschool Program (HPP) has led 5th-grade students to score higher on Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) literacy and math tests than peers who have not participated in the HPP program, according to the final evaluation of the HPP initiative by the Prevention Research Center at Penn State.
HPP is a collaborative program involving the Harrisburg School District and Capital Area Head Start, which provides comprehensive, high-quality preschool services to at-risk children in the Harrisburg area.
"This evaluation has ...
Mine-hunting software helping doctors to identify rare cells in human cancer
2011-10-10
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Medical researchers are demonstrating that Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded software developed for finding and recognizing undersea mines can help doctors identify and classify cancer-related cells.
"The results are spectacular," said Dr. Larry Carin, professor at Duke University and developer of the technology. "This could be a game changer for medical research."
The problem that physicians encounter in analyzing images of human cells is surprisingly similar to the Navy's challenge of finding undersea mines.
When examining tissue samples, doctors ...
Exlar's Defense Industry Brochure Details Electromechanical Actuator Capabilities and Industry Application Suitability
2011-10-10
Exlar announces its Defense Industry Brochure is now available in print form or by download from their website. Manufacturing high performance electromechanical actuators and brushless servo motors, Exlar provides the ideal motion control solutions for the industry's defense vehicles, vessels and machinery. This brochure details how Exlar's actuators and servo motors provide the performance capabilities and application compatibility necessary for demanding defense applications.
Designed for durability and longevity, compact electromechanical actuators with innovative ...
Photo gallery: Applied Optics special issue on 'Light and Color in the Open Air'
2011-10-10
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 -- Nature creates countless stunning optical phenomena. Some of the most familiar are rainbows, fog bows, coronas, sprites, and mirages, but other, more complex and often more compelling phenomena are also witnessed and imaged, though far less frequently and often under challenging conditions that require great patience. When captured as images, these phenomena also reveal important scientific insights into the properties of light under normal and extreme natural conditions. To highlight research in this area, the editors of the Optical Society's (OSA) ...
Iowa State researchers help detect very-high-energy gamma rays from Crab pulsar
2011-10-10
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University astrophysicists are part of an international team that unexpectedly discovered very-high-energy gamma rays from the already well-known Crab pulsar star.
The team's findings are published in the Oct. 7 issue of the journal Science.
"This is the first time very-high-energy gamma rays have been detected from a pulsar - a rapidly spinning neutron star about the size of the city of Ames but with a mass greater than that of the sun," said Frank Krennrich, an Iowa State professor of physics and astronomy and a co-author of the paper.
The ...