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Prestigious Program Encourages Young Investigators In Academic Gastroenterology
The Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition has announced the 2009 American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Foundation Research Scholars. The grants have been awarded to five outstanding young gastroenterologists who promise to make significant strides in the field of gastrointestinal research.
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Shedding Light On Racial Disparities In Cancer Survival - 2 Studies
Black women diagnosed with breast cancer have a greater chance of dying from the disease than white women, according to a new study published online July 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Baseline Dopamine Levels And Our Motivation To Eat Influenced By Fat Hormone
As we all know from experience, people eat not only because they are hungry, but also because the food just simply tastes too good to pass up. Now, a new study in the August 6th Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, helps to explain how leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue, influences that motivation to eat.
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To Maintain Normal Daily Function, Those With Insomnia Need Increased Brain Activation

According to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, patients suffering from chronic primary insomnia (PIs) have higher levels of brain activation compared to normal sleepers during a working memory test. Results show that PIs use increased brain activation relative to good sleepers during the working memory task, particularly in areas responsible for visual-spatial attention and coordination of cognitive processes. This activation may explain how PIs maintain performance on the task despite their sleep difficulties. PIs also were found to have decreased activation in visual and motor areas, which may suggest that PIs have higher baseline activation in these regions relative to good sleepers. According to principal investigator Henry Orff, MS, at the University of California in San Diego, Calif., these findings show that PIs, like individuals who are acutely sleep deprived, may be able to maintain performance on different tasks if they are able to compensate with increased brain activation. "The good news is that patients with insomnia are probably able to function well in their daily lives and likely do not show significantly impaired performance," said Orff. "That said, patients may have to work, concentrate, and attend more to tasks than people who sleep well." The study included 12 people with primary insomnia (six females) with an average age of 39.4 years, and nine good sleepers (four females) with an average age of 35.7 years. Performance was compared between the two groups on a working memory task. Functional MRIs (FMRI) taken during the task also were compared. Behavioral performance was measured by reaction time for correct responses, number of correct responses, and number of errors committed. The authors state that they do not know yet whether the findings suggest potential long-term implications for cognitive functioning in the future if primary insomnia is left untreated. Abstract Title: Insomnia Patients Show Increased Cerebral Activation when Compared to Good Sleepers during an NBack Working Memory Task Presentation Date: Tuesday, June 9 Category: Sleep Disorders - Insomnia Abstract ID: 0779 Kelly Wagner American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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