Moderate levels of alcohol consumption may be associated with better cognition and reduced risk of cognitive decline. As detailed in the February 1 American Journal of Epidemiology, 4,461 women age 65 to 79 were followed for an average of 4.2 years with annual Modified Mini-Mental State Examinations and standardized tests for detecting mild cognitive impairment and probable dementia. Researchers found that women who reported drinking one or more alcoholic drinks per day tended to have higher scores than women who reported consuming less. The researchers suspect that alcohol improves cognition by reducing the development of blood clots and increasing blood flow, increasing levels of HDL cholesterol, and/or reducing the formation of plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, “confounding associations with unmeasured factors cannot be ruled out,” they said.

Risk of neurodevelopmental disability can be reduced in infants with encephalopathy who are deprived of oxygen at birth, according to a study in the February 19 Lancet. Researchers randomized 234 infants to undergo head cooling and mild systemic hypothermia or to conventional care, within six hours of birth, for 72 hours. Rectal temperature was maintained at 34°C to 35°C in the head-cooling group and at 36.8°C to 37.2°C in the conventional care group. The researchers found that at 18 months, head cooling “had no effect in infants with the most severe amplitude integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) changes.” However, it seemed to be beneficial for infants with less severe aEEG changes.

A gene variant that produces interferon gamma may be the reason more women than men develop multiple sclerosis (MS), suggested a study in the January 27 online edition of Genes and Immunity. Researchers studied patients with MS from the United States, Northern Ireland, and Belgium and found that the genetic variant that causes high levels of interferon gamma is found more often in women than in men. According to the researchers, interferon gamma tends to promote inflammation and tissue damage. They said that the findings of this study provide a target at which to direct future investigations into ways to improve treatments for MS.

The FDA has approved Lyrica™ (pregabalin) for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. Pregabalin was found to be efficacious in six double-blind placebo-controlled trials—three involving patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and three involving patients with postherpetic neuralgia—with an overall sample size of 9,000 participants. Treatment with pregabalin resulted in pain reduction in a significant portion of patients, with pain relief beginning as early as the first week of treatment and lasting as long as 12 weeks. Adverse events were mild to moderate and included dizziness, somnolence, dry mouth, peripheral edema, blurred vision, weight gain, and difficulty with concentration and attention. Lyrica is marketed by Pfizer Inc.

Nifrolidine seems to be a promising positron emission tomography agent for identifying nicotine α4β2 receptors, according to a study in the January Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Researchers found that nifrolidine bound to nicotine α4β2 receptors in various areas of the brain, including the temporal and frontal cortices. They said that imaging of nicotine receptors could potentially help explain why some people are more addicted than others to nicotine. The researchers noted that nifrolidine may also be useful in studies involving patients with Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. “If there is a gradual loss of these receptors over time, nifrolidine could be a potential marker for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” they said.

Physical activity does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to research in the January 25 Neurology. The study involved 219 patients with ALS and 254 controls. Investigators calculated three measures of physical activity: until the year before the onset of the disease (total physical activity), the last 10 years before disease onset (late physical activity), and until age 25 (early physical activity). No significant association with occupational or leisure-time activity were found. However, higher leisure-time activity levels were associated with earlier age at onset. Investigators also found that smoking and alcohol use were independently associated with ALS.

People who smoke marijuana have changes in the blood flow of their brains even after a month of abstinence, according to research in the February 8 Neurology. Investigators recorded blood flow velocity in the anterior and middle cerebral arteries using transcranial Doppler sonography in light (n = 11), moderate (n = 23), and heavy (n = 20) marijuana users, as well as in controls (n = 18). They found that marijuana use was associated with increased cerebrovascular resistance and increased systolic velocity. These increases persisted in heavy marijuana users after one month of monitored abstinence.

Researchers have identified a gene mutation in the brains of rats that may help explain levels of tolerance to alcohol. According to the February 6 Nature Neuroscience, they have identified a polymorphism that causes a single amino acid change (R100Q) in a6 (Gabra6 gene in rats). This mutation increases alcohol sensitivity in α6β3δ GABA_A receptors. The researchers said these findings suggest that “alcohol impairs motor coordination by enhancing granule cell tonic inhibition.” The results of the study could also lead to the development of new drugs that target alcohol-sensitive GABA_A receptors, they added.

The OTX2 gene, which is normally silenced after contributing to brain development, was found to be expressed in medulloblastoma cells, according to a study in the February 1 Cancer Research. Investigators found that 60% to 70% of the medulloblastoma cells analyzed in the study produced a large number of messenger RNA specific for OTX2. They suggested that RNA interference might become an alternative treatment for this type of cancer—they demonstrated that this approach reduced OTX2 expression and killed tumor cells. The researchers also noted that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a derivative of vitamin A, might also be an effective therapy—ATRA suppressed growth and induced cell death among more than half of the medulloblastomas in the study.

Several antidepressant and antipsychotic medications may protect against the death of medium spiny neurons in patients with Huntington’s disease, suggested a study in the February 3 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Using a mouse model, researchers identified “a pathway directly linking disturbed [calcium] Ca(2+) signaling and degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the caudate nucleus.” Since apoptosis involves opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores (MPTP), they suggested that medications that block Ca(2+) and MPTP—such as bongkrekic acid, nortriptyline, desipramine, trifluoperazine, and maprotiline—could be used as treatments for Huntington’s disease.

Researchers have developed a protein called herstatin that blocks the growth of glioblastoma in rats, according to a study in the January 1 Clinical Cancer Research. They found that herstatin blocked the growth of tumor cells by binding to epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs). However, herstatin was not effective in blocking growth in gliobastoma controlled by the mutant form of the EGFR, DeltaEGFR. Human clinical trials involving herstatin could begin as early as next year; however, “one should always view with caution new and exciting results in rodent models since they may or may not translate in humans,” said the researchers.

NR