You searched for sleeps - Amazing Health Advances

UCLA Launches Trial of Wearable ADHD Therapy for Children Exposed to Alcohol in the Womb

The AHA! Team — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 05:07:59 +0000

University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences via News-Medical – Researchers at UCLA Health are launching the first clinical trial to test whether a wearable device that delivers gentle nerve stimulation during sleep could ease ADHD symptoms in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Children exposed to alcohol in the womb have a heightened risk of developing ADHD-like symptoms including hyperactivity, impulsivity and executive function deficits such as difficulty paying attention, remembering, and organizing their behavior. Prenatal alcohol exposure affects about 5% of children in the U.S. with the majority developing these symptoms. These children are frequently less responsive to conventional pharmaceutical treatments for ADHD, such as psychostimulants, which can make the symptoms more disabling. The two-year clinical trial, led by UCLA adjunct professor of child psychiatry Joseph O’Neill, will study whether a neurostimulation therapy may be an effective, at-home treatment option for these children. Known as trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS), the noninvasive therapy uses electrode patches attached to a small device that delivers gentle electric stimulation of the trigeminal nerve while the child sleeps. Parents place the electrode patches on the child’s forehead before bed, with the device left on overnight. This stimulation activates brain regions associated with attention and executive function. TNS device in 2019 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the first external TNS device in 2019 after studies showed it safely improved ADHD symptoms in children ages seven to 12. However, its effectiveness for treating ADHD symptoms specifically for children with prenatal alcohol exposure has not been studied. ADHD symptoms are highly disabling for children with prenatal alcohol exposure and difficult to manage for families. And these symptoms often fail to respond to standard treatment, such as drugs like methylphenidate, in children exposed to alcohol in the womb. There is a pressing need for expanded therapeutic options for these children. So, we are looking forward to testing this very safe novel therapy that has been effective in unexposed children with ADHD.” – Joseph O’Neill, UCLA adjunct professor of child psychiatry $350,000 grant from the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Funded by a $350,000 grant from the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the pilot clinical trial will involve 30 children ages eight to 12 with exposure to alcohol during gestation. Parents will be provided a Monarch eTNS device developed by the Los Angeles-based company NeuroSigma, Inc. to be used nightly for four weeks. The parents will keep track of the child’s executive function, sleep habits, negative side effects and any adverse events. Both parents and children will rate tolerability as well as their satisfaction with treatment. If the treatment is determined to be feasible and effective, the study would proceed to a randomized crossover clinical trial. The NIAAA is set to provide up to $2.1 million for the three-year trial. “I am thrilled to be a part of this innovative study that I hope will provide relief for both children and their families who suffer from the negative consequences associated with prenatal alcohol exposure because these children have so much to offer to society,” said study co-lead Mary O’Connor, professor emerita of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. The recruitment period for the trial is currently open. Interested families may contact the study by emailing ChildBrainStudy@mednet.ucla.edu, calling (310) 267-2710, or taking the online screener at https://bit.ly/TNS-PAE Source: University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences To read the original article click here.

The post UCLA Launches Trial of Wearable ADHD Therapy for Children Exposed to Alcohol in the Womb appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Extreme Heat Affects the Brain + How to Prevent Any Damage

The AHA! Team — Fri, 24 May 2024 08:06:04 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #508) and blog, I talk about keeping our brains and bodies healthy when it’s extremely hot outside. Although there still needs to be more research on how extreme temperatures affect the brain, they definitely have a negative impact with prolonged periods of heat exposure. Why? Temperature is one the main driver of chemical reactions, so changes in temperature affect the biochemistry of the brain and body. Short bursts of high heat exposure, like having a sauna, are good for you Short bursts of high heat exposure, like having a sauna, are good for you and can even build up your resilience and improve your focus. However, longer periods of extreme heat are potentially problematic as the changes in brain chemistry can cause neurons to either fire too fast or too slowly, sometimes even going “silent”, which can affect how a person thinks, recalls, feels, and sleeps. This, in turn, can make someone more tired, overwhelmed, aggressive, and irritable, and can further drains the energy from the brain and body, making us feel even worse. This can happen to anyone, including our children. If they are exposed to extreme heat, they can become tired irritable, and the weather can affect their concentration, memory, processing, and sleeping patterns. They may also feel more lethargic, flat or depressed. Here are some ways we can all try to keep a ‘cool head’ in the summer heat, improving our mood and memory: Practice extreme temperature contrasts (in a safe environment while listening to your brain and body). This means exposing yourself to high and low temperatures for a limited period to build up your resilience. For example, if you are at the gym, use the sauna or steam room for a few minutes, then take a cold shower or use the cold plunge pool for a few minutes. When possible, keep your home cool, especially at night to help you sleep. Use the AC or fans to do this. Suck on ice when you feel too warm or need to spend some time outside in the heat. Take cold showers for 1-3 minutes when possible. If you can, take an ice bath. If you have access to a pool/lake/river/ocean/swimming area, enjoy some time outdoors in the water, but make sure to wear a lot of sunblock and don’t stay outdoors too long if the temperatures are very high! When it comes to our children, we need to acknowledge how vulnerable they are to extreme temperature changes. We to need think of ways we can keep them cool and safe inside, while making sure they have plenty to do so their mental and physical health isn’t impacted by being indoors for long periods of time. Some ways to do this are: Make sure your children are eating healthy so that the brain gets all the nutrients it needs. But don’t just make them food—get your children involved in preparing their meals! A fun way to do this is to make frozen yogurt together with friends and family. Add frozen berries, bananas, nuts, granola and so on. These are all great foods to help boost their metabolism and blood flow to the brain, and help cool their body temperature down. When you are ready to eat, read a great story together out loud that stimulates your child’s imagination, which in turn helps recharge the brain from the draining heat. In fact, reading a book that’s above your child’s grade level—in a cool room—can help revitalize their brain as it challenges their creativity and imagination. Start a new indoor hobby like painting, wall art, or learning a new language to help keep your children’s brains stimulated and active while indoors. Manage your kids’ time online amid high temperatures. Encourage them to read, play with their toys, build blanket and pillow forts and so on instead of just spending time on social media or watching TV all day. Make sure their sleeping environment is as cool as possible, so that they get enough rest. If they want to play, find places that have indoor play areas (such as indoor trampoline parks), or places that offer indoor sports (like basketball). You can even take them to the gym with you if they have a kid-friendly area or pool. For more on keeping cool and staying healthy in extreme heat conditions, listen to my podcast (episode #508). Podcast Highlights 0:15 Extreme temperatures & the brain 1:00 What extreme heat can do to the brain & body 1:28 Ways to keep cool during a heat wave 4:30 What happens in the brain when we are exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time 7:00 Ways you & your children can cool down in the summertime 10:29 How to keep your child’s brain stimulated while spending time indoors This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

The post How Extreme Heat Affects the Brain + How to Prevent Any Damage appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Children Who Lack Sleep May Experience Detrimental Impact on Brain and Cognitive

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 07:00:52 +0000

University of Maryland School of Medicine via Newswise – Elementary school-age children who get less than nine hours of sleep per night have significant differences in certain brain regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those who get the recommended nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers. Such differences correlated with greater mental health problems, like depression, anxiety, and impulsive behaviors, in those who lacked sleep. Inadequate sleep was also linked to cognitive difficulties with memory, problem solving and decision making. The findings were published today in the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children aged 6 to 12 years of age sleep 9 to 12 hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Up until now, no studies have examined the long-lasting impact of insufficient sleep on the neurocognitive development of pre-teens. To conduct the study, the researchers examined data that were collected from more than 8,300 children aged 9 to 10 years who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. They examined MRI images, medical records, and surveys completed by the participants and their parents at the time of enrollment and at a two-year follow-up visit at 11 to 12 years of age. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the ABCD study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the US. “We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits,” said study corresponding author Ze Wang, PhD, Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at UMSOM. “These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long term harm for those who do not get enough sleep.” This is one of the first findings to demonstrate the potential long-term impact of lack of sleep on neurocognitive development in children. It also provides substantial support for the current sleep recommendations in children, according to Dr. Wang and his colleagues. In follow-up assessments, the research team found that participants in the sufficient sleep group tended to gradually sleep less over two years, which is normal as children move into their teen years, whereas sleep patterns of participants in the insufficient sleep group did not change much. The researchers controlled for socioeconomic status, gender, puberty status and other factors that could impact how much a child sleeps and affect brain and cognition. “We tried to match the two groups as closely as possible to help us more fully understand the long-term impact on too little sleep on the pre-adolescent brain,” Dr. Wang said. “Additional studies are needed to confirm our finding and to see whether any interventions can improve sleep habits and reverse the neurological deficits.” The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to promote good sleep habits in their children. Their tips include making sufficient sleep a family priority, sticking with a regular sleep routine, encouraging physical activity during the day, limiting screen time and eliminating screens completely an hour before bed. The study was funded by NIH. Fan Nils Yang, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Wang’s laboratory is a study co-author. Weizhen Xie, PhD, a researcher at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is also a study co-author. UMSOM faculty members Thomas Ernst, PhD, and Linda Chang, MD, MS, are co-principal investigators of the ABCD study at the Baltimore site but were not involved in the data analysis of this new study. “This is a crucial study finding that points to the importance of doing long-term studies on the developing child’s brain,” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Sleep can often be overlooked during busy childhood days filled with homework and extracurricular activities. Now we see how detrimental that can be to a child’s development.” To read the original article click here.

The post Children Who Lack Sleep May Experience Detrimental Impact on Brain and Cognitive appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Sleep, Death and the Gut?

AHA Publisher — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 07:00:21 +0000

Harvard Medical School via Newswise – The first signs of insufficient sleep are universally familiar. There’s tiredness and fatigue, difficulty concentrating, perhaps irritability or even tired giggles. Far fewer people have experienced the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation, including disorientation, paranoia and hallucinations. Total, prolonged sleep deprivation, however, can be fatal. While it has been reported in humans only anecdotally, a widely cited study in rats conducted by Chicago-based researchers in 1983 showed that a total lack of sleep inevitably leads to death. Yet, despite decades of study, a central question has remained unsolved: why do animals die when they don’t sleep? Now, Harvard Medical School neuroscientists have identified an unexpected, causal link between sleep deprivation and premature death. In a study on sleep-deprived fruit flies, researchers found that death is always preceded by the accumulation of molecules known as reactive oxidative species (ROS) in the gut. When fruit flies were given antioxidant compounds that neutralize and clear ROS from the gut, sleep-deprived flies remained active and had normal lifespans. Additional experiments in mice confirmed that ROS accumulate in the gut when sleep is insufficient. The findings, published in Cell on June 4, suggest the possibility that animals can indeed survive without sleep under certain circumstances. The results open new avenues of study to understand the full consequences of insufficient sleep and may someday inform the design of approaches to counteract its detrimental effects in humans, the authors said. “We took an unbiased approach and searched throughout the body for indicators of damage from sleep deprivation. We were surprised to find it was the gut that plays a key role in causing death,” said senior study author Dragana Rogulja, assistant professor of neurobiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS. “Even more surprising, we found that premature death could be prevented. Each morning, we would all gather around to look at the flies, with disbelief to be honest. What we saw is that every time we could neutralize ROS in the gut, we could rescue the flies,” Rogulja said. Scientists have long studied sleep, a phenomenon that appears to be fundamental for life, yet one that in many ways remains mysterious. Almost every known animal sleeps or exhibits some form of sleeplike behavior. Without enough of it, serious consequences ensue. In humans, chronic insufficient sleep is associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression and many other conditions. Previous research has shown that prolonged, total sleep restriction can lead to premature death in animal models. In attempts to answer just how sleep deprivation culminates in death, most research efforts have focused on the brain, where sleep originates, but none have yielded conclusive results. Gut Accumulation Spearheaded by study co-first authors Alexandra Vaccaro and Yosef Kaplan Dor, both research fellows in neurobiology at HMS, the team carried out a series of experiments in fruit flies, which share many sleep-regulating genes with humans, to search for signs of damage caused by sleep deprivation throughout the body. To monitor sleep, the researchers used infrared beams to constantly track the movement of flies housed in individual tubes. They found that flies can sleep through physical shaking, so the team turned to more sophisticated methods. They genetically manipulated fruit flies to express a heat-sensitive protein in specific neurons, the activity of which are known to suppress sleep. When flies were housed at 29 degrees C (84 degrees F), the protein induced neurons to remain constantly active, thus preventing the flies from sleeping. After 10 days of temperature-induced sleep deprivation, mortality spiked among the fruit flies and all died by around day 20. Control flies that had normal sleep lived up to approximately 40 days in the same environmental conditions. Because mortality increased around day 10, the researchers looked for markers of cell damage on that and preceding days. Most tissues, including in the brain, were indistinguishable between sleep-deprived and non-deprived flies, with one notable exception. The guts of sleep-deprived flies had a dramatic buildup of ROS—highly reactive, oxygen-containing molecules that in large amounts can damage DNA and other components within cells, leading to cell death. The accumulation of ROS peaked around day 10 of sleep deprivation, and when deprivation was stopped, ROS levels decreased. Additional experiments confirmed that ROS builds up in the gut of only those animals that experienced sustained sleep loss, and that the gut is indeed the main source of this apparently lethal ROS. “We found that sleep-deprived flies were dying at the same pace, every time, and when we looked at markers of cell damage and death, the one tissue that really stood out was the gut,” Vaccaro said. “I remember when we did the first experiment, you could immediately tell under the microscope that there was a striking difference. That almost never happens in lab research.” The team also examined whether ROS accumulation occurs in other species by using gentle, continuous mechanical stimulation to keep mice awake for up to five days. Compared to control animals, sleep-deprived mice had elevated ROS levels in the small and large intestines but not in other organs, a finding consistent with the observations in flies. Death Rescue To find out if ROS in the gut play a causal role in sleep deprivation-induced death, the researchers set out to determine whether preventing ROS accumulation could prolong survival. They tested dozens of compounds with antioxidant properties known to neutralize ROS and identified 11 that, when given as a food supplement, allowed sleep-deprived flies to have a normal or near-normal lifespan. These compounds, such as melatonin, lipoic acid and NAD, were particularly effective at clearing ROS from the gut. Notably, supplementation did not extend the lifespan of non-deprived flies. The role of ROS removal in preventing death was further confirmed by experiments in which flies were genetically manipulated to overproduce antioxidant enzymes in their guts. These flies had normal to near-normal lifespans when sleep-deprived, which was not the case for control flies that overproduced antioxidant enzymes in the nervous system. The results demonstrate that ROS buildup in the gut plays a central role in causing premature death from sleep deprivation, the researchers said, but cautioned that many questions remain unanswered. “We still don’t know why sleep loss causes ROS accumulation in the gut, and why this is lethal,” said Kaplan Dor. “Sleep deprivation could directly affect the gut, but the trigger may also originate in the brain. Similarly, death could be due to damage in the gut or because high levels of ROS have systemic effects, or some combination of these.” Insufficient sleep is known to interfere with the body’s hunger signaling pathways, so the team also measured fruit fly food intake to analyze whether there were potential associations between feeding and death. They found that some sleep-deprived flies ate more throughout the day compared with non-deprived controls. However, restricting access to food had no effect on survival, suggesting that factors beyond food intake are involved. The researchers are now working to identify the biological pathways that lead to ROS accumulation in the gut and subsequent physiological disruptions. The team hopes that their work will inform the development of approaches or therapies to offset some of the negative consequences of sleep deprivation. One in three American adults gets less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and insufficient sleep is a normal part of life for many around the world. “So many of us are chronically sleep deprived. Even if we know staying up late every night is bad, we still do it,” Rogulja said. “We believe we’ve identified a central issue that, when eliminated, allows for survival without sleep, at least in fruit flies.” “We need to understand the biology of how sleep deprivation damages the body, so that we can find ways to prevent this harm,” she said. To read the original article click here.

The post Sleep, Death and the Gut? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

‘Good Dog!’ Canines Take on Important Medical Jobs

AHA Publisher — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:00:02 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – Dogs are becoming valuable assets in the world of medicine. They are now being trained to detect deadly diseases in a way no human or machine can. They’re also being used to help people with debilitating medical conditions live independent lives. Dogs are becoming valuable assets in the world of medicine. They are now being trained to detect deadly diseases in a way no human or machine can. They’re also being used to help people with debilitating medical conditions live independent lives. Danielle’s Ticket to Freedom 23-year-old Danielle Brooks can now live on her own, attend graduate school and even travel internationally, thanks to her service dog, Rollo. He helps Danielle manage her sleep disorders including Cataplexy, which can cause her to suddenly collapse. “After laughing with friends in the driveway I got a concussion,” she told CBN News, “And that was the final straw for me of accepting I needed more help than just medication.” Rollo tunes in to Danielle so closely he can actually sense an impending episode. “He’ll tell me before that, or tell me that my heart rate is getting too high, so I need to rest and take a break and sit down,” she said. Before Rollo entered her life, Danielle feared how her Narcolepsy, which suddenly causes her to fall asleep, prevented her from living independently. She remembers worrying, “What if I fall asleep on the bus and miss my stop?” Now it’s not a problem. Rollo can wake up Danielle when she nods off or if she sleeps through her alarm. He also picks things up for her, such as shoes or dropped car keys. He even opens doors for her. Since Danielle tires easily, these little conveniences add up to a big help because it saves Danielle valuable energy throughout the day. “He also can load and unload things into the washing machine, but he hasn’t figured out how to fold yet,” she smiled. Doctor Dogs Dogs are performing important work in the world of medicine. The different kinds of jobs are almost endless. Turns out, canines can handle just about anything. Nobody knows that better than Maria Goodavage. As a researcher, she documents cutting edge examples in her book, Doctor Dogs: How our Best Friends are Becoming Our Best Medicine. “I love seeing the dog-human bond,” she told CBN News, “But when dogs save lives there’s just nothing like it.” Clay Ronk, a Type-1 diabetic relies on his dog Whitley to warn him twenty minutes before his devices indicate low blood sugar, which could possibly put Clay into a diabetic coma. When anxiety overcomes Kit, such as when she’s in a busy shopping mall, her dog Angus can sense it and calms her down immediately and leads her out of a stressful situation when Kit feels too overwhelmed to do so. Molly, who lives with a Schizoaffective Disorder, is one of many people who believes she owes her life to her service dog. Molly struggles with self-harm, such as cutting. However, her dog Hank puts his paws on Molly’s arm when he senses she’s going to cut them and stops her. Additionally, Molly sometimes sees people who aren’t present. Hank helps Molly determine which people she sees are real and which ones aren’t. Turns out, Hank has never met a stranger. He’s so friendly, he greets everyone he sees. Molly understands that if Hank ignores a person she thinks is present, that person must be a hallucination, otherwise, Hank would say ‘hello.’ Intense Training Doctor Dogs require targeted training. They’re motivated to learn with positive reinforcement such as treats, toys, and praise. These techniques allow dogs to learn brand new ways of communicating with humans. Some dogs are being trained to dial 9-1-1 on special keypads while others are learning how to get help and activate recorded voice commands on their vests such as, “Follow me! My owner needs help!” “I think it’s just going to lead to a whole new world, a whole new future, for us,” Goodavage said. Sniffing Out Disease Dogs can smell sickness, oftentimes in a way that’s superior to modern technology. For instance, dogs are being used in some healthcare facilities to detect drug-resistant bacteria, also known as ‘superbugs. Residents of the Japanese town of Kaneyama have some of the highest stomach cancer mortality rates in the country. Dogs are being used there to possibly detect cancer by smelling it, even before a patient exhibits any symptoms. “Their sense of smell is so much more sensitive than ours,” Goodavage explained, “We have about six million olfactory receptors. Dogs have 300 million. They can smell in parts per trillion, which is like a tablespoon of a substance in the equivalent of two Olympic swimming pools.” For those who are interesting in acquiring a service dog, Goodavage issues this warning. “There are a lot of great organizations out there and they produce really good dogs. There are some organizations out there that are really well-meaning that might produce good dogs. They may not. They try. And then there are some that are just out there to make a buck.” She advises people to conduct thorough research on organizations specializing in service dog training to include as many first-hand references as possible. To read the original article click here.

The post ‘Good Dog!’ Canines Take on Important Medical Jobs appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.