7, November 2014

Alcohol addiction recovery may trigger insomnia

New York: For people in the early phases of recovery from alcohol addiction, insomnia is a "prevalent and persistent" problem, says a study.

The incidence of insomnia during early recovery may be five times higher than the general population and may persist for months to years, the findings showed.

Therefore, "treating sleep disturbance in early recovery may have considerable impact on maintenance of sobriety and quality of life," according to study co-author Nicholas Rosenlicht from the University of San Francisco in the US.

The study suggests that effective treatment of sleep disturbance may lower risk of drug and alcohol relapse.

While insomnia may be linked with a higher risk of alcohol-related problems and relapse, the association may run in the other direction as well - population studies report people with sleep disturbance are more likely to be at risk of developing addiction.

"Treatment of insomnia after abstinence represents an important treatment target and an integral part of any recovery plan," Rosenlicht concluded.

The review is accompanied by a clinical case discussion about effective use of behavioural treatment of a veteran with alcohol dependence and insomnia.

The study appeared in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

07.11.2014

Premature babies at higher risk of brain disorders

New York: In the early stages of brain growth, a disturbance like a premature birth could affect its neuro-circuitry, leading to a higher risk of neurological disorders, says a new research.

Premature babies are at higher risk of disorders, which include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder, the findings showed.

"For the first time, we have demonstrated the feasibility of using measurements of these abnormalities in the brain of preterm newborns as potential indicators of risk for future cognitive and behavioural problems," said Natasha Lepore from the Children's Hospital Los Angeles in the US.

Using three-dimensional, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Lepore and colleagues analyzed the structure and neural circuitry of two specific areas of the brain in 17 preterm and 19 term-born babies: the thalamus - the brain's relay station, critical to sending and receiving sensory information - and the putamen, involved in a number of different processes, most notably regulation of movement and learning.

"The ability to identify structural signs of neuro-developmental disease shortly after birth in premature infants could allow for early interventions, increasing the child's social and learning behaviours as they age," Lepore concluded.

The study was published in the journal Brain Structure and Function.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

07.11.2014

Before you quit, try.  Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. 
Before you criticize, wait.