Mental Attitude: Could Cerebellum Injury Be a Possible Cause of Autism?
Princeton University scientists say their research indicates that an injury to the cerebellum early in life may make a child 36 times more likely to score highly on autism screening tests. Study author Dr. Sam Wang adds, “What we realized from looking at the literature is that these two problems – autism and cerebellar injury – might be related to each other. We hope to get people and scientists thinking differently about the cerebellum or about autism so that the whole field can move forward.”
Neuron, August 2014

Health Alert: E-Cigarettes a Possible Gateway to Drug Use, Addiction, and Tobacco Smoking.
An alarming report claims that using electronic cigarettes may lead to tobacco cigarette smoking and increase the likelihood of illicit drug use and addiction. The researchers discovered that when mice were exposed to nicotine, the substance triggered biochemical alteration in the brain and activated a gene linked to the reward response. This process enhanced a subsequent response to cocaine in the mice, suggesting that nicotine may be a gateway drug for cocaine. Study author Dr. Denise Kandel writes, “We don’t yet know whether e-cigarettes will prove to be a gateway to the use of conventional cigarettes and illicit drugs, but that’s certainly a possibility. Nicotine clearly acts as a gateway drug on the brain, and this effect is likely to occur whether the exposure comes from smoking cigarettes, passive tobacco smoke, or e-cigarettes.”
The New England Journal of Medicine, September 2014

Diet: Soy May Promote Breast Cancer?
Researchers suggest that women with breast cancer should only eat soy foods in moderation and avoid supplements containing soy. This recommendation is based on findings that soy protein consumption may increase activity in genes linked to breast cancer growth.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, September 2014

Exercise: Sit Less!
Shortening the amount of time spent sitting can protect your aging DNA. A newly published study looked at how physical activity affects telomere length. Telomeres can be found on the ends of chromosomes and stop them from unraveling or clumping together and “scrambling” the genetic code they contain. The researchers found that spending less time sitting each day had more of a positive impact on telomere health than increasing the time spent performing physical activities, like exercise. They add, “There is growing concern that not only low physical activity level in populations, but probably also sitting and sedentary behavior, is an important and new health hazard of our time.”
British Journal of Sports Medicine, September 2014

Chiropractic: Migraines Reduced with Chiropractic Care.
A past study found that chiropractic manipulation combined with therapeutic massage resulted in a 68% reduction in the intensity of migraine headaches within one hour of treatment. The findings add to previous research indicating the benefits of chiropractic care for the treatment of migraines.
Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, March 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Improved Sleep May Reduce Time Away from Work.
It appears that absence from work due to sickness is related to a lack of good sleep. A new study has found that people who regularly get seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night are less likely to be absent from work due to an illness. The study further noted that the risk of being absent from work due to sickness for 10 days or more rose significantly among people who slept less than six hours or more than nine hours a night. The researchers note that the optimal sleep duration each night for adults is 7 hours 46 minutes for men and 7 hours 38 minutes for women.
Sleep, September 2014