Insomnia and Daydreaming

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has discovered a link between insomnia and daydreaming.

Primary insomnia is a form of the condition where the persons sleep is interrupted when they are not suffering from any other condition, pain or problems with medication or substance abuse.  The link revealed that daydreamers are more likely to be insomniacs as the regions of the brain associated with wandering thoughts do not shut down when given complex tasks, meaning sufferers usually put more effort into daytime jobs than good sleepers.

Dr Drummond, lead researcher and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, commented: “People with insomnia not only have trouble sleeping at night, but their brains are not functioning as effectively during the day.  We found that insomnia subjects did not properly turn on brain regions critical to a working memory task and did not turn off ‘mind wandering’ brain regions irrelevant to the task.”  The research looked at MRI scans of 50 sleepers, half regular and half insomniacs, with an average age of 32.  It is published in the Journal.

Silver Boosts Antibiotics

Scientists at Boston University have found that by giving silver with antibiotics made them between ten and a thousand times better at fighting infections.

The metal makes bacteria weaker allowing antibiotics to get inside and kill them. The findings come after Professor Dame Sally Davies, a top doctor in Britain, said that unless urgent action is taken, the growing antibiotic resistance could leave many vulnerable to untreatable bugs within a generation. Dr Jim Collins, a US researcher, said: “The number of antibiotic resistant strains in our hospitals and communities is growing and is growing dramatically and has been for some time. This development is accompanied by a drop in new antibiotics being developed and approved. We are taking a different approach. Instead of trying to develop a completely new antibiotic, we are trying to enhance the ones we already have.” The medication could be laced with silver or coated in a fine dusting of the metal and could be used to treat stomach bugs and urinary tract infections among others.

Down’s Syndrome Test

A new non-invasive test to detect Down’s syndrome is to go on trial in two hospitals in London and Kent.

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The test will take place during the first trimester of pregnancy and analyses a baby’s DNA present in its mother’s blood.  Down’s syndrome is a chromosomal disorder characterised by an additional chromosome.  The Harris Birthright Centre at King’s College London is the first to look at the feasibility of screening for chromosomal abnormalities using foetal cell free DNA from a pregnant women’s blood.

The test costs £400 so is not going to be rolled out across the NHS at this stage but will be offered free of charge to those participating in the trials at Kings College Hospital in London and Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent.

Yoga Improves the Mind

Researchers in America have discovered that a single session of Hatha Yoga significantly improves a person’s speed and accuracy when tested on their working memory and concentration.

According to the study, just 20 minutes a day can help boost the mind.  Lead author of the study, Neha Gothe, Professor of kinesiology, health and sport studies at Wayne University in Detroit, explains: “Yoga is an ancient Indian science and way of life that includes not only physical movements and postures but also regulated breathing and meditation.”  Gothe went on to say: “It appears that following yoga practice, participants were better able to focus their mental resources, process information quickly, more accurately and also learn, hold and update pieces of information more effectively than after performing an aerobic exercise bout.”

Gothe and her team were unable to pinpoint a specific part of the yoga session which boosted the mental state but suggests the relaxation it brings could be the answer.

Tomatoes Reduce Prostate Enlargement

Lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes, has long been credited with health benefits but has recently been found to reduce age-related enlargement of the prostate, which in turn relieves pressure on the bladder.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Billinger / Wikimedia Commons

Tomatoes have been previously noted as helping to combat cardiovascular disease, stroke and prostate cancer.  The recent findings were discovered by a team of researchers in Queensland, Australia and studied 57 men aged between 40 to 80 years old.  Researchers found that lycopene reduced the night-time visits to the toilet by just over a third and overall bladder function was substantially improved.  Ian Wilkinson, director of clinical trials at Cambridge University, said: “Ateronon could be more beneficial than natural lycopene because it is more easily absorbed by the body.  We are designing a trial to prove that.”

Ateronon is an artifical version of lycopene.  More studies are needed to assess how long lycopene is needed before it has an effect.