Good morning! Please note that if you are traveling to our office this morning, paving is taking place on Rte 9 East bound and plan a little extra travel time!

Yesterday the world lost a pioneer of brain science, Dr. Marian Diamond, at the age of 90. As excerpted here from her NY Times obituary, Dr. Diamond was a a neuroscientist who overturned long-held beliefs by showing that environmental factors can change the structure of the brain and that the brain continues to develop throughout one’s life. “Dr. Diamond showed anatomically, for the first time, what we now call plasticity of the brain,” George Brooks, a professor of integrative biology at Berkeley, told the university’s news service last month. “In doing so she shattered the old paradigm of understanding the brain as a static and unchangeable entity that simply degenerated as we age.” Dr. Diamond went on to show that brains can continue to develop through life; identified structural differences between male and female animal brains; and, by testing elderly players at a women’s bridge club, found that complex card play stimulated the body’s immune system. In 1985, the same year her paper “On the Brain of a Scientist: Albert Einstein” appeared in Experimental Neurology, Dr. Diamond published findings of an experiment with older rats — the equivalent of about 75 years old in human terms — that had been placed in a stimulating environment. After six months, they showed a thickening of the cortex, a sign that the brain cells had become larger and more active. In other words, the brain could grow and prosper, even in old age — a promising finding, and sweet vindication for a theory that had initially encountered resistance. When she presented the results of her first experiments to the annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists in 1965, a man at the back of the room stood up and shouted, “Young lady, that brain cannot change.” She wrote in her autobiographical essay: “It was an uphill battle for women scientists then — even more than now — and people at scientific conferences are often terribly critical. But I felt good about the work, and I simply replied, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but we have the initial experiment and the replication experiment that shows it can.’ ” Here's to all the trailblazers in science, men and women, who doggedly pursue their hypotheses and whose tenacity, imagination and curiosity positively impact so many lives.

When people think about stroke victims, most think "male", but in fact stroke is more common in women. Its the fourth leading cause of death for women, and fifth for men. The stroke risk of an American woman is 1 out of 5. However, the risk factors a person can can change are the same for women and men: -smoking -high blood pressure (hypertension) -hyperlipidemia (too much cholesterol and other fats) -obesity Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US, with the economic impact of stroke, both medical care and lost productivity, estimated about $54 Billion dollars per year. Yes, Billion with a "B". The good news is that 80% of strokes are preventable. Stopping smoking, daily exercise, being socially active, sleeping 7-8 hours per night, getting blood pressure and cholesterol under control, and limiting your sodium intake all lower your risk. Recognizing stroke symptoms quickly and getting to medical help can also significantly reduce the negative outcomes associated with stroke. FAST is an acronym for: Face: drooping on one side of the face (most easily seen when person smiles) Arm: one arms drifts down when person raises both arms Speech: strange or slurred speech Time: the window for ideal treatment of the most common type of stroke is 3 hours from the onset of symptoms. Remember that while these are by far the most common signs of stroke, it may present in other ways as well, such as sudden onset severe headache, changes in vision or balance or weakness. It's critical that if you suspect someone is having a stroke, you ACT FAST and call 9-1-1. Check out the American Stroke Association (www.strokeassociation.org) for more facts and suggestions.

CDC: 3.4 million Americans have epilepsy Publish date: August 10, 2017 By: Richard Franki Clinical Neurology News Some updates on Epilepsy from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Epilepsy estimates available for the first time for every state show that the disorder is widespread, with at least 3.4 million people affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data also show that the number of people with epilepsy is increasing, probably as a result of population growth. The number of affected adults went from 2.3 million in 2010 to 3 million in 2015, and the number of children with epilepsy rose from 450,000 in 2007 to 470,000 in 2015, CDC investigators reported (MMWR. 2017 Aug 11;66[31]:821-5). The state estimates show that Mississippi has the highest epilepsy rate in the country at 1,194 cases per 100,000 population in 2015, followed by West Virginia (1,174) and Louisiana (1,173). Utah has the lowest rate at 960 cases per 100,000 population, with North Dakota next at 963 per 100,000 and Alaska third at 970. (The CDC report provided the number of cases per state, so rates given here are Frontline calculations using population estimates from the Census Bureau.) Worldwide, there are approximately 3 million cases diagnosed each year, and approximately 50 million people living with epilepsy. The rates in low or middle income are highest, likely due to the increased risk of endemic conditions such as malaria or neurocysticercosis; the higher incidence of road traffic injuries; birth-related injuries; and variations in medical infrastructure, availability of preventative health programs and accessible care. Close to 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.

Wednesday Aug 9 is "Book Lovers' Day" and we've listed a few suggestions on neurologic illness that may interest patients and caregivers... 1. After a Stroke: 300 tips for making life easier by Cleo Hutton 2. Living Well with Dystonia: a patient guide by Daniel Truong 3. The Alzheimer's Health Care Handbook by Mary Mittelman 4. What if it's not Alzheimers: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia by Lisa Radin 5. The New Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book: Partnering with your Doctor to get the most from your medication by J. Eric Ahlskog 6. Migraine: The Complete Guide by American Council for Headache Education Please let us know if you've found any particular book or resource helpful!

Due to a power surge, our phones have not been working properly today; we apologize for any inconvenience and are collaborating with the service provider to restore full service.

Confused by all the information about healthy diets? This link from the monthly journal Neurology Now presents a fair, straight-forward and well-balanced look at diets specifically targeting brain health or neurologic conditions. http://journals.lww.com/neurologynow/Fulltext/2017/13030/Brain_Food__Can_the_foods_you_eat_enhance_brain.16.aspx

Check out the latest in MS research and solutions at this link: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/Latest-Research-and-Solutions-for-People-with-MS-P

For those you of childbearing age taking antidepressants or who were taking antidepressants during pregnancy, this recent study may be of interest... https://www.sciencenews.org/article/autism-adhd-risk-not-linked-prenatal-exposure-antidepressants?mode=topic&context=69

Did you know August is Family History Month? Clink on the link below to learn about the importance of knowing about your family's medical history. This article by the Center of Disease Control and the National Institute of Health shares good tips for collecting and sharing information about your family's health history. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115560/

The construction at Lyman Road on Rte 9 Eastbound continues...if you are traveling to our office this week, please be prepared for a few extra minutes of travel time....