'Internet addiction' linked to brain differences
Brain regions governing emotions, decision-making may be affected
CBC News | Posted: Jan 12, 2012 1:10 PM ET

MRI scans of their brains appeared to show damaged white matter as well as the fibres that connect it, suggesting that Internet addiction, like alcoholism and gambling, can impair a person cognitively. MRI scans of their brains appeared to show damaged white matter as well as the fibres that connect it, suggesting that Internet addiction, like alcoholism and gambling, can impair a person cognitively. (iStock)

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The brains of "internet-addicted" teenagers may differ significantly from those of non-addicted teens, a small study suggests.

MRI scans of their brains appear to show damage to white matter as well as the fibres

Internet addiction, though not officially recognized by health-care authorities, has been defined in several studies as an impulse-control disorder. It has been characterized by an overwhelming desire to stay online and impairs an individual’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Going offline leads the addicted individual to experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those of alcohol and drugs.

The study of 17 adolescents apparently addicted to the internet and 16 controls was conducted by Chinese researchers and published in the Wednesday issue of the journal PLOS One.

The researchers used a technique called fractional anisotropy (FA) to measure the organization of the brain, which is greatly influenced by the number and location of white matter fibres. Those study participants who had displayed addiction symptoms showed lower FA values in a variety of regions of the brain, such as as the orbito-frontal white matter, corpus callosum, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and corona radiation. Lower FA values indicate that the nerve fibres are not functioning properly.

"Overall, our findings indicate that internet addiction disorder has abnormal white matter integrity in brain regions involved in emotional generation and processing, executive attention, decision making and cognitive control," write the authors. "The results also suggest that IAD may share psychological and neural mechanisms with other types of substance addiction and impulse control disorders."

The researchers theorize that the myelin, a protective sheath around nerve fibres, is disrupted in a variety of regions of the brain in people with IAD. They also believe that fractional anisotropy may eventually become an effective way of detecting the severity of internet addiction.

Surprising List of Medications Cause Majority of Senior Overdoses
http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/senior-drug-overdose-148701.htm?page=print
Anne-Marie Botek 

New research from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that seniors are more prone to be hospitalized because of their blood thinners or insulin shots than they are to be harmed by more risky medications like painkillers.

CDC doctors recently discovered that four common drugs—blood thinners, insulin, antiplatelet drugs, and oral diabetes medications—were responsible for 67% of drug-related hospitalizations among people aged 65 and older.

By contrast, only 8% of drug-related hospitalizations were found to have been caused by drugs in the "high-risk" category.

And therein lies the problem—risky drugs are not given to seniors nearly as often as blood thinners and insulin. Diabetes and heart disease reign supreme as two of the biggest health problems for elderly people, and many seniors need medication to manage them.

Also, older people generally take more prescription drugs, increasing their risk for overdose and adverse reaction. According to the CDC, people 65 and older have double the risk of having to go to the emergency room because of reactions to drugs.

The study authors state that better prescription management is the key to reducing the number of drug-related hospitalizations. The CDC offers a few tips to help the elderly handle their medications more effectively:

• Maintain an up to date list of all your medications and dosages

• Use medications as prescribed and directed by your doctor

• If you are confused about a medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist

• Be vigilant with prescribed blood tests

Problems with Sense of Smell in the Elderly
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/When-elderly-lose-sense-of-smell-133880.htm?page

Problems with sense of smell become more common as people get older:

Twenty four and a half percent (15 million) of Americans 55 years old or older have a problem with their sense of smell.

Thirty percent of Americans between the ages of 70 and 80 have a problem with their sense of smell.

Nearly a third of people over 80 have a problem with their sense of smell.

A person's sense of smell generally declines when he or she is over 60. Only about one to two percent of people under the age of 65 will experience some problem with their sense of smell. Women of all ages are generally better at detecting odors than men.

Smell that declines with age is called presbyosmia and is not preventable. The sense of smell, or olfaction, is part of our chemical sensing system, along with the sense of taste. Normal smell occurs when odors around us, like the fragrance of flowers or the smell of baking bread, stimulate the specialized sensory cells, called olfactory sensory cells. Olfactory sensory cells are located in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose. Odors reach the olfactory sensory cells in two pathways. The first pathway is by inhaling, or sniffing, through your nose. When people think about smell, they generally think of this pathway.

The second pathway is less familiar. It is a channel that connects the roof of the throat region to the nose. When we chew our food, aromas are released that access olfactory sensory cells through this channel. If you are congested due to a head cold or sinus infection, this channel is blocked, which temporarily affects your ability to appreciate the flavors of food.

Odors are small molecules that are easily evaporated and released into the environment and that stimulate these sensory cells. Once the olfactory sensory cells detect the odor molecules, they send signals to our brain, where we identify the smell and its source.

For most people, a problem with smell is a minor irritation, but for others it may be a sign of a more serious disease or long-term health condition.

When people have a problem with smell, they may experience either total or partial loss of smell. They can also sometimes think they smell bad odors that are not actually present. Total smell loss is relatively rare. However, a diminished sense of smell occurs more often, especially in older adults. A diminished sense of smell may be temporary and treatable with medication. People with smell disorders usually have problems appreciating the subtle flavors of food, and say that food is less enjoyable.

Smell and taste are closely linked in the brain, but are actually distinct sensory systems. True tastes are detected by taste buds on the tongue and the roof of the mouth, as well as in the throat region, and are limited to sweet, salty, sour, bitter, savory and perhaps a few other sensations.

The loss of smell is much more common than the loss of taste, and many people mistakenly believe they have a problem with taste, when they are really experiencing a problem with their sense of smell. A loss in taste or smell is diagnosed by your doctor using special taste and smell tests.

The sense of smell gradually declines in older people. This is normal. Many older people are not even aware that they have a problem with their sense of smell because the changes occur gradually over several years. They may not even notice that they are experiencing a loss of smell until there is an incident in which they don't detect food that has spoiled or the presence of dangerous smoke.

When smell is impaired, some people change their eating habits. Some may eat too little and lose weight while others may eat too much and gain weight. Either way, there may be a long-term impact on one's overall health. Loss of smell may also cause us to eat too much sugar or salt to make our food taste better. This can be a problem for people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. In severe cases, loss of smell can lead to depression.
Symptoms and Diagnosis

There are several types of smell disorders depending on how the sense of smell is affected. People who have smell disorders experience either a loss in their ability to smell or changes in the way they perceive odors.

Some people have hyposmia, which occurs when their ability to detect certain odors is reduced. This smell disorder is common in people who have upper respiratory infections or nasal congestion. This is usually temporary and goes away when the infection clears up.

Other people can't detect odor at all, which is called anosmia. This type of smell disorder is sometimes the result of head trauma in the nose region, usually from an automobile accident or chronic nasal or sinus infections. It can sometimes be caused by aging. In rare cases, anosmia is inherited.

Sometimes a loss of smell can be accompanied by a change in the perception of odors. This type of smell disorder is called dysosmia. Familiar odors may become distorted, or an odor that usually smells pleasant instead smells foul. Sometimes people with this type of smell disorder also experience headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, or anxiety.

Still others may perceive a smell that isn't present at all, which is called phantosmia.

Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a specialist in diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. After conducting a complete medical history and physical examination, your doctor may run special tests to determine the extent and nature of your smell disorder.

Some tests measure the smallest amount of odor you can detect. You also may receive a "scratch and sniff" test to determine how well you can identify various odors from a list of possibilities. In this test, the odor is embedded in a circular pad on a piece of paper and released when scratched.

Your doctor may ask you to compare the smells of different chemicals, or indicate how much the intensity of the smell grows when its concentration is increased. In this test, odors are presented through a face mask. By using these two types of tests, your doctor can determine if you have hyposmia, anosmia, or another type of smell disorder.

In some cases, your doctor may need to perform a nasal examination with a nasal endoscope, an instrument that illuminates and magnifies the areas of the nose where the problem may exist. This test can help identify the area and extent of the problem and help your doctor select the right treatment.

If your doctor suspects that upper regions of the nose and nasal sinuses that can't be seen by an endoscope are involved, he or she may order a specialized X-ray procedure, usually a CT scan, to look further into the nose and sinuses.
Treatment and Research

Although there is no treatment for presbyosmia -- loss of smell due to aging -- relief from smell disorders is possible for many older people. Depending on the cause of your problem with smell, your doctor may be able to treat it or suggest ways to cope with it. Scientists are studying how our sense of smell works so that new treatments can be developed.

Sometimes a certain medication causes a smell disorder, and improvement occurs when the medicine causing the problem is stopped or changed. Although certain medications can cause a loss of smell, others seem to improve smell and sometimes taste. An example of this is anti-allergy medicines.

If you take medications, ask your doctor if they can affect your sense of smell. If so, ask if you could substitute other medications or reduce the dose. Your doctor will work with you to get the medicine you need while trying to reduce unwanted side effects.

Your doctor may suggest oral steroid medications such as prednisone, which is usually used for a short period of time, or topical steroid sprays, which can be used for longer periods of time. Antibiotics are also used to treat nasal infections. The effectiveness of both steroids and antibiotics depends greatly on the severity and duration of the nasal swelling or infection. Often relief is temporary. Occasionally, the sense of smell returns to normal on its own without any treatment.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institute of Health (NIH) leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.

The Community for Family Caregivers is an online forum created to Support Caregivers of Elderly and Aging Parents. The material of this web site is provided for informational purposes only. AgingCare.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment; or legal, financial or any other professional services advice.

A Routine Visit to Your Dentist Could Save Your Life

Montreal, Jan. 16, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - As a partner of Quebec Tobacco-Free Week, from January 15 to 21, the Ordre des dentistes du Québec is committed to making the anti-smoking cause a priority, in particular by adopting the position statement suggested by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.

"Every evening as I walk home along St. Paul Street in Old Montreal, I am astonished at the numbers of young Quebecers in the prime of their lives standing outside the local bars and restaurants on the sidewalk smoking," says Dr. Barry Dolman, President of the Order.

"With four children and two grandchildren, I am fortunate that no one in my family smokes, but I realize that we have a long way to go to break this habit in many Quebec families."

Dentists are ideally positioned to speak to patients who smoke and inform them of the effects of smoking on their oral health. They can also counsel them about different ways of stopping smoking and on the free resources available to them.

But more important still, dentists are university-trained professionals with the skills to detect early signs of oral cancer in patients during routine check-ups.

We don't tend to hear much about oral cancer. But there are several places in the mouth and throat where it can appear, for instance on the tongue, lips, palate, salivary glands and tonsils.

The earlier oral cancer is discovered, the better the chance of survival. Eight out of ten individuals (80%) survive if oral cancer is detected early, as compared with only two out of ten (20%) if it is detected at an advanced stage.

So make a good resolution for 2012: Visit your dentist on a regular basis and stop smoking today!

Canadian Students Learn How To Battle Energy Bulge

Canadian Geographic and Shell Canada launch Classroom Energy Diet Challenge

Calgary, Jan. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Hundreds of students and teachers across Canada are participating in The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge, a two-month curriculum-based program designed by Canadian Geographic and Shell Canada Limited to inform students about energy, where it comes from and how it can be used efficiently by making smarter choices.

"The Challenge is an ideal way for students to learn about the timely and serious issue of energy. The activities and thinking incorporated into the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge allow teachers to seamlessly integrate these vital concepts into their classroom" said Connie Wyatt Anderson, Chair of the Canadian Council for Geographic Education. "This learning will extend well beyond the classroom and provide students with a greater understanding of the world in which they live."

So far, over 200 kindergarten to grade 12 teachers have signed up their classes to participate in the Challenge for the chance to win a number of prizes. The Challenge consists of two separate streams: the Classroom Challenge and the Video Contest. In the Classroom Challenge, points are awarded for completing assignments from among 25 lesson plans designed to teach students about energy efficiency and use. The Video Contest challenges classrooms to submit scripts for a creative video outlining ways to reduce energy use. The 50 best scripts will selected by a panel and the winning classrooms will be given flip video cameras to film their videos for a chance at the grand prize of $2000 towards technical equipment to support learning. Additional prizes can also be won through the Challenge.

"By incorporating information about energy and our natural resources into Canadian students' curriculum, we hope another generation of Canadians will be inspired to improve their own energy efficiency. As a major energy supplier, Shell wants to be part of the solution by helping people use the energy resources we produce more wisely," said Ashley Nixon, Shell Canada External Relations Manager.

Students and parents can view the classrooms' progress and gain tips on reducing their own energy use at www.canadiangeographic.ca/cedc. A tool to calculate energy use and helpful blogs written by experts and other Canadian families are also available on the website.

"The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge makes it easy for young Canadians to learn the hard facts about how to make wise energy choices. Supporting environmental education and stewardship is a key priority of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society" said John Geiger, President of the Royal Geographical Society.

The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge runs from February 6 to March 30 2012 and will engage students across the country in a discussion about energy and Canada's natural resources. Along the way students will gain a better understanding of the role that energy plays within our society and how it impacts each of us on a daily basis.

The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge follows 2011's successful Energy Diet Challenge where six families across Canada competed to reduce their energy and water use in the home and through smarter mobility choices on the road. As grand prize winners of that Challenge, the Kitchen-Kuiack family from Marsh Lake, Yukon, was named Canada's "slimmest" family, winning a brand new 2012 Toyota Prius v.