Recovery Michigan

A team of scientists at The University of Manchester has now found that a potential new stroke drug not only works in rodents by limiting the death of existing brain cells but also by promoting the birth of new neurons (so-called neurogenesis).

This finding provides further support for the development of this anti-inflammatory drug, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra in short), as a new treatment for stroke. The drug is already licensed for use in humans for some conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Several early stage clinical trials in stroke with IL-1Ra have already been completed in Manchester, though it is not yet licensed for this condition.

In the research, published in the biomedical journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, the researchers show that in rodents with a stroke there is not only reduced brain damage early on after the stroke, but several days later increased numbers of new neurons, when treated with the anti-inflammatory drug IL-1Ra.

In the journal ACS Chemical Biology, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in La Jolla, CA, describe how the vaccine stopped two opioids - oxycodone and hydrocodone - from reaching the brains of mice, reducing symptoms of a drug "high."

What is more, the vaccine appeared to reduce the toxic effects of opioids in the mice.

If these results translate to humans, the researchers say the vaccine has the potential to reduce the risk of death from opioid overdose.

Opioids are medications prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain. They are among the most commonly used painkillers in the U.S., with the number of opioids sold in the country almost quadruplingsince 1999.

"The vaccine approach stops the drug before it even gets to the brain," explains study co-author Cody J. Wenthur, a research associate in Janda's lab. "It's like a preemptive strike."

Additionally, the vaccine appeared to lower the rodents' susceptibility to fatal overdose by reducing the toxic effects of opioids; while some mice did die as a result of opioid exposure, the team notes that it took much longer for the drugs to become toxic.

Joining the workforce after the death or disability of a loved one can be difficult, but it can also ease financial strain and provide a break from grieving. When seeking employment with the federal government, military spouses, family member caregivers, widows, widowers and surviving mothers may be able to take advantage of special preference programs. These programs do not guarantee a job but provide a qualified candidate entry into the applicant pool.

The spouse, widow, widower or mother of a service member or veteran may be able to claim up to 10 preference points on a federal employment application when eligibility is met.

• Veterans' preference gives eligible veterans preference in being hired over other applicants.
• Derived preference allows the spouse, widow, widower or mother of a veteran to claim the veterans' preference for certain federal positions if the service member or veteran is unable to use it.
• Both the mother and spouse of a service member or veteran may be entitled to claim the preference if they meet the requirements.

Check out Feds Hire Vets — Veterans' Preference and Family Member Preference (Derived Preference) for how veterans' preference works and additional information on eligibility.

Military Spouse Appointing Authority

The Military Spouse Appointing Authority allows federal agencies to appoint certain military spouses to a position without going through the competitive hiring process. The Military Spouse Appointing Authority is not a hiring preference or an entitlement, but caregivers and widows should be aware of it because it allows for noncompetitive entry into the competitive service.

The three categories of spouses considered under this authority are:

• Spouses of service members who have a 100 percent disability rating
• Spouses of service members who died while on active duty
• Military spouses who've recently made a permanent change of station move

As you review vacancy announcements for federal positions, look in the Who May Apply section to see if the job falls under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority. To learn more, read Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses

Findings: While on sick leave, despite a range of challenges, participants treasured their work identities. They were sustained by positive and troubled by negative memories of work. People missed the routine of work and felt isolated. To varying degrees of success, they searched for alternative activities to fill this gap and promote recovery.

If you are taking care of elderly parents or others with a chronic illness 24/7 in your own home, you are under stress. The stress can go on for years! Typically, the interventions that help decrease caregiver stress include support groups, respite care, more education on the disease process, and counseling or psychotherapy. I want to tell you about another intervention that decreases caregiver stress, doesn’t cost anything, and can be accessed right in your own home. (Many times caregivers cannot find the time or someone to be with their loved one in order to attend a support group or educational class outside of their home.)

It is well known in the senior caregiving industry that over time caregivers report decline in physical health, more chronic illnesses, higher prevalence of physical symptoms, and poorer self-ratings of health as compared to non-caregivers, as well as poorer overall health when compared to non-caregivers. There is also a substantial body of literature documenting the negative psychological, physical, and social consequences associated with providing care to a relative with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

The University of Iowa School of Nursing, under the leadership of Howard Butcher, RN, PhD, conducted a Family Caregiver Writing Study to help determine whether or not writing improves the health of caregivers. As part of this study, researchers analyzed thirteen studies involving over 800 participants, and these studies found that emotional writing about stressful events produces benefits in healthy subjects. A few of the outcomes measured included fewer physician visits, increase in positive antibodies (t-lymphocytes, hepatitis B, natural killer cell activity), and decrease in negative antibodies (Epstein-Barr virus).

Specific writing instructions that yielded positive results included these:

*Write continuously with no regard to grammar, spelling, or sentence structure.

*Writing needs to be confidential.

*Writing must be about your deepest emotional thoughts and feelings about caring for your loved one.

*Explore how this experience is linked to issues in your childhood and relationships with your parents, old friends, or others you have cared about.

*Tie your thoughts and feelings of being a caregiver to other family issues like finances or other traumatic experiences you have suffered.

*Ideally, focus on experiences, changes, thoughts, and feelings that you have not discussed in great detail with others.

*Write for 20 minutes. If you run out of things to say, just repeat what you have already written.

In addition to fewer physician visits and the positive change in antibodies, the research findings supported that writing:

• provided a catharsis for caregivers.
• decreased caregivers’ emotional pain.
• revealed to caregivers their deepest selves.
• provided perspective.
• integrated the caregivers’ life experiences.
• enhanced the meaning of their caregiving experiences.

These subjective health benefits can be critical for the mental and physical well-being of family caregivers and, as a result, can help those who are receiving the care.

To date, there are not particularly effective therapies for AUD, with only three FDA approved drugs along with behavioral modification programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Together or alone, none are particularly effective and relapse is common, making the development of new therapies vital.

A collaborative effort between Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) researchers Susan Bergeson, Ph.D., Joseé Guindon, Ph.D., Peter Syapin, Ph.D., clinicians David Edwards, M.D., David Trotter, Ph.D., and Deborah Finn, Ph.D., at Oregon Health and Science University has identified a potential new treatment for AUD.

"Recent research has used new technologies to identify genes and pathways related to neuroinflammation as part of alcohol's action on addiction processes," said Bergeson, associate professor in the TTUHSC Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience. "Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic normally used against bacterial infections, has known anti-inflammatory actions and recently was shown to reduce alcohol consumption."

In research described in four companion papers published by the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the teams first reported the screening of several tetracycline drugs to see if all were effective in reducing alcohol use. The results pointed to a specific structural component of the drugs as responsible for positive outcomes and led to the discovery that tigecycline, a minocycline analog, was highly effective in reducing binge and chronic consumption, in both dependent and non-dependent animals.

There has been a significant climb in the prevalence of major depression among adolescents and young adults in recent years -- and the troubling trend may be strongest in teenage girls, according to a new study.