Monthly Archive for January, 2009
An Old Weapon May Still Be Effective in the War Against Bioterrorism – Smallpox Vaccination
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in creating new smallpox vaccines due to the threat of the smallpox pathogen being used as a bioterrorism tool. The vaccinia virus vaccine has been used to prevent smallpox disease since the late 18th century and, until 30 years ago, most countries conducted routine smallpox vaccination programs. Thanks to these efforts, smallpox was virtually eradicated from the world by 1977, and many countries discontinued the vaccination programs. For this reason, most Americans under 35 years of age have never had smallpox disease, nor been vaccinated against the disease, making immunity effectively nonexistent in today’s population.
Therapy and Medication – Where’s the Breaking News?
The National Institute of Mental Health recently cited a study published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study was cited as providing evidence that supports the idea that adolescents with major depressive disorder (i.e., depression) are less likely to relapse after treatment if they receive cognitive behavioral therapy in conjunction with psychotropic medication.I have to admit that this was not entirely shocking news to me, but I was slightly surprised to find the topic highlighted by NIMH as a "Science Update."
Are Generic Drugs Really Equivalent to Brand Name Drugs?
Countless drugs are manufactured as generic equivalents to brand name counterparts. Generic drugs must be bioequivalent to the brand name drug, meaning that they contain the same active ingredient at the same dose, in the same dosage form, with the same route of administration. The rate and extent of availability of the drugs must also be identical. Brand name drugs and their generic equivalents are interchangeable, and have demonstrated the same therapeutic effectiveness in clinical trials. Generic drugs, however, may not contain identical inactive ingredients or have identical formulations, packaging, or appearance.
Psychiatric Illness in Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease can be a devastating illness for patients and their families. The disease is directly inherited -- if you have a parent with Huntington’s disease, you have a 50% chance of inheriting the abnormal huntingtin gene yourself. Unfortunately, if you inherit the huntingtin gene, you will certainly develop the disease. While there is no cure for Huntington’s disease, researchers in both clinical and basic neuroscience fields are working to unlock the mysteries of this disease and to find a cure.
Popular Posts
- The Love Drug
- Women After Sex
- Fatty Acids and Suicide Risk
- Mind Games - Science's Attempts at Thought Control
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- Mental Health Disorders Prevalent Among Youth Worldwide
- Is Giftedness Nothing More than Good Genes?
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
- Behind the Masks - The Mysteries of Dissociative Identity Disorder
- The NeuroSocial Network
Future Posts
- The Brain’s Buying Power
Latest Posts
- Aging Intelligently
- A Nicotine Patch a Day Keeps the Cognitive Impairment Away
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
- Diabetes Impairs Cognition
- Media Violence Leads to Real Violence
- Intelligence – Are You Holding Back Your Brain?
- Childhood Aggression Predicts Health Care Use Later in Life
- The Brain’s Border Patrol – Blood Brain Barrier
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- BED-head and Obesity – Food for Thought
Comments
- Sandi Sarabia: Definitely, what a splendid we
- : This article had great info on
- peter: I also see things the same way
- Scapadas Amorosas: Lets patent it, package, marke
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments, Matt
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments and s
- Alex: While we have our eyes glued t
- Richard Kensinger, MSW: Carla,You are absolutely c
- Soraya L. Valles: I'm interested in astrocytes.
- Raymond Tallis: Dear Kitty, I have come to you
- Steven: After smoking for 17 years dai
- Matt: I'm just interested in hearing
