An explanation of various treatments for neuropathy Warning! It aint gonna go viral on YouTube!

We're going to drop in on the 2006, Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders Symposium to listen to and watch a talk given by Joanne Lynn MD. For the first two and a half minutes you may well wonder why, because the video takes some time to get to the point, or at least the points that are relevant to us. Apart from that, the good lady is not exactly the most inspiring speaker to listen to but stay with it because there is so much useful information and explanation which is specific to our problems. Apart from that, the slides that are shown, explain the difficult vocabulary that would normally go in one ear and out of the other.

You must remember that this is a medical professional talking to other medical professionals and therefore, there aren't very many fireworks to keep your attention but it's worth the effort. I've watched this three times and have learned something new and useful each time.

You can read the transcript of the video on: http://www.myelitis.org/newsletters/v7n2/newsletter7-2-02.htm
It helps!

EXPOSURE IN ALUMINIUM MAY IMPACT ON MALE FERTILITY

New research from scientists in the UK and France suggests that human exposure to aluminum may be a significant factor in falling sperm counts and reduced male fertility.

Fluorescence microscopy using an aluminum-specific stain confirmed the presence of aluminum in semen and showed aluminum inside individual sperm.

And the team of scientists, at the universities of Lyon and Saint-Etienne in France and Keele in the UK, found that the higher the aluminum, the lower sperm count.

The research, led by Professor Christopher Exley, a leading authority on human exposure to aluminum at Keele, and Professor Michele Cottier, a specialist in cytology and histology at Saint-Etienne, measured the aluminum content of semen from 62 donors at a French clinic.

Professor Exley said: "There has been a significant decline in male fertility, including sperm count, throughout the developed world over the past several decades and previous research has linked this to environmental factors such as endocrine disruptors.

"Human exposure to aluminum has increased significantly over the same time period and our observation of significant contamination of male semen by aluminum must implicate aluminum as a potential contributor to these changes in reproductive fertility."

The mean aluminum content for all 62 donors was found to be very high at 339 ppb with the aluminum content of semen from several donors being in excess of 500 ppb. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between the aluminum content of semen and the sperm count. Higher aluminum resulted in a lower sperm count.

Dr. oz on sciatica treatment

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COPPER ON THE BRAIN AT REST

In recent years it has been established that copper plays an essential role in the health of the human brain. Improper copper oxidation has been linked to several neurological disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Menkes' and Wilson's. Copper has also been identified as a critical ingredient in the enzymes that activate the brain's neurotransmitters in response to stimuli. Now a new study by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has shown that proper copper levels are also essential to the health of the brain at rest.

"Using new molecular imaging techniques, we've identified copper as a dynamic modulator of spontaneous activity of developing neural circuits, which is the baseline activity of neurons without active stimuli, kind of like when you sleep or daydream, that allows circuits to rest and adapt," says Chris Chang, a faculty chemist with Berkeley Lab's Chemical Sciences Division who led this study. "Traditionally, copper has been regarded as a static metabolic cofactor that must be buried within enzymes to protect against the generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent free radical damage. We've shown that dynamic and loosely bound pools of copper can also modulate neural activity and are essential for the normal development of synapses and circuits."

Chang , who also holds appointments with the University of California (UC) Berkeley's Chemistry Department and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), is the corresponding author of a paper that describes this study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper is titled "Copper is an endogenous modulator of neural circuit spontaneous activity." Co-authors are Sheel Dodani, Alana Firl, Jefferson Chan, Christine Nam, Allegra Aron, Carl Onak, Karla Ramos-Torres, Jaeho Paek, Corey Webster and Marla Feller.

Although the human brain accounts for only two-percent of total body mass, it consumes 20-percent of the oxygen taken in through respiration. This high demand for oxygen and oxidative metabolism has resulted in the brain harboring the body's highest levels of copper, as well as iron and zinc. Over the past few years, Chang and his research group at UC Berkeley have developed a series of fluorescent probes for molecular imaging of copper in the brain.

"A lack of methods for monitoring dynamic changes in copper in whole living organisms has made it difficult to determine the complex relationships between copper status and various stages of health and disease," Chang said. "We've been designing fluorescent probes that can map the movement of copper in live cells, tissue or even model organisms, such as mice and zebra fish."

For this latest study, Chang and his group developed a fluorescent probe called Copper Fluor-3 (CF3) that can be used for one- and two-photon imaging of copper ions. This new probe allowed them to explore the potential contributions to cell signaling of loosely bound forms of copper in hippocampal neurons and retinal tissue.

"CF3 is a more hydrophilic probe compared to others we have made, so it gives more even staining and is suitable for both cells and tissue," Chang says. "It allows us to utilize both confocal and two-photon imaging methods when we use it along with a matching control dye (Ctrl-CF3) that lacks sensitivity to copper."

With the combination of CF3 and Ctrl-CF3, Chang and his group showed that neurons and neural tissue maintain stores of loosely bound copper that can be attenuated by chelation to create what is called a "labile copper pool." Targeted disruption of these labile copper pools by acute chelation or genetic knockdown of the copper ion channel known as CTR1 (for copper transporter 1) alters spontaneous neural activity in developing hippocampal and retinal circuits.

"We demonstrated that the addition of the copper chelator bathocuproine disulfonate (BCS) modulates copper signaling which translates into modulation of neural activity," Chang says. "Acute copper chelation as a result of additional BCS in dissociated hippocampal cultures and intact developing retinal tissue removed the copper which resulted in too much spontaneous activity."

The results of this study suggest that the mismanagement of copper in the brain that has been linked to Wilson's, Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders can also contribute to misregulation of signaling in cell−to-cell communications.

"Our results hold therapeutic implications in that whether a patient needs copper supplements or copper chelators depends on how much copper is present and where in the brain it is located," Chang says. "These findings also highlight the continuing need to develop molecular imaging probes as pilot screening tools to help uncover unique and unexplored metal biology in living systems."

Hooked on Hickory

Shagbark Hickory ~ Carya ovata ~ "the oval nut"

I've fallen madly in love with the Hickory tree.

I'm not sure exactly when it began, but a series of events has slowly lured me in.

Of course, I have always admired this beautiful , eccentric style tree for it's likeness in my mind to the Lorax. I wonder how on Earth I missed the telegram that the nuts were edible. Even with the ten acre parcel of land my parents owned when I was a child, which they dubbed "Hickory Haven", I was too busy with the Mulberry trees.

Last December, our Homeschool staff member brought back a bushel of Pignut Hickory nuts and with the students he made an intoxicating warm Hickory milk. Yet since the nuts were from Tennessee, I dismissed them as a local harvest possibility.

About five weeks ago I sent my Jr. Herbalist class to scout an appropriate habitat to plant the Bloodroot cuttings we were learning about and propagating. They returned with a confession of partial distraction after planting, when they discovered a mast of nuts on the ground and proceeded to target one another. My son, who happened to be involved in the aforementioned Hickory milk project, knew the nuts and announced they were better to eat than throw. Of course that resulted in children shape shifting into squirrels and filling pockets and packs so full that they all returned heavy and looking even more like hamster cheeks.

I watched one student sit himself down and feverishly smash a nut and pick out the meat, little by little, as though it were the most exquisite thing he'd ever eaten. I just watched, trying to figure out what nut it was. Of course, the kids already knew.

A little over a week ago, I went out behind my beehive looking for sweet fern. I'd been enjoying this as a lovely, Sage-like tea, and wanted to dig a root for my friend and mentor Kiva Rose, so she could plant it in her garden. However, when I got there I saw that my memory had not served me, and what I have growing is Maidenhair fern, not sweet fern. So I puttered around in the woods for a few minutes and took some photos of the trees.

I'd recently been lamenting about our New England acorns and the fact that I really don't even try to use them for they are so extraordinarily bitter that they require several leaching steps before they are palatable enough to use. Bother.

Slowly did I walk back from the beehive, as my camera often elicits slower walking, and what did I see before my very eyes?

A nut.

Light hazelnut in color, and a pretty oval shape. I picked it up to ponder. Towering in front of me were three, beautiful Shagbark Hickory Trees.

Something in that moment clicked and I wish I could remember what words accompanied my epiphany, but next thing I knew I was tickling the leaves all around me and filling my basket with nuts.

As I gathered, the squirrels around me took it upon themselves to target me with falling twigs, Hemlock bits, and nuts, just as the children had done to each other. This spirited, mischievous play was clearly part and parcel of Hickory's message. Go on, get a little nutty. It's fun!

So who, then, would I ask how to prepare these morsels? My kids, of course. "Smash the nut and boil 'em. The bad ones float to the top." I was instructed - correctly. I have to interject here with honor for our previous instructor and co-founder of our Whole Earth Home-school program, the wonderful Ethan Elgersma, and his sweetheart wife Melissa, for bringing back those nuts from the South and teaching the kids how to use them. Will they know in their hearts the wisdom they gifted has grown and flourished? Perhaps, like the Hickory, many of the seeds they have planted won't bear fruit until 15-40 years have passed.

My daughter was the first to crack the nut with a heavy bread knife. This quartered the nut nicely, but as we soon discovered, the nut needs a better smashing to render a good strong brew. It turns out our lucky rock, a quartz from the riverside which fits nicely in the palm, was just right. This same rock is a beloved tool in my apothecary, as it holds layers of grape leaves so they stay submerged in brine, and used similarly to other fresh, floating plant material.

Now it's a treasured nut smasher, and has been working diligently, day after day, for the last 8 days.

From the moment I first inhaled the steam of this brew, I knew I was hooked. There is nothing like it. It's rich, maple-y, hazel-nutty, and utterly mouth watering. Not to mention, free for the gathering in my very own backyard - now that just takes the cake.

Lucky for me, Kiva has been making exquisite creations with her native acorns, and so along this journey I have had the blessings of like-minded inspiration and side-splitting laughter to accompany me.

If you have Hickory trees near you, well get to it because the season is closing and those squirrels and chipmunks are very busy.

Hickory Brew

~1 part smashed hickory nuts, shell and all

~3 parts water

~Simmer for 30 + minutes

~Strain a cup at a time, leaving the rest to continue steeping.

~Add milk and sweetener if desired

Hickory nuts are among the most delicious and nutritious of the tree nuts. They are especially rich in protein, healthy fats, amino acids, Vitamins A, B6, E and K, Calcium, and vital minerals. As a Native Tree of North America, it has been a valued food source throughout history. Native North Americans, particularly the Algonquins, favored their winter survival food of Hickory butter; a smooth, fatty-sweet spread they rendered from skimming the top layer off a multi-day long process of reducing a concentrated brew.

Mammals are dependent on Hickory for both food and habitat. Birds nest in their high branches, as this tree can grow to 100 feet tall, between 200 and 300 years old. Opossum like to make their homes inside the base of larger Hickories, and bats use the shingles of the bark for their shelter. Omnivores of the forest including black bear, snack on the nuts, but for the Eastern Chipmunks and Eastern Grey Squirrel who depend on them for up to 25 % of their diet, they are vital.

For their slow growing and long wait before nut harvest, they are often (sadly) disregarded for landscaping projects. Considering the ratio of building to replanting, this is a grim outlook for Hickory trees. Lucky for us, there are plenty of them for the time being, as long as we take notice of land clearing and work to stop it, to prevent future devastation. Another pressure which adds to this concern, is its remarkable lumber. Hickory is prized as a flavorful smoking wood; hickory smoked ham and BBQ sauce might remind you of summer parties with the yummiest of meals. The wood is extremely hard, and treasured as fuel for it's high B.T.U. output and long burning time. Natives fashioned precise hunting bows from Hickory wood, and many generations of craftspeople have made durable furniture to pass down to their own descendants. Easy kitchen cutting boards can be acquired by purchasing a slab of untreated hickory lumber from your local lumber yard, or should you have enough abundance to cut one of your own for you and your family, you could fashion a number of long lasting household objects.

The striking, shaggy bark of this tree (my particular spp., Carya ovata) has also been used in special recipes to flavor maple syrup as well as for a delicious syrup in it's own rite. I wanted Hickory syrup too, so I made up my own version using the nuts.

Hickory Syrup

~1 part smashed Hickory nuts, shells and all

~2 1/2 parts water

~Simmer down (the nuts and water) for at least an hour, or until very rich and almost creamy looking. You will see the yummy natural oils swirling on top

~Strain the brew, reserve the nuts for a second round later

~Return the liquid to a pot, and add 3/4 part brown sugar

~Simmer well while stirring until reduced a little more and a little more syrupy

~In a separate bowl, mix some corn starch with a little cold water.

~Drizzle the corn starch/water mixture into the syrup while whisking to combine. Use just a little at a time, as it thickens quickly.

~ When you have the consistency you want (pourable like maple), transfer to a cream pitcher or gravy boat.

~Use right away on top of pancakes, oatmeal, or however you like.

~Your syrup will thicken now throughout the day. You can rewarm to use again, or use is as a jelly-like spread on cookies or banana bread.

~Store remainder in the fridge.

The trick to getting the best nuts is not to use the bad ones, :) When collecting or just after, look at each of the nuts, remove the husk and compost or throw back any of the following:

*Nuts which have a small hole. This means it is home to larvae - which, if you like, you can eat, but most do not like that.

*Nuts that have a damaged shell implying rot or larvae

*Moldy nuts

The darker colored nuts and even the ones with a slimy coating between shell and husk have proven inconsistent in their goodness, so I harvest those anyway.

Store your nuts in shallow flat baskets and check on them each day, removing any critters who may have hatched and checking again for nuts with small holes.

I always smash them one at a time, so as not to mix any bad ones in with the good. Which isn't too big a deal if you're making a big batch as they will float - but not as reliably as I would like. Plus I just don't want to taint the incredible flavor.

And it *is* incredible.

Quite near my Hickories are more medicinal trees. This made it easy for me to be inspired to create my own Wild Woodland Morning Brew, inspired by Kiva Rose who I mentioned above. Kiva has been sharing with us her delectable Acorn recipes, including Acorn infused butter! And if you live in the Southwest, you'll appreciate her Woodland brew before mine. Our acorns here in New England are simply for those who have more time that I, to put through rounds of boiling water.

For my tonic I use Black Birch twigs, Hemlock tips, and Hickory Nuts. It's a complex, wild woman's tonic, not for the tamed senses. Clearly this is a gift of Fey.

Wild Woman's Forest Brew

~1 cup smashed Hickory nuts (yep, you guessed it, shells and all!)

~3 small Hemlock tree bough tips or hand full of fresh White Pine needles

~1 small handful of Black Birch twigs

~3 cups water or until covered fairly well

Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain cup by cup, adding more water and continuing to steep a warm brew. This pot can render at least a few rounds of rich flavored Forest Brew for up to 2 full days without refrigeration.

Sip savoringly under the trees or by the fire. Add milk or honey as desired, and of course tweak the recipe to your preference as well. More delicious tree magic additions are: Wild Cherry bark, Slippery Elm bark, or Sassafras roots. Chai spices are perfectly suited as well.

One of the most wonderful, surprising benefits of this brew, is the serious energy and endurance I feel when I drink it. Really! For you herbal readers, I'll put it like this: it feels like when I eat a high protein meal and chase it with Oatstraw infusion and a spoon of Ashwagandha honey. Yep, real, solid energy - but not a stimulant. This is the perfect reminder of adaptability. How many winters has this one tree seen? 200? Far more than me. I believe one of the secrets to adapting to the winter season is sweetly delivered in the package of a nut.

Speaking of special deliveries, I took full advantage of my Hickory obsession and used it as my topic and activity for this week's plant class. It's the perfect choice for those who teach kids about plants, especially because noticing different tree barks is relevant this time of year, and kids will notice the shaggy bark easily. They love the interesting facts about Hickory trees, and of course, will go to the ends of the Earth to gather as many nuts as possible, even before they think of asking what you will do with them!

It's also a great topic because, as many herbal lessons do, it does not divert you back into the kitchen. you can make the delicious brew right over a campfire, thus keeping the kids immersed in nature, fun, learning, and a little hands on history. Not to mention, what could be more fun than finding rocks to smash nuts with? It's a satisfying art form tailored for kids.

What you'll need to bring as the teacher are:

A Large pot to be used over the fire

Another large pot to rinse nuts in (and a hand towel for a cold day)

Bags/baskets for the kids to put nuts in

Heat tolerant cups or lightweight camping mugs

A Ladle

A large mesh strainer

Milk and Honey or Cream

Flat trays or baskets to hold clean nuts

Reference book - I use The Tree Identification Book

Pot Holders or something to do the job
Access to water

Allow a good three hours for this segment, and pre-scout the area for a good mast and safe fire pit area. Here are a few more Hickory facts you can share with your students:

The botanical name is Carya ovata, meaning "oval nut"

It is in the Juglandaceae, or Walnut family.

It's relatives include the Black Walnut and Pecan.

It is a deciduous hardwood tree.

It's branching pattern is alternate, with opposite, odd pinnate leaflets; 5-7 per leaf.

The leaflets are larger towards the end of the leaf.

Leaflets bear little to no petiole, and have toothed margins and slightly tapered points which almost curl like a frosting tip.

The base of the lateral leaflets are lobed and asymmetrical, similar to to Witch Hazel.

The Bark of the younger trees or younger portion of a mature tree is much less furrowed, possibly smooth.

The trunks are extremely straight, compared to a curvy cherry or apple.

~~~~

Hickory brew can be used for any recipe you like. Cookies, breads, or coffee can be made using the brew in place of water. Yum. You can also roast the nuts in the oven to help dry the shells for easier nut meat removal and to bring our the aroma and flavor. Experiment and get to know this strengthening woodland gift.

References from the web:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carya_ovata

http://www.hickorytree.net/

http://www.cirrusimage.com/tree_shagbark_hickory.htm

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/carya/ovata.htm

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CAOV2

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=20

Fibromyalgia Vs Neuropathy The Argument Goes On

Today's post from consultqd.clevelandclinic.org (see link below) highlights something that has seemed pretty obvious to both neuropathy and fibromyalgia patients for a long time - both conditions are neurological in origin and both are treated by much the same medications, with the same lack of success. Basically, fibromyalgia is a rheumatic condition characterized by muscular or musculoskeletal pain with stiffness and localized sensitivity and tenderness at specific points on the body. Patients have highly sensitised nerves that display strange sensations including severe pain. No difference with neuropathy there then. The point is that for many years, doctors have refused to put the two conditions together because it was assumed that the problems were solidly muscular or rheumatic in nature; or, even worse, psychosomatic! However, just as with neuropathy, the pain and other sensations can only be experienced through nerves and neural pathways, so how can it not be neuropathic too? This article tries to both legitimise fibromyalgia and prove that neural dysfunction is a key element. Why is this important to the average neuropathy patient? Well because the symptoms can be so similar in terms of what the patient actually feels, that he or she just doesn't understand the diagnosis he or she is given. There are so many forms of neuropathy, why shouldn't fibromyalgia be one of them!

Why Fibromyalgia Is Neuropathic:
Central sensitization is one explanation
Mar. 8, 2016 / Pain Management 

The etiology of fibromyalgia is still largely unknown, but it isn’t as controversial as it used to be.

A decade ago, the chronic rheumatic disease was most often attributed to muscle and ligament problems. Some declared it a psychogenic disorder. (Some still do.) More recently, however, studies have linked fibromyalgia with malfunctioning neurotransmitters, neurochemical imbalances and other neuropathic conditions.

“Today, it’s more widely accepted that fibromyalgia is primarily a neurogenic disease,” says Philippe Berenger, MD, a pain management specialist at Cleveland Clinic. “It still doesn’t explain the disease, but it’s a step forward.”

Dr. Berenger bolstered this belief in a presentation at Cleveland Clinic’s 18th Annual Pain Management Symposium in San Diego in March.
Definitions we can agree on

In 1994, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defined neuropathic pain as “initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction of the nervous system.” In 2008, the IASP’s Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group tweaked the definition to include “disease of the somatosensory nervous system.”

“Fibromyalgia fits these definitions,” says Dr. Berenger. “Although the condition has no anatomically definable lesions, it is marked by altered neurological function in the spinal cord and brain. It can, therefore, be considered a dysfunction of the central inhibitory process of pain control.”
Fibromyalgia’s link to central sensitization

It’s clear that fibromyalgia has mechanisms and pathways associated with central sensitization, he notes. The condition follows similar pathways as other neuropathic pain syndromes, such as complex regional pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis and irritable bowel syndrome.

“All nerves in fibromyalgia patients are more sensitive than they should be — including the brain and spinal cord,” says Dr. Berenger. “Many patients have difficulty with concentration or have hypersensitivity to light, odors or sounds. Some have additional neuropathic pain syndromes or struggle with autonomic dysfunction, such as vasovagal symptoms.”

Central sensitization has been demonstrated in animals and humans by using various triggers (e.g., mustard oil, heat, hypertonic saline injection) to activate nociceptors in skin, viscera or muscle. Sensitization presents as:
Tactile allodynia
Hyperalgesia
Enhanced pressure and thermal sensitivity
Spreading to neighboring nonstimulated sites and remote regions

Increased excitability of spinal cord neurons can cause a series of events:
Increased duration (spontaneous firing) and a growing area of response
Abnormal neuro-anatomical reorganization (new connections between A-beta, A-delta and C fibers, which spread and involve multiple dermatomes)
Diffuse symptoms — which can outlast the stimuli (long-term potentiation)
Newer evidence supports neurogenic claim

In 2014, researchers discovered through skin biopsy that patients with fibromyalgia had lower epidermal nerve fiber density than patients without fibromyalgia. Small fiber neuropathy, therefore, is likely another contributing factor in fibromyalgia pain — and yet more evidence that the condition has neurogenic roots, notes Dr. Berenger.
What this means for treatment

“Most of the drugs used today to treat fibromyalgia — like antidepressants and antiepileptics — are already focused on neurological targets,” says Dr. Berenger.

However, considering fibromyalgia as a central sensitization disorder opens up a larger array of treatment options, he says. Agents active on the central nervous system include:
Sodium channel blockers
Calcium channel blockers
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)
NMDA receptor antagonists
Nerve growth factor (NGF) inhibitors

Low-dose naltrexone is another treatment option on the horizon. One 2013 study found that the drug significantly reduced pain and improved mood and general satisfaction in people with fibromyalgia. Other studies have reported similar positive responses to the drug.
“It’s all in the mind”

Saying that fibromyalgia is “all in the mind” isn’t entirely wrong, concludes Dr. Berenger.

“Pain pathways and centers are in the brain. And we can employ techniques like mindfulness and biofeedback to control pain,” he says. “However, it’s more helpful — and accurate — to consider it a neurogenic disorder.”

https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/2016/03/why-fibromyalgia-is-neuropathic/

IMPACT OF VIOLENT MEDIA ON THE BRAIN DEPENDS ON EACH INDIVIDUALS BRAIN CIRCUITRY

With the longstanding debate over whether violent movies cause real world violence as a backstop, a study published in PLOS One found that each person's reaction to violent images depends on that individual's brain circuitry, and on how aggressive they were to begin with.

The study, which was led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the NIH Intramural Program, featured brain scans which revealed that both watching and not watching violent images caused different brain activity in people with different aggression levels. The findings may have implications for intervention programs that seek to reduce aggressive behavior starting in childhood.

"Our aim was to investigate what is going on in the brains of people when they watch violent movies," said lead investigator Nelly Alia-Klein, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Friedman Brain Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "We hypothesized that if people have aggressive traits to begin with, they will process violent media in a very different way as compared to non-aggressive people, a theory supported by these findings."

After answering a questionnaire, a group of 54 men were split by the research team into two groups -- one with individuals possessing aggressive traits, including a history of physical assault, and a second group without these tendencies. The participants' brains were then scanned as they watched a succession of violent scenes (shootings and street fights) on day one, emotional, but non-violent scenes (people interacting during a natural disaster) on day two, and nothing on day three.

The scans measured the subjects' brain metabolic activity, a marker of brain function. Participants also had their blood pressure taken every 5 minutes, and were asked how they were feeling at 15 minute intervals.

Investigators discovered that during mind wandering, when no movies were presented, the participants with aggressive traits had unusually high brain activity in a network of regions that are known to be active when not doing anything in particular. This suggests that participants with aggressive traits have a different brain function map than non-aggressive participants, researchers said.

Interestingly, while watching scenes from violent movies, the aggressive group had less brain activity than the non-aggressive group in the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region associated by past studies with emotion-related decision making and self-control. The aggressive subjects described feeling more inspired and determined and less upset or nervous than non-aggressive participants when watching violent (day 1) versus just emotional (day 2) media. In line with these responses, while watching the violent media, aggressive participants' blood pressure went down progressively with time while the non-aggressive participants experienced a rise in blood pressure.

"How an individual responds to their environment depends on the brain of the beholder," said Dr. Alia-Klein. "Aggression is a trait that develops together with the nervous system over time starting from childhood; patterns of behavior become solidified and the nervous system prepares to continue the behavior patterns into adulthood when they become increasingly coached in personality. This could be at the root of the differences in people who are aggressive and not aggressive, and how media motivates them to do certain things. Hopefully these results will give educators an opportunity to identify children with aggressive traits and teach them to be more aware of how aggressive material activates them specifically."

When The War On Drugs Hit The Super Bowl

Today's post from statnews.com (see link below) once more focusses on the opioid crisis; an issue that won't go away and has a direct bearing on the lives of many neuropathy sufferers who need strong medications to dampen their pain. This time it's the Super Bowl hitting the spotlight for different reasons than the quality of sport. It was an advertisement trying to elicit sympathy for genuine patients who need opioids to stay sane that caused all the fuss and just goes to show what happens when someone tries to go against the flow of current media opinion. It also shows quite how much issues can be media-driven and that's a dangerous trend, especially when it concerns medical issues that the media has very little understanding of. Whatever the statistics of drug overdose, drug abuse and drug criminality, there is a significant segment of society that needs strong medications to be able to function normally. These people with chronic pain diseases must not be ignored or swept away on a tide of media hysteria. They must be able to have access to the drugs they need - end of story! If there's a problem with criminality and or drug abuse, then tackle that problem but leave the genuine patients alone!

"Well, that's one opinion!'

In the shadow of an opioid crisis, Super Bowl ad spotlights chronic pain patients
By Rebecca Robbins @rebeccadrobbins February 8, 2016

A Super Bowl ad mixed humor and empathy as it introduced the problem of opioid-induced constipation.

Abuse of prescription painkillers has grabbed center stage in conversations about the nation’s opioid epidemic. Presidential candidates talk openly about their relatives’ struggles with addiction. Officials at the state and federal levels ponder ways to restrict the number and dosage of pills doctors can prescribe.

That’s why it was so striking to see a Super Bowl ad that took a different tack: It aimed to stir empathy for patients who truly need the drugs to manage chronic pain.

The 1-minute spot targeted viewers who “need an opioid to manage chronic pain” — and who suffer from a common side effect of the pain relievers, constipation.

Read more: Obama wants $1.1 billion to fight opioid abuse Striking a balance between humor and gravitas, the ad featured a man suffering from the condition who can’t help noticing that everyone else around him can poop: A dog on the street. A woman with toilet paper stuck to her shoe. Even a sugar shaker dispenses crystals with ease.

 

The ad drew sharp rebuke from high-profile observers on social media, who saw it as a tone-deaf commercial play amid a devastating public health crisis.
“Big pharma buys #Superbowl ad to warn about the most pressing effect of opiates: constipation. Thanks. For nothing,” tweeted the police department in Burlington, Vt.

Even White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough weighed in on Twitter: “Next year, how about fewer ads that fuel opioid addiction and more on access to treatment.”

But several advocates for patients with pain saw it differently. They spent months advising drug makers on the ad, and said their goal was simple: to illuminate one of the burdens faced by the patients they represent.
Paul Gileno, president of the US Pain Foundation, was particularly troubled by a coarse tweet from comedian Bill Maher, who joked that the ad seemed to be aimed at “junkies.”

That happens all too often, Gileno said: Patients in persistent, terrible pain are wrongly “labeled as junkies or pill seekers” because they seek relief. Yes, he said, there’s a need to educate people about painkiller abuse. But there’s also a need to remind the public that these drugs have legitimate uses.
“There is a huge need for education on both issues,” Gileno said.

Read more: Opioid crisis drives record overdose deaths 

 “We definitely see both sides of the issue, and both sides need to be dealt with, but we can’t forsake one of the issues,” said Barby Ingle, president of the International Pain Foundation.

The ad didn’t promote a specific medication. Instead, it urged patients to ask their doctor about prescription treatment options for the condition. It also plugged a website that links to information about Movantik, a drug marketed by the ad’s makers, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo.

The spot was directed by Lenny Dorfman, a veteran ad maker with Hungry Man Productions who works on commercials for big-name consumer brands like Nike and Coca-Cola.

Super Bowl ads tend to focus on products and issues that have mass appeal. That’s why, for example, you tend not to see the ads for erectile dysfunction that dominate the airwaves during regular season NFL games.

So it was telling that the advertisers deemed prescription opioid users suffering from a particular side effect to be a large enough market to justify a Super Bowl ad. Thirty-second spots during the game sold for up to $5 million.

Abigail Bozarth, an AstraZeneca spokeswoman, said the company’s goal was to “open the door” for patients with opioid-induced constipation to talk with their doctors, “which provides another important touch point to help ensure opioids are being appropriately used.”

In 2014, prescription opioid pain relievers killed about 19,000 people, up more than threefold since 2001.

This story was updated with more information about the response from local and federal officials to the Super Bowl ad.

Rebecca Robbins can be reached at rebecca.robbins@statnews.com

Follow Rebecca on Twitter @rebeccadrobbins

http://www.statnews.com/2016/02/08/opioid-constipation-super-bowl-ad/ 

Nerve Damage Whats Going On

Very short and simple but very useful for people new to neuropathy, todays post from interohealthcare.com (see link below) sums up nerve damage and which nerves are involved in a nutshell. Thanks to the complex nature of neuropathy, it's so easy to forget the basic details of what's happening to your body. This short article is a useful refresher for everybody living with neuropathy.

Neuropathy and Nerve Damage 
Info from WebMD: Never Damage
 
Your nervous system is involved in everything your body does, from regulating your breathing to controlling your muscles and sensing heat and cold.
There are three types of nerves, or neurons, in the body: 

Autonomic nerves. These nerves control the involuntary or partially voluntary activities of your body, including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation.

Motor nerves. These nerves control your movements and actions by passing information from your brain and spinal cord to your muscles.

Sensory nerves. These nerves relay information from your skin and muscles back to your spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed to let you feel pain and other sensations.

Nerve pain and nerve damage can be mild. But, because nerves are essential to all you do, nerve pain and damage can seriously affect your quality of life.
What Are the Symptoms of Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage?

With nerve damage there can be a wide array of symptoms. Which ones you may have depends on the location and type of nerves that are affected. Damage can occur to nerves in your brain and spinal cord. It can also occur in the peripheral nerves, which are located throughout the rest of your body.

Autonomic nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:
 
inability to sense chest pain, such as angina or heart attack
too much sweating (known as hyperhidrosis) or too little sweating (known as anhidrosis)
lightheadedness
dry eyes and mouth
constipation
bladder dysfunction
sexual dysfunction

Damage to motor nerves may produce the following symptoms: 
 
weakness
muscle atrophy
twitching, also known as fasciculation
paralysis

Sensory nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:
 
pain
sensitivity
numbness
tingling or prickling
burning
problems with positional awareness

In some instances, people with nerve damage will have symptoms that indicate damage to two, or even three, different types of nerves. For instance, you might experience weakness and burning of your legs at the same time.
 
 http://www.interohealthcare.com/conditions-helped-2/nerve-damage/

Neuropathy On Video

Today's post consists of two short videos (from Drs. Marc Spitz and Jennifer Feeny respectively) and is really intended for those new to the disease. They give good descriptions of what's happening to you and what can generally be done about it. The information is by definition limited because of the length of the videos but it will give you a good idea of what you're dealing with. After that, you need to do your own research and most importantly, talk to your doctor or specialist. Making a list of questions you have will help you get as much as possible from a short appointment.

Join The FDA Discussion On Neuropathy

Today's post from nationalpainreport.com (see link below) seems to be a sincere call for neuropathy patients to share their experiences with the FDA (US Food and Drug Authority). Of course it is aimed at US neuropathy patients but there is no reason why the rest of the world can't join in too. After all, the more information a serious medical authority such as the FDA receives, the better its findings will be and the rest of the world will benefit later. There are various ways to react (click on the 'click here' link at the end of the 2nd paragraph) including digitally so everyone with a computer can submit their opinions and experiences. If we're serious about getting the message across that neuropathy needs to be taken seriously then we have to contribute ourselves to the discussion. By the way: The FDA public meeting is today, June 10th 2016

Have Peripheral Neuropathy? Tell the FDA
Posted on June 6, 2016 By Staff

On June 10th, the FDA is convening a Public Meeting on Patient-Focused Drug Development for Neuropathic Pain Associated with Peripheral Neuropathy. The Agency is holding the meeting to address drug development needs and priorities for neuropathic pain associated with peripheral neuropathy.

Richard “Red” Lawhern, PhD emailed The National Pain Report over the weekend to urge people to participate (click here) and share with our readers what he is prepared to tell the FDA. 

For the long term, several experimental drugs or classes of drugs appear to offer potential for enhanced effectiveness in treating chronic pain due to peripheral neuropathy. One of these is CNV1014802, a novel small-molecule Sodium channel blocker specific to the Trigeminal Nerve. The drug was developed by Convergence Pharmaceuticals in the UK and completed Phase II Trials. Convergence was bought by a US company and the status of CNV1014802 is presently unclear. Further work on this agent needs to be accelerated and placed under close NINDS oversight. Authorization for use as an orphan drug should be accelerated.

There are published early reports of effectiveness in pain control from use of Peptides found in spider venoms. Isolation of active agents and testing for safety and effectiveness in humans should receive priority funding.

Despite the legal restrictions still placed on Marijuana, there is ample evidence in patient reports that several strains of this natural plant can be used effectively in pain management for a wide variety of chronic pain conditions including peripheral neuropathy. NIH funding is needed to bring this type of research out of the shadows and integrate it into mainstream medicine. If legislative changes are needed, then seek them soon.

The most important near term outcome that this public meeting can reinforce is recognition that legally prescribed opioid medications play an indispensable role in present treatment of chronic neuropathic pain which is refractory to other therapies. In this context, the recently published CDC voluntary guidelines on prescription of opioids in adult chronic non-cancer pain need to be withdrawn immediately and rewritten to make this role clear — in both peripheral neuropathic pain and many other chronic pain conditions.

In their present form, the CDC guidelines have become a defacto restrictive practice standard that is driving doctors out of pain management, and thousands of patients into unmitigated agony. The basis for the guidelines is also scientifically weak and may have reflected professional or financial self-interest bias on the part of some participants in the Consultants Working Group that supported the writing. Insofar as I can determine, the working group did not include a SINGLE practicing Board Certified pain management specialist who is actively treating patients. Revisions of the guidelines need to reflect a much more patient-centered frame of reference, with explicit recognition that dose levels must be tailored to the individual patient and that effectiveness is highly variable between patients due to genetic factors which make some people poor metabolizers of this class of medication.

http://nationalpainreport.com/have-peripheral-neuropathy-tell-the-fda-8830661.html

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