freelance science journalist and author
From Ecos magazine, 15 July 2013: Five years ago, the federal government took what many felt was the visionary step of investing $50 million dollars in the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF). Despite its considerable achievements – which have been hailed globally – NCCARF last month failed to secure continued funding. The initiative … Continue reading Adaptation and race against climate change
From ABC News in Science, 5 August 2013: A study on monkeys has called into question the fundamental assumption that an active neuron is a hungry one; an assumption that underlies brain imaging techniques such as fMRI. Researchers compared levels of neuron activity and the amount of glucose uptake in the primary motor cortex of … Continue reading Trained brains become more efficient
From Ecos magazine, 15 July 2013: Five years ago, the federal government took what many felt was the visionary step of investing $50 million dollars in the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF). Despite its considerable achievements – which have been hailed globally – NCCARF last month failed to secure continued funding. The initiative … Continue reading Adaptation and the race against climate change
From Clinical Neurology News, 19 July 2013: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was associated with an increased risk of cerebral microbleeds – a marker of cerebral small vessel disease – independent of factors such as age, sex, smoking status, and cholesterol levels, according to a prospective, population-based cohort study. “Depression, postural instability, cognitive and functional impairment … Continue reading COPD may boost risk of cerebral microbleeds
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 9 July 2013: Death is a lot like birth. Sometimes it’s a peaceful, even beautiful event that goes according to plan. Sometimes it’s a horrible bloody mess that is utterly beyond all control. Most of the time, it’s a bit of both. We have this idea that death is something … Continue reading Death: what are your choices?
From ABC Environment, 26 June 2013: A ‘VISIONARY’ federally-funded climate change research initiative has come to an end, leaving its extensive network of researchers — many of them recent graduates — pondering an uncertain future. The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) was established in 2008, with a five-year, $50 million mandate to address … Continue reading Climate change adaptation initiative feted and farewelled
From Clinical Neurology News, 25 June 2013: Rasagiline is safe and efficacious as add-on therapy in patients with early Parkinson’s disease whose symptoms are not adequately controlled with dopamine agonist monotherapy, results from a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study suggest. Data from the ANDANTE study showed that adding rasagiline (1 mg/day) to dopamine agonist therapy led … Continue reading Rasagiline added to dopamine agonist has small benefit in Parkinson’s
From Clinical Neurology News, 24 June 2013: Nearly one-quarter of patients decreasing or stopping dopamine agonist therapy experience dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome, and one third of those suffer severe symptoms, according to results from the EuroDaws study. In the prospective, observational study of 51 patients with Parkinson’s disease who were withdrawn from dopamine agonist treatment, … Continue reading Dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome frequency determined prospectively
From Clinical Neur0logy News, 21 June 2013: Patients with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease often show memory impairment and problems with visuospatial function, attention, and executive function, according to a study attempting to characterize the condition. A cohort study assessed 219 patients newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease but without dementia and 99 age-matched controls … Continue reading Criteria identify mild cognitive impairments in Parkinson’s
From Clinical Neurology News, 19 June 2013: Many Parkinson’s disease centers performing deep brain stimulation surgery are not using formal, standardized screening for impulse control disorders in pre- or postsurgical patients, according to a large survey of Parkinson Study Group centers. Deep brain stimulation surgery is known to increase impulsivity, and standard practice is to … Continue reading Improved presurgery impulse control screening needed in Parkinson’s
Bianca Nogrady 