Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, learning and memory problems and even depression, according to scientists.

Studies with mice have revealed that pollution exposure can lead to changes in the hippocampus of the brain, which is responsible for learning and memory.  Mice that were exposed to pollution over a 10 month period took longer to learn information from their surroundings and were less likely to remember what they had learned.

The mice also showed higher levels of anxiety and more depressive-like behaviors than mice who had been kept in clean air.

Researchers speculate that this may be due to the fact that air pollution exposure can decrease the number of signal receptors in the brain and lead to reduced cell complexity.

The researchers expressed concern over what these findings could mean for humans.

“The results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems,” said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.

“This could have important and troubling implications for people who live and work in polluted urban areas around the world.”

Previous research has indicated that air pollution exposure similar in concentration to that found in urban areas causes widespread inflammation in the body and can be linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The inflammation can even be observed in certain areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, which is particularly susceptible to damage.

The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

A blast of gamma radiation could toughen up plastic prosthetic joints to make them strong enough to last for years, according to a new study.

Whole joint replacement, such as hip or knee replacement, typically use stainless steel, titanium alloys or ceramics to replace damaged or diseased bones of the joint, while non-stick polymer or nylon is used to coat the artificial joint to act as cartilage.

The problem is that these materials can produce debris within the body as the joint is used, which leads to inflammation, pain and other problems.

However, in a new study, Chinese researchers have found that blasting the prosthetic joints with a short burst of gamma radiation can protect the materials from breaking and thus prevent debris from contaminating the body.

The researchers added that the treated materials may be more biocompatible and therefore less likely to be rejected by the patient’s immune system when they are implanted in the body.

The structure of the prosthetic joints would also be receptive to the addition of bone-generating cells, osteocytes or stem cells, that could help incorporate the fake joint more naturally into the body.

The study was published in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the severity of brain damage after a stroke, according to a new study.

In experiments with mice, researchers found that consuming DHA type omega-3s, such as those found in fish and specialty egg and dairy products, can reduce the extent of brain damage following a stroke by 25 percent.

The researchers said that effects of stroke were less severe in mice that had been fed a diet rich in omega-3s for three months than in mice fed a different diet. Scans indicated that the brains of mice that were fed omega-3s had less molecules that promote harmful inflammation and more molectules that prevent cell death.

“This is the first convincing demonstration of the powerful anti-inflammatory effect of DHA in the brain,” said Frédéric Calon, study researcher.

The protective effect stems from the ability of DHA to partially replace arachidonic acid in the brain after a stroke, which is characterized by its inflammatory properties.

Though the study was conducted in mice, the researchers are optimistic that the results will translate to humans as well.

“Since DHA is readily available, inexpensive, and reduces the risk of a number of health problems without causing significant side effects, the risk–benefit ratio tends to favor the regular consumption of fish or DHA,” Calon said.

The study was published in the journal Stroke.

Regular exercise could help prevent brain damage from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.

Previous research has already shown that exercise after brain injuries can help repair damaged brain function. This latest study adds to those findings by showing that exercise before the onset of damage can also help protect neurons in the brain.

For the study, researchers from the National Institute of Health did experiments with mice that were exposed to a brain-damaging chemical. The mice that had been exercised regularly before exposure suffered less brain inflammation and did not show the same loss of function as mice that had not been exercised beforehand.

Researchers said that an immune messenger called interleukin-6, which is produced by exercised, helps to dampen harmful inflammation in the brain that leads to brain damage.

“Exercise allows the brain to rapidly produce chemicals that prevent damaging inflammation”, said Professor Jean Harry. “This could help us develop a therapeutic approach for early intervention in preventing damage to the brain.”

Drug-based therapies have so far been less successful in treating inflammation and cognitive decline in older adults and adults with brain-degenerating diseases.

The researchers hope that the finding that exercise can help protect the brain will encourage people to become more active.

The study was published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Arthritis sufferers appear to be at an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

The good news, the researchers reported, is that drugs used to treat the condition are able to reduce that risk.

Researchers followed 400 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers for a period of five years, periodically measuring progression of their disease using markers of inflammation and physical appearance. They also monitored the patients’ treatment regimes.

The results indicated that heart disease and stroke risk corresponded with the intensity of a patient’s arthritis. However, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, which are used to reduce inflammation, helped to mitigate the risk.

“Inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis increases patients risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular events,” the researchers said. “However it is possible to reduce this risk in a two-pronged attack by treating both the inflammation and traditional risk factors for heart disease.”

Other risk factors for heart disease include obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and alcoholism.

The study was published in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Depressed women may be at a greater risk of stroke, according to a new study.

Boston researchers reported that a history of depression was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of total stroke, regardless of other risk factors, among women.

Furthermore, women who used anti-depressant medication, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), had a 29 percent increased risk of stroke. These medications include Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa.
However, the researchers said that the medications may just be an indicator of depression severity, meaning that the pills themselves are not responsible for strokes.

For the study, the researchers followed 80,574 women 54 to 79 years old for a period of 6 years. They assessed depressive symptoms multiple times with a mental health index and inquired into anti-depressant use every two years.

At the start of the study, 22 percent of women were classified as being depressed. The researchers found that the depressed women were more likely to be single, smokers and less physically active.
They were also slightly younger, had a higher body mass index and more coexisting conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

“Depression can prevent individuals from controlling other medical problems such as diabetes and hypertension, from taking medications regularly or pursuing other healthy lifestyle measures such as exercise,” said Kathryn Rexrode, M.D. “All these factors could contribute to increased risk.”
Depression has also been linked with inflammation, which increases the risk of stroke and other brain diseases.

“Regardless of the mechanism, recognizing that depressed individuals may be at a higher risk of stroke may help the physician focus on not only treating the depression, but treating stroke risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and elevated cholesterol as well as addressing lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and exercise,” said An Pan, Ph.D.

The study was published in the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.