Estrogen and Alzheimer Disease Plausible Theory, Negative Clinical Trial

Article Abstract:

More research is needed to determine whether estrogen can delay or prevent dementia. Estrogen can affect the brain directly because the brain contains two different estrogen receptors. Estrogen may also affect the brain indirectly in other ways. Animal studies have shown that estrogen can improve a rat's ability to learn a maze. However, its effects in humans are less clear. A study of estrogen in women with Alzheimer's disease showed that the hormone did not improve memory or intellectual function.

Health aspects, Care and treatment, Editorial, Evaluation, Hormone therapy, Alzheimer's disease

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Prevalence of reading disability in boys and girls: results of the Connecticut longitudinal study

Article Abstract:

One of the most common neurobehavioral disorders is reading disability. Children who have reading disabilities suffer from a biological problem, but one which is also inseparable from the classroom environment. Diagnosis of reading disability is frequently made on the basis of school identification of the problem. The present study of 414 Connecticut children examined the assignment of this diagnosis to children on the basis of school behavior and on the basis of objective research testing. The results indicate that the prevalence of reading disorders is two to four times more common in boys than girls when made on the basis of school identification. However, when the diagnosis was made on the basis of research identification, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of reading disability between the genders. These data indicate that the mechanism of referral based on school-identification of reading disability is strongly biased. The data suggest that it is unwise to rely solely upon school identification for diagnosis. One possible explanation for this bias is the increased rate of hyperactivity, inattention, decreased dexterity, and poorer behavior of boys compared with girls. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diagnosis, Causes of, Demographic aspects, Reading disability, Reading disorders

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Effect of Estrogen on Brain Activation Patterns in Postmenopausal Women During Working Memory Tasks

Article Abstract:

Estrogen activates certain areas in the brain that are used to store information. Researchers randomly assigned 46 postmenopausal women to take estrogen replacment therapy or a placebo. The women were then given MRI scans to identify changes in blood flow in the brain. Estrogen activated an area of the brain called the inferior parietal lobule when the women processed verbal information and de-activated the area when they processed non-verbal information. It also positively affected another area involved in memory called the right superior frontal gyrus. However, estrogen did not affect the performance of tasks involving memory.

Physiological aspects, Memory, Postmenopausal women

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