The sophistication of language abilities attained in a person’s early twenties may predict the risk of developing dementia later in life.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, and is linked to the development of protein plaques and nerve cell tangles within the brain.

scientists have questioned why these signs of damage cause symptoms of dementia in some people, but not in others.

The women had been participants in an ongoing clinical study known as the Nun Study. The researchers discovered that those with good language skills early in life were less likely to have memory problems.

This was found to be true even if signs of dementia damage were observed in the brain.

The researchers also analyzed essays written by 14 of the women during their late teens or early twenties and assessed the complexity of language and grammar contained in them.

Results of this analysis revealed language scores 20 percent higher in women free of memory problems when compared to those women who had suffered memory problems.

The study results also suggested an increased risk for cognitive impairment in people having the APOE4 gene while indicating a protective effect in those having the APOE2 gene.

The researchers are now exploring the possibility of a connection between language skills and these genes.

The mutant strain of H1N1 flu continues to make its mark around the world. As of Monday, May 11 the World Health Organization (WHO) was reporting 4,694 laboratory confirmed cases in 30 countries, including the first in mainland China. However, as Dr. Gordon Dickinson, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Miami VA noted, for every confirmed case there are probably hundreds of unconfirmed cases. Based on a new analysis of confirmed H1N1 cases in Mexico and its international spread, WHO researchers estimate that by late April possibly up to 32,000 people had been infected in Mexico alone.

With 2,618 confirmed cases across 44 states and the District of Columbia, including 94 hospitalizations and three deaths, the U.S. now surpasses Mexico as the country most affected by the outbreak. Most of the new cases in the U.S., according to Dr. Richard Besser, the CDC’s acting director, are now caused by person-to-person transmission and not a link to Mexico, as was the case when the outbreak first began. So far, the majority of the cases have been mild and the deaths linked to the virus occurred in people with multiple underlying health conditions. But Dr. Anne Schuchat, the interim deputy director at the CDC, noted that since many people who become ill don’t seek medical attention and are never tested for this particular strain of flu, “the numbers we are reporting are a minority of the actual infections that are occurring in the country.”

But the CDC and other experts say it’s far too early to breathe a sigh of relief, as the new virus could continue to mutate only to return in a more virulent form in the fall. “It’s too early to say,” Dr. Ghinwa Dumyati, an associate professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “At this point, it doesn’t look like it has sustained transmission, but you don’t know, in the winter, what will happen.”

Ever thought of life without ears!!! Of course, there are people who are leading their life without ears but just think of a movement if your ear stops working. You will surely miss the chirping sounds of birds, soothing sound of wind, refreshing sounds of silent music and so on. Moreover, you will find it difficult to understand what people say and how is your surrounding working. Surely, ear provides lot more than just hearing.

Ear is the only organ that help us in understanding our surrounding by listening to them. Many a times we fail to understand the importance of this vital part of our body. Ear continues working even while you are asleep. Let us learn something about ear and try to give a little care to this auditory organ of our body.

Middle ear is a small air-filled space which is present in the inner side of the eardrum. There are three tiny bones present in this part, known as ossicles. These bones are named according to their appearances: hammer, anvil and stirrup. Sound waves coming through outer ear moves the eardrum and these bones also move passing the vibration to the oval shaped window of the cochlea. The hammer bone lies close to the ear drum. When the sound waves move the eardrum, the hammer bone is automatically shaken. This vibration passes to the anvil and the stirrup bone which are also attached to the cochlea. Due to the size difference between the eardrum and the oval window, the middle ear can efficiently change the vibrations from the outside air to the watery fluid inside the cochlea.

The cochlea contains fluid that can move and bend the hairs present outside the cells. These hairs are very tiny and each ear has more than 17,000 hair cells. The inner hair cells create an electrical impulse which is passed along the auditory nerve to the brain. The outer tiny muscle cells react to the vibrations in the fluid by trembling and shaking. This is how we get stronger and clearer vibrations for the tiny inner hair cells. Rest of the work is accomplished by the brain and we start hearing.

There may be another reason to exercise. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) seems to be more common among the obese and those with larger midsections. RLS can interrupt a good night of sleep, with sensations in your legs that are relieved by adjusting their position. I developed the condition when I was pregnant with both of my children and it was mildly aggravating. My husband said he felt as if he had a “flopping fish” in bed with him. The condition caused me to be very sleep deprived and tired all the time, which researchers say is common with the condition.

RLS affects between 5 and 10 percent of adults throughout the United States. The condition is really noticeable when lying down or resting and is the worst in the evening or overnight. The condition causes uncomfortable leg sensations along with restlessness and the urge to move. The sensations seem to subside with shifting of the legs, but usually will reoccur in a short period causing the sensation to shift the legs again. You may feel as if you have run a marathon during the night when you wake the next morning from all of the troublesome leg shifting.

The study results showed 6.4 percent of the women participants and 4.1 percent of the men participants had RLS. Dr. Gao stated, “We found that obesity was associated with a 40 percent higher risk of having RLS.” He added, “Individuals with a higher waist circumference, a marker for central obesity, are also 60 percent more likely to having RLS relative to those with a low waist circumference.” While risk factors for RLS are still vaguely understood, some research has linked the condition to lower dopamine receptor levels along with heredity and environmental factors. Research has also linked obese patients with having lower levels of dopamine, the chemical that is produced by the body and transmits signals between nerve cells. Dr. Gao said, “Since decreased dopamine function is believed to play a critical role in RLS as well, this could be the link between the two.”