Biomedical subjects

Tiffany Love

Publications and source records attributed to Tiffany Love.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Impact of combined estradiol and norethindrone therapy on visuospatial working memory assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

CONTEXT: Hormones regulate neuronal function in brain regions critical to cognition; however, the cognitive effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy are controversial. OBJECTIVE: The goal was to evaluate the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy on neural circuitry involved in spatial working memory. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was performed. SETTING: The study was performed in a tertiary care university medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Ten healthy postmenopausal women of average age 56.9 yr were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: Volunteers were randomized to the order they received hormone therapy (5 microg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg norethindrone acetate). Subjects received hormone therapy or placebo for 4 wk, followed by a 1-month washout period with no medications, and then received the other treatment for 4 wk. At the end of each 4-wk treatment period, a functional magnetic resonance imaging study was performed using a nonverbal (spatial) working memory task, the Visual Delayed Matching to Sample task. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The effects of hormone therapy on brain activation patterns were compared with placebo. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo condition, hormone therapy was associated with a more pronounced activation in the prefrontal cortex (BA 44 and 45), bilaterally (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hormone therapy was associated with more effective activation of a brain region critical in primary visual working memory tasks. The data suggest a functional plasticity of memory systems in older women that can be altered by hormones.

Brain↗

PubMed2006

Histological and magnetic resonance imaging assessment of cortical layering and thickness in autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: Qualitative reports of the cerebral cortex in a small number of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases have suggested an increase in thickness and disruptions in migration and lamination patterns. METHODS: We examined postmortem ASD individuals and age-matched controls using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate total cortical thickness, and histological samples to evaluate the pattern of cortical layering. RESULTS: Overall, thickness measures from ASD subjects were equivalent to control cases. Individual regions showed marginal but nonsignificant thickness differences in the temporal lobes. Cortical thickness values in ASD subjects decreased significantly with age. Quantitative examination of proportional layer thickness in histological sections indicated that the pattern of cortical layering was largely undisturbed, while qualitative examination of these same samples revealed evidence of cell clustering and supernumerary cells in layer I and the subplate. These features were not severe and were never found in a majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support limited disturbances in cortical cell patterning, but do not indicate a major deficit in the orderly migration of cortical neuroblasts during development, or their subsequent aggregation into the laminar pattern found in typically developing individuals.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Primary sclerosing cholangitis: a case presentation.

Liver function tests are elevated in a variety of settings and with a mild elevation, it is difficult to decipher the cause. Typical causes of elevated liver enzymes may range from hepatocellular injury such as hepatitis C, to obstructive causes, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is known to be associated with inflammatory bowel disease and may be more common than once thought.This article presents case study of a patient who presented with mildly elevated liver function tests and intermittent diarrhea. The patient was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis. The patient's presentation and the relation of inflammatory bowel disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis will be discussed. The importance of early detection of primary sclerosing cholangitis in an effort to decrease the morbidity and mortality from cholangiocarcinoma will also be emphasized. An overview of various diagnostic testing needed to make the diagnosis, as well as treatment modalities of both Crohn's disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis will also be presented.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗