The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (10/30, Smeltz) reports that according to two studies published online Oct. 29 in the journal Nature and funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Simons Foundation, “small variations in as many as 1,000 human genes could contribute to the risk of autism.” After analyzing “14,000 genetic samples collected from” children with autism, the youngsters’ parents, and other individuals over the past 15 years, researchers “used the data to count at least 33 genes that have definitive links to autism.”

The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (10/30, Krieger) reports that investigators found that 60 genes “met a ‘high-confidence’ threshold, indicating that there is a greater than 90 percent chance that mutations in those genes contribute to” the risk for autism. According to the Mercury News, “The finding that autism can result from mutations in so many genes suggests that it is not a single condition, but rather an umbrella term for patients with similar sets of conditions.”

Related Links:

— “CMU, Pitt researchers help identify genes that contribute to autism,” Adam Smeltz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 29, 2014.

HealthDay (10/28, Dotinga) reports that according to a study published online Oct. 27 in JAMA Neurology, “a mild concussion after age 65 might” increase the risk for dementia. After analyzing data on some 52,000 California emergency department patients from 2005 to 2011, researchers found that “at 55 and older, moderate to severe brain injury was associated with increased risk of dementia.” However, “by 65 and older, even mild brain injury increased the dementia risk, the study authors said.”

Related Links:

— “,” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, October 27, 2014.

Reuters (10/24, Neumann), citing a paper set for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, reported that researchers led by Joseph Spinazzola determined that psychological cruelty children suffer at the hands of parents or guardians can be as – or more – emotionally damaging than physical and sexual abuse are.

This diagnosis is being overlooked and undertreated relative to physical forms of abuse, said Spinazzola, executive director of the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts. His study drew on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Core Data set to analyze the cases of 5,616 young people with histories of psychological, physical, or sexual abuse.

Related Links:

— “For kids, psychological abuse may leave the deepest scars,” Janice Neumann, Reuters, October 24, 2014.

Reuters (10/25, Lehman) reported that having a connection with an adult at school may be associated with a lower likelihood of fighting and suicide attempts among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students who have been bullied. The findings were published online in the Journal of School Health.

Related Links:

— “Adult support of bullied LGB youths tied to fewer suicide attempts,” Shereen Lehman, Reuters, October 24, 2014.

HealthDay (10/25, Reinberg) reported that two studies published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia suggest that herpes simplex may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In one study, which included approximately “3,500 people followed for an average of 11 years,” investigators “found that having certain antibodies to a herpes infection doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

In the other study, “blood samples were taken from 360 Alzheimer’s patients an average of 9.6 years before being diagnosed with the disease.” Those samples were compared to samples of individuals without the disease. When all of the samples were compared, the investigators saw no link between the virus and Alzheimer’s risk. But, “when they looked only at people who’d had their blood taken at least 6.6 years prior, there was a significant association between the herpes virus and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Related Links:

— “Studies Link Cold Sore Virus to Alzheimer’s Risk,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 24, 2014.

Study: Moderate Alcohol Intake Above Age 60 May Be Good For Memory.
ABC World News (10/23, story 11, 0:20, Muir) reported a new study from several universities tonight has found that light to moderate drinking of two drinks a day for men, one for women, after the age of 60 can stimulate cells in the brain leading to better memory.

The Huffington Post (10/23, Emling) reports researchers “found that light to moderate amounts alcohol consumption was associated with better performance on tests of episodic memory among people in this age group.” The study, published in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, looked at data from more than 600 patients who also underwent a battery of cognitive and memory test. The result were findings of a “larger hippocampus, the part of the brain that’s key to episodic memory – or the ability to recall details of specific events.”

Related Links:

— “The Surprising Health Benefit Of Alcohol For Older Adults,” Shelley Emling, Huffington Post, October 23, 2014.

The New York Times (10/24, A16, Carey, Subscription Publication) reports that according to two studies published Oct. 23 in the journal Depression and Anxiety, “new recruits enter the Army with roughly the same rates of mental problems as their civilian peers, but those disorders can persist for longer amid the demands of service than in civilian life.” To reach these conclusions, researchers drew on the results of two anonymous “surveys of more than 38,000 men and women in basic training.” The findings suggest that “the higher rates of mental problems are rooted in the rigors of service, not in the loosening of enlistment standards.”Related Links:

— “Studies Link Mental Issues and the Rigor of the Military,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, October 23, 2014.

The Denver Post (10/22, Draper) reported on the impact Alzheimer’s disease has on families and workplaces nationwide and in Colorado, focusing in particular on the special needs of people with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Patients with the early-onset form of the disease are often younger adults with families and careers, and such a diagnosis can be devastating to finances and careers.

Four years ago, the Social Security Administration made it easier and faster for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s to get disability benefits by adding the disease to its “Compassionate Allowance” list. People with early-onset Alzheimer’s also have some protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An estimated 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s.

Related Links:

— “Colorado lives, workplaces increasingly robbed by Alzheimer’s disease,” Electa Draper, The Denver Post, October 22, 2014.

The New York Times (10/22, Span) “Well” blog reports that other medical problems can mimic dementia or Alzheimer’s, but fortunately can be improved or reversed. For example, symptoms of chronic depression and alcoholism in an older person may mimic those of dementia. Vitamin deficiencies, anxiety, thyroid deficiency and certain medications may also cause dementia-like symptoms in patients. In general, “dementia tends to develop slowly; family members often realize, in retrospect, that an older person has shown subtle cognitive decline for years,” whereas “when a person’s mental state changes suddenly over a few days or weeks,” clinicians will seek another cause.

Related Links:

— “Is It Really Dementia?,” Paula Span, New York Times, October 21, 2014.

The New York Times (10/21, Brody) “Well” blog reports that teenagers are more likely to be sleep-deprived than any other age group, with studies showing that few get the recommended “eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep each night.” Dr. Judith A. Owens, a pediatric sleep specialist and lead author of “a policy statement issued in August by the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said the lack of sleep is associated with health problems, “risk-taking behavior, depression and suicidal ideation, and car accidents.” The piece notes that early school start times, electronic devices, overscheduling, and parental pressure contribute to the problem.

Related Links:

— “Hard Lesson in Sleep for Teenagers,” Jane E. Brody, New York Times, October 20, 2014.