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The study suggests that mindfulness training can be an effective means of managing the emotional volatility that affects many people with MS. It may also improve mental processing speed. Studies suggest that 30-50% of [people with MS] experience some form of psychiatric disorder. Anything we can do to help them cope is important for their quality of life., says Ruchika Prakash. Mindfulness is a stress reduction practice with a long history. It involves a person paying greater conscious attention to the present moment with acceptance and without judgment. During mindfulness, people learn to focus on breathing and remaining consciously aware of the feelings in their bodies. The original study looked at the benefits of mindfulness training for people with MS. The scientists found that individuals who had received mindfulness training were better equipped to regulate their emotions than people from either of the other groups.
(Credits: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

Early intervention with medications and mental exercises can, potentially, slow the development of the disease, but it can be difficult for doctors to make a definitive diagnosis. There are no clear biological signs, or biomarkers, of Alzheimer's. Instead, doctors rely on indications of cognitive decline and, sometimes, brain scans. Now, biomedical engineers at Duke University, in Durham, NC, have hit upon a technique that combines two existing technologies to detect signs of the disease in the retina at the back of the eye. In a mouse model of Alzheimer's, researchers discovered that the topmost layer of the retina is rougher and more disordered than in mice without the disease.Our hope is that we can use this insight to create an easy and cheap screening device that wouldn't only be available at your doctor's office but at places like your local pharmacy, as well, says Adam Wax, a professor of biomedical engineering at Duke and the senior author of the study, which was led by graduate student Ge Song. Before the technology can be rolled out in clinics, however, the researchers will need to demonstrate that their multimodal imaging device can reliably differentiate between indications of Alzheimer's, other diseases that affect the retina, and regular aging.
(Credits: www.medicalnewstoday.com)