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Siddhartha enters Baillie Gifford Prize longlist

An Associate Professor of medicine at Columbia University, Mukherjee graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School…reports Asian Lite News

A book by Indian-American cancer physician and researcher Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee has been longlisted for the prestigious 50,000 pound Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in London.

‘The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human’, which is among the 13-book longlist announced on Wednesday, highlights how cellular research has revolutionised medicine, enabling the treatment of life-altering diseases including Alzheimer’s and AIDS.

The judging panel described the 53-year-old Rhodes scholar’s work as his “most spectacular book yet”.

“The cell is the foundational unit of life. Its discovery reshaped our understanding of our bodies and brains as never before. This revolutionised medical practice in the past and, centuries on, holds ever-greater clinical promise for the future, the judges said.

“Mukherjee provides the definitive account of this remarkable cellular story, authoritative yet at the same time personal. He has that rarest of scientific gifts — the ability to pull back the magical curtain of complexities to reveal, like cells themselves, the foundations of life.”

His other works include, ‘The Gene: An Intimate History’, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and ‘The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer’, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction.

An Associate Professor of medicine at Columbia University, Mukherjee graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School.

He has published articles in many journals, including Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, Cell, The New York Times and The New Yorker.

The selection was made from 265 books published between  November 1, 2022 and 31 October 2023 by a panel of judges, which included, Literary Editor of Financial Times, Frederick Studemann (chair); award-winning author Andrea Wulf, theatre critic for The Guardian Arifa Akbar, the writer and historian Ruth Scurr, journalist and critic Tanjil Rashid and Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts Andrew Haldane.

“The books on the longlist share an ability to communicate lucidly and engage with readers in an intelligent and relevant way,” Frederick Studemann, chair of judges, said.

Six finalists for the award will be announced on October 8 in a live event at England’s annual Cheltenham Literature Festival, and the winner will be revealed on November 16 at a ceremony at the Science Museum in London.

Founded in 1999, the prize covers all English non-fiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Last year’s winner was Katherine Rundell’s poet biography “Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne”.

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Intermittent fasting shows potential for Alzheimer’s disease management

Early detection of Dementia.(photo: IANSLIFE)

The researchers tested this strategy in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, feeding the mice on a time-restricted schedule where they were only allowed to eat within a six-hour window each day…reports Asian Lite News

An animal study has shown that it is possible to correct the body’s biological clock in Alzheimer’s patients with time-restricted diets, a type of intermittent fasting focused on limiting the daily eating window without limiting the amount of food consumed.

Nearly 80 per cent of people with Alzheimer’s experience difficulty sleeping and worsening cognitive function at night, confusion in the evenings, and difficulty falling and staying asleep.

A new study from researchers at University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine has shown in mice that it is possible to correct the circadian disruptions seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

In the study, published in Cell Metabolism, mice that were fed on a time-restricted schedule showed improvements in memory and reduced accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain.

The authors say the findings will likely result in a human clinical trial.

“For many years, we assumed that the circadian disruptions seen in people with Alzheimer’s are a result of neuro-degeneration, but we’re now learning it may be the other way around — circadian disruption may be one of the main drivers of Alzheimer’s pathology,” said senior study author Paula Desplats, a professor in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

“Our findings provide the proof-of-concept for an easy and accessible way to correct these disruptions,” she added.

The researchers tested this strategy in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, feeding the mice on a time-restricted schedule where they were only allowed to eat within a six-hour window each day.

For humans, this would translate to about 14 hours of fasting each day.

Compared to control mice who were provided food at all hours, mice fed on the time-restricted schedule had better memory, were less hyperactive at night, followed a more regular sleep schedule and experienced fewer disruptions during sleep.

The test mice also performed better on cognitive assessments than control mice, demonstrating that the time-restricted feeding schedule was able to help mitigate the behavioural symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Anything we can do to help patients restore their circadian rhythm will make a huge difference in how we manage Alzheimer’s in the clinic and how caregivers help patients manage the disease at home,” said Desplats.

The researchers also observed improvements in the mice on a molecular level.

In mice fed on a restricted schedule, the researchers found that multiple genes associated with Alzheimer’s and neuroinflammation were expressed differently.

They also found that the feeding schedule helped reduce the amount of amyloid protein that accumulated in the brain. Amyloid deposits are one of the most well-known features of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Time-restricted feeding is a strategy that people can easily and immediately integrate into their lives,” said Desplats.

ALSO READ-Yoga poses for Alzheimer’s patients

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Yoga poses for Alzheimer’s patients

Yoga and Pranayama can Help Alzheimer’s Patients?(IANSLIFE)

Yoga, meditation and pranayama can bring a much-needed and valuable gift to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease…writes Dr. Rajeev Rajesh

Alzheimers disease is the most common cause of dementia that affects about 5-6% of people in the age group of 65-70 years in India. Research reveals that as the population of India ages, the number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is set to go up to 7.6 million by 2030. While no cure for the disease is yet available, yoga can play a significant role in the prevention and improvement of symptoms in patients. The age-old practice can also enhance the quality of life of both patients and caregivers.

The major benefit with the practice of yoga is that it diminishes stress which can be a highly concerning factor for Alzheimer’s patients. Stress can cause inflammation in the central nervous system and body, hormone dysregulation, over-arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and compromised quality of life. However, with the regular practice of yoga, patients with Alzheimer’s can reduce stress and inflammatory factors that can help them cope more effectively with the body’s stress response.

How Yoga can make a Difference in Alzheimer’s Patients Lives

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that causes the brain cells to die and the brain to shrink. Yoga can help stimulate neuroplasticity of the brain or help it to recover from injuries and form newer connections by engaging its different parts based on the components of practice like pranayama, postures, chanting, visualization and concentration.

In fact, a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2018 concluded that yoga may be an effective and safe intervention to enhance cognitive function in people aged 60 years or older. Other studies have also revealed that yoga practice which involves postures, meditative exercises and pranayama can lead to improved attention and information processing abilities among people. Yoga Poses for Alzheimer’s Patients

Paschimottanasana

Paschimottanasana is a seated forward bend pose that stretches the hamstrings and back muscles by folding the upper body forward over the legs. The pose offers loads of benefits, especially for those suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. One of its biggest health benefits is that it calms the body and relaxes the mind. It also helps in proper blood circulation thereby relaxing the mind and reducing insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Vajrasana

It is the optimal position for blood circulation to flow to the digestive organs, and this gets them functioning effectively. Sitting in vajrasana for long periods of time can have emotional and spiritual benefits and can help keep the mind stable. It also helps the body and the mind get into a meditative state. The regular practice of this pose helps in the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders, hypertension and stress.

Vrikshasana

Since vrikshasana is primarily a balancing pose, it aids in improving balance both physical and emotional. When practised on a regular basis, it creates a sense of calm and equilibrium. Apart from its physical benefits like building hip and leg strength, vrikshasana creates a sense of balance within the body. It also translates into mental wellbeing, building focus and concentration. Other than that, it also helps stabilise the nervous system, making it functional to an optimum. Besides its qualities of enabling mental performance, the pose is also good for self-esteem and to keep depression and mood swings at bay.

Ujjayi Pranayama

In Ujjayi pranayam, practitioners contract the glottis and breathe through the throat. It leads to subtle mental states and can be practised in conjunction with bandhas and meditation. It tends to soothe the nervous system, calm the mind and increase psychic sensitivity. It relieves insomnia, lowers blood pressure and slows down the heart rate. It is a tranquillizing pranayama, but it also has a heating effect, stimulating the process of oxidation.

Meditation Proves to be an Additional Benefit

The ancient practice of meditation has been shown to improve memory and reduce cognitive decline. People with mild cognitive impairment who practised meditation, for instance, demonstrated less atrophy in the hippocampus than those who did not practice meditation. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2017, found that yoga practice that involves asanas, breathing, and meditation leads to improved attention and information processing abilities.

Additionally, caregivers who also practice meditation and yoga remain less stressed and are in a better position to provide optimum care to those suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Yoga, meditation and pranayama can bring a much-needed and valuable gift to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The practices can not only offer stress relief but lead to reduced cognitive decline, improved memory and diminished depression as well as soothed hyper-arousal. However, all these techniques must be practised under the guidance of an expert as if practised incorrectly, it can seriously harm the practitioner.

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