Scientists have developed a high-tech plaster that's stuck to the back of the knee, which could lower the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots in the leg following surgery. The plaster generates electronic pulses that stimulate a nerve, the common peroneal nerve, in the back of the knee, the Daily Mail reported. This nerve is responsible for making muscles in the calf, shin and foot contract. Once the Geko has been turned on, the nerve sends signals to the muscles deep in the leg, causing them to contract every few seconds. By zapping the nerve every few seconds for up to 30 hours at a time - until its battery runs out - the plaster triggers "micro contractions" that ensure blood is kept moving round the body, rather than collecting in the lower leg. This "pooling" of blood is what causes the dangerous clotting that claims an estimated 25,000 lives every year in the UK. A DVT is a blood clot in a vein, usually in the leg. It's most commonly associated with immobility, such as on a long-haul flights. The most common cause is an operation that lasts for more than an hour (through a combination of immobility and the blood becoming sticky as a result of illness). When we walk, the pressure on the foot and the contracting of our calf muscles helps pump blood from the legs back up to the heart. Without this action, blood starts to "pool" in the legs. Clots can form and parts break off, becoming lodged in small blood vessels in the lungs, causing a deadly condition called a pulmonary embolism. To prevent DVTs, patients who have had major surgery are currently given blood-thinning drugs, compression stockings or air-filled 'wraps' around the leg that squeeze the blood vessels. The latest device, called the Geko, is disposable, battery-powered and no bigger than a wristwatch. It has been developed by British firm Sky Medical Technology in conjunction with doctors and researchers at St Bartholomew's Hospital and Queen Mary University, both in London. It looks like a cross between a watch and a plaster. The larger "watch" part at one end houses a power unit, battery and an on/off button.The power unit is connected to two electrodes, which run the length of the strap. To use the device, a doctor peels off a protective strip to reveal a sticky gel, which not only helps fix the device to the back of the knee but also helps conduct the electrical pulses through the skin to the peroneal nerve. Once the Geko has been turned on, the nerve sends signals to the muscles deep in the leg, causing them to contract every few seconds. They squeeze the blood vessels and blood is pumped back up towards the heart, instead of lying still in the lower leg. Doctors can tell if the power is sufficient because the calf and foot visibly twitch when the muscles contract. The patient feels the muscles twitching but there is no pain. (ANI), Source: News Track India
New high-tech plaster to reduce risk of blood clot post surgery
Scientists decode why love makes us nervous and unstable
Researchers have mapped the chemical changes that occur in a person's brain when he falls in love and discovered the areas that activate and shut down during the heady days of courtship. Scanning technology allows neurologists to unravel the mystery of why love can turn us giddy, irrational and even ridiculous and make us nervous and unstable. Researchers hope it may also one day reveal why a few of us might overstep the mark when dealing with the object of our affections, the 'Daily Mail' reported. They found the frontal cortex, vital to judgement, shuts down when we fall in love. MRI scans show this de-activation occurs only when someone is shown a photo of the person they adore, causing them to suspend all criticism or doubt. "When you look at someone you are passionate about, some areas of the brain become active. But a large part is de-activated, the part that plays a role in judgement," Semir Zeki, professor of neuro-aesthetics at University College London, said. Zeki believes the brain may behave in this way for "higher biological purposes" - it makes reproduction more likely. If judgement is suspended, the most unlikely pair can get together and reproduce. Studies have shown brain chemical dopamine is at higher levels in those in love, the report said. Dopamine is key to our experiences of pleasure and pain, linked to desire, addiction, euphoria, and a surge may cause such acute feelings of reward that it makes love hard to give up. Tests show that taking opioid drugs such as cocaine have a similar effect on dopamine as love. A side effect of rising dopamine levels is a reduction in another chemical, serotonin, a key hormone in our moods and appetite. Serotonin levels may fall in a similar way to those seen in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, explaining why love can make us feel anxious and jittery. According to researchers, the love chemical we are most familiar with is adrenaline. This hormone is behind why our heart races, palms sweat and mouth goes dry when we see the person we like. The same hormone is also released when we are frightened. This means that two people only vaguely attracted to one another can fall madly in love if they go through an exciting or scary experience together. Researchers said it may also explain the lure of forbidden love. Source: Indian Express
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
