Latest news with #King's
India.com
4 hours ago
- Health
- India.com
Oral And Gut Bacteria Linked To Worsening Dementia In Parkinsons: New Study Reveals Shocking Connection
New Delhi: Bacteria in the mouth and gut may play a significant role in the progression of cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease, according to a study. Specific changes in the gut microbiome have been associated with the shift from mild memory issues to dementia, a common and distressing symptom of the disease. While Parkinson's is currently very difficult to diagnose in its early stages, these changes in the microbiome could potentially act as early warning signs of Parkinson's, said the researchers from King's College London. It may help doctors detect and treat the disease before symptoms become severe. "The human gut and oral bacterial communities are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Disruptions in the gut-brain axis could trigger inflammation and immune responses that contribute to neuronal damage,' said Dr. Saeed Shoaie, group leader of the Quantitative Systems Biology (QTS) Lab at King's College London, UK. In the study, published in the journal Gut Microbes, researchers analysed gut and mouth bacteria collected from 228 samples of stool and saliva. This included two groups of patients with Parkinson's -- those with mild cognitive decline and those with dementia -- showing different stages of the disease. These were compared with a healthy control group with no Parkinson's diagnosis. The results showed clear differences in the types and functions of bacteria between the groups. In people with cognitive impairment, the gut contains more harmful bacteria, many of which likely come from the mouth. This process, known as "oral-gut translocation," involves oral bacteria moving into the gut, where they don't normally belong. These bacteria were found to release specific molecules known as virulence factors, toxins that can damage gut tissue, promote inflammation, and possibly affect the brain. "We don't yet know if the bacteria are causing the cognitive decline or if changes in the body due to Parkinson's allow these bacteria to grow. But our findings suggest they may play an active role in worsening symptoms," said Dr. Frederick Clasen, research associate at King's. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the team linked these toxins specifically to cognitive decline in Parkinson's. These tools helped pinpoint bacterial species and functions that weren't obvious by traditional analysis alone. "These toxins could be used as biological markers to identify patients at higher risk of dementia in Parkinson's. In the future, they might also be targets for new treatments that protect the brain by changing the gut environment," Dr. Clasen explained. The findings also highlight the importance of oral hygiene and nutrition in people with Parkinson's, especially as the disease progresses.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
ADHD is not really on the rise, study suggests
ADHD is not rising despite public perception that cases are increasing, a study suggests. Researchers at King's College London found little evidence to suggest that the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was getting worse, and said many studies suggesting an increase were of too low quality to be trusted. Dr Alex Martin, lecturer in psychology at King's, said: 'The media has been concerned about a 'surge' in ADHD diagnoses for several years. 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture. 'The best data we have suggests that there has been no meaningful increase in ADHD prevalence, but most of the research is too biased to draw conclusions from.' Anecdotal reports suggest that the UK has had an unprecedented rise in the number of children and adults seeking support for ADHD, with significant backlogs of people currently awaiting assessment. The demand for ADHD diagnoses has exacerbated pressures on the NHS, with a survey by the Pensions Committee in 2023 finding that about one in four people faced delays of two years while one in 10 waited 10 years for an assessment. There were fears that the Covid pandemic and social media may have exacerbated the problem, with many more youngsters experiencing mental health issues during lockdowns. But while calls for assessments are growing, there is little evidence to suggest it was leading to a rise in the overall prevalence of the condition, the study found. The team discovered that studies suggesting ADHD rates were rising were of low quality, using self-reporting surveys, or reported symptoms from parents and teachers, rather than actual clinical diagnoses. Researchers said that the demand for assessments might be driven by increased awareness, rather than more cases. Between January and May last year, there were 25,080 media articles published on ADHD compared with 5,775 articles in the same period in 2014. The growth of the 'neurodiversity movement' may also have played a role in raising the profile of the condition and encouraging more people to seek help. Edmund Sonuga-Barke, professor of developmental psychology at King's, said: 'The neurodiversity movement, with its concentration on personal lived experience and self-compassion as the ultimate reference point for decision-making, is likely driving cultural change. 'In this regard, it's potentially increasing rates of self-referral among adolescents and adults.' In the UK, it's estimated that ADHD affects about 3-5 per cent of children and adults. The US has far higher rates, with nearly 12 per cent of youngsters diagnosed with the condition. This has led to a crackdown by the Trump administration on over-prescribing of ADHD drugs to youngsters. Prof Sonuga-Barke said US and UK rates were likely to be similar and he agreed there should be an investigation. 'I think the prevalence of ADHD is very similar in the US and the UK,' he said. 'I think there's grounds for an investigation to the impact of the prescriptive prescribing rates in the States.' A recent BBC investigation suggested that at least 196,000 adults were on NHS waiting lists for ADHD researchers said that greater awareness of the condition might also mean that young people are now using the term ADHD as 'language of distress', to signal they are struggling, even though they do not have the condition. Prof Phillip Shaw, director of the King's Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People at King's, said: 'There's both an increased recognition and less stigma around ADHD, which means that people are increasingly coming forward for assessment. 'My hunch is that there's such a huge awareness of ADHD that it's often used as a language of distress. 'It's sometimes used, I suspect, by young people who are expressing that they are struggling, particularly at school, and need help.' This study was funded by NHS England and was conducted by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Taieri College claim first win of season
Taieri College upset King's 2nds to record their first win for the season in the Southern Schools Rugby Championship. It is a coup for the co-educational school, who have found themselves on the wrong side of some lopsided scores throughout the years. But not on Saturday. They battled into a strong breeze at King's to trail 14-12 at the break. They owned the second half, running in three tries and adding 17 unanswered points to record a 29-14 win. New coach Zane McTainsh was thrilled with the result. He started the year as an assistant but found himself elevated to the top role when veteran coach Murray Roulston pulled the pin after a couple of weeks. Beating a 2nd XV at one of the big schools is a huge deal for Taieri. "It gives us a bit of belief that we can compete, at least, against a few of these big teams," McTainsh said. Powerhouse loosehead Charlie Such was phenomenal. "His post-contact metres were enormous for us." No 8, Kupa Richmond, did some heavy lifting and tighthead Connor Jopson rolled up his sleeves as well. Halfback Liam Lord was tidy. And centre Sam Robertson looked energetic and scored a cracking try in the second half. In the other matches in the maroon pool, Mount Aspiring edged Cromwell 29-24 in Cromwell and Wakatipu beat Otago Boys 2nds 20-17 at Littlebourne. Southland Boys' remain unbeaten in division 1. They rolled King's 38-12 in Invercargill and the school's 2nd XV edged Dunstan 8-7. Otago Boys' rollercoaster season took another dip. They were defeated 29-26 by John McGlashan at John McGlashan College. In the blue pool, Māruawai/Menzies held on to beat John McGlashan 2nds 12-10 in Wyndham, St Kevin's travelled across town and beat rival Waitaki Boys' 15-12 and Central Southland recorded a 15-7 win in Winton.
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Young gun Bombers goalsneak told to defend first
Before attack, think defence. It's the counter-intuitive advice that Peter Wright says will turn things around for fellow Essendon forward Isaac Kako. The highly-rated Bombers young gun has played 10 games in his debut AFL season, but last kicked a goal in round eight. Ahead of their King's Birthday eve clash on Sunday night against fierce rivals Carlton, Wright said the rewards will come for Kako as the youngster develops his game. "Clearly Isaac is someone with just a tremendous amount of talent. For him, it's just bringing that real defensive mindset," Wright said. "That's how small forwards get into the game - that chase pressure, those tackles. "Obviously we want the ball in his hands as much as we can, because he's able to create so much. "But if he can just bring that consistent pressure, the rest of his game will flow from that." The Bombers are a game plus plenty of percentage outside the top eight, while Carlton similarly need a win at 4-7. Essendon lost no friends with last Thursday night's narrow loss to Brisbane and that is the effort they must bring against the Blues. They are unlikely to regain key defenders Ben McKay and Zach Reid to help quell a Carlton attack led by key forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. But Wright said Essendon showed against Brisbane that with the proper intent and system, they can add to Carlton's well-documented woes in attack. "We showed how we were able to handle that," Wright said of their personnel woes. "Our back six held up really well, playing more assertive and that team side of our defence showed through. "We'll make do in the meantime. "The fight we showed was really promising. It was the way we wanted to play." Before attack, think defence. It's the counter-intuitive advice that Peter Wright says will turn things around for fellow Essendon forward Isaac Kako. The highly-rated Bombers young gun has played 10 games in his debut AFL season, but last kicked a goal in round eight. Ahead of their King's Birthday eve clash on Sunday night against fierce rivals Carlton, Wright said the rewards will come for Kako as the youngster develops his game. "Clearly Isaac is someone with just a tremendous amount of talent. For him, it's just bringing that real defensive mindset," Wright said. "That's how small forwards get into the game - that chase pressure, those tackles. "Obviously we want the ball in his hands as much as we can, because he's able to create so much. "But if he can just bring that consistent pressure, the rest of his game will flow from that." The Bombers are a game plus plenty of percentage outside the top eight, while Carlton similarly need a win at 4-7. Essendon lost no friends with last Thursday night's narrow loss to Brisbane and that is the effort they must bring against the Blues. They are unlikely to regain key defenders Ben McKay and Zach Reid to help quell a Carlton attack led by key forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. But Wright said Essendon showed against Brisbane that with the proper intent and system, they can add to Carlton's well-documented woes in attack. "We showed how we were able to handle that," Wright said of their personnel woes. "Our back six held up really well, playing more assertive and that team side of our defence showed through. "We'll make do in the meantime. "The fight we showed was really promising. It was the way we wanted to play." Before attack, think defence. It's the counter-intuitive advice that Peter Wright says will turn things around for fellow Essendon forward Isaac Kako. The highly-rated Bombers young gun has played 10 games in his debut AFL season, but last kicked a goal in round eight. Ahead of their King's Birthday eve clash on Sunday night against fierce rivals Carlton, Wright said the rewards will come for Kako as the youngster develops his game. "Clearly Isaac is someone with just a tremendous amount of talent. For him, it's just bringing that real defensive mindset," Wright said. "That's how small forwards get into the game - that chase pressure, those tackles. "Obviously we want the ball in his hands as much as we can, because he's able to create so much. "But if he can just bring that consistent pressure, the rest of his game will flow from that." The Bombers are a game plus plenty of percentage outside the top eight, while Carlton similarly need a win at 4-7. Essendon lost no friends with last Thursday night's narrow loss to Brisbane and that is the effort they must bring against the Blues. They are unlikely to regain key defenders Ben McKay and Zach Reid to help quell a Carlton attack led by key forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. But Wright said Essendon showed against Brisbane that with the proper intent and system, they can add to Carlton's well-documented woes in attack. "We showed how we were able to handle that," Wright said of their personnel woes. "Our back six held up really well, playing more assertive and that team side of our defence showed through. "We'll make do in the meantime. "The fight we showed was really promising. It was the way we wanted to play."
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Taieri 2nd XV claim first win of season
Taieri College upset King's 2nds to record their first win for the season in the Southern Schools Rugby Championship. It is a coup for the co-educational school, who have found themselves on the wrong side of some lopsided scores throughout the years. But not on Saturday. They battled into a strong breeze at King's to trail 14-12 at the break. They owned the second half, running in three tries and adding 17 unanswered points to record a 29-14 win. New coach Zane McTainsh was thrilled with the result. He started the year as an assistant but found himself elevated to the top role when veteran coach Murray Roulston pulled the pin after a couple of weeks. Beating a 2nd XV at one of the big schools is a huge deal for Taieri. "It gives us a bit of belief that we can compete, at least, against a few of these big teams," McTainsh said. Powerhouse loosehead Charlie Such was phenomenal. "His post-contact metres were enormous for us." No 8, Kupa Richmond, did some heavy lifting and tighthead Connor Jopson rolled up his sleeves as well. Halfback Liam Lord was tidy. And centre Sam Robertson looked energetic and scored a cracking try in the second half. In the other matches in the maroon pool, Mount Aspiring edged Cromwell 29-24 in Cromwell and Wakatipu beat Otago Boys 2nds 20-17 at Littlebourne. Southland Boys' remain unbeaten in division 1. They rolled King's 38-12 in Invercargill and the school's 2nd XV edged Dunstan 8-7. Otago Boys' rollercoaster season took another dip. They were defeated 29-26 by John McGlashan at John McGlashan College. In the blue pool, Māruawai/Menzies held on to beat John McGlashan 2nds 12-10 in Wyndham, St Kevin's travelled across town and beat rival Waitaki Boys' 15-12 and Central Southland recorded a 15-7 win in Winton.
