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Dementia treatments could follow the discovery of mechanisms through which neurones create the 'Mexican waves' needed for logical thinking. Malfunctioning neurone vibrations could be a dementia factor, scientists at Imperial College London and the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research have decided. Dr Claudia Clopath likened these cells to football spectators persuading others to copy their Mexican waves. She said: €We suspect there is a close relationship between the collective vibrations ... and many important cognitive functions. When the vibrations are degraded so that the wave is disrupted, we think it may contribute to neurocognitive disorders.€ The aim is to devise dementia therapy by understanding the vibrations.

HEAD PROTECTION

Drugs that disable part of the immune system could prevent brain damage after head injuries. Immune responses are thought to destroy brain cells because head blows breach the blood-brain barrier, which normally stops substances from leaving capillary vessels and entering brain tissue. Scientists at two centres in Texas limited brain lesions in mice by blocking the immune system component activating T-cells, which attack damaged or infected areas. They suggest this could help to prevent brain damage and protect players in contact sports.

LASERING FOR SIGHT

Laser bursts lasting nanoseconds have shown promise in halting age-related macular degeneration. The lasering significantly reduced drusen, the yellowish retina deposits which are classic early AMD signs. Earlier laser research was stopped after fears that it would damage the retina, whereas this project, at Melbourne University, appeared successful because lasering was brief and low-dose. Further detailed research is expected.

MORE SUN NEEDED

Many men with erectile dysfunction were shown by Milan University scientists to lack vitamin D, largely because of too little sun exposure, a consequence of today's lifestyles. The team said the deficiency may increase production of superoxide ions, which deplete nitrous oxide, a vital free radical that relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow.

THE BEST FATS

The polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish, vegetable oils and some nuts appear to cut coronary disease risks, although reducing the intake of saturated fats or replacing fat with carbohydrates seems ineffective. Researchers at Eastern Finland University studied nearly 2,000 men for more than 20 years in an area where saturated fat consumption is high.

TREATED BY TAI CHI

Exercise programmes of tai chi, already known to benefit people with neurological conditions, significantly improved balance and co-ordination in multiple sclerosis patients and relieved depression and fatigue. The patients had two 90-minute sessions weekly for six months in a study run from Bayreuth University. The researchers recommended larger studies to determine underlying mechanisms and verify the results.

BODY CLOCK EXERCISE

Regular exercise may readjust the body clock, which becomes sluggish with age, disturbing sleep, weakening immunity and causing cognitive decline. Glasgow University researchers saw that older mice whose body clock was confused after their light-dark cycle had been advanced by eight hours returned to normal sooner when given running wheels. Professor Stephany Biello observed: €Our study demonstrates that voluntary exercise has an impact on circadian rhythms and this has implications for the health of older people living with environmentally induced circadian disruption.€