Does musical training improve school performance

Abstract In a retrospective study, we compared school performance of 53 children practicing music (group 1) with 67 controls not practicing music (group 2). Overall average marks as well as average marks of all school subjects except sports were significantly higher in children who do (group 1) than in those who do not practice music (group 2). In a multiple regression analysis, musical training, parent's income, and educational level (grades) correlated significantly with overall average marks. A slight decrease of overall average marks over 4 years from grades 3 to 6 was found in the control group only. Musical training evidently correlates with children's better performance at school, but is obviously part of a multifactorial dependence. Continuous musical training appears to help achieve and maintain school performance at a high level over time. Schlaug et al. 1995a, b). Two studies have suggested that this enlargement of cerebral structures might have implications on cognitive functions Keywords In a study which involved random assignment, Schellenberg (2004) even found a positive overall effect of musical training on IQ scores in school children. In 2006, the same author reported positive associations between the duration of music lessons and IQ scores as well as between music lessons and academic performance. These very general associations found in a Torontonian sample of volunteers mark the starting point for our study. We want to find out if (a) Schellenberg's findings can be validated with a representative sample of Bernese (Swiss) children; (b) if musical training is associated with better overall school performance in grades 3 to 6; (c) if this effect is domain-specific or if it is rather general and extending over several school subjects and (d) if the association of music and school performance disappears if socio-economic factors are taken into account as well. In order to provide an in-depth analysis of school performance and thus extending the findings by Schellenberg (2006), we evaluated average marks per school subject in addition to overall average marks. Data of four different grades were analyzed in order also to estimate the association between the duration of musical training and school performance. Method

Folic Acid and Epilepsy

Folic acid has been a topic of discussion within the epilepsy community for several decades. Folic acid was initially suspected to be epileptogenic 1, but that concern has been resolved, as research has demonstrated that folic acid in less than supraphysiologic concentrations does not promote seizures. Epileptologists are now concerned that folic acid may be too low in persons with epilepsy taking some antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Low serum and red blood cell levels of folic acid in women of childbearing potential increase the risk of fetal birth defects. For men and women, low levels of folic acid are associated with elevated homocysteine and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. A convincing argument now develops that routine folic acid supplementation is important for women and men receiving AEDs

Metabolic fate of desomorphine elucidated using rat urine, pooled human liver preparations, and human hepatocyte cultures as well as its detectability using standard urine screening approaches.

Desomorphine is an opioid misused as "crocodile", a cheaper alternative to heroin. It is a crude synthesis product homemade from codeine with toxic byproducts. The aim of the present work was to investigate the metabolic fate of desomorphine in vivo using rat urine and in vitro using pooled human liver microsomes and cytosol as well as human liver cell lines (HepG2 and HepaRG) by Orbitrap-based liquid chromatography-high resolution-tandem mass spectrometry or hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. According to the identified metabolites, the following metabolic steps could be proposed: N-demethylation, hydroxylation at various positions, N-oxidation, glucuronidation, and sulfation. The cytochrome P450 (CYP) initial activity screening revealed CYP3A4 to be the only CYP involved in all phase I steps. UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UGT) initial activity screening showed that UGT1A1, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, UGT1A10, UGT2B4, UGT2B7, UGT2B15, and UGT2B17 formed desomorphine glucuronide. Among the tested in vitro models, HepaRG cells were identified to be the most suitable tool for prediction of human hepatic phase I and II metabolism of drugs of abuse. Finally, desomorphine (crocodile) consumption should be detectable by all standard urine screening approaches mainly via the parent compound and/or its glucuronide assuming similar kinetics in rats and humans

Differential role of the carboxy-terminus of the A2B adenosine receptor in stimulation of adenylate cyclase, phospholipase Cβ, and interleukin-8

In human mast cells and microvascular endothelial cells, the A2B adenosine receptor controls at least three independent signaling pathways, i.e., Gs-mediated stimulation of adenylate cyclase, Gq-mediated stimulation of phospholipase Cβ, and Gs/Gq-independent upregulation of IL-8. Functional analysis of cells transfected with full-length and truncated receptor constructs revealed that the A2B receptor C-terminus is important for coupling to Gs and Gq proteins. Removal of the entire cytoplasmic portion in the A2B receptor C-terminus rendered it incapable of stimulating adenylate cyclase and phospholipase Cβ. Conversely, removal of the distal 16 amino acids facilitated signal transduction from the receptor to the downstream Gs but not Gq proteins. However, the A2B receptor C-terminus is not essential for upregulation of IL-8. Analysis of chimeric A2A/A2B receptors demonstrated that only chimeras containing the third intracellular loop of the A2B receptor mediated agonist-dependent IL-8 reporter stimulation, suggesting that this domain is important for upregulation of IL-8