Chronic Bits 

WebMD reports that the FDA has approved Orencia for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The drug belongs to a new class of medications to treat RA. Check out full coverage by WebMD, or get the technical scoop from manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Woohoo! That means the Editrix's brain must be humungous, yes? Oh, we already knew that. Hehe. Seriously, the study appears in the January issue of  the Journal of Neurochemistry, and reports that different kinds of antidepressants help serotonin-sensitive cells "sprout." Read on for more from WebMD.

It's that time of year - when folks with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) start to really feel its effects. Check out this great resource from the Mayo Clinic to learn more about SAD, its causes and treatments, and ways to cope. The Editrix found this resource through the clinic's Housecall e-newsletter; click here for more info or to subscribe.

Just for fun, get your cute fix here. Even boys like the Editrix's hubby Steve say "awwwwww" every time. (And fyi, kawaii na = "so cute!" in Japanese...)

The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) recently announced that a study on the narcolepsy drug Xyrem (sodium oxybate) significantly reduces pain and improves sleep in people with fibromyalgia. “This study will provide significant hope for patients searching for ways to effectively manage the chronic pain of this severe disorder,” says Lynne Matallana, president and founder of the NFA. Get all the details from the NFA here, or get more technical scoop directly from Jazz Pharmaceuticals here.

Women taking the Pill (oral contraceptives) are 40% less likely to have multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research from the Harvard School of Public Health. As reported by the BBC, risk was also reduced during pregnancy, but then elevated in the six months after pregnancy, compared with women who weren't pregnant. Read on for more details from BBC News. And here's an abstract of the study, published in the Archives of Neurology.

New research shows that some people can learn how to control their pain, through watching images of their brain while exercising pain management techniques. Read on for full coverage from WebMD. And check out further coverage from Wired. (thanks, James!)

Increased levels of a protein that responsible for persistent pain may result from an inflamed injury, and create a chronic pain situtation, according to research by staff at the University of Toronto. The lead author of the study says this finding may help in future treatments of chronic pain disorders like allodynia. Read full coverage from Medical News Today, or check out an abstract of the study here.

Proteins in spinal fluid may point to the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to James Baraniuk, MD, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. "This ushers in a whole new era for identifying [and] recognizing the legitimacy of these disorders,' Baraniuk told WebMD. Read on for more info.

Reuters reports that a scientist who played a role in discovering HIV is working on a vaccine which could be in trials in about a year. This based on recent animal-based research.

A new study in The Journal of Immunology reports that glucosamine, a supplement typically used to treat joint pain in people with arthritis, may help fight multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers examined mice. Check out the full story from WebMD.

A new study by the Radiological Study of North America shows that women are not always receiving the correct dosages of medications injected into their heinies.  In fact, in 68% of injections, "the amount of fat tissue overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly used for these injections," according to the study's lead author Victoria O. Chan, M.B. Get extensive coverage from Medical News Today, or get the scoop straight from the RSNA. If you've got a tushy, talk to your doc about this new research!

Wondering if you should be taking a medication? Try Panexa: "a prescription drug that should only be taken by patients experiencing one of the following disorders: metabolism, binocular vision, digestion (solid and liquid), circulation, menstruation, cognition, osculation, extremes of emotion." Make sure to read the supplementary info for squirrels.