Post 5: The Bibliography Game

Hadjivassiliou, Marios, et al. "Gluten Sensitivity: From Gut To Brain." Lancet Neurology 9.(2010): 318-330. ScienceDirect. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

This article discusses some of the different neurological manifestations celiac disease may cause while also discussing possible reasons behind the manifestations. Half of the article looks at the two most prominent theories behind how celiac disease can cause neurological diseases—this is helpful because my literature review compares and contrasts the two theories.

Kinney, H C, et al. "Degeneration Of The Central Nervous System Associated With Celiac Disease." Journal Of The Neurological Sciences 53.1 (1982): 9-22. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

This article, obtained from the bibliography of the article above it, is a report on a 57-year old man who had developed a “progressive and fatal neurological disorder despite medical and nutritional care” (9).  The study shows how the failure to diagnose this man with celiac disease caused his neurological disorder. Further, this case study supports one of the theories behind the link between celiac disease and neurological disorders—information that may be useful in my literature review.

Morris, J S, A B Ajdukiewicz, and A E Read. "Neurological Disorders And Adult Coeliac Disease." Gut 11.7 (1970): 549-554. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

This article, obtained from the bibliography of the article above it, is an investigation into 30 patients who have been diagnosed with celiac disease and neurological disorders. The study looks at nerve conduction and concludes that people diagnosed with celiac disease have the same nerve conduction rates as people without celiac disease. This information is helpful in my literature review because it also supports the same theory of the article above.

Post 4

I have been finding researching somewhat challenging because I am unacquainted with a majority of specialized medical terminology. Although researching a topic I was previously unaware of has been fun…I don’t know, I love learning new things. Everything is just so fascinating, but enough of that. I am going to write about why gluten has recently been linked to a variety of seemingly unrelated diseases, such as respiratory, musculatory, endocrine, neurological and cancer health concerns.  The realization that gluten can present problems beyond gastrointestinal issues is somewhat of a new conception discovered within the last twenty to thirty years, so ideas and research on how it can cause such a vast array of disorders is still fairly new. After doing some research the most prevalent theory is that, for a number of reasons, gluten causes a break down of the mucosa lining of the intestines, causing toxins to leak into the body. These toxins cause this same sort of break down and leaking in various parts of the body which may explain why gluten can cause so many diseases.  Well, the story is much more complex, but, as far as I understand it, that is the basic jist.  

Post 3

Since health and nutrition related topics are not my specialty (not that I have a specialty!), understanding some of the terminology or charts was difficult at first. But after reading a few articles, I became better acquainted with the “language” and everything became much easier to read and understand. And again, since I’m not terribly familiar with these sorts of topics, I encountered another problem: I was unsure what sorts of information I should include in my paper or where I should look for further research ideas, but luckily my research librarian helped me find some other topics or areas of study related to mine and gave me some ideas on how to intertwine the ideas together. Something else I’ve been finding—much to my chagrin—is that some sources really stink and should not be considered as sources. Ok, perhaps that was irrelevant, but I’ve found some really terrible articles on my topic and their terribleness just made me laugh. I’ve enjoyed researching this topic mostly because I know (or knew) almost nothing about it, and even though I’m unsure how much practical good this paper will afford me or other people, it sounded better than writing another philosophy paper…and how much practical good are those? Eh, who knows? Too much for this blog entry.

Post 2

According to my research, a person falls into one of three categories: gluten intolerant (celiac disease), gluten sensitive, and gluten tolerant. The percent of people with celiac disease continues to rise. Researchers are debating whether more people are getting celiac disease or the diagnoses rate is higher. The other branch of research on celiac disease is concerned with how the disease forms, who gets it, and its effects. The research on gluten sensitivity takes a different route: researchers are debating whether it exists and are running studies to test its existence; and if it does exist, whom does it affect, and why (is it a genetic predisposition or?). For the third group, gluten tolerant, the debate is over whether a gluten free diet is beneficial for all people. Some say no, citing that gluten-free foods are unfortified, unlike most foods containing gluten, and gluten-free foods generally contain more calories. Some say yes, citing the link between new agricultural developments and how they change gluten into a toxin, which researchers have linked to various chronic diseases. I need to continue reading so as to narrow down my thesis.