Teenagers' brains are fired up by violent video games, while at the same time areas of the brain associated with self control become subdued, say researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Vincent Mathews, head researcher, explained that this study shows, for the first time, that violent video games affect the physiology of the brain and the way it functions. He said the teenagers had increased activity in the amygdala, an area of the brain involved in emotional arousal. "At the same time, they had decreases in activity in parts of the brain which are involved in self-control," he said. Video games are big business - in the USA alone sales hit over $10 billion in 2005. 44 teenagers were randomly asked to either play a violent video game or a non-violent one, for half-an-hour, after which they underwent an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). An fMRI measures changes that take place in the active brain in real time. The teenagers of either group did not differ in age, IQ or gender. They found that those who had played the violent games had more activity going on in the amygdala, as opposed to the teenagers who played the non-violent games (who did not have more activity there). Those playing the violent games also had lower activity in prefrontal areas of the brain - these areas are associated with self control, inhibition and focus (concentration), compared to the non-violent game players (who did not have lower activity there). The researchers said further studies are needed to determine whether these physiological changes make individuals behave more violently. Dr. Mathews presented the findings at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. "Short-term Effects of Violent Video Game Playing: An fMRI Study" Vincent Mathews, M.D., Yang Wang, M.D., Andrew J. Kalnin, M.D., Kristine M. Mosier, D.M.D., Ph.D., David W. Dunn, M.D., and William G. Kronenberger, Ph.D Click here to view abstract online

Beta-blockers should not be routinely used for the treatment of high blood pressure, says the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), UK. NICE is the NHS watchdog for England and Wales.

The new NICE guidance says there are other medications which are better for treating hypertension. 40% of adults in England and Wales suffer from high blood pressure.

(Hypertension = High Blood Pressure)

According to NICE, beta-blockers raise a patient's risk of developing diabetes.

The watchdog stresses that patients must keep taking their beta-blockers until they see their doctors.

The guidance, which was published in 2004, has been updated after NICE and the British Hypertension Society decided that the guidance's section which deals with hypertension medications needed a further update. The hypertension section was supposed to have its next update in three years' time - however, as a result of new research NICE decided to bring this forward.

Recent research carried out in 2004 showed that new drugs were much better at treating high blood pressure. According to NICE, Beta-blockers are not the best drugs around for hypertension, especially for elderly patients.

At present there are about two million patients in the UK who are receiving Beta-blockers for hypertension.

Patients need to know that Beta-blockers are also used for heart failure and angina. The drugs are still indicated for those conditions. The new guidance only refers to the use Beta-blockers for treating hypertension.

The new updaded guidelines include the following:

-- Hypertensive patients aged 55 or more, or Black patients of all ages. First line of choice of initial therapy should be either a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic. (Black patients - does not include patients of mixed race or Asian patients).

-- Hypertensive patients under 55. First choise initial therapy should be an ACE inhibitor ((or an Angiotensin receptor blocker if an ACE inhibitor is not tolerated).

-- If initial therapy was with a calcium channel blocker or thiazide-type diuretic and a second drug is required, add an ACE inhibitor (or an Angiotensin receptor blocker if an ACE inhibitor is not tolerated). If initial therapy was with an ACE inhibitor, add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic.

-- If treatment with three drugs is required, the combination of ACE inhibitor (or an Angiotensin receptor blocker if an ACE inhibitor is not tolerated), calcium channel blocker and thiazide-type diuretic should be used.