Neuroimmunology of the female brain across the lifespan: Plasticity to psychopathology.

The female brain is highly dynamic and can fundamentally remodel throughout the normal ovarian cycle as well as in critical life stages including perinatal development, pregnancy and old-age. As such, females are particularly vulnerable to infections, psychological disorders, certain cancers, and cognitive impairments. We will present the latest evidence on the female brain; how it develops through the neonatal period; how it changes through the ovarian cycle in normal individuals; how it adapts to pregnancy and postpartum; how it responds to illness and disease, particularly cancer; and, finally, how it is shaped by old age. Throughout, we will highlight female vulnerability to and resilience against disease and dysfunction in the face of environmental challenges.

Medical evaluation of African American women entering drug treatment.

This study examined the records of 252 admissions to an inpatient drug rehabilitation program for African American women between July 1989 and July 1991 to determine the prevalence and treatability of the medical conditions found on screening evaluation. All but 0.7% of subjects were on General Relief, Medicare, Medicaid, or had no payment source. The results showed a high prevalence of problems related to life style such as sexually transmitted diseases, anemia, and dental disease. Significant medical illness such as heart disease, abdominal surgical conditions, and breast masses were also found along with a high level of somatic discomfort of a subacute nature. Only 58% of patients referred to specialists kept the initial appointment. These results suggest that medical evaluation of impoverished African American women seeking rehabilitation for addiction may reveal many other health problems but that non-compliance severely limits the effectiveness of treatment. The role of the medical screening evaluation in determining fitness to participate in an inpatient program, detecting undiagnosed medical conditions, and patient education is discussed.