Good News Regarding Depakote

If you are one of the many bipolar individuals who, like me, take a form of Depakote (valproic acid or VPA) to manage your moods, here’s some potentially good news. A recent research study on mice indicated that valproate may prevent and/or treat Alzheimer’s disease. A hallmark finding in Alzheimers is the presence of plaques on brain cells. These plaques are made of amyloid beta-protein, a substance that is not fully understood at this time. However, the research with mice suggests that VPA inhibits the formation of this protein.
If this finding holds true for humans as well, then those of us who take Depakote will get an extra bonus as it reduces our chances of developing Alzheimer’s!

And they’re off!

NaNoWriMo has officially begun! I have 2095 words under my belt — er, actually on the computer screen — at present. The calendar doesn’t show it because their verification robots are not online yet. Still, I’m feeling good so far. I did spend some time planning it out. And of course being hypomanic doesn’t hurt, hehe.

This is the front cover — so far at least. I think it’s a little cheesy myself.

Finally, here’s an icon I got off LJ: