Newsline — Thursday, July 11, 2013 13:00
TED Talk: A Map of the Brain
Study Reveals New Hints to Cause of Narcolepsy
Thursday, July 11, 2013 9:00
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have found new clues to the cause of narcolepsy, a disorder marked by uncontrollable periods of deep sleep. The study, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, revealed that those suffering from narcolepsy have 65 percent more brain cells with the chemical histamine. The excess of the chemical results in a loss of hyporcretin cells which elevates mood and alertness. Click here to read the full story.
TED Talk: Your Brain is More Than a Bag of Chemicals
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 13:00
From Ted.com: Modern psychiatric drugs treat the chemistry of the whole brain, but neurobiologist David Anderson believes in a more nuanced view of how the brain functions. He illuminates new research that could lead to targeted psychiatric medications — that work better and avoid side effects. How’s he doing it? For a start, by making a bunch of fruit flies angry. If you cannot view the video above, click here.
Managing Brain Tumors to Maintain Quality of Life: Florida Researcher Recognized for Treatment Approach
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 9:00
A Florida researcher is being recognized for shifting focus from destroying brain tumors to managing them instead. Eric Laywell, a professor at Florida State University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, is exploring a means to improve patients’ quality of life, a known casualty in aggressive cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. “If the patient can get past the idea that they have a tumor that’s never going away, but it is being managed, they’ll essentially be healthier, and probably happier, too,” Laywell says. Click here to read the full story.
Bookworms and Brain Health? Study Suggests Lifetime Reading, Writing Ensures Brain Power in Old Age
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 13:00
Reading, writing and engaging in other brain-stimulating activities may help to preserve memory and brain health in old age. This finding comes from a study conducted by a team at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study found that those who engaged in mentally stimulating activities throughout their lives demonstrated a slower rate of decline in memory than individuals who did not. Click here to read the full article.
TED Talk: A Look Inside the Brain in Real Time
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 10:53
From Ted.com: Neuroscientist and inventor Christopher deCharms demonstrates a new way to use fMRI to show brain activity — thoughts, emotions, pain — while it is happening. In other words, you can actually see how you feel. If you are unable to view the video above, click here.
Study Shifts Conventional Belief on How the Brain is Wired
Monday, July 8, 2013 13:00
A study conducted by Columbia University’s Department of Neuroscience has found that sensory information travels to two places in the brain, its mid-layer and into its deeper layers. These findings shift conventional beliefs about how the brain is wired and could lead to new understandings about how the brain processes a person’s thoughts, decisions and actions. Click here to read the full article.
Brain’s Circuit Structure Unveiled in High-Resolution Mapping Technique
Monday, July 8, 2013 9:16
As noted in the latest issue of Neuron, scientists at the Salk Institute and the Gladstone Institute have uncovered a method of untangling the complex neural connections in the brain. The findings help researchers understand how certain regions of the brain connect to each other, and unveil clues to what happens if those connections are damaged or interrupted. Click here to read the full story.
Study: Traumatic Brain Injury Increases Future Stroke Risk
Friday, July 5, 2013 13:00
According to research published in the online issue of Neurology, those who suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) are likely to suffer from a stroke in the future. “While the stroke risk of one person with TBI is small, the overall link between TBI and stroke was substantial — as large as the link between the strongest stroke risk factor, high blood pressure, and stroke,” one researcher said. Click here to read the full story.
Study: Stress Hormone May Trigger Late Onset Alzheimer’s
Friday, July 5, 2013 9:00
Researchers at Temple University have found that corticosteroid, a hormone released during the body’s reaction to stress, may be a trigger for Alzheimer’s disease. In a mice model study, those injected with corticosteroid had increased amounts of tau protein, a signature for Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have indicated that corticosteroid levels are two to three times higher in people with Alzheimer’s than in those who do not have the disease. Click here to read the full story.