Articles tagged with Brain
Researchers found that a patient blinded on one side of his brain could still avoid obstacles in his non-damaged visual field, suggesting ancient visual pathways bypass the main visual areas. These primitive pathways work in real-time and do not access memories, with important implications for rehabilitation.
A study found that 1 in 8 patients thought to have epilepsy or unsure diagnosis actually had a heart rhythm issue causing fainting. Eighty percent of those who underwent pacemaker insertion were symptom-free after 9 months.
Researchers found that brain predicts what eyes in motion will see, even before they move, allowing for a stable visual environment despite retinal image shifts. This remapping process enables continuous representation of locations across eye movement, facilitating the transition between current and expected images.
Researchers identified differing perceptions of cognitive health among ethnically, culturally, and geographically diverse groups. Despite similarities in physical, mental, and social activity influences, groups varied in opinions on specific activities, nutrition, and genetics.
A recent study of 311 patients with coiled brain aneurysms who underwent retreatment procedures found a low risk of death or permanent major disability, with only 1.28% of patients experiencing adverse outcomes. The study supports the emergence of endovascular coiling as a safe and effective treatment option for recurrent brain aneurysms.
A Barrow researcher has received a $275,000 grant from the NIH to develop an artificial system to produce a6 nicotinic receptors, which may be a new target for smoking cessation therapies. The project aims to study drug interactions with this key receptor and develop more effective treatments with fewer side effects.
Researchers at Caltech have pinpointed two groups of neurons in fruit fly brains that regulate fat stores, mirroring mammalian brain function. Silencing these neurons led to obese flies, while overactivating them produced lean ones, offering a promising model for studying human obesity and developing new treatments.
A recent CSHL study has found that fruit flies require the same gene, rutabaga, for short- and long-term memories but in different circuits. Short-term memory is initiated in the gamma lobe, while long-term memory is established in the alpha-beta lobe.
A study published in Neurology found that smoking is associated with an increased risk of brain lesions and brain shrinkage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Smokers with MS had nearly 17% more brain lesions and 13% larger ventricles compared to non-smokers.
Researchers created a mathematical model that mimics brain mechanisms for speech recognition, recognizing individual sounds and syllables, even in sped-up speech sequences. The model's success indicates that it could represent brain processes, providing new approaches for artificial speech recognition.
A new study reveals that strong memories, such as those of a first love or a traumatic event, are formed through the activation of Protein Kinase C (PKC) by norepinephrine in the brain. This process creates stronger connections between nerve cells, leading to long-lasting memories.
A study published in Neurology found that engaging in brain-exercising activities such as reading and playing card games can delay the onset of rapid memory loss in people with dementia. Participants who engaged in more activities experienced a slower decline in cognitive function.
By studying how flies process visual signals in their tiny brains, researchers hope to develop robots that can interpret camera pictures and react accordingly. This is crucial for creating safe human-robot interactions and efficient robotic systems.
A study found that expecting tasty food activates brain's orexin system, which is also involved in drug addiction and rewards. This mechanism may explain why people overeat in contexts associated with good food, with implications for obesity treatment.
High-fat, high-sugar foods increase opioids in the brain area controlling food intake, suggesting a biological basis for binge eating disorders. This study provides insight into changes in opioid receptor gene expression and its role in maintaining bingeing behavior.
Researchers found that training the central control process, including the brain and reflexive responses, may be necessary to counter the fatigue-induced ACL injury risk. The findings suggest a shift from performance-based to prevention-based athletic training programs.
Researchers found that centrally-acting ACE inhibitors, which cross the blood-brain barrier, may reduce inflammation and cognitive decline in patients with hypertension. These medications showed a significant association with lower rates of mental decline, particularly those taking drugs like captropril and lisinopril.
A study by UCLA and Rutgers neuroscientists found that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can accurately predict a person's mental task, such as reading words aloud or counting tones. The research suggests that brain patterns are similar across healthy individuals, allowing for predictions on new people.
Neuroscientists have pinpointed the brain's MT+ area as responsible for processing 3-D motion. The region encodes two types of cues from moving objects, including binocular disparity and retinal motion, to create a 3-D perception.
Researchers found that three genes affect dopamine function in the brain, predicting approach and avoidance behaviors, as well as exploratory decision-making. These findings may help shape future treatments for conditions like Parkinson's disease.
A study by Matthias S. Keil found that the brain extracts key information for facial identification primarily from the eyes, while the mouth and nose are secondary. The analysis suggests that faces are responsible for the brain's resolution preference, with a optimum resolution of around 30x30 pixels.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found an inverse association between fish consumption and dementia prevalence in older adults across 7 middle- to low-income countries. Higher fish consumption was linked to a lower risk of dementia, contradicting previous findings from industrialized countries.
Researchers found that adolescents show more activity in neural networks tied to social cognition and self-perception when asked about themselves compared to adults. This suggests that adolescent self-appraisals depend heavily on others' opinions, particularly peers.
Research demonstrates single neurons process future rewards, including information about upcoming gains, and prefer advance info over suspense. This finding suggests a revised theory of reward is needed, incorporating information seeking as a cognitive reward.
Dimebolin treatment causes an acute increase in brain beta amyloid levels, contradicting its potential as a clinically beneficial Alzheimer's drug. Despite this, the treatment still improves cognitive function in aged rodents and people suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's.
The study reveals cell-type specificity of PI3K signaling in the mammalian brain, with PTEN tumor suppressor protein playing a crucial role. PDK1 deletion shows selective increase in AKT phosphorylation in glial cells, suggesting personalized cancer treatment approaches.
Researchers found that women with higher language scores had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, despite having hallmark signs of the disease. The study suggested that mental abilities at age 20 may be indicative of a brain better able to cope with diseases later in life.
Research studies by Saint Louis University suggest that inflammation may trigger Alzheimer's disease. Indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory medication, could hold promise as a treatment by protecting the LRP pump that regulates amyloid beta protein accumulation in the brain.
A study published in Psychosomatics found that patients with severe hypoactive delirium have the worst six-month survival rate of any class of the disease. Delirium severity, rather than motoric subtype, is associated with higher risk of mortality at six months among patients without dementia.
A Queen's University study found that locusts' brain disturbance during a coma-like state shares similarities with human migraines, strokes, and epilepsy. Researchers discovered that manipulating cellular signaling pathways in the brain could potentially modify the severity of these conditions.
A study found that mental stress causes vasodilation in healthy subjects, resulting in a net increase in brain blood flow. However, individuals with high blood pressure showed no vasodilation or change in brain blood flow under similar conditions.
Bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation has been shown to improve movement skills and quality of life in some patients with dystonia-choreoathetosis cerebral palsy. The treatment resulted in sustained improvement in motor symptoms, but variability in response was observed.
A new study by Brown University researchers found that the left inferior frontal sulcus brain area processes both phonetic sounds and decision-making tasks. The findings suggest that this region of the brain is a shared resource used for categorizing language and non-language items.
A new brain mechanism involving ghrelin has been discovered, which could lead to the development of new therapies for alcohol dependence. The study found that blocking ghrelin's actions in the brain reduces alcohol's effects on the reward system.
Researchers found that perceiving others in pain activates a part of the brain associated with empathy and emotion more if the observer and the observed are the same race. This study confirms an in-group bias in empathic feelings, which has significant implications for understanding real-life social behaviors and interactions.
A review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be an effective treatment for hard-to-treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The therapy, which involves stimulating specific parts of the brain, has shown early results with a beneficial effect on these conditions.
Researchers found that physically active elderly individuals exhibited healthier cerebral blood vessels compared to less active counterparts. The study showed a vessel pattern similar to younger adults, with increased small-diameter vessels and less twisting.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a protein called CHIP that binds to the mutated protein LRRK2, promoting its breakdown. This finding provides a potential therapeutic target for treatments to halt the action of the mutated protein.
A new gene variant linked to increased risk of obesity has been discovered, affecting the central nervous system and leading to a 10-15% higher likelihood of being obese. The study examined data from eight studies involving genes and body weight, analyzing over two million genome regions.
Researchers used a 'neurologger' device to record pigeon brain activity while flying over familiar terrain. The study found that pigeons respond to visual cues with distinct brain patterns, including high-frequency oscillations reflecting memory processing.
Synaptic plasticity plays a crucial role in maintaining brain homeostasis, ensuring an effective response to challenges followed by recovery. The study provides the first set of synaptic rules for resetting homeostatic setpoints in vivo.
Researchers found that amitriptyline can directly stimulate molecules that help neurons grow and resist toxins, suggesting a separate mechanism for its antidepressant effects. The study suggests that this property may be the key to understanding how some antidepressants work.
Researchers found that when people believe another person cannot see, the effects of adaptation are greatly reduced, suggesting a bi-directional relationship between gaze processing and mental-state attribution. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of what goes wrong in individuals with autism.
A lack of serotonin in the brain slows mouse growth and impairs maternal behavior, but not overall survival. Female mice with deficient serotonin still give birth and produce milk, but their offspring suffer poor survival rates.
A University of Alberta study found that morning people's brains are most excitable at 9am, while evening people's brains are most active at 9pm. This suggests different nervous-system functions and implications for human performance.
A recent study published by Faculty of 1000 Medicine discovered that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are higher in women who have recovered from anorexia. This suggests that low BDNF levels may be reversible and could potentially serve as a biomarker for recovery from eating disorders.
According to University of Missouri researchers, human brain expansion is primarily attributed to social competition over the past 2 million years. The study found that areas with larger populations experienced greater increases in skull size and cranial capacity.
A study published in Current Biology confirms that our brains temporarily represent used tools as part of our body schema. This phenomenon affects how we move and perform tasks, with participants exhibiting altered arm movements and perception after tool use.
Researchers have identified a fruit fly tumor suppressor gene, PP2A, that can prevent brain tumors from forming. The study suggests that the protein's counterpart in mammals may also play a crucial role in regulating neural stem cell divisions and controlling tumor development.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a computer game therapy that corrects brain activity to treat lazy eyes, showing promising results in vision research publications. The treatment is already FDA-approved for adults and aims to make eye therapy fun for kids as well.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that neural noise weakens and degrades the brain's representation of an ignored stimulus, making it harder to distinguish between similar orientations. This 'neural noise' also broadens the range of interfering orientations during suppression, further reducing fidelity.
Researchers found that individuating novel objects with unique names enhances holistic processing, a hallmark of face-like expertise. This technique can be learned quickly and applied to other objects, indicating that expert-level recognition is not solely the result of extensive practice.
The Vision Revolution reveals how human vision has evolved to perform extraordinary feats, from color perception to X-ray vision and beyond. Changizi's groundbreaking research overturns basic assumptions about human vision, exploring its unique capabilities and their impact on our daily lives.
The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) urges G8+5 countries to invest in rebuilding universities and research centers in Africa. NASAC also calls on the international community to support young African scientists seeking postgraduate and postdoctoral training.
Scientists identified a protein that regulates mitochondrial movement in brain cells, shedding light on how the brain recovers from stroke. Understanding this mechanism may help identify novel approaches for preventing and treating neurological disorders.
Researchers explore human visual system's dual processing of sensory information, revealing independent pathways for actions and perception. The study demonstrates that threatening stimuli grab attention, even when consciously unidentified, highlighting the brain's ability to prioritize survival.
A study found that napping with REM sleep decreases negative bias and increases recognition of positive emotions, making individuals more receptive to happy facial expressions. This adaptation is critical for social interactions and professional judgments.
Patients with chronic primary insomnia have higher levels of brain activation compared to normal sleepers, particularly in areas responsible for visual-spatial attention and cognitive processes. This increased activation may help PIs compensate for their sleep difficulties and maintain performance on tasks.
Research led by UC San Diego experts suggests that REM sleep fosters creative problem-solving by stimulating associative networks. The study shows that REM directly enhances creative processing more than any other sleep or wake state, leading to significant improvements in performance.
A 30-year analysis of brain hemorrhage patients found a 17% decrease in mortality rates, despite increasing patient age. Regional differences in case fatality rates were also observed, with Japan showing lower rates than Europe and the US.