Futurity.org » brain

100-year-old brains may help treat mentally ill

Steve Chaplin-Indiana — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:39:33 +0000

INDIANA U. (US) — Using a simple blood test, DNA from brains preserved more than a century ago may help improve diagnosis and treatment for people with psychological illnesses.

The brain samples under investigation come from turn-of-the-century patients who suffered from mental disorders at Central State Hospital, an asylum established in the mid-1800s for the state of Indiana’s mentally ill that now houses the Indiana Medical History Museum.

Therapy for MS prods brain to re-cloak neurons

Deborah Williams-Hedges-Caltech — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:49 +0000

CALTECH (US) — A new gene therapy, applied directly to the brain, may help protect neurons from damage by diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes—antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin—a material that forms a protective, insulating cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently.

Girls ‘rewire’ brain to beat depression

Brooke Donald-Stanford — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:52:22 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Using brain imaging and a video game, teen girls at risk of depression are being taught how to train their brains away from negative situations.

An ongoing study’s early findings using a small sample suggest such rewiring is not only possible, it is surprisingly easy.

Uncertain choices light up ‘explorer’ brains

David Orenstein-Brown — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:52:51 +0000

BROWN (US) — People who consistently select for uncertainty may harness the computational power of a specific brain region.

Some people—”explorers”—choose to grapple with uncertainty head on. It’s a strategy of maximizing rewards by discovering whether as yet unexplored options might yield better returns. While some might stick with the usual, “explorers” might order the special in a restaurant because they aren’t sure they’ll like it.

Alzheimer’s types may not share genes

Christopher Jones-Cardiff — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:38:28 +0000

CARDIFF U. (UK) — The genes that cause a rare type of Alzheimer’s disease are unlikely to cause the more common, late-onset form, say researchers.

A team of scientists from Cardiff University examined three genes APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 known to cause uncommon early onset forms of Alzheimer’s.

Many hits, not one, cause concussion?

Emil Venere-Purdue — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:09 +0000

PURDUE (US) — A two-year study of high school football players suggests concussions are likely caused by many hits over time and not a single blow.

Purdue University researchers have studied football players for two seasons at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Ind., where 21 players completed the study the first season and 24 the second season, including 16 repeating players.

Brain directs traffic to stay on task

Andy Fell-UC Davis — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:03:07 +0000

UC DAVIS (US) — Just like a road sign alerts us to merging traffic ahead, the brain can change its connections to minimize distraction and take advantage of what we know of the situation at hand.

“In order to behave efficiently, you want to process relevant sensory information as fast as possible, but relevance is determined by your current situation,” says Joy Geng, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

Lifelong musicians may keep ears in tune

Wendy Leopold-Northwestern — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:05:24 +0000

NORTHWESTERN (US) — Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to a new study.

Published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, the study is the first to provide biological evidence that lifelong musical experience has an impact on the aging process.

When the brain refuses to take the cash

Carol Clark-Emory — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:23:15 +0000

EMORY (US) — Brain images show personal values that people refuse to disavow—even when offered cash to do so—are processed differently than values that are willingly sold.

“Our experiment found that the realm of the sacred—whether it’s a strong religious belief, a national identity or a code of ethics—is a distinct cognitive process,” says Gregory Berns, director of the Center for Neuropolicy at Emory University and lead author of the study published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Tease the brain. It may lower Alzheimer’s risk

Sarah Yang-Berkeley — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:09:25 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Brain-stimulating habits over a lifetime are linked to lower levels of a key Alzheimer’s protein, new research shows.

Brain scans show people with no symptoms of Alzheimer’s who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid, a destructive protein that is the hallmark of the disease.