Parents concerned about the potential lifelong dependency of some ADHD drugs tinker with their kids diets to solve behavioral problems. Shortly after Mark Carey was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a kindergartner, he was prescribed Concerta, a stimulant medication similar to Adderall or Ritalin. But Mark’s mother, Rachel, was concerned about the side effects—Mark...
Post
Antibiotic doxycycline may offer hope for treatment of Parkinson’s disease
Immunohistochemistry for alpha-synuclein showing positive staining (brown) of an intraneural Lewy-body in the Substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease. A study published in February in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that doxycycline, an antibiotic used against bacterial infections for over a half-century, can be prescribed at lower doses for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. According to the...
Post
Brain “Relay” Also Key to Holding Thoughts in Mind
Thalamus eyed as potential treatment target for schizophrenia’s working memory deficits Long assumed to be a mere “relay,” an often-overlooked egg-like structure in the middle of the brain also turns out to play a pivotal role in tuning-up thinking circuity. A trio of studies in mice funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are...
Post
Playing Video Games Can Help Boost Memory And Prevent Dementia In Elderly People: Study
Video games are known to have a wide variety of effects on the mind of children and adolescents. However, a new study indicates that gaming may prove to be beneficial for elderly people. Researchers at the University of Manchester reveal that engaging in video games — which involve physical activity — can improve brain functions in elderly people, preventing...
Post
Discovery of new pathway in brain has implications for schizophrenia treatment
Research from Tufts University in the journal Neuron reports a new signaling pathway that directly connects major brain receptors associated with learning and memory. Astrocytes (fluorescing green cells above) are the key element that links …more Neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have discovered a new signaling pathway that directly connects two major receptors...
Post
A Breakthrough Oxygen Therapy May Be Able to Reverse Brain Damage
IN BRIEF New research shows that low oxygen therapy is able to eliminate brain lesions developed from mitochondrial dysfunction in mice. Eventually, hypoxia therapy could be used to treat people with similar disorders and maybe even reverse signs of aging in otherwise healthy individuals. LESS OXYGEN, BETTER HEALTH? Though the medical community has made remarkable...
Post
Humanoid robot helps autistic students
“I was surprised that he watched all the facial expressions,” said Zakrajsek, who is also Plante’s teacher in the multiple disabilities unit at Shelby High School, where she’s an intervention specialist. Because Plante has autism, he has a hard time reading emotions on people’s faces and responding in socially appropriate ways. Typically, he doesn’t watch...
Post
Virtual reality for psychiatric treatment? Research shows promise for VR and other technologies in mental health care
A growing body of evidence suggests that virtual reality (VR) technology can be an effective part of treatment for phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other mental health conditions, according to a research review in the May/June issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. “Virtual reality is potentially a powerful tool for the psychiatric community,” comments lead...
Post
Neuronal targets to restore movement in Parkinson’s disease model
Researchers working in the lab of Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Aryn Gittis, have identified two groups of neurons that can be turned on and off to alleviate the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The activation of these cells in the basal ganglia relieves symptoms for much longer than current therapies, like deep brain stimulation and...
Post
Measuring Walking Speed Using Wireless Signals May Help Predict Cardiac Diseases And Cognitive Decline
How fast a person walks can help predict health issues such as cognitive decline as well as cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Slow walking speed may also be attributed to heart, lung, and nervous system problems and joint pain. Research has shown that people whose walking speed is slower than 0.6 meters per second (2 feet...