[PARIS] Scientists have pinpointed a part of the brain where “voices” torment schizophrenia sufferers, and partially muted them with magnetic pulse treatment, a team reported on Tuesday. More than a third of sufferers treated with magnetic pulses in a patient trial experienced “significant” relief, the scientists said in a statement. “We can now say with...
Category: <span>Mental health</span>
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Bone-Derived Hormone Reverses Age-Related Memory Loss in Mice
New York, NY (Aug. 29, 2017)—Age-related memory loss may be reversed by boosting blood levels of osteocalcin, a hormone produced by bone cells, according to mouse studies led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers. The research team also identified a receptor for osteocalcin in the brain, paving the way for a novel approach to...
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Magnetic stimulation of the brain improved awareness of subject’s own cognitive abilities
Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki have succeeded for the first time ever in affecting metacognition of a tactile working memory task by combining neural pathway imaging and magnetic stimulation of the brain. Understanding brain function might help in the development of new treatments for neuropsychiatric illnesses in the future. By combining...
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Depression’s “Transcriptional Signatures” Differ in Men vs. Women
Divergent illness processes may point to sex-specific treatments Brain gene expression associated with depression differed markedly between men and women in a study by NIMH-funded researchers. Such divergent “transcriptional signatures” may signal divergent underlying illness processes that may require sex-specific treatments, they suggest. Experiments in chronically-stressed male and female mice that developed depression-like behaviors largely...
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Could this hormone rejuvenate memory?
A new study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicinesuggests that increased levels of a bone-produced hormone may prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Conducted in mice, the new research was carried out by scientists led by Dr. Gerard Karsenty, who is the Paul A. Marks Professor and Chair of the Department of Genetics & Development at the...
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New genetic risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder identified
Autism spectrum disorder affects approximately one out of every 68 children in the United States. Despite expansive study, the origin and risk factors of the complex condition are not fully understood. To better understand the root causes, an international team led by researchers at OHSU in Portland, Oregon has applied a new systematic analysis to...
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Pilot study shows that neurofeedback may help treatment-resistant depression
A small pilot study has indicated that neurofeedback – where patients concentrate on modifying their own brainwave patterns – has potential to treat many of the 100m people worldwide who suffer from Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). This is the first time that neurofeedback has been shown to improve both individual symptoms and overall recovery in TRD....
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Robotic Exoskeletons Show Promise As Tool to Help Kids with Cerebral Palsy Walk Easier
In the first clip, the boy appears to drag his feet as he walks, while his knees—particularly the left one—stay bent throughout his steps. In the second clip, his knees remain bowed inward. But his legs—now clad in a robotic exoskeleton—swing more as they move, and his feet lift off the ground and his knees...
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Parkinson’s sufferers who SING could delay the onset of crippling symptoms such as losing their ability to swallow
Muscles worked in singing also are used during swallowing and respiratory functions Experts from Iowa State University created musical therapy classes Participants who attended the classes reported it significantly helped their throat muscles that had declined due to Parkinson’s Four cities in Iowa now offer these classes for those with the disease Singing could...
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Brain scan study adds to evidence that lower brain serotonin levels are linked to dementia
Results suggest serotonin loss may be a key player in cognitive decline, not just a side-effect of Alzheimer’s disease A brain showing decreases of serotonin transporters (blue) in the whole mild cognitive impairment group compared to the whole healthy control group. In a study looking at brain scans of people with mild loss of thought...