In the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, many of the genes required to form new memories are shut down by a genetic blockade, contributing to the cognitive decline seen in those patients. MIT researchers have now shown that they can reverse that memory loss in mice by interfering with the enzyme that forms the blockade. The enzyme, known...
Category: <span>Mental health</span>
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Hormone shows promise as cognition enhancer
In a study that augurs well for the therapeutic potential of klotho – a life-extending protein hormone that a minority of people naturally produce at high levels – scientists at UC San Francisco have found that administering a fragment of the klotho protein to young, aging or impaired mice rapidly improves their cognitive and physical...
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Neurable’s experimental gear controls VR with … your mind
I’ve used my eyes to interact with a virtual world before, but startup Neurable just enhanced that experience by reading my thoughts too. At Siggraph this week, the Boston-based startup is showing its modified HTC Vive which include EEG (Electroencephalography) sensors along the interior of the headstrap. This is combined with eye-tracking technology from German firm SMI, which may...
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Magic helps unmask how the brain works
Tricks and illusions, once the domain of magicians, are helping scientists unveil how the brain works. Here’s one you can try using a tabletop mirror. Place your left hand on the table in front of the mirror’s reflective surface and your right hand behind the mirror, about six inches away, where you can’t see it....
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Dementia: New substance improves brain function
The protein amyloid beta is believed to be the major cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Substances that reduce the production of amyloid beta, such as BACE inhibitors, are therefore promising candidates for new drug treatments. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has recently demonstrated that one such BACE inhibitor reduces the amount of...
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Trigeminal nerve stimulation shows promise for management of traumatic brain injury
Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the department of neurosurgery at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, announced today that they have published a paper with research findings that could have implications for the treatment of many neurological conditions, including severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) traumatic brain injury (TBI) traumatic brain injury...
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A new insight into Parkinson’s disease protein
Abnormal clumps of certain proteins in the brain are a prominent feature of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, but the role those same proteins might play in the normal brain has been unknown. Now, new research by UC San Francisco neuroscientist Robert Edwards, MD, has uncovered the role of one such protein, known as alpha-synuclein, which has...
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Negativity, be gone—new online tool can retrain your brain
Anxiety and depression can have devastating effects on people’s lives. In some cases, the mental disorders lead to isolation, poverty and poor physical health, things that often cascade to future generations. A new program at the University of Virginia is aiming to shift the rigid, negative thoughts that come with mental disorders. Take, for example, the...
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Memories could be RE-AWOKEN in Alzheimer’s sufferers: Scientists reactivate brains of dementia-plagued mice with lasers – paving the way to a human cure
Lost memories in Alzheimer’s patients could be brought back with lasers Research team at Columbia University claims memories are not lost but difficult to access Looked at two groups of mice, one with dementia-like disease, one without Studied their brain when they were given memory tests and found the memories are recalled incorrectly Also found...
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Research identifies new brain death pathway in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease tragically ravages the brains, memories and ultimately, personalities of its victims. Now affecting 5 million Americans, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and a cure for Alzheimer’s remains elusive, as the exact biological events that trigger it are still unknown. In a new study published today, Arizona...