Learning an instrument increases resilience to any age-related decline in hearing. Inc. | John Rampton Brain training is big business. Companies like BrainHQ, Lumosity, and Cogmed are part of a multimillion-dollar business that is expected to surpass $3 billion by 2020. But does what they offer actually benefit your brain? Researchers don’t believe so. In fact, the University...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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When a fix for one vision problem causes another
by University of Pennsylvania As we age, our eyes lose their ability to focus up close. It’s a condition called presbyopia, and it’s both extremely common and relatively easy to fix, with solutions like reading glasses, bifocals, or progressive lenses. Another common correction, called monovision, solves the problem with different lenses in each eye, one that focuses nearby, the other that focuses...
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Researchers discover the science behind giving up
Posted Today This news or article is intended for readers with certain scientific or professional knowledge in the field. What happens when we give up? Inside the brain, a group of cells known as nociceptin neurons get very active before a mouse’s breakpoint. They emit nociceptin, a complex molecule that suppresses dopamine, a chemical largely associated with...
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Relivion Headset for Migraines Cleared in Europe
“I believe that the Relivion device from Neurolief has great potential to improve acute migraine therapy,” said Alan Rapoport, M.D., clinical professor of neurology at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, past president of the International Headache Society (IHS), and the founder and director-emeritus of The New England Center for Headache. “Not only...
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Hit it where it hurts—scientists reveal how mirrors cure phantom pain
by Hayley Jarvis, Brunel University Easing phantom limb pain can be as simple as looking in the mirror. Scientists who have mapped how mirror therapy changes the brain may now be able to predict just how much treatment will ease a particular patient’s pain. Phantom limb pain—feeling intense pain in a missing limb—happens to more than 90% of amputees and can start just 24...
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The way a single neuron processes information is never the same
by Hillary Sanctuary, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne How do neurons process information? Neurons are known to break down an incoming electrical signal into sub-units. Now, researchers at Blue Brain have discovered that dendrites, the neuron’s tree-like receptors, work together—dynamically and depending on the workload—for learning. The findings further our understanding of how we think and may inspire...
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Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer May Raise Risk of Alzheimer’s, Dementia
Posted Today For patients with prostate cancer, treating the disease with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is linked to a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, compared to patients who do not receive the therapy, according to a study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results were published in JAMA. Of the...
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A cure for blindness: Father, 35, who suddenly lost his sight aged nine is among six patients to have their vision restored by pioneering treatment that beams images directly into the brain
Five men and one woman have regained vision after years of ‘living in the dark’ They had electrode chips planted in the visual cortex at the back of their skulls These picked up images from a tiny video camera mounted in a pair of glasses One of the participants, Benjamin James Spencer, who went blind aged nine, described his joy at seeing his wife and three daughters for the...
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Genetic study reveals metabolic origins of anorexia
by King’s College London A global study, led by researchers at King’s College London and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, suggests that anorexia nervosa is at least partly a metabolic disorder, and not purely psychiatric as previously thought. The research was published in Nature Genetics today. The large-scale genome-wide association study, undertaken by over 100 academics worldwide, identified eight genetic variants...
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Link between paid employment and slower age-related memory decline
by Alzheimer’s Research UK Over the past century, patterns of employment, marriage and parenthood have changed drastically for women across the Western World. In a study presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association Internal Conference 2019, researchers have explored how differences in life experiences affect later life memory decline. A team of researchers from the University of California looked at...