Williams Syndrome, a rare neuro developmental disorder that affects about 1 in 10,000 babies born in the United States, produces a range of symptoms including cognitive impairments, cardiovascular problems, and extreme friendliness, or hyper sociability. In a study of mice, MIT neuroscientists have garnered new insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie this hypersociability. They found that...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Psychedelics to treat mental illness? Australian researchers are giving it a go
An estimated one in ten Australians were taking antidepressants in 2015. That’s double the number using them in 2000, and the second-highest rate of antidepressant use among all OECD countries. Yet some studies have found antidepressants might be no more effective than placebo. Not only does this mean many Australians aren’t experiencing relief from their psychological distress, but some may also be...
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Being too harsh on yourself could lead to OCD and anxiety
A correlation was found between strong feelings of responsibility and likelihood of developing OCD or GAD in American university students HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY A new study has found that people who reported intense feelings of responsibility were susceptible to developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) was published in the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. “People with OCD [are]...
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Rewiring the brains of stroke patients
by Jennifer Rainey Marquez, Georgia State University Neuroscientist and physical therapist Andrew Butler, professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and associate dean for research at the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions, discusses how he is mobilizing the healing power of brain plasticity. Your work is grounded in the idea of neuroplasticity....
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Epilepsy or Not? PNES Mistaken for More Common Seizure Disorder
When someone collapses to the floor, back arching, arms and legs thrashing, your first thought may be epileptic seizure. And you wouldn’t be alone—until recently, most doctors thought the same thing. During an epileptic seizure, the brain, which normally operates in an orderly way by sending electrical messages from neuron to neuron, becomes overloaded. If a healthy brain...
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Simple test can indicate prolonged symptoms following pediatric sports-related concussion
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY PUBLISHING GROUP CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (APRIL 16, 2019). Researchers from Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, have found that abnormal performance on the Romberg balance test can indicate that children and adolescents will experience prolonged symptoms following sports-related concussion. This finding is reported today in a new article by David R. Howell, PhD, and...
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Mindful body awareness training during treatment for drug addiction helps prevent relapse
Date: April 16, 2019 Source: University of Washington Summary: A novel type of body awareness training helps women recover from drug addiction, according to new research. People in the study made marked improvement, and many improvements lasted for a year. A novel type of body awareness training helps women recover from drug addiction, according to...
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Active lifestyle shown to repair spinal cord injuries
By Ananya Mandal, MD Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. Leading an active lifestyle could help repair and regenerate damaged nerves of the spinal cord after an injury, according to new research. Early stage study results were published in the latest issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine. Using mice and rat models, the international research team,...
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Train your brain, change your brain
Scientists developed a technique for brain training capable to induce changes of neural networks in less than one hour. D’OR INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Less than one hour of brain training with neurofeedback leads to a strengthening of neural connections and communication among brain areas. This is the main finding of a new study conducted at D’Or Institute for Research...
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Stimulating the epileptic brain breaks up neural networks to prevent seizures
by University of Pittsburgh Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) treats epilepsy by detecting seizures and intervening with a jolt of electric current. Over time, most patients find their seizures become fewer and further between. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have a better understanding of why this happens. As reported today...