Incurable diseases distort people’s world view. It is a very well-known fact that people who suffer from Parkinson’s lose all their motivation. However, now scientists from the Monash University proved that dopamine levels in the brain can help people with Parkinson’s disease to combat cognitive apathy and regain cognitive motivation equivalent to healthy individuals. Dopamine...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Indicators of Mental Illness and Despair on the Rise among Gen X-ers, Study Suggests
A new study looking at the mental health of so-called Gen X-ers (i.e., people born between 1974-1983), published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows a marked increase in the tell-tale signs of despair, often characterized by depression, thoughts of suicide, drug use, and excessive drinking. Back in 2016, when life expectancy in the...
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Virtual reality offers benefits for Parkinson’s disease patients
Researchers are reporting early success with a new tool to help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their balance and potentially decrease falls with high-tech help: virtual reality. After practicing with a virtual reality system for six weeks, people with Parkinson’s disease demonstrated improved obstacle negotiation and balance along with more confidence navigating around obstacles in...
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Inflammation linked to chemical imbalance in schizophrenia
by Macquarie University A study published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified changes in inflammation-related biochemical pathways in schizophrenia that interfere with proper brain nerve cell communication. Researchers have found the first direct evidence in support of increased kynurenic acid production in the brain, which is known to block a key glutamate receptor. This discovery paves the way for development of better...
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The Prospects of Behavioral Genetics: Bad Genes Behind Crimes, Precision Education And Loosing Free Will?
Can the “warrior gene” explain aggressive and violent acts so that lawyers base their defenses on that in courts? Can genetics determine whether your marriage will be a long-lasting companionship? What about alcoholism, depression or autism? To what extent are we the product of our environment or the expression of our genes? While the nature versus nurture debate has been...
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Research underscores value of cognitive training for adults with mild cognitive impairment
Memory and higher-order cognitive functions improve; neuro-stimulation fails to enhance training benefits CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, investigated the effects of combining two non-pharmacological interventions for adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): eight semi-weekly sessions of Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART), a cognitive training program shown to improve reasoning and ability to extract the bottom-line message from complex...
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Low cholesterol linked to higher risk of bleeding stroke in women
by American Academy of Neurology Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke, with an ideal value below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). But can it be too low? A new study finds that women who have levels of LDL cholesterol 70 mg/dL or lower may be more than twice as likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke than women with LDL cholesterol levels from 100 to 130 mg/dL....
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Research reveals how the most common ALS mutation dooms cells
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists offer insight into the toxicity at the heart of devastating neurological disorders ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have cracked the mystery surrounding the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The research suggests possible new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of the lethal disorder. The findings appear online...
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Questions remain about safety of Parkinson disease psychosis drug
(HealthDay)—There are many unanswered questions about the safety and effectiveness of a drug used to combat hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson disease patients, says a report from a drug safety group. The nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) called for Nuplazid to have stronger warnings on its label for patients and their families, CNNreported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed the drug a “breakthrough” medication and gave it an expedited...
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Men are fooled by placebo more often than women
It was not until the 1990s that researchers fully began to include both genders in health research. Sara Magelssen Vambheim has contributed with valuable new insights in her study of gender differences in pain experiences. Sara Magelssen Vambheim recently submitted her Ph.D. thesis on gender differences in experiences of pain, fear of pain and placebo...