by University of Texas at Austin Neuroscientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a group of cells in the brain that are responsible when a frightening memory re-emerges unexpectedly, like Michael Myers in every “Halloween” movie. The finding could lead to new recommendations about when and how often certain therapies are deployed for the treatment...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Scientists locate brain circuit that curbs overeating
By Catharine Paddock PhD Fact checked by Jasmin Collier The brain has complex circuitry that locks appetite to memories of finding and enjoying food. This drives the feeding behaviors necessary for survival. New research reveals that the circuits include one mechanism that does the opposite: curbing the compulsion to eat in response to food. Once, scientists...
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Study identifies new approach to repairing damaged peripheral nervous system
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA A new University of Virginia study proves that a damaged peripheral nervous system is capable of repairing itself – when healthy cells are recruited there from the central nervous system. The finding has implications for the future treatment of debilitating and life-threatening nervous system disorders affecting children, such as muscular dystrophy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. The study will be published in the April 2 issue of the journal Cell Reports....
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Circadian clock plays unexpected role in neurodegenerative diseases
by Northwestern University While your body might bemoan the many uncomfortable effects of jet lag, your brain may be thanking you for that cross-time zone travel. In a new study, Northwestern University researchers induced jet lag in a fruit fly model of Huntington disease and found that jet lag protected the flies’ neurons. The team then...
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For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches
by The Endocrine Society For migraine sufferers with obesity, losing weight can decrease headaches and improve quality of life, researchers from Italy and the United States report. The results of their meta-analysis will be presented Saturday, March 23 at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in New Orleans, La. “If you suffer from migraine headaches and are obese, losing weight will ameliorate the quality of your family and social life as...
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Consider non-surgical brain stimulation for severe depression, say experts
by British Medical Journal Non-surgical brain stimulation should be considered as alternative or add-on treatments for adults with severe forms of depression, suggests a study published by The BMJ today. The findings also suggest that more established techniques should take priority over new treatments with a more limited evidence base. Depression is a common and debilitating illness that is usually treated with drugs and psychological therapies....
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Fewer reproductive years in women linked to an increased risk of dementia
by American Academy of Neurology Women who start their period later, go through menopause earlier or have a hysterectomy may have a greater risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the March 27, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found a link between increased risk of dementia...
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Can We Get Better at Forgetting?
Some things aren’t worth remembering. Science is slowly working out how we might let that stuff go. Whatever its other properties, memory is a reliable troublemaker, especially when navigating its stockpile of embarrassments and moral stumbles. Ten minutes into an important job interview and here come screenshots from a past disaster: the spilled latte, the...
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The Brain Grows New Nerve Cells in People up to 87 Years of Age
In a paper recently published in the journal Nature Medicine, a group of researchers from Spain detail their study of the brains of deceased people, indicating that our “neck-tops” are perfectly capable of growing brand new cells well into advanced age. This finding comes as somewhat of a surprise in light of the recent debate...
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Can music slow mental decline? Rice researchers aim to find out
Can music therapy slow the progression of degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia while promoting well-being? A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will fund a new lab at Rice University that will explore this possible new inroad in the fight against such disorders. Principal investigator Christopher Fagundes, an...