How and when the ability to form and store memories arises are topics of great interest to neuroscientists. Now Yale researchers have identified three distinct stages in brain development that occur before episodic memories can form. Credit: stock.adobe.com Yale scientists measured brain activity in the hippocampus of newborn rats and found at the beginning of...
Category: <span>Neuroscience</span>
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Does PTSD affect heart disease and cancer risk?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as the metabolic syndrome, in a new study. Regions of the brain associated with stress and post traumatic stress disorder. Credit: National Institutes of Health In the Journal of Neuroscience Research study of 84 individuals diagnosed with PTSD (39 victims of terrorist...
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Brain plasticity restored in adult mice through targeting specific nerve cell connections
Research in mice led by neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine reveals a new molecular mechanism that is essential for brain maturation and may be used to restore plasticity in aged brains. The study focused on a subtype of inhibitory cell also found in people called Parvalbumin neurons (stained in blue) which exert significant...
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Eye Color May Be Linked To Seasonal Depression, Says Study
People suffering from winter Seasonal Affective Disorder may experience low mood, increased sleepiness, social withdrawal, and a craving for high starch foods. The study published in the Open Access Journal of Behavioural Science & Psychologygave questionnaires to a sample size of 175 student participants to understand the extent of mood variations due to changing seasons....
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Blood pressure may explain higher dementia risk in blacks
Older black adults with high blood pressure, and especially black men, show more severe cognitive declines than white adults who have high blood pressure, according to new research. The University of Michigan-led study published Wednesday in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, suggests blood pressure may help explain why black adults—who are more likely to...
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Botulinum toxin reduces chronic migraine attacks, compared to placebo
A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in reducing the frequency of chronic migraine headaches, concludes an updated review and analysis in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Based on meta-analysis of pooled clinical trial data,...
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New optogenetic technique could help restore limb movement, treat muscle tremor
For the first time, MIT researchers have shown that nerves made to express proteins that can be activated by light can produce limb movements that can be adjusted in real-time, using cues generated by the motion of the limb itself. The technique leads to movement that is smoother and less fatiguing than similar electrical systems...
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How coffee might protect against Parkinson’s
Coffee is thought to protect the brain against Parkinson’s disease. A recent study investigates which compounds might give coffee its neuroprotective powers. The findings may eventually lead to innovative new treatments. Image: Understanding how coffee protects the brain could give Parkinson’s drug discovery a boost. More than 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the United States...
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Exploration of umbelliferone based derivatives as potent MAO inhibitors
This article by Dr. Anurag Khatkar et al. is published in Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2018. BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are potential drug candidates for treating neurological disorders such as anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This review presents information about MAO inhibitory effects of the umbelliferone based derivatives. The potential antioxidant effects of the derivatives were evaluated by DPPH...
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Meta-analysis highlights important challenges in cognitive processing for adults with ASD
The first comprehensive, systematic review and meta–analysis of adults with autism shows that despite having an intact IQ, these adults have medium to large impairments in four key social- and non-social cognitive domains: theory of mind, emotion perception and knowledge, processing speed, and verbal learning and memory. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The results may help create a roadmap for treating autism in adults, a population...