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Showing posts from November, 2020

App Predicts Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s

A new app combines basic data with information about specific biomarkers found in an individual's blood to assess the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease within two to four years. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3lkwKBD

How COVID-19 Reaches the Brain

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 enters the brain via neurons in the olfactory mucosa. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/39qQzVP

Cortex Over Reflex: Study Traces Circuits Where Executive Control Overcomes Instinct

Anterior cingulate cortex neurons project connections to the superior colliculus. The superior colliculus carries out reflexive movements. The study finds the purpose of the ACC neurons connections to the SC is to over-rider the SC when executive control is essential. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3lpciQn

Infant Language Exposure Shapes Brain Circuitry

Taking turns in "conversations" with adult caregivers synchronizes activity in language areas of the infant brain. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3qh7MqI

Why Our Obsession With Happy Endings Can Lead to Bad Decisions

Study concludes one reason we may make unwise decisions is our preference for a positive outcome. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/36gzc81

How Humans Use Objects in Novel Ways to Solve Problems

Study provides a new framework for investigating and formalizing the cognitive processes behind how humans use tools. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/36jzVFD

Laughing Is Good for Your Mind and Your Body, Here’s What the Research Shows

Researchers investigate how laughter improves both mental and physical well-being. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/39sn06i

Microbiota Linked to Dynamics of the Human Immune System

Study reveals the gut microbiome directly influences the makeup of the human immune system. Researchers found the concentration of different types of immune cells in the blood change in the presence of different bacterial strains in the gut. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2JrzU9o

Are We the Same Person Throughout Our Lives? In Essence, Yes

The continuity of self remains stable throughout our lifetimes, while other components of the "self", including physical appearance, attitudes, beliefs, and physiological processes change. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3q8J4so

Genetic Discovery Could Lead to Better Prediction of Suicide Risk Within Families

Study ties twenty genes into suicidal behaviors that span generations of families. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3mhgLFL

Gut Microbes: A Key to Normal Sleep

Normal sleep in mice is reliant upon bacteria that help produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, in the gut. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3o4aYDY

Real-World Neuroscience Experiments Show Diversity in Learning New Motor Skills

Researchers found the whole body changes as we learn new movement-based skills. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3o8UhYl

Regions of the Brain Where Serotonin Promotes Patience Revealed

A new study reveals specific brain regions that individually promote patience through the action of serotonin. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/377ECkQ

High Blood Pressure in Midlife Is Linked to Increased Brain Damage in Later Life

Higher than average blood pressure during middle age is associated with an increased risk of and more extensive brain damage in old age. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/37cUcvx

Unique Schwann Cells: The Eyes Have It

Researchers discovered the genetic properties of the glial cells that wrap around axons in our corneas have the potential for nerve regeneration and vision preservation. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3lcWaRz

More Skin-Like, Electronic Skin That Can Feel

Researchers have developed a multimodal ion-electronic skin that can detect heat and mechanical stimulation at the same time. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/37ageiH

Which Speaker Are You Listening to? Hearing Aid of the Future Uses Brainwaves to Find Out

EEG and AI technology can directly decode the direction in which people are listening from brainwaves alone, without having to link them to direct sounds. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3m8OJwn

Memories of Past Events Retain Remarkable Fidelity Even as We Age

People can recall memories of previous events with up to 94% accuracy, even as they age. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2V5b2H8

Exploring Links Between Infant Vocabulary Size and Vocal Interactions With Caregivers

Certain types of interactions between parents and babies result in greater infant vocabulary. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l7TXai

Basketball on the Brain: Neuroscientists Use Sports to Study Surprise

Researchers monitored brain activity and eye movement of basketball fans watching March Madness games to study how people process surprise. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l7Bies

The Smell of Cooperation

The smell of a cooperative rat is enough to trigger altruistic responses in other rodents. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3m8YZ7w

New Mechanism of Pain Control Revealed

Stimulating noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus that carry signals from the brain down the spinal dorsal horn activates astrocytes. The astrocyte activation results in hypersensitivity to pain. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l7TPHQ

Exercise Motivation Could Be Linked to Certain Smells

Study finds olfaction plays a significant role in the motivation to exercise. Mice who were "high runners" developed genetic differences in their olfactory systems that caused them to perceive smells differently than more sedentary mice. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3fGWRl9

Drug Guides Stem Cells to Desired Location, Improving Their Ability to Heal

A new drug can lure stem cells to damaged tissue and locations, improving treatment efficacy. The drug could be used to help recruit stem cells to sites damaged by neurodegenerative diseases. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/373Y81W

Changes in Our Stomach’s Rhythms Steer Us Away From Disgusting Sights

Changes in the rhythms of our stomachs force us to turn away from visual stimuli we find disgusting. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/363VvxR

Cocoa Flavanols Boost Brain Oxygenation and Cognition in Healthy Adults

Those exposed to cocoa flavanols performed better at cognitive tests and showed increases in brain oxygenation. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3nUSl5r

AI Helps Scientists Understand Brain Activity Behind Thoughts

A new AI system helps researchers better understand the brain computations that underlie thought. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/374mBEh

Stronger Memories Can Help Us Make Sense of Future Changes

The stronger a memory is as it is first encoded, the easier it is for a person to note subsequent changes and integrate them to update their understanding. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3kYJVbv

How the Brain ‘Rewires’ After Disease

Findings have implications for a better understanding of how brain plasticity occurs. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3fujo4y

Brain Waves Guide Us in Spotlighting Surprises

A dynamic interplay of different brainwave frequencies, not dedicated networks, governs how the brain acts to a novel surprise and downplays predictable stimuli. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/361V5rB

Stress in Pregnancy May Influence Baby Brain Development

Maternal stress is linked to altered development in areas of the brain associated with emotional development in their offspring. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/33e5Y7L

Tarantula Toxin Attacks With Molecular Stinger

A tarantula's venom immobilizes its prey by interfering with sodium channels that generate electrical signals in the animal's nervous system. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2J4yr8Y

Psilocybin Shows Potential as Migraine Treatment

A new small scale study reveals psilocybin appears to have a beneficial effect for chronic migraine sufferers. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3nS264s

Children More Willing to Punish if the Wrongdoer Is ‘Taught a Lesson’

Children as young as four are more willing to make personal sacrifices to punish those who do wrong, especially if they believe the punishment will teach the transgressor a lesson. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/339dxMY

Measuring Risk-Taking by Watching People Move Computer Mice

People whose computer mouse drifted toward a safer option on the screen, even when they ultimately decided to select a riskier option, may be more risk avoidant than their choices would indicate. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l34Ytb

What Do Slight Arm Movements Reveal About Our Breathing and Health?

Minimal arm movements that occur during sleep are better predictors of respiratory rate than ECG wrist monitors, a new study reports. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3pXqV0L

Eye Exam Could Lead to Early Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis

Artificial intelligence technology can identify early signatures of Parkinson's disease based on images of the retina vasculature taken from a simple eye test. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/35Zefyl

Early and Late Stages of Degenerative Diseases Are Distinct

At the cellular levels, neurodegeneration associated with diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's occurs in two different phases by different activities of protein signaling pathways that regulate cell function. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/36XBt7g

Brain Cells That Help Drive Bodily Reaction to Fear and Anxiety Identified

Pnoc neurons in the BNST trigger pupillary response and increase heart rate in response to anxiety and fear. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2J6g8Au

Social Isolation Provokes Brain Activity Similar to That Seen During Hunger Cravings

Activity in the substantia nigra is similar following a day of social isolation as it is following a day of starvation. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/36Z4csw

Psychosis Symptoms Linked to Impaired Information Spread in the Brain

White matter connectivity does not directly induce psychosis, but may affect symptoms of psychosis through its effect on the consciousness threshold. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3l6Wp0R

Loneliness in Parkinson’s Disease May Lead to Worsening of Symptoms

People with Parkinson's disease who have less social interaction are at greater risk for developing more severe symptoms of the disease than those who are less lonely. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2UNJ2Yu

Stereotypes Prejudice Our Musical Tastes

Emotional response to music isn't just derived from lyrics or the beat, they are also based on preconceived ideas we have about different musical genres. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/3kOtQFa

Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial to Focus on People Who Can’t Walk

ChariotMS is recruiting 200 patients in the UK who lack mobility due to multiple sclerosis for a new clinical trial. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2URfFEL

Altered ‘Coat’ Disguises Fatal Brain Virus From Neutralizing Antibodies

Genetic mutations in the capsid of JCPyV may allow virus to escape antibodies. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2KlASoc

Time Spent Playing Video Games Can Be Good for Your Well Being

Those who play video games are more likely to report experiencing positive emotions and better overall well-being. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/35PBLOk

Do Neural Networks Dream Visual Illusions?

When convolutional neural networks are trained under experimental conditions, they are deceived by the brightness and color of a visual image in similar ways to the human visual system. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/336TI9j

Memories Create ‘Fingerprints’ That Reveal How the Brain Is Organized

Researchers identified several brain areas that acted as hubs for information processing across brain networks that contribute to memory recall. They observed how activation patterns within these networks differed on an individual level, based on personal levels of recall detail and imagination. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2UNwoJ6

Gut Immune Cells May Help Send Multiple Sclerosis Into Remission

Study finds signs of IgA antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis during a flare-up of the disease, but not when the patients are in remission. The findings suggest gut immune cells are involved in relapse episodes of multiple sclerosis. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/2IWueV9

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments Reverse Aging Process

Healthy older adults exposed to hyperbaric oxygen therapies showed signs of reversal of the normal aging process at a cellular level. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/35MLQeM