English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
Esperanto
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
UrduBesides seizures, people with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies can experience a wide variety of symptoms, including sleep problems, vision problems, and behavioral issues. Dr. Scott Demarest discusses how neurologists may be able to address some of these issues, potentially improving outcomes and quality of life.
Tag: Brain Function
Researcher determines ADHD gives entrepreneurs an edge
The brains of people with ADHD function in ways that can benefit them as entrepreneurs, according to research from the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
Can a Blood Test Detect Alzheimer’s Disease?
In July, the first direct-to-consumer blood test designed to assess a user’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease hit the market.
Diabetes linked to functional and structural brain changes through MRI
A new study finds that the longer a person has type 2 diabetes, the more likely they may be to experience changes in brain structure. MRI results, researchers say, indicate the negative effects longstanding diabetes may have on brain health outcomes and emphasize the importance of preventing early onset type 2 diabetes.
How the brain develops: a new way to shed light on cognition
Researchers introduce a new neurocomputational model of the human brain that could bridge the gap in understanding AI and the biological mechanisms underlying mental disorders.
Brain Activity May Play Role in Childhood Trauma Victims’ Heart Disease Risk
Rockville, Md. (June 1, 2022)—Research published ahead of print in the journal Function suggests that reduced activity in one area of the brain may play in role in how adults who experienced adverse childhood events (ACEs) have a greater risk…
Mount Sinai Neurobiologist Selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has selected Ian Maze, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and Pharmacological Sciences, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as an HHMI Investigator.
8 weeks of meditation studies can make your brain quicker
Just eight weeks of meditation studies can make your brain quicker, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Memory Biomarkers Confirm Aerobic Exercise Helps Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Until now, systemic biomarkers to measure exercise effects on brain function and that link to relevant metabolic responses were lacking. A study shows a memory biomarker, myokine Cathepsin B (CTSB), increased in older adults following a 26-week structured aerobic exercise training. The positive association between CTSB and cognition, and the substantial modulation of lipid metabolites implicated in dementia, support the beneficial effects of exercise training on brain function and brain health in asymptomatic individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s.
Study Shows Facial Emotions are Successfully Encoded in Brains of Those with Autism
A study led by Stony Brook University that tested neural activity in the brains of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) reveals that they successfully encode facial emotions in their neural signals – and they do so about as well as those without ASD.
Depressed Moms Who Breastfeed Boost Babies’ Mood, Neuroprotection and Mutual Touch
Feeding method and affectionate touch patterns in depressed and non-depressed mothers and babies as well as infant’s EEG activity showed that mother-infant affectionate touch differed as a function of mood and feeding method (breastfeeding and bottle-feeding). Infants in the depressed and bottle-fed group reduced touch toward their mothers while breastfeeding had a positive effect on both mother and baby. Infants of depressed and breastfeeding mothers showed neither behavioral nor brain development dysregulation previously found in infants of depressed mothers.
NIH Awards $13.8 Million for Studies on the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Joe Verghese, M.B.B.S., M.S., an international leader in aging and cognition research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, has received two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling $13.8 million to conduct studies on pre-dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Understanding ‘Chemo Brain’ in Children: Researchers Secure $4.6 Million NIH Grant to Identify Those at Risk
Chemotherapy usually cures children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the treatment may hamper brain development and impact key cognitive functions including sensory processing, memory, and attention. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have received a five-year, $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine how chemotherapy exerts its damaging effects on the brain. Their long-term objective is to use this information to develop protective interventions that can prevent permanent harm.
Mouse Study Highlights Neurotransmitter Differences When Awake and Under Anesthesia
Article title: Neurotransmitter networks in mouse prefrontal cortex are reconfigured by isoflurane anesthesia Authors: Xiaoying Zhang, Aaron G. Baer, Joshua M. Price, Piet C. Jones, Benjamin J. Garcia, Jonathon Romero, Ashley M. Cliff, Weidong Mi, James B. Brown, Daniel A.…
Light drinking may protect brain function
Light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older age, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence may Alter Reward Motivation
The brain responds to rewarding stimuli by increasing the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. When we feel motivated, it is because our brain anticipates this dopamine reward.
The transition from early to mid-adolescence is associated with increased reward sensitivity and reward-seeking behavior, a consequence of normal brain development. This heightened sensitivity or prioritization of reward can be thought of as reflecting a greater motivation to obtain rewards. A new study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, has addressed whether drinking alcohol in early adolescence might impact the brain’s reward systems, by examining associations between alcohol initiation and subsequent changes in reward motivation while accounting for baseline scores. Differences between boys and girls were also evaluated.
Cumulative Effects of Long Term Alcohol on Brain Function
Functional MRI (fMRI), a type of scan that measures brain activity, has enabled study of the impact of alcohol on brain function. This type of imaging allows brain activity to be assessed while participants are at rest, performing a simple task like tapping a finger, or doing a complex cognitive task like a memory task or decision-making. It works by detecting the change in blood flow that occurs when brain cells (or neurons) in different parts of the brain are activated. Blood flow provides the energy and oxygen needed for brain cells to activate, and it is this exchange of oxygen that is measured using fMRI and is reflected by brain blood flow. Complicated physics are involved in determining the profile of blood flow when a part of the brain is activated, and studies have shown that the time course of these changes – known as the hemodynamic response function (HRF) – is affected by acute alcohol consumption. However, the effects of heavy chronic (long-term) alcohol consumption on HRF