Eating fatty food in the days leading up to surgery may prompt a heightened inflammatory response in the brain that interferes for weeks with memory-related cognitive function in older adults – and, new research in animals suggests, even in young adults.
Tag: Memory
How we remember
In two experiments, Temple and Pitt researchers asked participants to repeatedly study pairs of items and scenes that were either identical on each repetition or in which the item stayed the same but the scene changed each time.
Brain Waves Travel in One Direction When Memories are Made and the Opposite When Recalled
These wide-ranging waves quickly link the specific constellations of brain regions that work in harmony to perform a task.
People with Essential Tremor May Have Increased Risk of Dementia
Dementia may be three times more common among people with essential tremor, a movement disorder that causes involuntary shaking, than the general population, according to research released today, March 6, 2024. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms Linked to Memory and Thinking Problems
People who experience sleep apnea may be more likely to also have memory or thinking problems, according to a preliminary study released today, March 3, 2024, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study shows a positive association but did not determine whether sleep apnea causes cognitive decline.
Doctor discusses a recent study about dementia.
Tresa Mcneal, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, discusses a recent study about dementia. What You Need to Know: Dementia affects thinking, memory and social ability. Stroke can cause dementia. Dementia risks increase for those who are sedentary. Reduce…
Abdominal Fat Can Impact Brain Health and Cognition in High Alzheimer’s Risk Individuals
The impact of abdominal fat on brain health and cognition is generally more pronounced in middle-aged men at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease as opposed to women, according to researchers at Rutgers Health.
Yoga provides unique cognitive benefits to older women at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, study finds
A new UCLA Health study found Kundalini yoga provided several benefits to cognition and memory for older women at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease including restoring neural pathways, preventing brain matter decline and reversing aging and inflammation-associated biomarkers – improvements not seen in a group who received standard memory training exercises.
Brain waves are part of memory
Neuroscientists from Bonn, New York, and Freiburg discover interactions between so-called “ripples” and nerve cells during human memory processes.
Neuromorphic computing will be great… if hardware can handle the workload
A scientific team, including Purdue University, propose hardware that mimics the human brain
Sets of neurons work in sync to track ‘time’ and ‘place,’ giving humans context for past, present and future
Two studies led by UCLA researchers offer new insights into the way neurons in the human brain represent time and space – the most basic ingredients of consciousness of human existence and the primary dimensions of experience that allow us to reconstruct the past and envision the future.
An unexpected link between 2 schizophrenia risk proteins
The discovery of a physical interaction between two proteins in brain cells that can be traced in mice to control of movement, anxiety and memory could one day open the door to development of new schizophrenia treatment strategies, researchers say.
Medicine on the base of vitamin B6 improves memory and decreases fatigue after COVID
Scientists have showed that medicine on the base of vitamin B6 can be used for treatment of post-COVID asthenia – condition when patients complain of rapid fatigability, problems with memory and sleep. Taking of this product enabled 35% patients to improve memory, 40% patients began to sleep well, 42% of people began to get tired more slowly. Besides this taking this medicine enabled patients to experience physical activity easier. Results of the research are published in Magazine of Infectology.
Protein p53 regulates learning, memory, sociability in mice
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have established the protein p53 as critical for regulating sociability, repetitive behavior, and hippocampus-related learning and memory in mice, illuminating the relationship between the protein-coding gene TP53 and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
Concussions Early in Life Tied to Late Life Cognitive Decline
A study of twins shows that having a concussion early in life is tied to having lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills decades later as well as having more rapid decline in those scores than twins who did not have a concussion, or traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study is published in the September 6, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Penn Medicine Researchers Identify the Link Between Memory and Appetite in the Human Brain to Explain Obesity
Disrupted connections between memory and appetite regulating brain circuits are directly proportional to BMI, notably in patients who suffer from disordered or overeating that can lead to obesity, such as binge eating disorder, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Intermittent Fasting Improves Alzheimer’s Pathology
New results from researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine suggest that intermittent fasting could be an effective treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease.
Mount Sinai Fellow Salman E. Qasim, PhD, Awarded Prestigious Essay Prize From Lasker Foundation
The Lasker Foundation announced today that Salman E. Qasim, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is among five winners of its 10th annual Lasker Essay Contest.
Addressing disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research
Age-related cognitive decline and the escalating prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease are pressing social challenges as the population of those 65 and older continues to expand. Age is the primary risk factor, but research has shown that social and structural determinants of health play significant roles in the higher incidence of Alzheimer’s among marginalized communities.
Fluctuating Levels of Cholesterol and Triglycerides Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
Older people who have fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may have a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias compared to people who have steady levels, according to new research published in the July 5, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. While the study found a link, it does not prove that fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides cause dementia.
Taking Good Care of Your Teeth May Be Good for Your Brain
Taking good care of your teeth may be linked to better brain health, according to a study published in the July 5, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found that gum disease and tooth loss were linked to brain shrinkage in the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease. The study does not prove that gum disease or tooth loss causes Alzheimer’s disease; it only shows an association.
Potential Improvement of Learning and Memory in Down Syndrome
A new approach could enhance memory and learning in individuals with Down syndrome by stabilizing a key component in the body’s protein sorting system called the retromer complex.
Deep-brain stimulation during sleep strengthens memory
This study provides provides the first physiological evidence from inside the human brain supporting the dominant scientific theory on how the brain consolidates memory during sleep. Further, deep-brain stimulation during a critical time in the sleep cycle appeared to improve memory consolidation.
Running Throughout Middle Age Keeps ‘Old’ Adult-born Neurons ‘Wired’
A new study provides novel insight into the benefits of exercise, which should motivate adults to keep moving throughout their lifetime, especially during middle age. Long-term exercise profoundly benefits the aging brain and may prevent aging-related memory function decline by increasing the survival and modifying the network of the adult-born neurons born during early adulthood, and thereby facilitating their participation in cognitive processes.
Long-term use of steroids could impair memory, study finds
Memory impairment associated with steroid use has been identified in a new study. The University of Bristol-led findings, published in PNAS, show great potential for the identification of drugs that could be adapted to treat certain memory disorders.
This is your brain on everyday life
A new study from a Washington University researcher offers fresh insights into how the brain goes to great lengths to processes and remember everyday events.
New mouse study reveals a key process in how the brain forms memories
A study from the UC Davis School of Medicine has identified a gene-enzyme interaction that appears to play a key role in how the brain forms memories. The findings provide insights into how PDE inhibitor medications may help diseases like Alzheimer’s. The research was published in Science Signaling.
High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Linked to Thinking Problems Later
High blood pressure disorders during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of thinking problems later in life, according to a study published in the March 1, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Identifying the inflammatory cells behind chemo brain
Immune cells that keep the brain free of debris but also contribute to inflammation are the likely culprits behind the concentration and memory problems that sometimes follow one type of chemotherapy, a new study in mice suggests.
How the Mongolian Gerbil May Help Speed Recovery of a Rare Inner Ear Problem
Rutgers scientists develop testing model to enhance understanding of a condition known as “third window syndrome”
UC Irvine School of Medicine associate professor awarded 19th Japan Academy Medal
Kei Igarashi, associate professor of anatomy & neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, has been named one of six scholars to win the 19th Japan Academy Medal. Widely considered the academy’s most prestigious award for Japanese researchers under the age of 45 in all fields of science and humanities, it was bestowed on Igarashi in recognition of his discoveries on the neural circuit mechanisms of associative memory and how they are affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Events Serve as “Stepping Stones” en Route to Retrieved Memories
Lost your keys again? One way to retrace your steps involves scanning your memory to find them, such as reaching back to the last moment you clearly remember having them—say, as you walked in the door—before skipping ahead to a “phone call” event and then a “watching TV” event, at which point you might recall placing the keys next to the remote.
Early Cardiovascular Disease Linked to Worse Brain Health in Middle Age
People with early cardiovascular disease may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems and worse brain health in middle age, according to new research published in the January 25, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Multimodal Sequencing Achieves High-Quality Results from Small Volumes of Frozen Tumor Specimens
Columbia researchers invent a multimodal sequencing technique that achieves high-quality results from small volumes of frozen tumor specimens–the ability to study cancer tissues archived in biobanks should increase the number and variety of tumor samples available for scientific analysis and advance the discovery of biomarkers and drug targets.
New research shows dynamics of memory-encoding synapses in the brains of live mice
A University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher is part of an international team that has used two-photon imaging technology to show, for the first time, the creation and elimination of synapses between neurons in the brains of live mice.
Holding information in mind may mean storing it among synapses
Between the time you read the Wi-Fi password off the café’s menu board and the time you can get back to your laptop to enter it, you have to hold it in mind.
Early life experiences can have long-lasting impact on genes
Early life experiences can impact the activity of our genes much later on and even affect longevity, finds a new study in fruit flies led by UCL researchers.
UCI researchers discover crucial role of brain’s striatum cilia in time perception
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 30, 2022 — Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that removal of cilia from the brain’s striatum region impaired time perception and judgment, revealing possible new therapeutic targets for mental and neurological conditions including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
Controversial Alzheimer’s drug approval sparks surprising impact
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 29, 2022 — When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave controversial accelerated approval to the first Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 20 years, it had a surprising impact on attitudes about research into the disease. A survey by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists has found news coverage of the FDA’s decision made the public less willing to volunteer for Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical trials.
Study: Antioxidant Flavonols Linked to Slower Memory Decline
People who eat or drink more foods with antioxidant flavonols, which are found in several fruits and vegetables as well as tea and wine, may have a slower rate of memory decline, according to a study published in the November 22, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Artificial Neural Networks Learn Better When They Spend Time Not Learning at All
UC San Diego researchers discuss how mimicking sleep patterns of the human brain in artificial neural networks may help mitigate the threat of catastrophic forgetting in the latter, boosting their utility across a spectrum of research interests.
Was I Happy Then? Our Current Feelings Can Interfere with Memories of Past Well-Being
Many of us spend our lives chasing “happiness,” a state of contentment that is more difficult for some to achieve than others. Research in Psychological Science suggests that one reason happiness can seem so elusive is that our current feelings can interfere with memories of our past well-being.
Weight Change in Early Parkinson’s May Be Tied to Changes in Thinking Skills
People who gain or lose weight soon after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may be more likely to have changes in their thinking skills than people who maintain their weight, according to a study published in the October 19, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Reframe the pain: reducing needle anxiety in children
New research from the University of South Australia shows that children’s vaccination and needle fear can be lessened when nurses spend additional time supporting children in the vaccination process.
Finding the right memory strategy to slow cognitive decline
A new study compares two approaches to improving memory in people with mild cognitive impairment.
Research reveals how brain inflammation may link Alzheimer’s risk, sleep disturbance
A multisite research team from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Wake Forest University has discovered that brain inflammation may link Alzheimer’s disease risk with sleep disturbance, which may aid early detection and prevention efforts by identifying novel treatment targets at preclinical stages.
Brain Ripples May Help Bind Information across the Human Cortex
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine provide some of the first empirical evidence that brain ripples exist. These electrical waves have long been hypothesized as a way for the brain to integrate and encode memories.
Solving algorithm ‘amnesia’ reveals clues to how we learn
A discovery about how algorithms can learn and retain information more efficiently offers potential insight into the brain’s ability to absorb new knowledge. The findings by researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences could aid in combatting cognitive impairments and improving technology.
New imaging technique allows researchers to see gene expression in brains of live mice in real time
A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a new technique for imaging mRNA molecules in the brains of living mice. The research reveals new insights into how memories are formed and stored in the brain and could allow scientists to learn more about diseases such as Alzheimer’s in the future.
María de los Ángeles Ortega to Lead Nursing Clinical Care for Vulnerable Populations
Dr. Ortega’s newest role as associate dean of clinical practice now places her at the helm of clinical care for both the Green Memory and Wellness Center and the FAU and Northwest Community Health Alliance’s Community Health Center (FAU/NCHA CHC), operated by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. She will collaborate with FAU/NCHA CHC executive director Karethy Edwards, Dr.PH, APRN, professor and associate dean for academic programs; and clinical director Desiree’ T. Weems, APRN, a certified nurse practitioner.