FeaturedNeuroscience·October 24, 2012·2 min readResearchers Say Daily Drinking Can Be RiskyDrinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. A new study indicates there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking - a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·October 22, 2012·3 min readClue to Alzheimer’s Cause Found in Brain SamplesResearchers found a key difference in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and those who are cognitively normal but still have brain plaques that characterize this type of dementia.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·October 21, 2012·5 min readNatural Process Activating Brain’s Immune Cells Could Point Way to Repairing Damaged BrainThe brain’s key “breeder” cells secrete substances that boost the numbers and strength of critical brain-based immune cells believed to play a vital role in brain health. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of how resident stem cells and stem cell transplants may improve brain function.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 20, 2012·3 min readResearchers Clarify Process Controlling Night VisionNew research reveals the key chemical process that corrects for potential visual errors in low-light conditions. Understanding this fundamental step could lead to new treatments for visual deficits, or might one day boost normal night vision to new levels.Read More
ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeuroscience·October 19, 2012·4 min readResearchers Explore How the Brain Perceives Direction and LocationThe Who asked “who are you?” but Dartmouth neurobiologist Jeffrey Taube “where are you?” and “where are you going?” Taube is not asking philosophical or theological questions. He is investigating nerve cells in the brain that function in establishing one’s location and direction.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 19, 2012·2 min readHow the Brain Forms CategoriesNeurobiologists investigated how the brain is able to group external stimuli into stable categories. They found the answer in the discrete dynamics of neuronal circuits.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·October 19, 2012·4 min readScientists Pinpoint Key Player in Parkinson’s Disease Neuron LossStem cell study may help to unravel how a genetic mutation leads to Parkinson's symptoms. By reprogramming skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients with a known genetic mutation, researchers identified damage to neural stem cells as a powerful player in Parkinson's disease.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·October 18, 2012·5 min readUsing the Eye as a Window into the BrainAn inexpensive, five-minute eye scan can accurately assess the amount of brain damage in people with the debilitating autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), and offer clues about how quickly the disease is progressing.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 17, 2012·2 min readDiscovery of Two Opposite Ways Humans Voluntarily Forget Unwanted MemoriesIf only there were a way to forget that humiliating faux pas at last night's dinner party. It turns out there's not one, but two opposite ways in which the brain allows us to voluntarily forget unwanted memories, according to research.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·October 16, 2012·3 min readLess Invasive Method of Brain Stimulation Helps Patients with Parkinson’s DiseaseElectrical stimulation using extradural electrodes—placed underneath the skull but not implanted in the brain, is a safe approach with meaningful benefits for patients with Parkinson's disease according to new research.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience Abstracts·October 15, 2012·4 min readDoes Motherhood Dampen Cocaine’s Effects?Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than female rats that have never given birth, according to new University of Michigan research that looks at both behavior and brain chemistry.Read More
Psychology·October 15, 2012·3 min readLanguage is Shaped by Brain’s Desire for Clarity and EaseUsing an artificial language in a carefully controlled laboratory experiment, researchers found that many changes to language are simply the brain's way of ensuring that communication is as precise and concise as possible.Read More
