Breathing in dirty air damages our lungs, but new research is showing it might change how we think, too. A study published earlier this week in the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences found that long-term exposure to particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide led to cognitive declines in study participants as they […]
August 2018
Science Daily: How does helping people affect your brain? Study shows neurobiological effects of giving social support
Providing “targeted” social support to other people in need activates regions of the brain involved in parental care- which may help researchers understand the positive health effects of social ties, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.By comparison, providing “untargeted” support such as giving […]
Medical News Today: What to know about brain stem strokes
The brain stem controls essential bodily functions, such as breathing, swallowing, and balance. A blockage or a bleed in the brain stem can cause a brain stem stroke, which can affect these vital roles. In this article, we take a close look at brain stem strokes, including the symptoms, diagnosis, recovery, and outlook. (August 31, […]
Women’s Health: What to do if you think someone is having a stroke
September 3rd to 9th is National Stroke Week, which aims to raise awareness about one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability. Despite these alarming statistics, many of us don’t know what a stroke is or how to help someone who might be having one. So to clear that up, Feras Karem, […]
News-Medical: Is Alzheimer’s disease type 3 diabetes?
Alzheimer’s disease is a severe cognitive health disorder that affects approximately 50 million people around the world. It is associated with a high mortality rate and is a massive financial burden on healthcare provision in the Western World, but it is possible that this does not have to be the case. Alzheimer’s disease is considered […]
U.S. News & World Report: Is early cancer detection on the horizon?
When I was a kid, one of my aunts was quite fond of reminding me that “a stitch in time saves nine.” But when you’re 10, it’s much more enticing to race around with your friends than diligently do your homework so it doesn’t keep piling up on your desk. The idea is simple: The […]
Big Think: Scientists discover a “neural clock” deep inside the human brain
Given the importance of time in running our lives, we don’t really know enough about its ultimate nature. Is it a construct of our mind? Or is it something that is an absolute effect of nature that is independent of our perception of it? Now researchers at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Norway […]
Romper: 5 fascinating ways Disneyland affects your toddler’s brain, according to science
As any parent who’s been forced to hoist a wailing toddler over one shoulder after a long day at the zoo/museum/amusement park knows, sometimes activities that are supposed to be fun for little ones end up being way more than they’re ready to handle. While this is never an enjoyable experience, it’s a lot less […]
Science Daily: Great minds may think alike, but all minds look alike
The brain is a complex network containing many billions of neurons. Each neuron is connected to thousands of others via links (synapses) which can be strong or weak. A strong link indicates a significant influence between connecting neurons unlike a weak link, which could be tens of thousands of times weaker than a strong one. […]
Medical Xpress: Researchers discover network of cells that appears to play crucial role in experience
Researchers at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Norway have discovered a network of brain cells that expresses our sense of time within experiences and memories. “This network provides timestamps for events and keeps track of the order of events within an experience,” says Professor Edvard Moser, Nobel laureate and director of the Kavli […]