Brain | Page 1271 | Science Codex

Good grades? It's all in who you know

Enrichment classes, after-school activities, tutoring, not to mention the gentle prodding of parents — all may count in giving a child that extra academic edge. But parents still puzzle over what the right mix is to make their children excel in school.

It turns out that the missing ingredient could be the friends a child keeps, specifically their in-school friends, the ones who sweat the same tests and homework and complain about the same teachers, rather than those they may make outside of school.

Cell Transplantation reports consistent and successful islet isolations offer diabetes hope

Tampa, Fla. (June 3, 2010) – A team of researchers from several collaborating Baylor University research centers and from Japan's Okayama Graduate School of Medicine have found a way to more consistently isolate pancreatic islet cells from brain dead donors using ductal injection (DI), a process that immediately cools donor islet cells at the injection site. The more successful islet isolation process resulted in the three type 1-diabetes patients, who received islet cell transplants, becoming insulin independent.

Spending time in nature makes people feel more alive, study shows

Spending time in nature makes people feel more alive, study shows

Feeling sluggish? The solution may require getting outside the box – that big brick-and-mortar box called a building.

Moving repeatedly in childhood linked with poorer quality-of-life years later

WASHINGTON – Moving to a new town or even a new neighborhood is stressful at any age, but a new study shows that frequent relocations in childhood are related to poorer well-being in adulthood, especially among people who are more introverted or neurotic.

The researchers tested the relation between the number of childhood moves and well-being in a sample of 7,108 American adults who were followed for 10 years. The findings are reported in the June issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

Inducing a safety memory in the brain

Inducing a safety memory in the brain

Drug substitutes for training in rats, inducing a memory of safety

Researchers have found a way to pharmacologically induce a memory of safety in the brain of rats, mimicking the effect of training. The finding suggests possibilities for new treatments for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders.

Adolescent brains biologically wired to engage in risky behavior, study finds

There are biological motivations behind the stereotypically poor decisions and risky behavior associated with adolescence, new research from a University of Texas at Austin psychologist reveals.

Previous studies have found that teenagers tend to be more sensitive to rewards than either children or adults. Now, Russell Poldrack and fellow researchers have taken the first major step in identifying which brain systems cause adolescents to have these urges and what implications these biological differences may hold for rash adolescent behavior.

Key nutrient in maternal diet promises 'dramatic' improvements for people with Down syndrome

ITHACA, N.Y. – A nutrient found in egg yolks, liver and cauliflower taken by mothers during pregnancy and nursing may offer lifelong "dramatic" health benefits to people with Down syndrome .

Mongooses pass traditions on to their young, too

For the passing on of traditions, it appears that an especially big brain isn't required. A new report published online on June 3rd in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, shows that even mongooses in the wild carry out traditions that are passed down from one generation to the next.

Deep brain stimulation at 2 different targets gives similar motor benefits in Parkinson's

In a major study, investigators have compared how individuals with Parkinson's disease respond to deep brain stimulation (DBS) at two different sites in the brain. Contrary to current belief, patients who received DBS at either site in the brain experienced comparable benefits for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's.

'Brain pacemaker' for Parkinson's disease equally effective in 2 regions of brain

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Studies have shown that a "brain pacemaker" called deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease.

But there's been debate over what region of the brain to stimulate -- the globus pallidus interna or the subthalamic nucleus. Now, a major study published in the June 3, 2010 New England Journal of Medicine is showing that stimulating either region resulted in similar improvements in motor function. There were small differences in non-motor effects such as mood and cognitive function.

Probiotic found in breast milk helps alleviate symptoms of digestive disorders

Here's another reason to breast feed your baby: Canadian researchers have discovered how a probiotic found in breastmilk reduces or eliminates painful cramping in the gut. In a new research report published online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), these scientists use mice to show that a specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri decreases the force of muscle contractions in the gut within minutes of exposure. This bacterium naturally occurs in the gut of many mammals and can be found in human breast milk.

Neural tissue contains imbalanced levels of proteins, U-M study finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Why do some diseases affect only specific organs, leaving others invulnerable? Researchers from the University of Michigan have found neural tissue contains imbalanced levels of proteins, which may explain the brain's susceptibility to a debilitating childhood movement disorder.

Results from a study testing methylphenidate for cancer-related fatigue

CHICAGO -- Cancer-related fatigue is often a major problem for cancer patients, beginning at diagnosis, during treatment and after completing therapy.

Eyes of cattle may become new windows to detect mad cow disease

Eyes of cattle may become new windows to detect mad cow disease