Brain

Washington, DC — Researchers have successfully reconstructed 3-D hand motions from brain signals recorded in a non-invasive way, according to a study in the March 3 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. This finding uses a technique that may open new doors for portable brain-computer interface systems. Such a non-invasive system could potentially operate a robotic arm or motorized wheelchair — a huge advance for people with disabilities or paralysis.

Irvine, Calif., March 1, 2010 — UC Irvine neurobiologists are providing the first visual evidence that learning promotes brain health – and, therefore, that mental stimulation could limit the debilitating effects of aging on memory and the mind.

Using a novel visualization technique they devised to study memory, a research team led by Lulu Chen and Christine Gall found that everyday forms of learning animate neuron receptors that help keep brain cells functioning at optimum levels.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It seems to make perfect sense: happy people are trusting people.

But a new study suggests that, in some instances, people may actually be less trusting of others when they are in a pleasant mood.

"A person's mood may determine how much they rely on subtle – or not so subtle -- cues when evaluating whether to trust someone," said Robert Lount, author of the study and assistant professor of management and human resources at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business.

Philadelphia, PA, 2 March 2010 - Think back to your last fight with someone you love. How did you feel afterwards? How did you behave? Conflict with a loved one often leaves a person feeling terrible and then behaving badly. So much so that these scenarios have become soap opera clichés. After an argument, one partner may brood, slam the door, and then drive to a local bar to drown their sorrows in alcohol. These dramas rarely have happy endings.

Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 27 million people worldwide. It is the most common form of age-related dementia, possibly the most feared disease of old age. There is no cure, and the available drugs only help to relieve symptoms without slowing progression of the disease. One of the characteristic changes in the brains of Alzheimer's patients is the accumulation of plaques and tangles; currently, the best hope for curing or at least slowing the disease lies in developing drugs that target this buildup.

• Activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been associated with risk factors for alcohol use disorders in adolescents.
• A new study has used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine ACC activity among adults.
• The increased ACC activation found during a working-memory task among alcohol-dependent (AD) participants may be an indicator of less control over alcohol-consuming behavior.

In a study of 141 parents whose children have died of cancer, more than 10 percent reported that they considered hastening their child's death, especially if the child was in pain, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.