Brain | Page 302 | Science Codex

Likely biological link found between Zika virus, microcephaly

Working with lab-grown human stem cells, a team of researchers suspect they have discovered how the Zika virus probably causes microcephaly in fetuses. The virus selectively infects cells that form the brain's cortex, or outer layer, making them more likely to die and less likely to divide normally and make new brain cells.

The researchers say their experiments also suggest these highly-susceptible lab-grown cells could be used to screen for drugs that protect the cells or ease existing infections.

Transition to child care easier when parents and providers form partnership

URBANA, Ill. - A new University of Illinois study reveals that the transition from home to child care is an important time for creating a partnership between parent and provider that benefits the child's development.

In this mixed-methods study, researchers at the U of I report that several factors--including the child's age, child temperament, and maternal depressive symptoms--may play a role in the ease or difficulty that mothers and their young children experience during the transition into child care.

Dementia care at home: Raising knowledge and confidence to improve quality and decrease costs

Over two thirds or the home health care population consists of adults over the age of 65, approximately 36% have some form of cognitive impairment, including dementia. According to the Institute of Medicine, the number of home health care (HHC) providers qualified to properly care for the older adults, including those with dementia, is inadequate.

Big and small numbers are processed in different sides of the brain

Small numbers are processed in the right side of the brain, while large numbers are processed in the left side of the brain, new research suggests.

The study, from scientists at Imperial College London, offers new insights into the mystery of how our brains handle numbers. The findings of the research, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, could in the future help to tailor rehabilitation techniques for patients who have suffered brain damage, such as stroke patients, and inform treatments for conditions such as dyscalculia, which causes difficulty in processing numbers.

CO/NO dual sensor for real time brain event observation

Inside our brains nerve cells signal each other using neurotransmitters including carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) gases. Besides sharing a number of biological and chemical characteristics, CO and NO work together in regulating many physiological processes including vasodilatation, and immune reaction. Accurate and quantitative measurements of their physiological levels have been seen to result in meaningful findings and the focus of many previous studies. However their similarities have prevented such effort from cracking the entangled bond between CO and NO.

Antidepressant use begins years before Alzheimer's diagnosis

Antidepressants are frequently initiated in persons with Alzheimer's disease already before the diagnosis, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Among persons with Alzheimer's disease, the initiation of antidepressant use was most common during the six months after the Alzheimer's diagnosis, and more frequent than among comparison persons without Alzheimer's disease even 4 years after the diagnosis. The results were published in International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

When it comes to predicting depression, race may matter more than was thought

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Depression can strike anyone, taking a toll on mental and physical health, friendships, work and studies. But figuring out who's at risk for it is still a murky task.

A new University of Michigan study suggests that standard ways of looking for depression risk may not work as well among blacks as they do among whites. But listening to how blacks describe their own mental health could help, the study suggests.

By cloning mouse neurons, TSRI scientists find brain cells with 100+ unique mutations

LA JOLLA, CA - March 3, 2016 - In a new study published today in the journal Neuron, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) are the first to sequence the complete genomes of individual neurons and to produce live mice carrying neuronal genomes in all of their cells.

Use of the technique revealed surprising insights into these cells' genomes--including the findings that each neuron contained an average of more than 100 mutations and that these neurons accumulated more mutations in genes they used frequently.

Poor helmet fit associated with concussion severity in high school football players

ORLANDO, Fla.--High school football players with ill-fitting helmets are at greater risk for more severe concussions, according to a study presented today at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

"This study suggests that incorrect helmet fit may be one variable that predisposes a football player to sustain a more severe concussion," said senior study author Joseph Torg, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Temple University Health System, who has identified acceptable tackle techniques for the NFL.

Using a computer, social activities tied to reduced risk of memory decline

MINNEAPOLIS - Keeping the brain active with social activities and using a computer may help older adults reduce their risk of developing memory and thinking problems, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

How well do laboratory experiments in economics replicate?

In a study aiming to replicate laboratory experiments published in high-impact economics journals, researchers reproduced original results in 61% of cases. The work contributes to increasing efforts to demonstrate that scientific findings are reproducible amid continued concern on this matter across disciplines. In recent decades, the reproducibility of results has been questioned in sciences such as medicine, neuroscience and genetics. In economics, concerns have been raised about inflated findings in both empirical and experimental analysis.

Neural connectivity dictates altruistic behavior

A new study suggests that the specific alignment of neural networks in the brain dictates whether a person's altruism was motivated by selfish or altruistic behavior. In psychology, motives are considered to be drivers of human behavior but can be difficult to discern; simply observing a person's actions is not sufficient to do so. A person may behave altruistically, for example, because they are moved by someone's sufferings (empathy), or they may behave altruistically because they feel obliged to return a favor (reciprocity).

Researchers overturn landmark study on the replicability of psychological science

According to two Harvard professors and their collaborators, a 2015 landmark study showing that more than half of all psychology studies cannot be replicated is actually wrong.

In an attempt to determine the replicability of psychological science, a consortium of 270 scientists known as The Open Science Collaboration (OSC) tried to replicate the results of 100 published studies. More than half of them failed, creating sensational headlines worldwide about the "replication crisis" in psychology.

Black and brilliant? A female genius? Not according to RateMyProfessors, study finds

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- An analysis of more than 14 million reviews on RateMyProfessors.com, where students write anonymous reviews of their professors, found that students most often use the words "brilliant" and "genius" to describe male professors and in academic disciplines in which women and African-Americans are underrepresented.

The findings, reported in the journal PLOS ONE, included academic disciplines in the sciences, humanities, social sciences and math.

Brain connectivity reveals hidden motives

To understand human behaviors, it is crucial to understand the motives behind them. So far, there was no direct way to identify motives. Simply observing behavior or eliciting explanations from individuals for their actions will not give reliable results as motives are considered to be private and people can be unwilling to unveil - or even be unaware of - their own motives.