Brain | Page 334 | Science Codex

Call of the wild: Male geladas captivate females with moans, yawns

ANN ARBOR -- For female gelada monkeys, a grunt from a male primate won't suffice to get her attention. The call of the wild must involve moans, wobbles or yawns to entice these females, according to a new University of Michigan study involving the Ethiopian mammals.

In findings appearing in Scientific Reports, U-M researchers found that female geladas who heard recorded playbacks of male vocal sequences containing one of three derived call types -- moans, wobbles and yawns--lingered longer and spent more time near the speaker.

UAB researchers find protein that improves mobility after spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries cause severe functional disabilities in those who sustain them, including paraplegia or tetraplegia, depending on the scale of the injury. This is due to the degeneration of the spinal pathways that carry nerve signals from the brain to the different parts of the body and vice versa, resulting in loss of mobility and sensitivity underneath the injured area.

60 genetic disorders affect skin and nervous system

MAYWOOD, Ill. - One of the most common genetic disorders is a condition called neurofibromatosis, which causes brown spots on the skin and benign tumors on the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the nervous system.

Neurofibromatosis is one of at least 60 genetic diseases called neurocutaneous disorders that involve the skin, central nervous system, and/or peripheral nervous system, researchers from Loyola University Medical Center and Loyola University Chicago report in the journal Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports.

Environmental toxin may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative illnesses

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Jan. 20, 2016 - A new study published today in the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B indicates that chronic exposure to an environmental toxin may increase risk of neurodegenerative illness. Conducted by scientists at the Institute for EthnoMedicine, a non-profit medical research organization, and the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank, the study provides a foundation for future research in Alzheimer's disease, ALS and Parkinson's disease.

Discovery of consoling behavior in prairie voles may benefit autism research

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have discovered that a social laboratory rodent, the prairie vole, shows an empathy-based consoling response when other voles are distressed. This is the first time researchers have shown consolation behavior in rodents, and this discovery ends the long-standing belief that detecting the distress of others and acting to relieve that stress is uniquely human.

Mixed emotions a sign of emotional depth, not indecision, say researchers

Experiencing mixed emotions shows emotional complexity, not indecision, and people living in different parts of the world vary in their ability to distinguish between multiple feelings they're having at once, according to new research.

NYU study explains why mistakes slow us down, but not necessarily for the better

Taking more time to make decisions after a mistake arises from a mixture of adaptive neural mechanisms that improve the accuracy and maladaptive mechanisms that reduce it, neuroscientists at New York University have found. Their study, which addresses a long-standing debate on the value of deliberation after errors in decision-making, also potentially offer insights into afflictions that impair judgments, such as Alzheimer's Disease and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Why are habits so hard to break?

DURHAM, N.C. -- By now, you might have discovered that taming your sweet tooth as a New Year's resolution is harder than you think.

New research by Duke University scientists suggests that a habit leaves a lasting mark on specific circuits in the brain, priming us to feed our cravings.

Published online Jan. 21 in the journal Neuron, the research deepens scientists' understanding of how habits like sugar and other vices manifest in the brain and suggests new strategies for breaking them.

New study challenges popular explanation for why a social insect becomes a worker or queen

The exquisite social hierarchy of insect colonies has long fascinated scientists. Take two eggs--both contain identical genetic material, but while one becomes a sterile worker, the other may develop into a queen that can reproduce. Workers perform brood care and other crucial tasks that keep the colony going, and typically live for a few weeks or months, whereas the egg-laying queens of some species live for years or decades.

Columbia neuroscientists develop new tools to safely trace brain circuits

NEW YORK -- Scientists at Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute have developed a new viral tool that dramatically expands scientists' ability to probe the activity and circuitry of brain cells, or neurons, in the mouse brain. These findings highlight an innovative feat of molecular engineering that allows the creation of a more complete map of the brain's cellular circuits and will help researchers on their way toward unraveling the mysteries of the brain.

This research was reported today in the journal Neuron.

Personal history with street gangs sparks U. of I. graduate student's research

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The allure of street gangs is something Gabriel "Joey" Merrin knows firsthand, having grown up in low-income neighborhoods in inner-city Chicago that are notorious for gang violence, crime and poverty.

For youths living in these hardscrabble surroundings, "It's not a question of if, it's a question of when you'll be faced with an offer or pressure to join a gang," said Merrin, who affiliated with a neighborhood gang for part of his youth.

Chronic stress and anxiety can damage the brain

Toronto, Canada - A scientific review paper warns that people need to find ways to reduce chronic stress and anxiety in their lives or they may be at increased risk for developing depression and even dementia.

Slow down your typing to improve your writing: Study

The quality of your writing will likely get better if you simply type slower, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo asked study participants to type essays using both hands or with only one. Using text-analysis software, the team discovered that some aspects of essay writing, such as sophistication of vocabulary, improved when participants used only one hand to type.

Computer modeling provides insight into cellular-level effects of schizophrenia risk genes

Philadelphia, PA, Jan. 21, 2016 - Numerous genetic variants associated with risk for schizophrenia have been identified. However, little is known about how these genes have their effects in the brain.

A proof-of-concept study published in the inaugural issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging proposes a computer model for measuring the cumulative impact of multiple genetic variations on the function of individual neurons.

Dartmouth study helps fill in gaps in our visual perception

HANOVER, N.H. - A Dartmouth College study sheds light on how the brain fills in the gaps of how we visually perceive the world around us.

The findings appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.