Brain | Page 360 | Science Codex

UTSW-led study establishes biomarkers to help diagnose, treat psychosis

DALLAS - December 8, 2015 - In a groundbreaking study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center, a comprehensive set of empirical biomarkers has been established to aid in diagnosis and treatment of psychosis.

To date, the gold standard for diagnosis of psychosis has been clinical observation, classifying patients into schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorders. But in this study, the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) identified three neurobiologically distinct biotypes that do not always match up with the conventional clinical diagnosis.

Antidepressant with novel action appears safe and effective in phase 1b clinical trial

A small clinical trial of a novel antidepressant that stimulates neurogenesis - the production of new brain cells - shows that the compound appears to be safe and may be effective against depression. Results of the phase 1B trial, led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, show that treatment with the drug currently identified as NSI-189 improved both depressive and cognitive symptoms in study participants and that its effects appear to persist for several months after treatment discontinuation. The study was supported by the pharmaceutical company Neuralstem.

Migraine triggers may all act through a common pathway

Migraines can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, sleep disruption, noise, odors, and diet. The findings of a new Headache review indicate that many of these factors converge on a common pathway involving oxidative stress.

Screenbased activities can't replace personal interactions

A new article stresses the importance of direct interactions with family members for infants' development and finds no scientific evidence for benefits of iPad or DVD programs, which in fact might even cause language delays.

The neurons in infants' brains are busy processing input involved with sensing, seeing, and hearing, and imitating facial expressions, recognizing family members, and formulating language are all important aspects of development.

Unexpected wood source for Chaco Canyon great houses

The wood in the monumental "great houses" built in Chaco Canyon by ancient Puebloans came from two different mountain ranges, according to new research from the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

The UA scientists are the first to report that before 1020, most of the wood came from the Zuni Mountains about 50 miles (75 km) to the south. The species of tree used in the buildings did not grow nearby, so the trees must have been transported from distant mountain ranges.

Catching cellular impacts of bubbles and jets

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke researchers have devised a way to take an in-depth look at a poorly understood phenomenon that commonly occurs in medical procedures using therapeutic ultrasound, such as shattering kidney stones, delivering drugs to cells, and, most recently, breaking the blood-brain barrier.

New findings reveal the interplay between epilepsy and aging

PHILADELPHIA, December 7, 2015 - The largest and fastest-growing segment of people with epilepsy are those age 60 and older. People with epilepsy face a number of related health challenges, including cognitive, physical and psychological disorders. But new research suggests other, less expected consequences on the aging process. Four studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society's (AES) 69th Annual Meeting explore the effects of epilepsy on the brain, providing insights that shed light on the long-term implications of life with epilepsy.

What makes Tom Hanks look like Tom Hanks?

Tom Hanks has appeared in many acting roles over the years, playing young and old, smart and simple. Yet we always recognize him as Tom Hanks.

Why? Is it his appearance? His mannerisms? The way he moves?

University of Washington researchers have demonstrated that it's possible for machine learning algorithms to capture the 'persona' and create a digital model of a well-photographed person like Tom Hanks from the vast number of images of them available on the Internet.

Researchers find molecular shift that stops stem cells in Drosophila from making tumors

EUGENE, Ore. -- Dec. 7, 2015 -- University of Oregon scientists studying neural stem cells in the fruit fly Drosophila have uncovered a molecular change experienced by stem cells as they age. During development of the central nervous system, a protein is expressed that blocks tumor formation.

Negative beliefs about aging predict Alzheimer's disease in Yale-led study

New Haven, Conn.--Newly published research led by the Yale School of Public Health demonstrates that individuals who hold negative beliefs about aging are more likely to have brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

The study suggests that combatting negative beliefs about aging, such as elderly people are decrepit, could potentially offer a way to reduce the rapidly rising rate of Alzheimer's disease, a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that causes dementia in more than 5 million Americans.

How our brains overrule our senses

Scientists have long known that when sounds are faint or objects are seen through fog in the distance, repetition of these weak or ambiguous sensory 'inputs' can result in different perceptions inside the same brain. Now the results of new research, described online Dec. 7 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, have identified brain processes in mice that may help explain how those differences happen.

Physical activity may leave the brain more open to change

Learning, memory, and brain repair depend on the ability of our neurons to change with experience. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 7 have evidence from a small study in people that exercise may enhance this essential plasticity of the adult brain.

The findings focused on the visual cortex come as hopeful news for people with conditions including amblyopia (sometimes called lazy eye), traumatic brain injury, and more, the researchers say.

Older adults live independently longer when monitored by care team and technology

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Finding ways to help older adults "age in place" has been a focus of researchers at the University of Missouri for more than a decade. Now, a new study shows their work at TigerPlace, an independent living community that uses sensor technology and onsite care coordination to maintain residents' health, is successful.

Unraveling the genetic basis of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

PHILADELPHIA, December 7, 2015 - The leading cause of epilepsy-related death is a poorly understood phenomenon known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The risk factors and causes of SUDEP remain unclear but researchers have proposed explanations ranging from irregular heart rhythm to genetic predisposition to accidental suffocation during sleep. Three studies to be presented at the American Epilepsy Society's (AES) 69th Annual Meeting parse the contributions of genetics to SUDEP in hopes of uncovering new strategies for prevention.

Chomsky was right, NYU researchers find: We do have a 'grammar' in our head

A team of neuroscientists has found new support for MIT linguist Noam Chomsky's decades-old theory that we possess an "internal grammar" that allows us to comprehend even nonsensical phrases.