http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, according to a study published in the May 22 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings could one day guide researchers to discover drug alternatives that slow the progress of age-associated impairments in the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-caloric-intake-nerve-cell-loss.html Neuroscience Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:09 EST news288374042 A new genetically engineered lab rat that has the full array of brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease supports the idea that increases in a molecule called beta-amyloid in the brain causes the disease, according to a study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-next-generation-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:00:07 EST news284745162 The seizures that affect people with temporal-lobe epilepsy usually start in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. But they are often able to involve other areas outside the temporal lobe, propagating via anatomically and functionally connected networks in the brain. New research findings that link decreased brain cell concentration to altered functional connectivity in temporal-lobe epilepsy are reported in an article in Brain Connectivity, a bimonthly peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. . http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-epileptic-seizures-propagate-functional-brain.html Neuroscience Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:37:28 EST news284132234 (Medical Xpress)—A new study conducted by monitoring the brain waves of sleeping adolescents has found that remarkable changes occur in the brain as it prunes away neuronal connections and makes the major transition from childhood to adulthood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-reveals-adolescent-brain-transition-mature.html Neuroscience Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:51:26 EST news282905473 Hunger, thirst, stress and drugs can create a change in the brain that transforms a repulsive feeling into a strong positive "wanting," a new University of Michigan study indicates. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-repulsive-desires.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:45:37 EST news279391526 New University at Buffalo research demonstrates how defects in an important neurological pathway in early development may be responsible for the onset of schizophrenia later in life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-stem-cell-schizophrenia.html Genetics Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:56:00 EST news278096151 (HealthDay)—In a small study of former NFL players, about one quarter were found to have "mild cognitive impairment," or problems with thinking and memory, a rate slightly higher than expected in the general population. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-brain-small-nfl-players.html Neuroscience Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:00:01 EST news276803030 Some brain changes that are found in adults with common gene variants linked to disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and autism can also be seen in the brain scans of newborns. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-genes-alzheimer-mental-illness-linked.html Neuroscience Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:00:01 EST news276360077 Brain changes in children who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion, persist for months following injury—even after the symptoms of the injury are gone, according to a study published in the December 12 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings highlight the potential benefit of using advanced imaging techniques to monitor recovery in children following concussions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-concussions-affect-children-brains-symptoms.html Neuroscience Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:12 EST news274462271 Employing a combination of imaging and biomarker tests improves the ability of doctors to predict Alzheimer's in patients with mild cognitive impairment, according to researchers at Duke Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-combination-imaging-exams-alzheimer-diagnosis.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:01 EST news274382298 Why do our brains make more mistakes when we act quickly? A new study demonstrates how the brain follows Ben Franklin's famous dictum, "Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-insight-haste.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:00:01 EST news271506968 Trauma in infancy and childhood shapes the brain, learning, and behavior, and fuels changes that can last a lifetime, according to new human and animal research released today. The studies delve into the effects of early physical abuse, socioeconomic status (SES), and maternal treatment. Documenting the impact of early trauma on brain circuitry and volume, the activation of genes, and working memory, researchers suggest it increases the risk of mental disorders, as well as heart disease and stress-related conditions in adulthood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-early-childhood-trauma-visible-toll.html Neuroscience Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:18:37 EST news269612309 A new study shows that having a high amount of beta amyloid or "plaques" in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease may cause steeper memory decline in mentally healthy older people than does having the APOE ɛ4 allele, also associated with the disease. The study is published in the October 16, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-plaque-build-up-brain-alzheimer-gene.html Neuroscience Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:00:11 EST news269513181 Soldiers should be given regular periods of respite to recover from combat exposure, experts argue, following the findings of a Dutch study of NATO soldiers returning from deployment in Afghanistan. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-rest-periods-crucial-soldiers-brains.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 04 Sep 2012 07:16:47 EST news265961788 Scientists affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have discovered how a defective gene causes brain changes that lead to the atypical social behavior characteristic of autism. The research offers a potential target for drugs to treat the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-gene-defect-role-autism-like-behavior.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:00:01 EST news263811753 UT Dallas researchers recently demonstrated how nerve stimulation paired with specific experiences, such as movements or sounds, can reorganize the brain. This technology could lead to new treatments for stroke, tinnitus, autism and other disorders. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-brain-tinnitus-treatments.html Neuroscience Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:02:31 EST news261914544 Exposure to childhood maltreatment increases the risk for most psychiatric disorders as well as many negative consequences of these conditions. This new study, by Dr. Gustavo Turecki and colleagues at McGill University, Canada, provides important insight into one of the most extreme outcomes, suicide. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-highlighting-molecular-clues-link-childhood.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:24:25 EST news260529859 A team led by investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine has found that the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease disrupts brain function in healthy older women but has little impact on brain function in healthy, older men. Women harboring the gene variant, known to be a potent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, show brain changes characteristic of the neurodegenerative disorder that can be observed before any outward symptoms manifest. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-alzheimer-gene-disrupts-brain-function.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:00:18 EST news258721102 Researchers studying stroke patients have found a strong association between impairments in a network of the brain involved in emotional regulation and the severity of post-stroke depression. Results of the study are published online in the journal Radiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-post-stroke-depression-linked-functional-brain.html Neuroscience Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:01 EST news258045029 Emotional stress caused by last year's tsunami caused a part of some survivors' brains to shrink, according to scientists in Japan who grasped a unique chance to study the neurological effects of trauma. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-stress-shrank-brain-area-japan.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 22 May 2012 04:30:18 EST news256879807 A single brief therapy session for adults with a lifelong debilitating spider phobia resulted in lasting changes to the brain's response to fear. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-people-spider-phobia-tarantulas-brain.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 21 May 2012 15:00:48 EST news256813279 A two-year study of high school football players suggests that concussions are likely caused by many hits over time and not from a single blow to the head, as commonly believed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-football-concussions-series.html Health Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:29:36 EST news247422560 Neuroimaging has provided fascinating insight into the dynamic nature of human brain maturation. However, most studies of developmental changes in brain anatomy have considered individual locations in relative isolation from all others and have not characterized relationships between structural changes in different parts of the developing brain. Now, new research describes the first comprehensive study of coordinated anatomical maturation within the developing human brain. The study, published by Cell Press in the December 8 issue of the journal Neuron, reveals that functionally connected brain regions mature together and uncovers fascinating sex-specific differences in brain development. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-big-picture-long-term-imaging-reveals.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:25:30 EST news242483118 Studies have shown that people who are overweight in middle age are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later than people at normal weight, yet researchers have also found that people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A current study examines this relationship between Alzheimer's disease and BMI. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-people-early-alzheimer-disease-bmi.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:40:39 EST news241116031 Motherhood is associated with the acquisition of a host of new behaviors that must be driven, at least in part, by alterations in brain function. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the October 20 issue of the journal Neuron provides intriguing insight into how neural changes associated with the integration of odors and sounds underlie a mother's ability to recognize and respond to distress calls from her pups. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-unraveling-mysteries-maternal-brain-odors.html Neuroscience Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:38:01 EST news238246673 An ongoing lack of sleep during adolescence could lead to more than dragging, foggy teens, a University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-dont-snooze-wake-sleep-patterns-affect.html Neuroscience Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:00:32 EST news237381407 Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the September 8 issue of the journal Neuron identifies a previously unrecognized link between neuroinflammation and the classical pathological brain changes that are the hallmark of the disease. In addition, the research identifies a new potential therapeutic target for AD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-inflammatory-plaque-formation-alzheimer-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:01:25 EST news234619212 People who frequently use tanning beds may be spurred by an addictive neurological reward-and-reinforcement trigger, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a pilot study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-tanning-bed-users-brain-behavior.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:21:53 EST news232208502 Two new studies published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) provide insight into the potential of positron emission tomography (PET) to differentiate between types of dementia and to identify pharmaceuticals to slow the progress of dementia. With proposed National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer's Association guidelines for detecting Alzheimer's-related brain changes expected in September, these articles give a preview of what may be to come. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-upcoming-alzheimer-disease-guidelines.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:18:09 EST news231432132 11 May 2011 - Two new research studies published in Biological Psychiatry point to progressive abnormalities in brain development that emerge as vulnerable individuals develop schizophrenia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-brain-track-vulnerable-individuals-schizophrenia.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 11 May 2011 10:31:25 EST news224328659