http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. In our interaction with our environment we constantly refer to past experiences stored as memories to guide behavioral decisions. But how memories are formed, stored and then retrieved to assist decision-making remains a mystery. By observing whole-brain activity in live zebrafish, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have visualized for the first time how information stored as long-term memory in the cerebral cortex is processed to guide behavioral choices. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-visualize-memory-formation-zebrafish.html Neuroscience Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:01 EST news287923163 Environment moulds behaviour - and not just that of people in society, but also at the microscopic level. This is because, for their function, neurons are dependent on the cell environment, the so-termed extracellular matrix. Researchers at the Ruhr-Universität have found evidence that this complex network of molecules controls the formation and activity of the neuronal connections. The team led by Dr. Maren Geißler und Prof. Andreas Faissner from the Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology reports in the Journal of Neuroscience in collaboration with the team of Dr. Ainhara Aguado, Prof. Christian Wetzel and Prof. Hanns Hatt from the Department of Cell Physiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-cellular-environment-formation-neuronal.html Neuroscience Mon, 06 May 2013 11:59:03 EST news287060336 Neuroscientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have taken a major step in their efforts to help people with memory loss tied to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-scientists-reverse-memory-loss-animal.html Neuroscience Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:42:36 EST news285435742 (Medical Xpress)—When the brains of those who have succumbed to age-related neurodegeneration are analyzed post-mortem, they typically show significant atrophy on all scales. Not only is the cortex thinner and sparser, but the hollow ventricles inside the brain are grossly enlarged. In the absence of any specific disease, these general trends are still familiar. It has traditionally been assumed that the dynamic microfeatures of aged brains—the growth of the fine neurites and the synapses they make—would similarly be degenerate. In other words, synaptic growth would have either entered some form of stasis, or alternatively, a state of permanent decay with replacement by matrix or scar tissue. Contrary to these expectations, recent research shows increased structural plasticity in the axonal component of synapses in the aged mouse cortex. Reporting in the current issues of PNAS, researchers provide evidence that the observed behavioral deficits in these animals may be due to an inability to maintain persistent synaptic structure, rather than because of a loss of plasticity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-dynamics-underlying-memory-aging-brains.html Neuroscience Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:51:03 EST news285429047 The aroma of rosemary essential oil may improve prospective memory in healthy adults. This is the finding of a study conducted by Jemma McCready and Dr Mark Moss from the University of Northumbria. The findings presented today, Tuesday 9 April, at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society in Harrogate, suggest that this essential oil may enhance the ability to remember events and to remember to complete tasks at particular times in the future. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-rosemary-aroma.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:34:45 EST news284718872 As the body ages, the physical effects are notable; wrinkles in the skin appear, physical exertion becomes harder. But there are also less visible processes going on. Inside aging brains there is another phenomenon at work, which may contribute to age-related brain defects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-neuroscientists-genes-contribute-aging-related-brain.html Neuroscience Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:05:37 EST news284630729 (Medical Xpress)—A team of sleep researchers led by UC Riverside psychologist Sara C. Mednick has confirmed the mechanism that enables the brain to consolidate memory and found that a commonly prescribed sleep aid enhances the process. Those discoveries could lead to new sleep therapies that will improve memory for aging adults and those with dementia, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-mechanism-critical-memory-ambien.html Neuroscience Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:42:57 EST news282300163 "Use it or lose it." The saying could apply especially to the brain when it comes to protecting against Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that keeping the mind active, exercising and social interactions may help delay the onset of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-illuminates-molecular-mechanism-environment-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:15 EST news281792627 Women who undergo surgical menopause at an earlier age may have an increased risk of decline in memory and thinking skills, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013. Early surgical menopause is the removal of both ovaries before natural menopause and often accompanies a hysterectomy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-early-surgical-menopause-linked-declines.html Neuroscience Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:00:06 EST news277380972 The channel protein Pannexin1 keeps nerve cells flexible and thus the brain receptive for new knowledge. Together with colleagues from Canada and the U.S., researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum led by the junior professor Dr. Nora Prochnow from the Department of Molecular Brain Research describe these results in PLoS ONE. In the study, mice comprising no Pannexin1 in memory-related brain structures displayed symptoms similar to autism. Their nerve cells lacked synaptic plasticity, i.e. the ability to form new synaptic contacts or give up old contacts based on the level of usage. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-brain-receptive-channel-protein-pannexin1.html Neuroscience Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:43:27 EST news276946982 A study by Johns Hopkins researchers has shown that a widely accepted model of long-term memory formation—that it hinges on a single enzyme in the brain—is flawed. The new study, published in the Jan. 2 issue of Nature, found that mice lacking the enzyme that purportedly builds memory were in fact still able to form long-term memories as well as normal mice could. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-refutes-memory-formation.html Neuroscience Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:00:13 EST news276347496 (Medical Xpress)—A good night's sleep can help children to acquire and retain vocabulary, according to new research by psychologists at the University of York and Sheffield Hallam University. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-sweet-language-skills-youngsters.html Health Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:00:01 EST news273220555 German neurophysiologists have developed a new method to study widespread networks of neurons responsible for our memory. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-neural-interaction-periods-silence.html Neuroscience Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:00:14 EST news272724699 Using animal models, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how a protein deficiency may be linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—a form of early-onset dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease. These results lay the foundation for therapies that one day may benefit those who suffer from this and related diseases that wreak havoc on the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-biological-mechanism-key-role-early-onset.html Neuroscience Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:00:11 EST news268910852 Newly formed emotional memories can be erased from the human brain. This is shown by researchers from Uppsala University in a new study now being published by the academic journal Science. The findings may represent a breakthrough in research on memory and fear. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-scientists-erase-brain.html Neuroscience Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:01:01 EST news267368436 Every activity in the brain involves the transfer of signals between neurons. Frequently, as many as one thousand signals rain down on a single neuron simultaneously. To ensure that precise signals are delivered, the brain possesses a sophisticated inhibitory system. Stefan Remy and colleagues at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn have illuminated how this system works. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-brain-filter-transmission.html Neuroscience Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:23:50 EST news266149420 New research shows that human herpesviruses (HHV)-6B and HHV-7, commonly know as roseola virus), account for one third of febrile status epilepticus (FSE) cases. Results of the FEBSTAT prospective study now available in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggest that HHV-6B may be involved in the development of epilepsy and further research is urgently needed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-childhood-virus-infection-linked-prolonged.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:08 EST news258816114 One of the brain's jobs is to help us figure out what's important enough to be remembered. Scientists at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University have achieved some insight into how fleeting experiences become memories in the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-when-being-scared-twice-is.html Neuroscience Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:02:28 EST news258739339 Sleep disturbance negatively impacts the memory consolidation and enhancement that usually occurs with a good night's sleep, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-disturbances-memory.html Sleep apnea Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:00:14 EST news252153594 A new study suggests that older people may have an increased risk of problems with memory and thinking abilities after being in the hospital, according to research published in the March 21, 2012, online issue of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-memory-problems-hospitalized.html Neuroscience Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:00:01 EST news251555796 Mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to autism-like behaviors that were exposed to a common flame retardant were less fertile and their offspring were smaller, less sociable and demonstrated marked deficits in learning and long-term memory when compared with the offspring of normal unexposed mice, a study by researchers at UC Davis has found. The researchers said the study is the first to link genetics and epigenetics with exposure to a flame retardant chemical. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-common-flame-retardant-linked-social.html Genetics Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:01:17 EST news248619630 (Medical Xpress) -- A research team in Taiwan has succeeded in isolating two nerve cells in fruit fly brains that are believed to be the major players in allowing for the formation of long term memories. Furthermore, they’ve also found the genes that appear to be essential in creating related proteins that allow such memories to be saved. They have published a paper describing their work in Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-team-isolates-nerve-cells-involved.html Neuroscience Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:49:54 EST news248089775 Australian researchers have found evidence that heart failure is associated with a decline in people's mental processes and a loss of grey matter in the brain. These changes can make it more difficult for heart failure (HF) patients to remember and carry out instructions such as taking the correct medication at the right times. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-heart-failure-loss-brain-cells.html Cardiology Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:00:03 EST news247248547 Memories in our brains are maintained by connections between neurons called "synapses". But how do these synapses stay strong and keep memories alive for decades? Neuroscientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have discovered a major clue from a study in fruit flies: Hardy, self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse protein are an essential ingredient for the formation of long-term memory. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-memories-prion-like-protein-key-role.html Medical research Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:11:04 EST news246899448 Since mephedrone was made illegal in the UK in 2010, the street price of the drug has risen while the quality has degraded, which in turn may have reduced use of the drug. New research published online today reveals that young people who continued to use mephedrone after it became illegal would switch to a new legal high if it were pure and rated highly by their friends or on the Internet. They would be less deterred by a lack of scientific research on the new drug. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-mephedrone-users-uk-ready-legal.html Health Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:52:10 EST news246081105 Rather than count sheep, drink warm milk or listen to soothing music, many insomniacs probably wish for a switch they could flick to put themselves to sleep. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-fruit-flies.html Neuroscience Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:03:25 EST news228056594 Scientists have developed a way to turn memories on and off -- literally with the flip of a switch. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-memory-brains.html Neuroscience Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:46:53 EST news227501202