Psychology & Psychiatry

How the brain helps us focus our attention

How can we shift from a state of inattentiveness to one of highest attention? The locus coeruleus, literally the "blue spot," is a tiny cluster of cells at the base of the brain. As the main source of the neurotransmitter ...

Medical research

Reprogramming cells to fight diabetes

For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, with limited success. The "reprogramming" of related alpha cells into beta cells may one day offer ...

Immunology

Why are so many people getting a tick-borne meat allergy?

It is early morning in early summer, and I am tracing my way through the woods of central North Carolina, steering cautiously around S-curves and braking hard when what looks like a small rise turns into a narrow bridge. ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders

Study adds to evidence that Parkinson's starts in the gut

Ask any neurologist: Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder. The conspicuous symptoms of Parkinson's disease—uncontrollable tremors, slowed down motions, and the feeling that one's feet are stuck to the ground—all stem ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders

Inflamed monkey guts produce Parkinson's-related proteins

The intestinal linings of monkeys with inflamed bowels show chemical alterations similar to abnormal protein deposits in the brains of Parkinson's patients, lending support to the idea that inflammation may play a key role ...

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