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HIV+ individuals show deficits in cognitive functioning

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have found in a small study that although a group of HIV+ older individuals scored "cognitively normal" in standard neuropsychology testing, a scan of their brains tells a different story.

19 Nov 2015

Scientists explain the evolutionary roots of language in the brain

A team led at Newcastle University, UK, has shed light on the evolutionary roots of language in the brain. Publishing in Nature Communications, the team led by Dr Ben Wilson and Professor Chris Petkov explain how using an imaging technique to explore the brain activity in humans and monkeys has identified the evolutionary origins of cognitive functions in the brain that underpin language and allow us to evaluate orderliness in sequences of sounds.

18 Nov 2015

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

The human brain may be the most complex piece of organized matter in the known universe, but Allen Institute researchers have begun to unravel the genetic code underlying its function. Research published this month in Nature Neuroscience identified a surprisingly small set of molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain and appear to be common to all individuals, providing key insights into the core of the genetic code that makes our brains distinctly human.

17 Nov 2015

Brain scans may predict possibility of recovering from coma

Brain scans of people in a coma may help predict who will regain consciousness, according to a study published in the November 11, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at connections between areas of the brain that play a role in regulating consciousness.

12 Nov 2015

Researchers draw link between visual acuity and rhythmic pattern in brain's electrical activity

"Blink and you'll miss it" isn't only for eyelids. The human brain also blinks, dropping a few frames of visual information here and there.

11 Nov 2015

Study shows mindfulness meditation reduces pain more effectively than placebo

Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found new evidence that mindfulness meditation reduces pain more effectively than placebo.

11 Nov 2015

Thickness of the cortex in FFA can predict a person's ability to recognize faces and objects

When you see a familiar face, when a bird-watcher catches a glimpse of a rare bird perched on a limb, or when a car-fancier spots a classic auto driving past, the same small region in the brain becomes engaged.

10 Nov 2015

Two genetic variants interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods

For the first time, researchers have identified two genetic variants that interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods, a tie that could aid in the development of targeted treatments for obesity and overweight. Researchers at Imperial College London led by Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, of Consultant Endocrinologist, found that two gene variants - FTO and DRD2 - influenced activity in the brain reward system when looking at pictures of high-calorie foods.

6 Nov 2015

New research shows how food word cues can be linked with increased food desire and intake

New research shows that brain responses to written food words differ between lean individuals and those with obesity, and suggests that both stress and genetics could influence excess eating.

4 Nov 2015

Charles Bonnet syndrome: an interview with Dr. Dominic ffytche

Charles Bonnet syndrome is the name we give to the visual hallucinations associated with eye disease. There are lots of different causes of visual hallucinations. Many different medical problems and medications can cause them, but, when the cause is eye disease, it's referred to as Charles Bonnet Syndrome after Charles Bonnet, who was a natural philosopher in the 18th century.

2 Nov 2015

Study finds no major difference in hippocampal size between men and women

A research study at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science has debunked the widely-held belief that the hippocampus, a crucial part of the brain that consolidates new memories and helps connect emotions to the senses, is larger in females than in males.

30 Oct 2015

Specific brain patterns can help predict success of public health campaigns

It's a frustrating fact that most people would live longer if only they could make small changes: stop smoking, eat better, exercise more, practice safe sex. Health messaging is one important way to change behavior on a large scale, but while a successful campaign can improve millions of lives, a failed one can be an enormous waste of resources.

29 Oct 2015

Weight and physical activity level matter in kids' ability to think

Weight and physical activity levels are both factors in a child's ability to acquire and use knowledge, a new study finds.

28 Oct 2015

MGH researchers identify mechanism behind the spread of neurofibrillary tangles

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have discovered a mechanism behind the spread of neurofibrillary tangles - one of the two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease - through the brains of affected individuals.

27 Oct 2015

Spatial grid pattern in brain region is altered in young adults with Alzheimer's risk

Young adults with genetically increased Alzheimer's risk have altered activation patterns in a brain region that is crucial for spatial navigation.

23 Oct 2015

New technique helps study protein changes in brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients

Using 10-year-old archival brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease, a research team from NYU Langone Medical Center has developed a novel method to examine the structure and function of proteins at the cell level -- providing greater means to study protein changes found in Alzheimer's disease.

23 Oct 2015

Findings suggest a potential "early warning" detection system for Alzheimer's disease

The findings suggest a potential "early warning" detection system for Alzheimer's disease, even in young and asymptomatic individuals.

23 Oct 2015

Brain imaging shows how neural responses to different types of music affect emotion regulation processes

Brain imaging reveals how neural responses to different types of music really affect the emotion regulation of persons. The study proves that especially men who process negative feelings with music react negatively to aggressive and sad music.

22 Oct 2015

Thalamic reticular nucleus responsible for the brain's ability to multitask, study reveals

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center say they have added to evidence that a shell-shaped region in the center of the mammalian brain, known as the thalamic reticular nucleus or TRN, is likely responsible for the ability to routinely and seamlessly multitask.

22 Oct 2015

Plaques impair memory formation in Alzheimer’s disease during sleep

Alzheimer’s patients frequently suffer from sleep disorders, mostly even before they become forgetful. Furthermore, it is known that sleep plays a very important role in memory formation.

22 Oct 2015

Cortex News and Research

HIV+ individuals show deficits in cognitive functioning

Scientists explain the evolutionary roots of language in the brain

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

Brain scans may predict possibility of recovering from coma

Researchers draw link between visual acuity and rhythmic pattern in brain's electrical activity

Study shows mindfulness meditation reduces pain more effectively than placebo

Thickness of the cortex in FFA can predict a person's ability to recognize faces and objects

Two genetic variants interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods

New research shows how food word cues can be linked with increased food desire and intake

Charles Bonnet syndrome: an interview with Dr. Dominic ffytche

Study finds no major difference in hippocampal size between men and women

Specific brain patterns can help predict success of public health campaigns

Weight and physical activity level matter in kids' ability to think

MGH researchers identify mechanism behind the spread of neurofibrillary tangles

Spatial grid pattern in brain region is altered in young adults with Alzheimer's risk

New technique helps study protein changes in brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients

Findings suggest a potential "early warning" detection system for Alzheimer's disease

Brain imaging shows how neural responses to different types of music affect emotion regulation processes

Thalamic reticular nucleus responsible for the brain's ability to multitask, study reveals

Plaques impair memory formation in Alzheimer’s disease during sleep

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