Hippocampus News and Research

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The hippocampus is a part of the forebrain, located in the medial temporal lobe. It belongs to the limbic system and plays major roles in short term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain.

A good night's sleep could improve long-term memory

Scientists from the Medical Research Council's Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit (ANU) at the University of Oxford have discovered evidence that sleep is important for the stabilisation of memory.

14 Jan 2008

Memantine and Alzheimer's

In a study published this month in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, researchers from the University of Aberdeen report that the drug memantine, used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and praised as "the first and only representative of a new class of Alzheimer drugs" works in fact similar to other existing compounds, and is beneficial only in a narrow concentration range.

14 Jan 2008

Review of Memantine for Alzheimer's

11 Jan 2008

Auditory neurons in humans far more sensitive to fine sound frequencies than most mammals

The human ear is exquisitely tuned to discern different sound frequencies, whether such tones are high or low, near or far.

11 Jan 2008

Stress causes whole body deterioration

Stress, to put it bluntly, is bad for you. It can kill you, in fact. A study now reveals that stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to everything from the common cold to cancer.

9 Jan 2008

Discovery of a core mechanism underlying Fragile X syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.

9 Jan 2008

Novel mechanism for long-term learning identified

Practice makes perfect - or at least that's what we're told as we struggle through endless rounds of multiplication tables, goal kicks and piano scales - and it seems, based on the personal experience of many, to be true.

4 Jan 2008

Effects of space radiation on astronauts

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists recently led a team of researchers to study potential effects of space radiation on astronauts. The results of their study are revealing and will provide the foundation for ensuring the safety of crew members participating in long distance space travel.

12 Dec 2007

Brain differences found in adolescents with mental illness

Puberty may have an impact on areas of the brain that contribute to bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in youth, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

10 Dec 2007

Depression nearly triples the risk of death following a heart attack

...even when accounting for other heart attack risk factors, according to research presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting, which showed that among 360 depressed, post myocardial infarction patients followed for more than six years, those who did not recover from their depression in the first six months were more than twice as likely to die.

10 Dec 2007

Boosting an exercise-related gene in the brain works as a powerful anti-depressant in mice

This finding could lead to a new anti-depressant drug target, according to a Yale School of Medicine report in Nature Medicine.

3 Dec 2007

Blue light and brain function

The human brain uses light not just to support vision but also to support alertness and cognitive tasks.

29 Nov 2007

Australian stem cell scientist on target to prevent age-related loss of brain function

Stem cell scientists are developing a novel approach to slow or possibly prevent the cognitive decline that typically occurs with advancing age.

27 Nov 2007

New understanding of how brain processes memory

Scientists at The University of Arizona have added another piece of the puzzle of how the brain processes memory.

16 Nov 2007

Researchers image a biomarker of neurogenesis

Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, M.D., Ph.D, and co-investigators from Stony Brook University Medical Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered a way to image a biomarker of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) in the living human brain.

13 Nov 2007

Interaction between nicotine and alcohol impacts learning

The interaction between nicotine and alcohol, two of the most abused and co-abused drugs, can impact a person's ability to learn and could have implications for treating addiction, according to researchers at Temple University.

6 Nov 2007

Prazosin curbs brain damage from post-traumatic stress disorder

A drug used to treat high blood pressure and enlargement of the prostate may protect the brain from damage caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, depression and schizophrenia.

6 Nov 2007

Neural stem cells may help to restore memory after brain damage

In the study, mice with brain injuries experienced enhanced memory -- similar to the level found in healthy mice -- up to three months after receiving a stem cell treatment. Scientists believe the stem cells secreted proteins called neurotrophins that protected vulnerable cells from death and rescued memory.

31 Oct 2007

Researchers pinpoint brain waves that distinguish false memories from real ones

For the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are able to pinpoint brain waves that distinguish true from false memories, providing a better understanding of how memory works and creating a new strategy to help epilepsy patients retain cognitive function.

24 Oct 2007