Cortex News and Research

RSS

Study links a discrete area of the brain to cognitive deficit in people at early stage of PD

Research by a team of investigators in Finland suggests that the free recall memory deficits common even in early stages Parkinson's disease are related to structural changes in the brain, specifically parietal cortical gray matter volume. Their findings are published in the current issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

16 Jan 2014

RNA sequencing unlocks bipolar secrets

An RNA sequencing study of patients with bipolar disorder has shown altered expression of genes and transcripts, including those involved in neuroplasticity and circadian rhythms.

16 Jan 2014

HDAC2 inhibitor could improve post-traumatic stress disorder treatment: Study

Nearly 8 million Americans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, a condition marked by severe anxiety stemming from a traumatic event such as a battle or violent attack.

16 Jan 2014

Cognigram can detect early signs of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease

For patients over the age of 50, a routine physical exam at the doctor’s office typically covers a wide spectrum of medical biomarkers with one glaring exception, cognitive health. Unless there have been unusual mental changes or challenges in their daily life, tests of a patient’s attention, memory or brain processing speed is usually not part of a check-up.

15 Jan 2014

Brain's structure is related to how intensely people perceive pain, say scientists

Everybody feels pain differently, and brain structure may hold the clue to these differences. In a study published in the current online issue of the journal Pain, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have shown that the brain's structure is related to how intensely people perceive pain.

15 Jan 2014

Cortical thickness changes may contribute to early schizophrenia

Altered cortical thickness is related to the severity of positive symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia, but not to the duration of untreated illness, report researchers.

14 Jan 2014

Ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans

Whales, bats, and even praying mantises use ultrasound as a sensory guidance system - and now a new study has found that ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans.

13 Jan 2014

Analog Devices unveils high-precision meter-on-a-chip for different portable health applications

Analog Devices, Inc. unveiled today a high-precision, low-power meter-on-a-chip for a range of portable health applications such as point-of-care diagnostics, home/self-test health devices, and wearable vital signs monitors, including those for sports and fitness.

8 Jan 2014

Hotspots of fuel consumption in adult brain also show key characteristics of developing brain

Although brain growth slows as individuals age, some regions of the brain continue to develop for longer than others, creating new connections and remodeling existing circuitry.

7 Jan 2014

Reading can boost brain function, finds neuroscience research

Many people can recall reading at least one cherished story that they say changed their life. Now researchers at Emory University have detected what may be biological traces related to this feeling: Actual changes in the brain that linger, at least for a few days, after reading a novel.

5 Jan 2014

Study explains how brain training improves performance on a given task

Search for "brain training" on the Web. You'll find online exercises, games, software, even apps, all designed to prepare your brain to do better on any number of tasks. Do they work? University of Oregon psychologists say, yes, but "there's a catch."

3 Jan 2014

Kinect-based virtual reality training boosts functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke

The Kinect-based virtual reality system for the Xbox 360 enables users to control and interact with the game console without the need to touch a game controller, and provides rehabilitation training for stroke patients with lower limb dysfunctions.

27 Dec 2013

Schizophrenia brain marker matches genetic risk

Polygenic risk for schizophrenia correlates with neural inefficiency in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, say researchers.

24 Dec 2013

Humans with high motor excitability have better working memory

Humans with a high motor excitability have a better working memory than humans with a low excitability. This was shown in a study conducted by scientists from the Transfacultary Research Platform at the University of Basel. By measuring the motor excitability, conclusions can be drawn as to the general cortical excitability - as well as to cognitive performance.

23 Dec 2013

CUMC researchers clarify three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's disease

Using high-resolution functional MRI imaging in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in mouse models of the disease, Columbia University Medical Center researchers have clarified three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's: where it starts, why it starts there, and how it spreads. In addition to advancing understanding of Alzheimer's, the findings could improve early detection of the disease, when drugs may be most effective.

22 Dec 2013

Newly-discovered selective process may explain why brain function does not deteriorate

As we grow older, our brains undergo a major reorganisation reducing the connections in the brain. Studying people up to the age of 40, scientists led by Dr Marcus Kaiser and Ms Sol Lim at Newcastle University found that while overall connections in the brain get streamlined, long-distance connections that are crucial for integrating information are preserved.

20 Dec 2013

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Using a computational model of addiction, a literature review and an in silico experiment, theoretical computer scientist Yariv Levy and colleagues suggest in a new paper this week that rehabilitation strategies coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies are more helpful than drug-plus-talk therapy alone when helping people overcome addiction.

20 Dec 2013

Parkinson's disease patients may find difficulties in recognizing emotions

Patients affected by Parkinson's disease may experience, in addition to the more obvious motor symptoms (such as tremors and stiffness), difficulties recognizing emotions in the facial expressions and speech prosody (intonation) of other people. A number of investigations have shown that even deep brain stimulation, a treatment that has become widely used in recent years, may cause similar disorders.

20 Dec 2013

Neurocognitive abnormalities ‘fundamental’ to schizophrenia

Rare copy-number variants that confer a high risk for schizophrenia or autism are associated with impaired cognition in carriers without psychiatric disorders, researchers report in Nature.

19 Dec 2013

Study investigates about emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease

Is it the disease itself or the treatment that impairs the perception of emotions? A study conducted with the collaboration of the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) of Trieste investigates the origins of the difficulty recognizing certain emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease.

19 Dec 2013

Cortex News and Research

Study links a discrete area of the brain to cognitive deficit in people at early stage of PD

RNA sequencing unlocks bipolar secrets

HDAC2 inhibitor could improve post-traumatic stress disorder treatment: Study

Cognigram can detect early signs of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease

Brain's structure is related to how intensely people perceive pain, say scientists

Cortical thickness changes may contribute to early schizophrenia

Ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans

Analog Devices unveils high-precision meter-on-a-chip for different portable health applications

Hotspots of fuel consumption in adult brain also show key characteristics of developing brain

Reading can boost brain function, finds neuroscience research

Study explains how brain training improves performance on a given task

Kinect-based virtual reality training boosts functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke

Schizophrenia brain marker matches genetic risk

Humans with high motor excitability have better working memory

CUMC researchers clarify three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's disease

Newly-discovered selective process may explain why brain function does not deteriorate

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Parkinson's disease patients may find difficulties in recognizing emotions

Neurocognitive abnormalities ‘fundamental’ to schizophrenia

Study investigates about emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News