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Researchers say that misfiring of the brain's control system may underpin compulsions in OCD

Misfiring of the brain's control system might underpin compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to researchers at the University of Cambridge, writing in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

19 Dec 2014

Study shows how specific trauma changes into a state of generalized fear

"I can't get the memories out of my mind!... I am right back in Vietnam, in the middle of the monsoon season at my guard post. My hands are freezing, yet sweat pours from my entire body...I smell a damp sulfur smell. Suddenly I see what's left of my buddy Troy, his head on a bamboo platter, sent back to our camp by the Viet Cong."

2 Dec 2014

Researchers use light to erase specific memories in mice

Just look into the light: not quite, but researchers at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology have used light to erase specific memories in mice, and proved a basic theory of how different parts of the brain work together to retrieve episodic memories.

10 Oct 2014

New therapeutic targets release mechanisms in reactive astrocytes for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, is fatal and currently, there is no cure. In Alzheimer's disease, brain cells are damaged and destroyed, leading to devastating memory loss.

9 Jul 2014

New evidence for painless AF treatment to be presented at FCVB 2014

The first evidence for a shockless treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) will be presented today at Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology (FCVB) 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. T

4 Jul 2014

Research finding may accelerate development of treatments for PTSD

Scientists at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University have identified a drug that appears to make memories of fearsome events less durable in mice.

1 Jul 2014

Loyola offers new type of implantable defibrillator that prevents sudden cardiac death

Loyola University Medical Center has begun offering patients a new type of implantable defibrillator that prevents sudden cardiac death with an electric shock to the heart.

29 Apr 2014

Mechanical circulatory assist device may have untapped potential in heart surgery patients, say physicians

The most frequently used mechanical circulatory assist device in the world may have untapped potential, physicians say.

31 Mar 2014

Going on a double date may be more effective at reigniting passion in own relationship, says study

Going on a double date may be more effective at reigniting passion in your own relationship than the classic candlelit dinner for two. According to new research, striking up a friendship with another couple in which you discuss personal details of your life will bring you closer to your own partner.

11 Feb 2014

Research findings could provide better understanding of anxiety disorders

In a new study published today in Science, John McGann, associate professor of behavioral and systems neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, and his colleagues, report that neurons in the noses of laboratory animals reacted more strongly to threatening odors before the odor message was sent to the brain.

13 Dec 2013

Study sheds new light on neuropsychiatric disorders

Trauma can scar people so indelibly that their children are affected. History provides examples of generations traumatized by war and starvation, whose children experience altered physiology.

4 Dec 2013

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.

27 Nov 2013

Inhibition of parvalbumin-expressing prefrontal interneurons triggers fear behaviours

Using an approach combining in vivo recordings and optogenetic manipulations in mice, the researchers succeeded in showing that the inhibition of parvalbumin-expressing prefrontal interneurons triggers a chain reaction resulting in fear behaviour. Conversely, activation of these parvalbumin interneurons significantly reduces fear responses in rodents.

22 Nov 2013

Study shows that different brain regions process different types of fear

What do bullies and sex have in common? Based on work by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, it seems that the same part of the brain reacts to both.

11 Nov 2013

WUSTL's Igor Efimov studies new potential treatment for irregular heartbeat

Although an irregular heartbeat is a common malady in the United States, affecting an estimated 5 million people, the treatments for it are limited in scope and effectiveness.

29 Oct 2013

Researchers develop algorithms to improve procedures in cardiac resuscitation

An algorithm capable of diagnosing heart rhythm with just 3 seconds' worth of signal, and the demonstration that it is possible to come up with the diagnosis without stopping cardiac massage, constitute the types of solutions and proposals being developed by researchers in the Signal and Communications Group of the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao (UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country).

12 Aug 2013

Implanting false memory in the brain can be possible, say MIT neuroscientists

The phenomenon of false memory has been well-documented: In many court cases, defendants have been found guilty based on testimony from witnesses and victims who were sure of their recollections, but DNA evidence later overturned the conviction.

26 Jul 2013

Findings show oxytocin strengthens bad memories and increases fear, anxiety

It turns out the love hormone oxytocin is two-faced. Oxytocin has long been known as the warm, fuzzy hormone that promotes feelings of love, social bonding and well-being. It's even being tested as an anti-anxiety drug. But new Northwestern Medicine- research shows oxytocin also can cause emotional pain, an entirely new, darker identity for the hormone.

23 Jul 2013

USC study shows missing brain protein may be responsible for severe over-worry and fear

A little bit of learned fear is a good thing, keeping us from making risky, stupid decisions or falling over and over again into the same trap. But new research from neuroscientists and molecular biologists at USC shows that a missing brain protein may be the culprit in cases of severe over-worry, where the fear perseveres even when there's nothing of which to be afraid.

16 Jul 2013

RIKEN researchers visualize memory formation for first time in zebrafish

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.

17 May 2013