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The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
This claim sounds unpleasant to many people, I'm sure, but that’s the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Here is the abstract:
"Our smartphones enable—and encourage—constant connection to information, entertainment, and each other. They put the world at our fingertips, and rarely leave our sides. Although these devices have immense potential to improve welfare, their persistent presence may come at a cognitive cost. In this research, we test the “brain drain” hypothesis that the mere presence of one’s own smartphone may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources, thereby leaving fewer resources available for other tasks and undercutting cognitive performance. Results from two experiments indicate that even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention—as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones—the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity. Moreover, these cognitive costs are highest for those highest in smartphone dependence. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of this smartphone-induced brain drain for consumer decision-making and consumer welfare."
► The study "Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity", publishedn in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research >>
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/691462
► Read the article in UTNews>> https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power
► Image by Shutterstock
#Brain, #Neuroscience, #Research, #Smartphone, #CognitiveCapacity
This claim sounds unpleasant to many people, I'm sure, but that’s the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Here is the abstract:
"Our smartphones enable—and encourage—constant connection to information, entertainment, and each other. They put the world at our fingertips, and rarely leave our sides. Although these devices have immense potential to improve welfare, their persistent presence may come at a cognitive cost. In this research, we test the “brain drain” hypothesis that the mere presence of one’s own smartphone may occupy limited-capacity cognitive resources, thereby leaving fewer resources available for other tasks and undercutting cognitive performance. Results from two experiments indicate that even when people are successful at maintaining sustained attention—as when avoiding the temptation to check their phones—the mere presence of these devices reduces available cognitive capacity. Moreover, these cognitive costs are highest for those highest in smartphone dependence. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of this smartphone-induced brain drain for consumer decision-making and consumer welfare."
► The study "Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity", publishedn in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research >>
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/691462
► Read the article in UTNews>> https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power
► Image by Shutterstock
#Brain, #Neuroscience, #Research, #Smartphone, #CognitiveCapacity
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Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Preserves Memory and Protects Brain Against Alzheimer's Disease, New Research at Temple Shows
We know extra-virgin olive oil health benefits. Based on scientific studies, its consumption has been associated with protection against cognitive decline that comes with aging, so these new findings add further value to such knowledge.
Let's see what tells us this new research at Temple.
"The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil, a major component of the Mediterranean diet. In a study published online June 21 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, the researchers show that the consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain – classic markers of Alzheimer's disease.
The Temple team also identified the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of extra-virgin olive oil. “We found that olive oil reduces brain inflammation but most importantly activates a process known as autophagy,” explained senior investigator Domenico Praticò, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM. Autophagy is the process by which cells break down and clear out intracellular debris and toxins, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles."
► Learn more>> http://www.templehealth.org/News/ExtraVirginOliveOilPreservesMemoryandProtectsBrainAgainstAlzheimersDiseaseNewResearchatTempleShows?showBack=true
► The study Extra-virgin olive oil ameliorates cognition and neuropathology of the 3xTg mice: role of autophagy, published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.431/abstract;jsessionid=9FC97A3EAA9DF1BCF08D682D48722ECD.f04t04
► Image source>>
https://5.oliveoiltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/neurons1.jpg
#Neuroscience, #AlzheimersDisease, #MediterraneanDiet, #Extravirginoliveoilbenefits, #Research
We know extra-virgin olive oil health benefits. Based on scientific studies, its consumption has been associated with protection against cognitive decline that comes with aging, so these new findings add further value to such knowledge.
Let's see what tells us this new research at Temple.
"The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil, a major component of the Mediterranean diet. In a study published online June 21 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, the researchers show that the consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain – classic markers of Alzheimer's disease.
The Temple team also identified the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of extra-virgin olive oil. “We found that olive oil reduces brain inflammation but most importantly activates a process known as autophagy,” explained senior investigator Domenico Praticò, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM. Autophagy is the process by which cells break down and clear out intracellular debris and toxins, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles."
► Learn more>> http://www.templehealth.org/News/ExtraVirginOliveOilPreservesMemoryandProtectsBrainAgainstAlzheimersDiseaseNewResearchatTempleShows?showBack=true
► The study Extra-virgin olive oil ameliorates cognition and neuropathology of the 3xTg mice: role of autophagy, published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.431/abstract;jsessionid=9FC97A3EAA9DF1BCF08D682D48722ECD.f04t04
► Image source>>
https://5.oliveoiltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/neurons1.jpg
#Neuroscience, #AlzheimersDisease, #MediterraneanDiet, #Extravirginoliveoilbenefits, #Research
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MRI of the Fetal Brain
Advancements in MRI are giving us an unprecedented look at the fetal brain.
Until approximately a decade ago, what researchers knew about the developing prenatal brain came primarily from analyzing the brains of aborted or miscarried fetuses. But studying postmortem brains can be confounding because scientists can’t definitively pinpoint whether the injuries to the brain occurred before or during birth.
Over the years, however, improvements to MRI are finally enabling researchers to study the developing brain in real time. With these advancements, researchers are just beginning to understand how normal brains develop, and how abnormalities can manifest over the course of development.
Scientists cataloguing typical infant brain development with the mini-MRI hope to use it eventually to study the brains of premature babies, who have a high risk of brain damage.
Ultimately, clinicians hope to intervene early with therapies, if available and approved, to prevent developmental disorders when there are signs of brain damage in utero or shortly after birth.
► Source "Brains over Baklava">> http://studyingbrains.tumblr.com/post/158557240974/mri-of-the-fetal-brain-advancements-in-mri-are
► Read "Womb zoom: What advances in fetal and newborn imaging have revealed" in Nature Medicine>> http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v23/n3/full/nm0317-270.html
► The previously mentioned article shared in My Library>> http://go.nature.com/2q6iQ9U
#Neuroscience, #MRI, #MagneticResonance, #Imaging, #Neonatal, #Fetus, #Science, #Biology, #Gif, #Brain, #FetalBrain
Advancements in MRI are giving us an unprecedented look at the fetal brain.
Until approximately a decade ago, what researchers knew about the developing prenatal brain came primarily from analyzing the brains of aborted or miscarried fetuses. But studying postmortem brains can be confounding because scientists can’t definitively pinpoint whether the injuries to the brain occurred before or during birth.
Over the years, however, improvements to MRI are finally enabling researchers to study the developing brain in real time. With these advancements, researchers are just beginning to understand how normal brains develop, and how abnormalities can manifest over the course of development.
Scientists cataloguing typical infant brain development with the mini-MRI hope to use it eventually to study the brains of premature babies, who have a high risk of brain damage.
Ultimately, clinicians hope to intervene early with therapies, if available and approved, to prevent developmental disorders when there are signs of brain damage in utero or shortly after birth.
► Source "Brains over Baklava">> http://studyingbrains.tumblr.com/post/158557240974/mri-of-the-fetal-brain-advancements-in-mri-are
► Read "Womb zoom: What advances in fetal and newborn imaging have revealed" in Nature Medicine>> http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v23/n3/full/nm0317-270.html
► The previously mentioned article shared in My Library>> http://go.nature.com/2q6iQ9U
#Neuroscience, #MRI, #MagneticResonance, #Imaging, #Neonatal, #Fetus, #Science, #Biology, #Gif, #Brain, #FetalBrain
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Diagnosed Autism Linked to Maternal Grandmother’s Smoking in Pregnancy
Scientists from the University of Bristol have looked at all 14,500 participants in Children of the 90s and found that if a girl’s maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy, the girl is 67 per cent more likely to display certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviours.
The team also found that if the maternal grandmother smoked, this increased by 53 per cent the risk of her grandchildren having a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
These discoveries suggest that if a female is exposed to cigarette smoke while she is still in the womb, it could affect the developing eggs – causing changes that may eventually affect the development of her own children. Further research is now needed to find out what these molecular changes might be, and to see whether the same associations are present in other groups of people.
Unlike the analysis of autistic traits, which was based on over 7,000 participants, the 177 diagnosed with ASD were too few to analyse grandsons and granddaughters separately.
The discovery, published recently in Scientific Reports, is part of an ongoing, long-term study of the effects of maternal and paternal grandmother's smoking in pregnancy on the development of their grandchildren, who are all part of Children of the 90s. By using detailed information collected over many years on multiple factors that may affect children’s health and development, the researchers were able to rule out other potential explanations for their results.
► Learn more>> http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2017/april/grandmaternal-smoking-and-autism.html
► The study "Grandmaternal smoking in pregnancy and grandchild's autistic traits and diagnosed autism." published in Scientific Reports>>
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46179
#Autism, #Research, #Neuroscience, #Brain, #ASD
Scientists from the University of Bristol have looked at all 14,500 participants in Children of the 90s and found that if a girl’s maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy, the girl is 67 per cent more likely to display certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviours.
The team also found that if the maternal grandmother smoked, this increased by 53 per cent the risk of her grandchildren having a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
These discoveries suggest that if a female is exposed to cigarette smoke while she is still in the womb, it could affect the developing eggs – causing changes that may eventually affect the development of her own children. Further research is now needed to find out what these molecular changes might be, and to see whether the same associations are present in other groups of people.
Unlike the analysis of autistic traits, which was based on over 7,000 participants, the 177 diagnosed with ASD were too few to analyse grandsons and granddaughters separately.
The discovery, published recently in Scientific Reports, is part of an ongoing, long-term study of the effects of maternal and paternal grandmother's smoking in pregnancy on the development of their grandchildren, who are all part of Children of the 90s. By using detailed information collected over many years on multiple factors that may affect children’s health and development, the researchers were able to rule out other potential explanations for their results.
► Learn more>> http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2017/april/grandmaternal-smoking-and-autism.html
► The study "Grandmaternal smoking in pregnancy and grandchild's autistic traits and diagnosed autism." published in Scientific Reports>>
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46179
#Autism, #Research, #Neuroscience, #Brain, #ASD
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Insulin Resistance May Lead to Faster Cognitive Decline
Executive function and memory are particularly vulnerable to the effects of insulin resistance, TAU researchers say
A new Tel Aviv University study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease finds that insulin resistance, caused in part by obesity and physical inactivity, is also linked to a more rapid decline in cognitive performance. According to the research, both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance experienced accelerated cognitive decline in executive function and memory.
The study was led jointly by Prof. David Tanne and Prof. Uri Goldbourt and conducted by Dr. Miri Lutski, all of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine.
"These are exciting findings because they may help to identify a group of individuals at increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older age,"says Prof. Tanne. "We know that insulin resistance can be prevented and treated by lifestyle changes and certain insulin-sensitizing drugs. Exercising, maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, and watching your weight will help you prevent insulin resistance and, as a result, protect your brain as you get older."
► Learn more>> http://bit.ly/2nEiBp9
► The study "Insulin Resistance and Future Cognitive Performance and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease", published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease>>
http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad161016
► Image source>> http://bit.ly/2nEeNUZ
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #InsulinResistance, #Dementia, #CognitiveDecline, Research
Executive function and memory are particularly vulnerable to the effects of insulin resistance, TAU researchers say
A new Tel Aviv University study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease finds that insulin resistance, caused in part by obesity and physical inactivity, is also linked to a more rapid decline in cognitive performance. According to the research, both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance experienced accelerated cognitive decline in executive function and memory.
The study was led jointly by Prof. David Tanne and Prof. Uri Goldbourt and conducted by Dr. Miri Lutski, all of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine.
"These are exciting findings because they may help to identify a group of individuals at increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older age,"says Prof. Tanne. "We know that insulin resistance can be prevented and treated by lifestyle changes and certain insulin-sensitizing drugs. Exercising, maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, and watching your weight will help you prevent insulin resistance and, as a result, protect your brain as you get older."
► Learn more>> http://bit.ly/2nEiBp9
► The study "Insulin Resistance and Future Cognitive Performance and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease", published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease>>
http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad161016
► Image source>> http://bit.ly/2nEeNUZ
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #InsulinResistance, #Dementia, #CognitiveDecline, Research
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Brain Is 10 Times More Active than Previously Measured
A new UCLA study could change scientists’ understanding of how the brain works — and could lead to new approaches for treating neurological disorders and for developing computers that “think” more like humans.
The research focused on the structure and function of dendrites, which are components of neurons, the nerve cells in the brain. Neurons are large, tree-like structures made up of a body, the soma, with numerous branches called dendrites extending outward. Somas generate brief electrical pulses called “spikes” in order to connect and communicate with each other. Scientists had generally believed that the somatic spikes activate the dendrites, which passively send currents to other neurons’ somas, but this had never been directly tested before. This process is the basis for how memories are formed and stored.
Scientists have believed that this was dendrites’ primary role.
But the UCLA team discovered that dendrites are not just passive conduits. Their research showed that dendrites are electrically active in animals that are moving around freely, generating nearly 10 times more spikes than somas. The finding challenges the long-held belief that spikes in the soma are the primary way in which perception, learning and memory formation occur.
► Learn more>>
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-research-upend-long-held-belief-about-how-neurons-communicate
► The research "Dynamics of cortical dendritic membrane potential and spikes in freely behaving rats" is reported in the March 9 issue of the journal Science.>>
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/03/08/science.aaj1497?rss=1
► Image explanation: UCLA scientists discovered that dendrites (shown here in green) are not just passive conduits for electrical currents between neurons.
#Neuroscience, #Neurons, #Dendrites, #Brain, #Research
A new UCLA study could change scientists’ understanding of how the brain works — and could lead to new approaches for treating neurological disorders and for developing computers that “think” more like humans.
The research focused on the structure and function of dendrites, which are components of neurons, the nerve cells in the brain. Neurons are large, tree-like structures made up of a body, the soma, with numerous branches called dendrites extending outward. Somas generate brief electrical pulses called “spikes” in order to connect and communicate with each other. Scientists had generally believed that the somatic spikes activate the dendrites, which passively send currents to other neurons’ somas, but this had never been directly tested before. This process is the basis for how memories are formed and stored.
Scientists have believed that this was dendrites’ primary role.
But the UCLA team discovered that dendrites are not just passive conduits. Their research showed that dendrites are electrically active in animals that are moving around freely, generating nearly 10 times more spikes than somas. The finding challenges the long-held belief that spikes in the soma are the primary way in which perception, learning and memory formation occur.
► Learn more>>
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-research-upend-long-held-belief-about-how-neurons-communicate
► The research "Dynamics of cortical dendritic membrane potential and spikes in freely behaving rats" is reported in the March 9 issue of the journal Science.>>
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/03/08/science.aaj1497?rss=1
► Image explanation: UCLA scientists discovered that dendrites (shown here in green) are not just passive conduits for electrical currents between neurons.
#Neuroscience, #Neurons, #Dendrites, #Brain, #Research
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Sugar Rush Shrinks Brain Cell Powerhouse
The spike in blood sugar levels that can come after a meal is controlled by the brain’s neuronal mitochondria, which are considered the “powerhouse of cells,” Yale School of Medicine researchers found in a new study.
Published in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Cell, the findings could provide a better understanding of how type 2 diabetes develops.
Blood glucose levels are thought to be primarily controlled by the pancreatic hormone insulin, the liver, and the muscles. This new study, however, highlights a crucial role for mitochondria in a small subset of neurons of the brain in systemic glucose control.
The study was designed to explore how neurons in the brain adapt to the glucose “rush.” The researchers were surprised to find that not only do mitochondria of neurons “feel” the change in circulating glucose levels, but that adaptive changes in these same mitochondria are at the core of the body’s ability to handle sugar in the blood. To test this point, the research team generated several mouse models in which a specific mitochondrial protein called uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) was either missing or present in varying amounts in the subset of brain cells that sense circulating sugar levels.
► Learn more>>
http://news.yale.edu/2016/02/25/sugar-rush-shrinks-brain-cell-powerhouse
► The study "UCP2 Regulates Mitochondrial Fission and Ventromedial Nucleus Control of Glucose Responsiveness", published in the journal Cell>> http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(16)30112-X
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #Research, #NeuronalMitochondria
The spike in blood sugar levels that can come after a meal is controlled by the brain’s neuronal mitochondria, which are considered the “powerhouse of cells,” Yale School of Medicine researchers found in a new study.
Published in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Cell, the findings could provide a better understanding of how type 2 diabetes develops.
Blood glucose levels are thought to be primarily controlled by the pancreatic hormone insulin, the liver, and the muscles. This new study, however, highlights a crucial role for mitochondria in a small subset of neurons of the brain in systemic glucose control.
The study was designed to explore how neurons in the brain adapt to the glucose “rush.” The researchers were surprised to find that not only do mitochondria of neurons “feel” the change in circulating glucose levels, but that adaptive changes in these same mitochondria are at the core of the body’s ability to handle sugar in the blood. To test this point, the research team generated several mouse models in which a specific mitochondrial protein called uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) was either missing or present in varying amounts in the subset of brain cells that sense circulating sugar levels.
► Learn more>>
http://news.yale.edu/2016/02/25/sugar-rush-shrinks-brain-cell-powerhouse
► The study "UCP2 Regulates Mitochondrial Fission and Ventromedial Nucleus Control of Glucose Responsiveness", published in the journal Cell>> http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(16)30112-X
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #Research, #NeuronalMitochondria
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Large Imaging Study Confirms Brain Differences in ADHD
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions, and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study is the largest ever to look at the brain volumes of people with ADHD, involving more than 3,200 people. The authors say the findings could help improve understanding of the disorder, and might be important in challenging beliefs that ADHD is a label for difficult children or the result of poor parenting.
ADHD
ADHD symptoms include inattention and/or hyperactivity and acting impulsively. The disorder affects more than one in 20 (5.3%) under-18 year olds, and two-thirds of those diagnosed continue to experience symptoms as adults.
Previous studies have linked differences in brain volume with the disorder, but small sample sizes mean results have been inconclusive. Areas thought to be involved in ADHD are located in the basal ganglia – a part of the brain that controls emotion, voluntary movement and cognition – and research has previously found that the caudate and putamen regions within the ganglia are smaller in people with ADHD.
Different brains
The new international study measured differences in the brain structure of 1,713 people with a diagnosis of ADHD and 1,529 people without, all aged between four and 63 years old.
All 3,242 people had an MRI scan to measure their overall brain volume, and the size of seven regions of the brain that were thought to be linked to ADHD...
The study found that overall brain volume and five of the regional volumes were smaller in people with ADHD – the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and hippocampus.
[...] “The results from our study confirm that people with ADHD have differences in their brain structure and therefore suggest that ADHD is a disorder of the brain,” added Dr Hoogman. “We hope that this will help to reduce stigma that ADHD is ‘just a label’ for difficult children or caused by poor parenting. This is definitely not the case, and we hope that this work will contribute to a better understanding of the disorder.” [...]
► Learn more>>
http://www.ru.nl/english/news-agenda/news/vm/donders/cognitive-neuroscience/2017/brain-differences-in-adhd/
► The study "Subcortical brain volume differences in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults: a cross-sectional mega-analysis", published in The Lancet Psychiatry >>
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(17)30049-4/abstract
► Image: MRI head scan (stock image). The findings from this study could help improve understanding of ADHD, and might be important in challenging beliefs that this disesase is a label for difficult children or the result of poor parenting.
Credit: © science photo / Fotolia
Source: ScienceDaily
#Neuroscience, #ADHD, #Brain, #Research
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions, and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study is the largest ever to look at the brain volumes of people with ADHD, involving more than 3,200 people. The authors say the findings could help improve understanding of the disorder, and might be important in challenging beliefs that ADHD is a label for difficult children or the result of poor parenting.
ADHD
ADHD symptoms include inattention and/or hyperactivity and acting impulsively. The disorder affects more than one in 20 (5.3%) under-18 year olds, and two-thirds of those diagnosed continue to experience symptoms as adults.
Previous studies have linked differences in brain volume with the disorder, but small sample sizes mean results have been inconclusive. Areas thought to be involved in ADHD are located in the basal ganglia – a part of the brain that controls emotion, voluntary movement and cognition – and research has previously found that the caudate and putamen regions within the ganglia are smaller in people with ADHD.
Different brains
The new international study measured differences in the brain structure of 1,713 people with a diagnosis of ADHD and 1,529 people without, all aged between four and 63 years old.
All 3,242 people had an MRI scan to measure their overall brain volume, and the size of seven regions of the brain that were thought to be linked to ADHD...
The study found that overall brain volume and five of the regional volumes were smaller in people with ADHD – the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and hippocampus.
[...] “The results from our study confirm that people with ADHD have differences in their brain structure and therefore suggest that ADHD is a disorder of the brain,” added Dr Hoogman. “We hope that this will help to reduce stigma that ADHD is ‘just a label’ for difficult children or caused by poor parenting. This is definitely not the case, and we hope that this work will contribute to a better understanding of the disorder.” [...]
► Learn more>>
http://www.ru.nl/english/news-agenda/news/vm/donders/cognitive-neuroscience/2017/brain-differences-in-adhd/
► The study "Subcortical brain volume differences in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults: a cross-sectional mega-analysis", published in The Lancet Psychiatry >>
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(17)30049-4/abstract
► Image: MRI head scan (stock image). The findings from this study could help improve understanding of ADHD, and might be important in challenging beliefs that this disesase is a label for difficult children or the result of poor parenting.
Credit: © science photo / Fotolia
Source: ScienceDaily
#Neuroscience, #ADHD, #Brain, #Research
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Gene that Helps Form Trauma-Related Memories May Also Help Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
A specific gene that helps form memories from traumatic events can be manipulated—and in doing so may actually help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study led by NYU Langone Medical Center and recently published in Neuropharmacology.
Specifically, the findings explain how a particular gene*—called _*fkbp5_—is involved in a phenomenon known as “fear extinction,” through which animals and humans disassociate with fearful memories of a traumatic experience, such as war, assault, or a natural disaster. Most people recover with no ill effects, but approximately 1 out of 10 go on to develop PTSD.
The new study, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Emory University School of Medicine, and other organizations, examined fear extinction patterns in mice and humans. They found that dexamethasone, a widely prescribed steroid for inflammatory conditions, affects the expression of fkbp5 in the brain, preventing the formation of the fearful memories that are the hallmark of PTSD.
“The interaction between fkbp5 and dexamethasone could enable us to enhance fear extinction,” says Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone and its Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center, and the lead investigator on the study. “If dexamethasone works well in humans, we could potentially use it to prevent fearful memories in soldiers on the battlefield, patients in emergency rooms, or anywhere else where healthcare providers provide treatment within hours of traumatic events.”
► Learn more>> http://bit.ly/2l8Ac59
► The study "A cross species study of heterogeneity in fear extinction learning in relation to FKBP5 variation and expression: Implications for the acute treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder", published in Neuropharmacology>>
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390816305883
► Photo credit: Mehmet Pinarci>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/99843102@N05/14005796425/in/photostream/
#Neuroscience, #MentalHealth, #PTSD, #Genefkbp5, #Neurology, #Brain
A specific gene that helps form memories from traumatic events can be manipulated—and in doing so may actually help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study led by NYU Langone Medical Center and recently published in Neuropharmacology.
Specifically, the findings explain how a particular gene*—called _*fkbp5_—is involved in a phenomenon known as “fear extinction,” through which animals and humans disassociate with fearful memories of a traumatic experience, such as war, assault, or a natural disaster. Most people recover with no ill effects, but approximately 1 out of 10 go on to develop PTSD.
The new study, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Emory University School of Medicine, and other organizations, examined fear extinction patterns in mice and humans. They found that dexamethasone, a widely prescribed steroid for inflammatory conditions, affects the expression of fkbp5 in the brain, preventing the formation of the fearful memories that are the hallmark of PTSD.
“The interaction between fkbp5 and dexamethasone could enable us to enhance fear extinction,” says Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone and its Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center, and the lead investigator on the study. “If dexamethasone works well in humans, we could potentially use it to prevent fearful memories in soldiers on the battlefield, patients in emergency rooms, or anywhere else where healthcare providers provide treatment within hours of traumatic events.”
► Learn more>> http://bit.ly/2l8Ac59
► The study "A cross species study of heterogeneity in fear extinction learning in relation to FKBP5 variation and expression: Implications for the acute treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder", published in Neuropharmacology>>
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390816305883
► Photo credit: Mehmet Pinarci>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/99843102@N05/14005796425/in/photostream/
#Neuroscience, #MentalHealth, #PTSD, #Genefkbp5, #Neurology, #Brain
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UW Sleep Research High-Resolution Images Show how the Brain Resets during Sleep
Striking electron microscope pictures from inside the brains of mice suggest what happens in our own brain every day: our synapses – the junctions between nerve cells – grow strong and large during the stimulation of daytime, then shrink by nearly 20 percent while we sleep, creating room for more growth and learning the next day.
The four-year research project published in Science offers a direct visual proof of the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis” (SHY) proposed by Drs. Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi of the Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness.
This hypothesis holds that sleep is the price we pay for brains that are plastic and able to keep learning new things.
When a synapse is repeatedly activated during waking, it grows in strength, and this growth is believed to be important for learning and memory. According to SHY, however, this growth needs to be balanced to avoid the saturation of synapses and the obliteration of neural signaling and memories. Sleep is believed to be the best time for this process of renormalization, since when asleep we pay much less attention to the external world and are free from the “here and now.” -
► Learn more at>>
http://news.wisc.edu/uw-sleep-research-high-resolution-images-show-how-the-brain-resets-during-sleep/
► The study "Ultrastructural evidence for synaptic scaling across the wake/sleep cycle", published in Science>>
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6324/507
► Image explanation: This picture shows 3D reconstructions of electron microscope images of tree branch-like dendrites. At the end of the branches are cup-like structures called the spines, and in the tips of the spines are synapses. By studying thousands of images like these, the Wisconsin researchers showed that the synapses shrink after the mouse sleeps and grow again during the next wakeful period.
Credit: Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #Synapses, #SleepResearch, #Dendrites, #Spines
Striking electron microscope pictures from inside the brains of mice suggest what happens in our own brain every day: our synapses – the junctions between nerve cells – grow strong and large during the stimulation of daytime, then shrink by nearly 20 percent while we sleep, creating room for more growth and learning the next day.
The four-year research project published in Science offers a direct visual proof of the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis” (SHY) proposed by Drs. Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi of the Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness.
This hypothesis holds that sleep is the price we pay for brains that are plastic and able to keep learning new things.
When a synapse is repeatedly activated during waking, it grows in strength, and this growth is believed to be important for learning and memory. According to SHY, however, this growth needs to be balanced to avoid the saturation of synapses and the obliteration of neural signaling and memories. Sleep is believed to be the best time for this process of renormalization, since when asleep we pay much less attention to the external world and are free from the “here and now.” -
► Learn more at>>
http://news.wisc.edu/uw-sleep-research-high-resolution-images-show-how-the-brain-resets-during-sleep/
► The study "Ultrastructural evidence for synaptic scaling across the wake/sleep cycle", published in Science>>
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6324/507
► Image explanation: This picture shows 3D reconstructions of electron microscope images of tree branch-like dendrites. At the end of the branches are cup-like structures called the spines, and in the tips of the spines are synapses. By studying thousands of images like these, the Wisconsin researchers showed that the synapses shrink after the mouse sleeps and grow again during the next wakeful period.
Credit: Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness
#Neuroscience, #Brain, #Synapses, #SleepResearch, #Dendrites, #Spines
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