Summary: Researchers use transcranial alternating current stimulation to help improve short term working memory. Source: Imperial College London. Scientists have uncovered a method for improving short-term working memory, by stimulating the brain with electricity to synchronise brain waves. Researchers at Imperial College London found that applying a low voltage current can bring different areas ofContinue reading “Buzzing the Brain With Electricity Can Boost Working Memory”
Category Archives: brain
The Way The Brain Processes Speech Could Serve as a Predictor of Early Dementia
Summary: Noticeable communication problems may be an early sign of mild cognitive impairment, a new study reports. Source: Baycrest Center For Geriatric Care. Early dementia is typically associated with memory and thinking problems; but older adults should also be vigilant about hearing and communication problems, suggest recent findings in a joint Baycrest-University of Memphis study.Continue reading “The Way The Brain Processes Speech Could Serve as a Predictor of Early Dementia”
Memory Brain Hack: Super Sized Memory is Trainable and Long Lasting
Summary: Embarking in 30 minutes of strategic memory training for 40 days more than doubles the capacity for memory recall, a new study reports. Source: Radboud University. The ability to perform astonishing feats of memory, such as remembering lists of several dozen words, can be learned, Radboud researchers report in Neuron on March 8. AfterContinue reading “Memory Brain Hack: Super Sized Memory is Trainable and Long Lasting”
Brain Scans of Service Dog Trainees Help Sort Weaker Recruits From the Pack
Summary: Brain scans can help predict which dogs will make it through rigorous training to become service dogs for people with disabilities. Source: Emory Health Science. Brain scans of canine candidates to assist people with disabilities can help predict which dogs will fail a rigorous service training program, a study by Emory University finds. BrainContinue reading “Brain Scans of Service Dog Trainees Help Sort Weaker Recruits From the Pack”
Study links a person’s visual long term memory to tracking how an object moves
Summary: A new study links a person’s visual long term memory to tracking how an object moves. Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine. As Superman flies over the city, people on the ground famously suppose they see a bird, then a plane, and then finally realize it’s a superhero. But they haven’t just spotted the Man ofContinue reading “Study links a person’s visual long term memory to tracking how an object moves”
Can limited alcohol consumption help stave off age related cognitive impairment?
Summary: A new paper raised the question, can limited alcohol consumption help stave off age related cognitive impairment? Source: PLOS. Wisdom and grace come with age, but so do mental slowing and increased risk for dementia. As the elderly population continues to grow, preserving brain health to maintain independence and quality of life into olderContinue reading “Can limited alcohol consumption help stave off age related cognitive impairment?”
How Being Funny Changes the Brain
Summary: Researchers document how the brain’s physiology changes when people try to be funny. Source: USC. USC researchers pinpoint the regions of the brain that spark during the telling of a funny story. What happens in your brain when you tell a joke? Well, that appears to depend on whether you do that for aContinue reading “How Being Funny Changes the Brain”
Grapes: 2.25 cups a day can keep brain’s metabolic decline away
By Ruth Schuster Grapes: 2.25 cups a day can keep brain’s metabolic decline away, say scientists. Eating grapes on a regular basis slows metabolic decline of the brain in Alzheimer’s sufferers, a small-scale study done in California indicates. A grape a day won’t do it. The pilot study fed grape powder equivalent to two-plus cups ofContinue reading “Grapes: 2.25 cups a day can keep brain’s metabolic decline away”
Two common classes of drugs linked to dementia
Recent reports have linked two common classes of drugs to dementia. Fortunately, there are alternatives to both. If you’re worried about developing dementia, you’ve probably memorized the list of things you should do to minimize your risk—eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and keeping your mind and soul engaged. In the pastContinue reading “Two common classes of drugs linked to dementia”
Lying and addictive behavior
Mental defense mechanisms are a normal part of how the human mind operates. This is especially true when addicts are forced to acknowledge unpleasant facts, feelings or actions. Why Do Addicts Lie? Addicts are masters at concealing the truth about their actions. This is no fault of their own, but is merely one of manyContinue reading “Lying and addictive behavior”
Brain Iron May Predict Progression in Alzheimer’s
By Pauline Anderson A new study suggests brain iron levels may predict disease progression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who carry the APOE ε4 risk allele. Iron in the brain is an “underappreciated driver of disease progression” in AD, study author Ashley I. Bush, MBBS, PhD, senior principal research fellow, Florey Institute of Neuroscience &Continue reading “Brain Iron May Predict Progression in Alzheimer’s”
Depression to Dementia
(i) Individuals who develop depression at any point in their lives, sustain minimal or no depression-related neuropathology (eg, glucocorticoid neurotoxicity), and who have stable, normal cognitive functioning; (ii) Individuals who develop depression at any point and who experience depression-related neuropathology that results in MCI that is stable (unless they experience additional depressive episodes); (iii) IndividualsContinue reading “Depression to Dementia”
Study Reveals How Little We Know About Each Other’s Intentions
Summary: Researchers report people need to understand what a person is trying to control by using a certain behavior, rather than trying to change the behavior itself. Source: University of Manchester. Psychologists from The University of Manchester have shown how difficult it is for us to guess the true intention of each other’s behaviour. TheContinue reading “Study Reveals How Little We Know About Each Other’s Intentions”
How the brain helps us to learn and make decisions, attention and learning
Summary: A new study sheds light on how the brain helps us to learn and make decisions in the real world. Source: Princeton University. The Wizard of Oz told Dorothy to “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” in an effort to distract her, but a new Princeton University study sheds light onContinue reading “How the brain helps us to learn and make decisions, attention and learning”