Neuroscience

Muscle Relaxers Statistically Linked To Increased Risk Of Dementia

A statistical correlation showed nearly a 50 percent increased risk of dementia among patients aged 55 and over who had used strong anticholinergic medication to contract and relax muscles  daily for three years or more.  Anticholinergic drugs work by bloc ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 24 2019 - 11:13am

Optogenetics: Electronic Chip Mimics The Way The Brain Stores And Loses Information

Optogenetics biotechnology, using light to manipulate neurons so that they can be turned on or off, has led to a device that replicates the way the brain stores and loses information. The new chip is based on an ultra-thin material that changes electrical ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 16 2019 - 9:41am

Exercise In Space Leads To Reduced Astronaut Fainting Upon Return

For nearly as long as man has traveled into space, it has been known that it brings a greater risk of fainting upon return; and the longer the time in a gravity-free environment like space, the greater the risk appeared. Orthostatic hypotension is the tech ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 21 2019 - 9:23am

Aromatherapy Against Pests: Essential Oils Work To Protect Broccoli, If The Oil Is Garlic

Aromatherapy, essential oils, and such, have no medical benefit in humans, but they do work against some pests, if you don't want to use something better. The process is simple enough for simpler creatures; insects are attracted to some smells and rep ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 23 2019 - 2:32pm

If The Keto Diet Cures Your Migraines, You Don't Have Migraines

A recent paper claims the ketogenic diet (basically the Atkins diet, except you can't sell new diet books using old names) will help with migraines. Other more dangerous claims are that it will help with schizophrenia and epilepsy. The reality is that ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Aug 19 2019 - 5:32pm

Altruism And The Pathways To Imagination

If you never care about Haiti until a hurricane hits, are you really altruistic or did you instead imagine how others will perceive your actions? Can altruism even exist or does it all come down to social exchange? When people see someone in distress, neur ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 29 2019 - 3:11pm

Plant-Based Diets Risk Worsening Brain Health

Claims that meat production are causing undue stress on the environment are highly exaggerated, as are the benefits of plant-based diets. Instead of being ground in evidence, the plant-based and vegan diet fads could worsen an already low intake of an esse ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 30 2019 - 12:47am

At Puberty, Brain Networks Related To Mood Problems Develop Differently In Males And Females

During puberty, male and female brains clearly become more distinct, with boys showing an increase in connectivity in certain brain areas previously identified as conferring risk for mood problems in adolescents, and girls showing a decrease in connectivit ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 9 2019 - 4:01pm

Turmeric Linked To Cognitive Defects Because Of Adulterated Lead

Though the $35 billion supplement industry claims to be superior to vaccines and other medicine, the unknown constituents of shady health products could be causing cognitive defects, finds a new study. Turmeric, a commonly used spice sometimes even injecte ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 24 2019 - 12:35pm

How Acting Changes The Brain

At our English boarding school in the 1990s, my friends and I would spend hours immersed in roleplaying games. Our favourite was Vampire: The Masquerade, and I can well remember experiencing a kind of psychological hangover after spending an afternoon in ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 22 2019 - 1:38pm