Brain | Page 1342 | Science Codex

Extended youthfulness as a prevention for Alzheimer's disease

Therapies that can keep us younger longer might also push back the clock on Alzheimer's disease, suggests a new study of mice in the December 11th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.

"There's something about being youthful that protects us from Alzheimer's disease," said Andrew Dillin of The Salk Institute for Biological Studies. "People say that if you live long enough, you get Alzheimer's. But if that were true, mice that live longer should get the disease at the same rate. That's not what we found."

Self-testing best way to prep for finals, psychologist says

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - College students who pore over their notes again and again as they prep for finals could use their studying time more wisely, according to new learning research from Purdue University.

Brainstorming works best in less specialized efforts, study says

Applying brainstorming techniques to new product development works best when the collaboration employs participants from varied specialties gathering to develop a less complex product, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).

When new products will be highly technical, a better way to develop them is for specialists to do their work in private and collaborate through 'nominal' groups, the study says.

Jefferson neurosurgeon helps draft new treatment guidelines for brain metastases

PHILADELPHIA – New treatment guidelines for patients with brain metastases are now available from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). David Andrews, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor and vice-chair of Clinical Services in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, served as a member of the task force chosen to draft this new, significant tool to improve the quality of care for patients who suffer from brain tumors.

Irregular arm swing may point to Parkinson's disease

Irregular arm swings while walking could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, according to neurologists who believe early detection may help physicians apply treatments to slow further brain cell damage until strategies to slow disease progression are available.

Parkinson's disease is an age-related disorder involving loss of certain types of brain cells and marked by impaired movement and slow speech.

Addiction medication may help treat pathological gamblers

NASHVILLE, TN (December 10, 2009) – Pathological gambling can be successfully treated with medications that decrease urges and increase inhibitions, according to researchers at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). Researchers found positive outcomes in gamblers treated with medications often used for substance addictions.

Late-breaking brain and behavior research presented at ACNP annual meeting this week

The 2009 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting will feature innovative research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction. Study highlights include:

Noninvasive technique blocks a conditioned fear in humans

Scientists have for the first time selectively blocked a conditioned fear memory in humans with a behavioral manipulation. Participants remained free of the fear memory for at least a year. The research builds on emerging evidence from animal studies that reactivating an emotional memory opens a 6-hour window of opportunity in which a training procedure can alter it.

Non-invasive technique blocks a conditioned fear in humans

Scientists have for the first time selectively blocked a conditioned fear memory in humans with a behavioral manipulation. Participants remained free of the fear memory for at least a year. The research builds on emerging evidence from animal studies that reactivating an emotional memory opens a 6-hour window of opportunity in which a training procedure can alter it.

NYU researchers develop noninvasive technique to rewrite fear memories

Researchers at New York University have developed a non-invasive technique to block the return of fear memories in humans. The technique, reported in the latest issue of the journal Nature, may change how we view the storage processes of memory and could lead to new ways to treat anxiety disorders.

Astronaut balancing act: Training to help explorers adapt to a return to gravity

HOUSTON – (Dec. 9, 2009) – Astronauts returning from challenging long-duration missions face one more challenge when they get back to Earth – standing up and walking.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor reduces damage in Alzheimer's brain

The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has received a lot of attention because of its connection with coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis, but now it appears as if it may have a beneficial influence in degenerative brain diseases. New research, published by Cell Press in the December 10th issue of the journal Neuron, links LDLR with a reduction in brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and suggests a new therapeutic strategy for this incurable disease.

Instruction repairs brain connectivity in poor readers

Scientists have demonstrated that intensive remedial instruction can bring about a positive change in the brain connectivity of poor readers. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 10th issue of the journal Neuron, has intriguing implications for the therapeutic potential to improve information transfer in multiple neurological abnormalities that are believed to be related to deficits in anatomical connectivity.

Coaxing injured nerve fibers to regenerate by disabling 'brakes' in the system

Brain and spinal-cord injuries typically leave people with permanent impairment because the injured nerve fibers (axons) cannot regrow. A study from Children's Hospital Boston, published in the December 10 issue of the journal Neuron, shows that axons can regenerate vigorously in a mouse model when a gene that suppresses natural growth factors is deleted.

Brain activity exposes those who break promises

Scientists from the University of Zurich have discovered the physiological mechanisms in the brain that underlie broken promises. Patterns of brain activity even enable predicting whether someone will break a promise. The results of the study conducted by Dr. Thomas Baumgartner and Professor Ernst Fehr, both of the University of Zurich, and Professor Urs Fischbacher of the University of Konstanz, will be published in the journal Neuron on December 10, 2009.