Brain

A recent study compared the differences between novice and experienced drivers using a driving simulator and modeled the difference using computational cognitive models. The method and results provide important cognitive-psychological bases for developing intelligent driver training and driving assistance systems.

The study titled "Modeling the effect of driving experience on lane keeping performance using ACT-R cognitive architecture," authored by Shi Cao, Yulin Qin, and Mowei Shen, has been published on CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN, 2013.

Sometimes it's just not your day: First you can't remember where you put your car keys, then you forget about an important meeting at work. On days like that, our memory seems to let us down. But are there actually "good" and "bad" days for cognitive performance? And does age make a difference in the day-to-day variability in cognitive performance?

The onset of the Great Recession and, more generally, deteriorating economic conditions lead mothers to engage in harsh parenting, such as hitting or shouting at children, a team of researchers has found. But the effect is only found in mothers who carry a gene variation that makes them more likely to react to their environment.

The study, conducted by scholars at New York University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine, appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Aug. 5, 2013) – Addiction to smoking and other substances involves a particular set of brain areas related to self-control, according to numerous research. For a new study, researchers wondered if a training approach designed to influence this addiction pathway could influence smokers to reduce their tobacco use -- even if smokers did not intend to do so.

Stem cells found in mouth tissue can not only become other types of cells but can also relieve inflammatory disease, according to a new Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC study in the Journal of Dental Research.

The cells featured in the study are gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSC), which are found in the gingiva, or gum tissue, within the mouth. GMSC, like other stem cells, have the ability to develop into different types of cells as well as affect the immune system.

A combination of brain scans and reading tests has revealed that several regions in the brain are responsible for allowing humans to read.

The findings open up the possibility that individuals who have difficulty reading may only need additional training for specific parts of the brain – targeted therapies that could more directly address their individual weaknesses.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A study of 47 children who began stuttering at an early age found that those who were breastfed in infancy were more likely to recover from stuttering and return to fluent speech.

Amsterdam, NL, August 2, 2013 – Investigators have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects.

The report, newly published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, suggests that the link may be to do with certain biological effects of breastfeeding. For example, breastfeeding restores insulin tolerance which is significantly reduced during pregnancy, and Alzheimer's is characterised by insulin resistance in the brain.

The actual standing of speakers within a society's power structure determines how their statements are perceived. This is the conclusion reached in a joint study undertaken by neurolinguist Professor Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky of the University of Marburg and linguist Professor Matthias Schlesewsky of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) with the support of Sylvia Krauspsenhaar, who participated in the study as a member of the Neurotypology research group at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig.

Upper limb function impairment is one of the most common sequelae of central nervous system injury. Conventional assessment methods cannot provide objective evaluation of patient performance and the effectiveness of therapies. The most common assessment tools are based on rating scales, which are inefficient when measuring small changes and can yield subjective bias. An objective quantification of patient performance during rehabilitation can be achieved using instruments to capture motion trajectories and specific details of task execution.

Interleukin-18 promoter gene polymorphisms may be associated with ischemic stroke pathogenesis, and the –607C allele increases ischemic stroke risk in the Han Chinese population. The frequency distribution of genetic polymorphisms varies among different populations, races, and living environments. A recent study by Haiping Wang and colleagues from Qingdao University Medical College demonstrates that the –13T/C (rs11024595) polymorphism, in the 5′-flanking region of the serum amyloid A gene, shows no correlation with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Previous studies have demonstrated that ethanol influences the secretion of neurotrophins, promotes oxidative stress, reduces the absorption of nutritive substances, and thereby induces neuronal damage. Numerous recent in vitro and in vivo studies provide evidence showing that ethanol can directly induce apoptotic cell death of the neurons.

Using direct human brain recordings, a research team from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA and Thomas Jefferson University has identified a new type of cell in the brain that helps people to keep track of their relative location while navigating an unfamiliar environment.

A team of researchers have shown that schizophrenia and a disorder associated with autism and learning difficulties share a common biological pathway. This is one of the first times that researchers have uncovered genetic evidence for the underlying causes of schizophrenia.