Apr 04, 2013The movie Men in Black ends with a sequence where Tommy Lee Jones’ character is reported in the popular press to have awakened miraculously after 20 years in a coma. Although clinicians traditionally have scoffed at such reports, such cases do make the news now and again, and raise the question of whether and how that can happen. Recent advances provide some answers, and suggest some treatments that might promote such an outcome. Mar 28, 2013Researchers find people who can not anticipate fear because of a rare disease can still experience it in real-time. This suggests a more-complex role for the amygdala and other fear-sensing circuits. Mar 21, 2013Researchers are starting to explore links between genetic variation and a how a person responds to certain psychiatric therapies. Perhaps someday your doctor will say, "There's an X probablility you'll respond to this therapy." Mar 18, 2013High-pressure doses of rich oxygen can improve brain function in injured animals, but early research is mixed in humans. Is it the pressure? The extra oxygen? Or simply a placebo effect? Feb 25, 2013A statin-like pill that moderately reduces amyloid beta production in the brain might be the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s. Researchers are still trying to develop one that works and is safe. Feb 20, 2013Researchers are starting to build theories of what makes us self-aware based on research in unconsciousness, including anesthesia and recovery from coma. Feb 14, 2013In early research, scientists find that some brain "changes" thought to be due to progress of disease in cases like gene-specific Alzheimer's in adults are already present in newborns. Feb 11, 2013In a recent study, nearly one-quarter of people convicted of compulsive shoplifting said they had attempted suicide, a rate 6–24 times higher than other groups of people. Little is known, and less is agreed-upon, about the disorder, and treatments are only now emerging. Feb 07, 2013Researchers are defining the fine line between distraction and interruption—and it's a matter of seconds. Jan 29, 2013Imaging and other techniques are helping researchers distinguish effects of a range of meditative practices on the brain. Jan 24, 2013Contrary to some thinking, kids aren't so resilient when it comes to concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. New research suggests that even when their behavior goes back to normal, the injury may "scar" the brain, much as a burn could scar the skin Jan 22, 2013As the US military works to diagnose traumatic brain injury earlier—in the field, ideally—researchers see some progress in discovering compounds that might stem its symptoms. Jan 16, 2013Modulating the brain’s inflammatory response could be a major new strategy against Alzheimer’s Jan 16, 2013Recent news reports have described what sounds like a miracle--restoring the ability of a paralyzed woman “to feed herself chocolate and move everyday items using a robotic arm directly controlled by thought, showing a level of agility and control approaching that of a human limb.” Jan 03, 2013Researchers have made good progress in teasing out the specifics of our multi-pronged response to sensory stimuli. Dec 20, 2012"The results are consistent with the idea that early experience matters relatively more than later," says one researcher. Dec 17, 2012Short periods of abstinence from drinking, smoking, or eating junk food may increase the risk of full-blown dependency. Dec 13, 2012People who score high on tests of resiliency and altruism, among others, appear also to be more responsive to placebo. Should researchers take that into account when running tests on new drugs? Dec 12, 2012Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, affecting approximately 5 million persons worldwide. With the population aging, it is anticipated that the number of patients with PD will increase dramatically in the coming decades. Dec 04, 2012What does it mean for society that use of smart drugs is increasing among cognitively healthy people? |