Recommended reading from around the Web

For Some Science News, Reader Beware

For Some Science News, Reader Beware
by Guy McKhann, M.D.

February 2010

There has been a significant decline in both the quantity and quality of scientific writing. Here's how to get accurate information.

Study Raises Questions about Vegetative States

by Frank A. Bures

Winona Daily News | February 28, 2010

How to handle people who are in a vegetative state is a delicate and complex subject, with no easy answers. A recent study indicates that a small proportion of vegetative patients do have some brain activity that suggests awareness.

NFL Combine Puts More Emphasis on Concussions

by Michael Marot

Associated Press | February 26, 2010

Instead of just at-risk players, all athletes attending this year’s NFL combine will be given a baseline brain activity exam, another positive sign of the league’s efforts to combat the effects of concussions.

Can't Put Face to a Name? You May Be 'Face Blind'

Inside Science News Service | February 24, 2010

Surely you have experienced a situation where you see something you’ve met before, but you can’t recall their name. For one to two percent of the population, the opposite is true. They have prosopagnosia.

Brain System behind General Intelligence Discovered

Science Daily | February 23, 2010

“Several brain regions, and the connections between them, were what was most important to general intelligence,” according to a researcher who studied the IQ test results of brain-lesion patients.

Catnaps May Reboot Your Brain, Aid Memory

CBS News | February 23, 2010

Yet another study shows the benefits of sleep for mood, energy, memory, and overall health. Even a 10-minute nap can help improve alertness.

Music Helps Stroke Victims Communicate, Study Finds

by Shirley S. Wang

The Wall Street Journal | February 22, 2010

Through melodic intonation therapy, some people who have trouble speaking after having a stroke show success communicating by singing their words.

Neuroimaging Study May Pave Way for Effective Alzheimer's Treatments

Science Daily | February 22, 2010

Amyloid plaques, associated with Alzheimer’s and previously only identified through autopsy, can now be seen using a new imaging device.

Not Merely Slipping Away: Forgetting Requires Biochemical Action

by Katie Moisse

Scientific American | February 19, 2010

The acting of forgetting memories involves a process just as forming memories does. It also serves some purposes you may not have thought of.

Getting into the Game

by Michael Sutherland-Shaw

CBC News | February 17, 2010

“We have shared the joy of dreams fulfilled. We have been moved by tears of elation and tears of disappointment.” The president of the International Olympic Committee spoke those words in his speech at the Winter Olympics closing ceremony on Feb. 28, and brain cells known as mirror neurons help explain why his words ring so true.

Brain on the Web

by Andrew Kahn

February 2010

A new briefing paper on sports concussions, information on the upcoming Brain Awareness Week, and a site dedicated to Alzheimer’s make up this month's links.

Research Shows Brain Can be Exercised by Controlling a Cursor with Thought

by Shane McGlaun

Daily Tech | February 16, 2010

A new study shows that people can use their minds control things like keyboards, robots, and prosthetic devices.

Implanted Sensor Could Provide Clues to Brain Chemistry

by Emily Singer

Technology Review | February 16, 2010

Scientists know deep brain stimulation works to treat certain disorders, but there are debates as to why. Recent research aims to discover more about what actually happens to the brain.

Pro Athletes' Brains React at Olympic Speed

by Robert Preidt

HealthDay | February 12, 2010

Research on professional and recreational badminton players suggests that highly skilled athletes have enhanced brain activity compared with more-sedentary folks.

Think Twice: How the Gut's "Second Brain" Influences Mood and Well-Being

by Adam Hadhazy

Scientific American | February 12, 2010

Better understanding of the network of neurons in our bellies may help scientists learn more about our mental states and common diseases.

New Neurons Needed

by Alexandra Irena Eremia

The Varsity (Canada) | February 11, 2010

New research in mice suggests that electrical brain stimulation can increase the number of neurons in the brain. It's not clear, though, if this is a positive or negative effect.

Revising Book on Disorders of the Mind

by Benedict Carey

The New York Times | February 10, 2010

Psychiatrists, insurance companies, and patients are eagerly awaiting the news of what will change in the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Memory Lapses Are Common and Increase with Age; When Do They Signal Alzheimer's?

by Rachel Saslow

The Washington Post | February 9, 2010

People in their 40s and 50s are likely to experience a decline in their memory skills, but only those with exceptionally deteriorating memory—such as not only forgetting where the keys are but putting them in the refrigerator as well—should seek a doctor's attention.

BOOK FROM DANA PRESS

Cerebrum 2010: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science 

Cerebrum 2010 Cover
This fourth annual collection brings together the foremost experts in brain science. Jay Giedd, Michael Posner, Mariale Hardiman, David Kupfer and Paul McHugh present their research – and their take – on such cutting-edge topics as the development of the teen brain, how arts education affects intelligence, the limitations of brain imaging, and how to bring more certainty and flexibility to diagnosis in the next edition of the psychiatric bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).