New Way To Help Schizophrenia Sufferers' Social Skills Sep 12, 2008
12, 2008) Researchers from the University of Newcastle in Australia are investigating a new way to help schizophrenia patients develop their communication and social skills. PhD student Kathryn McCabe is studying the eye movements of people with schizophrenia to understand better how they view other people's faces. (Science Daily)
Modest brain test benefit seen with brisk walking Sep 6, 2008
Their study did not involve brain imaging that would have shown any changes in blood flow associated with exercise. Results appear in Wednesday s Journal of the American Medical Association. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Hallucinations In The Flash Of An Eye Sep 6, 2008
Using a combination of brain imaging methods in normal subjects, the author harnesses the technique to examine localized changes in brain activity and changes in brain connections during hallucinations. "We observed increases in activity in visual brain regions", says ffytche, "Increases in visual connection strength and an alteration in relationship between visual relay and receiving stations, together suggesting that hallucinations were caused by a transient form of 'blindness'". (Science Daily)
Sleep Therapy Restores Brain Function in Insomniacs Sep 6, 2008
Brain imaging suggests it could be a non-pharmacological intervention for the disorder. HealthDay. (MEDLINEplus)
PET Scans Help Identify Mechanism Underlying Seasonal Mood Changes Sep 5, 2008
4, 2004) A brain imaging study by the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found that an emotion-regulating brain circuit is overactive in people prone to depression even when they. (July 11, 2005) Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have determined how serotonin decreases the body's sensitivity to light and that exposure to constant darkness leads to a decrease in. (Science Daily)
Zen Training Speeds The Mind's Return After Distraction, Brain Scans Reveal Sep 4, 2008
3, 2008) Experienced Zen meditators can clear their minds of distractions more quickly than novices, according to a new brain imaging study. See also. (Science Daily)
Exercise may benefit older brains Sep 3, 2008
Their study did not involve brain imaging that would have shown any changes in blood flow associated with exercise. Don't Miss. (CNN -- Health)
Neuroscientist scans brain for clues on best time to multitask Sep 3, 2008
However, a new brain imaging study led by a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of New Hampshire finds that there are optimal times when we are better suited to multitask ... Yet, while the brain imaging results reflect a critical step in helping us to better schedule our daily routine, they don't provide a truly practical solution quite yet. (EurekAlert!)
Age-related memory loss tied to slip in filtering information quickly Sep 3, 2008
" ### The senior author of the study is Mark D'Esposito, MD, professor of neuroscience and psychology and director of the Henry H. Wheeler Jr. Brain Imaging Center, UC Berkeley. Other co-authors of the study are Wesley Clapp, Jon Kelley and Kevin McEvoy of the UCSF departments of neurology and physiology, and Robert T. Knight of UC Berkeley. The study was funded by the National Institute of Health and the American Federation for Aging Research. UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting... (EurekAlert!)
The first autism disease genes Sep 2, 2008
However, several questions such as correlations between genotypes and phenotypes including cognition and brain imaging studies still remain to be investigated. Research to unravel autism requires multidisciplinary approaches involving psychiatrists, psychologists, geneticists and brain imaging specialists. (EurekAlert!)
Brain imaging links chronic insomnia to reversible cognitive deficits without changes in behavior Sep 1, 2008
Public release date: 1-Sep-2008. Contact: Kelly Wagner. (EurekAlert!)
ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE Aug 31, 2008
Published this week, "Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Conne 00004000 ction," is the first major mainstream work that, using recent advances in neuroscience and brain imaging, begins to explain the biology of loneliness. "The research only began in the late 1980s, early 1990s," says co-author and University of Chicago professor John T. Cacioppo. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Treadmill Exercise Retrains Brain And Body Of Stroke Victims Aug 30, 2008
This research was organized by the University of Maryland Veterans Medical Center, and the fMRIs were performed at the F.M. Kirby Research Center for Brain Imaging at Kennedy Krieger, a research institute affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Funding by the U.S. National Institutes of Aging, the Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center, the University of Maryland, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the France-Merrick Foundation, the Johns Hopkins University, the Eleanor Naylor Dana... (Science Daily)
When it comes to baby talk, 'banana' beats 'pineapple' Aug 27, 2008
Gervain and scientists from Chile and Italy looked at the brain activity of 22 newborns at a hospital in Italy using optical brain imaging, which allows them to see patterns of brain activity. They found that babies' brains are far from a blank slate when it comes to language recognition. (Canada.com)
Why `papa', `mommy', are a baby's first words Aug 27, 2008
Using the latest optical brain imaging techniques, Gervain and her team of researchers from Italy and Chile documented brain activities of 22 newborns (2-3 days old) when exposed to recordings of made-up words. They found increased brain activities in the temporal and left frontal areas of the newborns' brain whenever the repetitious words were played. (IBNLive.com)
Brain Study Could Lead To New Understanding Of Depression Aug 26, 2008
This latest study used functional brain imaging to identify the circuits in the brain that underpin our ability to differentiate social behaviour that conforms to our values from behaviour that does not. The team observed that social behaviour not conforming to an individual s values evoked feelings of anger when carried out by another person or feelings of guilt when the behaviour stemmed from the individuals themselves. (Science Daily)
Brain Damage Risk Linked to Migraine Frequency Aug 26, 2008
Previous research on brain imaging has shown that migraine patients are more likely to show "silent brain damage," or damage with no signs or symptoms, than are control subjects, the authors explain. But the brain sites that are affected have not been specified; only white matter hyperintensities have been investigated. (MEDLINEplus)
Women undergo more pain than men Aug 25, 2008
Even ten years back, brain imaging experts at Oxford University found that women with untreated painful periods are more likely to react to other painful stimuli because of changes in the brain. These findings suggest that untreated persistent pain makes women more susceptible to painful conditions. (India Times, India)
Brian Surgery Many Help People with Severe OCD Aug 23, 2008
"The most important question now," Ruck concluded, "is whether the risk of this procedure can be limited by small changes in surgical method. We hope to be able to study this with brain imaging using patients from several centers.". SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, August 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Face Recognition: Nurture Not Nature Aug 22, 2008
However, by using analyses inspired by novel brain imaging technology, researchers at the University of Glasgow have discovered that cultural differences cause us to look at faces differently. Lead researcher Dr Roberto Caldara said: "In a series of eye-movement studies, we showed that social experience has an impact on how people look at faces. Specifically we noticed a striking difference in eye movements in Westerners and East Asian observers. We found that Westerners tend to look at specific... (Science Daily)
To Some, Lights Are Noisy Aug 22, 2008
She was running a program on her computer in the Caltech Brain Imaging Center when a group of students passed by. The screen on her computer showed bright lights moving rapidly back and forth, and a student asked a question that has precipitated a whole new field of inquiry. (ABC News)
Can Facial Structures, Brain Abnormalities Reveal Formula For Detection Of Autism? Aug 20, 2008
Duan s facial and brain imaging work will focus on two ASD subgroups hypothetically identified by Judith Miles, the William and Nancy Thompson Endowed Chair in Child Health at the Thompson Center. She has observed and distinguished children with a tendency toward more physical and brain abnormalities and smaller heads as having complex autism. (Science Daily)
Call to end animal pain-research Aug 15, 2008
At a workshop organised by charities and organisations funding or promoting alternatives to animal experiments, such as the RSPCA and UK Human Tissues Bank, the experts said modern, powerful brain imaging had the potential to change how some experiments were done. It means healthy volunteers and patients suffering from pain could take part in studies where researchers can monitor the effects of pain and pain relief in the brain using MRI or other scans. (BBC News -- UK)
Herald editor helps crew on tall ship Friendship Aug 15, 2008
In his "real life" he does medical research on brain imaging. (I'm starting to think you do need to be a brain surgeon to understand the terms they are throwing around. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Causes of Chronic Fatigue Aug 14, 2008
The fatigue in CFS/ME is often called "medically unexplained", but this is misleading considering the profound organic changes in brain metabolism found with brain imaging studies, especially SPECT scans. Often there are also structural changes visible in MRI pictures. (Suite101.com)
Could dye developed here help predict Alzheimer's? Aug 13, 2008
Previous studies with Pittsburgh Compound B -- PiB for short -- had compared brain imaging results recorded when patients were alive to samples taken after they had died. The Finnish doctors used brain surgery patients as subjects. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Brain Imaging May Allow Alzheimer's Diagnosis Aug 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An imaging method known as a PET scan may enable doctors to determine whether a person has "plaques" in the brain that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, according to a Finnish study published on Monday. (MEDLINEplus)
Brain imaging may allow Alzheimer's diagnosis Aug 12, 2008
Brain imaging may allow Alzheimer's diagnosis. Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:00pm EDT. (Reuters)
Tuning In To A New Language On The Fly: Effects Of Context And Seasonality On Songbird Brain Aug 10, 2008
4, 2007) Brain imaging adds further support to the idea that at least some children with dyslexia have trouble processing sound, rather than a visual problem. The study also shows that computer-based sound. (Science Daily)
Connections Between Genetics, Brain Activity And Preference Discovered Aug 9, 2008
8, 2008) A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both. See also. (Science Daily)
Context And Personality Key In Understanding Responses To Emotional Facial Expressions Aug 8, 2008
In a new brain imaging study Pascal Vrti ka and colleagues at the Swiss National Center for Affective Sciences hosted by the University of Geneva found that visually identical facial expressions can produce different patterns of responses in emotional brain areas when context changes their social meanings, and that these patterns of social sensitivity are strongly modulated by individual attachment style (i. e. how a person emotionally perceives and responds to others during social interactions,... (Science Daily)
Alzheimers: Puneite breaks new ground Aug 8, 2008
We found that in Alzheimers disease, these hub regions are targeted first, which may explain memory loss and confusion the characteristics of the disease, Supekar said, adding that brain imaging data obtained from these hub brain regions can be used to diagnose Alzheimers. With the lack of drugs to cure dementia, an early diagnosis of dementia such as Alzheimers disease will allow prompt treatment of reversible symptoms, which will help slow down the progression of the disease... (Times of India)
Study finds connections between genetics, brain activity and preference Aug 7, 2008
A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both. The report in the August 4 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry describes how variations in a gene involved with the brain's reward function are associated with the activity of a key brain structure and, in... (EurekAlert!)
Study: Less talk, more pills from psychiatrists Aug 6, 2008
Its benefits can be seen in brain imaging studies, said Dr. Eric Plakun, who leads an committee working to restore interest in psychotherapy by psychiatrists. "The couch is far from dead," Plakun said. (CNN -- Health)
150 Dead: Anatomy of a Mass Panic Aug 6, 2008
"Brain imaging studies have shown that the emotions that we experience from other people can actually have a direct impact on our brains," he said. The region of the brain known as the amygdala is particularly instrumental in fear responses, Pillay said. (ABC News)
Dyslexic Brains Can Be Rewired Aug 6, 2008
A new Carnegie Mellon University brain imaging study of dyslexic students and other poor readers shows that the brain can permanently rewire itself and overcome reading deficits, if students are given 100 hours of intensive remedial instruction ... "This study demonstrates how remedial instruction can use the plasticity of the human brain to gain an educational improvement," said neuroscientist Marcel Just, director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI) and senior author... (Newsmax)
Business Notes (Aug. 7) Aug 5, 2008
This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate. To receive the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham demonstrated 85 percent adherence in the GWTG-Stroke key measures for 24 or more consecutive months. (Needham Tab, MA)
Schizophrenia Researchers Welcome New Blood Aug 4, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2008) Researchers from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute are set to conduct a world-first trial into the link between prenatal vitamin D levels and schizophrenia prevalence. Funded by the NHMRC and led by QBI's Dr Darryl Eyles, a team of four researchers will study blood spots taken from newborn babies who have gone on to develop schizophrenia in early adulthood. (Science Daily)
Breakthrough drug 'could halt' Alzheimer's Aug 1, 2008
Brain imaging data also showed that the drug had its biggest effect in the memory critical parts of the brain where the tangle density is highest. Don't Miss. (CNN -- Health)
Healthy Children Of Alzheimer Patients Show Early Brain Changes Jul 31, 2008
Functional MRI brain imaging revealed that these symptomless carriers of the APOE-4 gene demonstrated significantly reduced functional brain connectivity between the hippocampus and the posterior cingulated cortex, two important brain structures for memory processing ... 22, 2004) Using brain imaging, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have found clear differences in brain function between healthy people who carry a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's. (Science Daily)
Markers in Blood and Spinal Fluid, and a New Imaging Agent, Show Promise for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Jul 30, 2008
In research reported at ICAD 2008, Michael J. Pontecorvo, PhD, of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, PA, and colleagues reported the development of a novel 18F-labeled PET amyloid imaging agent, 18F-AV-45, that may eventually provide a practical approach for routine brain imaging for Alzheimer's PET scanners are relatively common - they are available in most hospitals - yet one of the challenges to more widespread use of PET imaging in Alzheimer's is that the radioactivity of the first... (PR Newswire)
The Story Behind Kennedy's Surgery Jul 30, 2008
The experts also contend that newer techniques like functional brain imaging and mapping are improving the safety and outcomes of brain surgery for glioblastomas. Neurosurgeons can test tiny areas of the brain to map functions controlled by the specific areas. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Prostate cancer therapy tied to cognitive decline Jul 29, 2008
The researchers call for larger studies to confirm these findings and recommend that such studies incorporate brain imaging, as has been done in analyses of the cognitive effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Copyright 2008 Reuters. (MSNBC -- Health)
New study finds healthy children of Alzheimer patients show early brain changes Jul 29, 2008
Functional MRI brain imaging revealed that these symptomless carriers of the APOE-4 gene demonstrated significantly reduced functional brain connectivity between the hippocampus and the posterior cingulated cortex, two important brain structures for memory processing. These structures are relevant for information acquisition, filtering and sorting. (EurekAlert!)
New Research Shows That People With Better Physical Fitness Have Less Brain Atrophy In Alzheimer's Jul 28, 2008
This is the first time that MRI brain imaging has been used to demonstrate the connection between cardiorespiratory fitness and Alzheimer's-related brain changes in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory and spatial navigation. In Alzheimer's, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage. (PR Newswire)
Golf tourney boosts awareness Jul 28, 2008
In addition, brain imaging (CT or MRI scans), blood tests and other laboratory studies may be performed. The evaluation will provide a clinical diagnosis. (Bolton Common, MA)
PTSD leaves physical footprints on the brain Jul 28, 2008
Schuff, who was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt just as colorful as the brain images he'd brought, reminded his colleagues that while his findings were preliminary and the trials ongoing, researchers were at least inching closer to finding the biological markers that distinguish a brain affected by PTSD. As the technology of brain imaging improves and the resulting data are refined, doctors believe that one day they will be able to look at a computer screen and see PTSD as clearly as they now see a... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Prostate cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy may experience cognitive effects Jul 28, 2008
The findings indicate that larger, more thorough studies that include brain imaging techniques are needed to better understand the nature and extent of the cognitive effects of androgen depletion. In addition, researchers are exploring the effectiveness of using androgen depletion therapy in men with rising levels of prostate specific antigen, a potential precursor to prostate cancer. (EurekAlert!)
Promising Results In Deep Brain Stimulation For Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression Jul 27, 2008
This clinical trial is the culmination of Mayberg's 20 years of research using brain imaging technology that has worked to characterize functional brain abnormalities in major depression and to identify the mechanisms of various antidepressant treatments ... "In previous studies using brain imaging, we found the subcallosal cingulate region was a key region in an emerging emotion regulation circuit implicated in major depression," explains Mayberg. (Science Daily)
Most Fit Have Less Brain Atrophy From Alzheimer's Jul 27, 2008
In the first study, MRI brain imaging of people taking a treadmill stress test showed a connection between cardio-respiratory fitness and Alzheimer's-related brain changes in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory and spatial navigation. The hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage from Alzheimer's. (Health-Finder)
Worry About All Blows To The Head Jul 26, 2008
As a result, several computerized neuropsychological testing programs have been developed to help assess for these deficits rapidly through a CT scan or MRI brain imaging. Halstead said a newer concept in treating concussions is concussion rehabilitation. (Science Daily)
Deep Brain Stimulation Jul 25, 2008
"In previous studies using brain imaging, we found the subcallosal cingulate region was a key region in an emerging emotion regulation circuit implicated in major depression," said Helen S. Mayberg, MD, lead researcher from University of Toronto. "We postulated that if stimulation worked for the treatment of other neurological disorders where abnormal function of specific circuits was well established, such as Parkinson's disease, then stimulation of the Cg25 region within this apparent... (Oneindia)
Autism's Social Struggles Due To Disrupted Communication Networks In Brain Jul 25, 2008
"This study offers compelling evidence that a lack of synchronization in the Theory of Mind network is largely responsible for social challenges in autism," said Just, director of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging. "That evidence can provide the foundation for therapies that are more useful than current approaches.". (Science Daily)
Mindfulness meditation slows progression of HIV, study shows Jul 25, 2008
In order to understand the health benefits of mindfulness meditation, Creswell and his colleagues at UCLA are now examining the underlying pathways through which mindfulness meditation reduces stress, using brain imaging, genetics and immune system measurements. "Given the stress-reduction benefits of mindfulness meditation training, these findings indicate there can be health protective effects not just in people with HIV but in folks who suffer from daily stress," Creswell said. (EurekAlert!)
Hang up and drive Jul 25, 2008
In one experiment at the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, a test subject lies down inside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, and uses a simulator to drive a car along a winding road, like playing a video game. While steering, the driver hears a voice in his earphones making statements, and has to decide whether they're true or false, while continuing to pilot the car. (Salon)
Why Migraines Strike Jul 22, 2008
But most of the growing interest comes from new discoveries in , brain imaging and. Though of very different natures, those findings seem to converge and reinforce one another, making researchers hopeful that they can get to the bottom of migraine s causes and develop improved therapies to prevent them or halt them in their tracks. (Scientific American)
MIND-expanding grants Jul 22, 2008
MIND's existing 35,000 square feet is occupied by 55 offices, a number of room-filling brain imaging devices and a genetics laboratory. Rasure said plans for expansion are far from settled, but would most likely involve 8,000 to 18,000 additional square feet on the existing site. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
Another genetic link in autism: Facial expressions Jul 18, 2008
Researchers are following that hypothesis through brain imaging studies. One focus is on the amygdala, a brain region involved in processing facial emotions. (USA Today -- Tech)
Does sleep help us change or clarify our mind? Jul 17, 2008
Using a brain imaging approach, it will now be possible to assess the neuronal impact of sleep disturbances in patients with insomnia, apnea syndrome, depression or narcolepsy. Looking ahead, she said, "We now want to know which brain circuits are involved in these learning effects during the night and if we can experimentally enhance such effects. We want to assess how sleep disorders affect emotional and cognitive functioning; and what are the biological factors responsible for these... (News-Medical.net)
UCLA Study Links Extended Grief With Addiction, Reward Sensors Jul 17, 2008
According to the new brain imaging study, the reasoning behind the extended grief surprised even scientists. "I was surprised to find that people who are yearning are activating the same pathways as people who are craving other types of substances," said UCLA assistant professor of psychiatry. (NBC4.tv, CA)
New System Detects Dementia Risk Among Highly Educated Older Adults Jul 16, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 16, 2008) A different cutoff point on an existing mental function assessment may more effectively assess the risk of dementia in highly educated older adults, according to a new article. The most commonly administered screening test of cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) function is known as the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), according to background information in the article. (Science Daily)
Caltech and UNC research finds further evidence for genetic contribution to autism Jul 16, 2008
"This is evidence for the hypothesis that the parents with the autistic child have brains that function somewhat differently as well"--an idea that he and other researchers are currently investigating through brain imaging studies. One area of interest is the amygdala, a region located on either side of the brain in the medial temporal lobe that is known to process information about facial emotions and may have abnormal volume in both autistic individuals and their nonautistic siblings. (EurekAlert!)
For infants, musical exposure is simple and complex Jul 13, 2008
As it turns out, my timing was good, as the cognitive and neuroscience research on music has been exploding these days, driven by techno logical breakthroughs in brain imaging and a newly widespread openness toward music as a legitimate field of scientific study. It's hard to miss the reverberations. (Boston Globe)
Brain Noise Is Good: New Study Overturns Notion That Brain Noise Quiets Down With Maturity Jul 8, 2008
EEG -- electroencephalography -- is a powerful brain imaging tool that allows for precise measurement of the timing of brain activity in response to external stimuli. Researchers found that not only did the young adults score better on the face recognition tasks (i. (Science Daily)
'Mind's Eye' Influences Visual Perception Jul 4, 2008
"More recently, with advances in human brain imaging, we now know that when you imagine something parts of the visual brain do light up and you see activity there," Pearson says. "So there's more and more evidence suggesting that there is a huge overlap between mental imagery and seeing the same thing. Our work shows that not only are imagery and vision related, but imagery directly influences what we see.". (Science Daily)
