Friday, 25 May, 2012

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology recently conducted a study looking into the brain activity of fruit flies when in flight. In this image, a fruit fly is placed in a state of tethered flight, induced by a slight puff of air while the fly was suspended. With wings flapping, a pink dye-filled glass [...]

At the University of California, San Diego, a recent study explored potential causes of Alzheimer’s Disease through measures of brain activity.  It was discovered that astrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells that provide protection for the brain’s neurons, play a more important role than once believed. In this image, neurons are shown in green and astrocytes [...]

Neglect, stress and abuse are all more common among the poor. New studies show that these factors can cause long-term changes in learning, brains and behavior, and suggest how to prevent damage in the vulnerable years. Could treating depressed mothers promote healthy interactions with their kids?

Changes in the junctions between nerve cells determine how well a bird will learn to sing. Regular change in these junctions helps the bird remember the song of its species, which it needs to learn to reproduce that song. Study could explain why older people have such trouble learning a new language.

MRI scans of older people show major differences between searchers and non-searchers. After seven hours of Internet experience, those differences disappear. Honest? Could changing the brain be this easy?

You can’t hold your eyes completely still, but what is the purpose of those tiny movements? A new study could explain why we make them — and why we seldom notice them.

First of all, it’s important to remember that many people don’t enjoy these experiences, said Jack Nitschke, a UW-Madison professor of psychiatry and psychology. But those who do may be seeking thrills provided by the amygdala, a brain region that controls our emotional responses to salient objects and events. The amygdala kicks in when we [...]

Injecting a protein in the brain stifles the drive to drink among lab rats; one dose lasts three hours or more. Does GDNF offer a new angle on alcoholism?

Mice can tell the sex, mating status and identity of another mouse — all from sniffing urine. A new study of how mice read pheromones also gives insight into the human sensory apparatus…

Following Sigmund Freud, many people used to believe dreams were a way of dealing with thoughts and issues that were too painful or bizarre to confront during waking life. From this idea, the entire field of dream interpretation emerged. Most scientists no longer believe this, though. “The truth is, we don’t really know why we [...]