The sound of nature helps us relax
From the University of Sussex press release: The gentle burbling of a brook, or the sound of the wind in the trees can physically change our mind and bodily systems, helping us to relax. New…
Creative people have better-connected brains
From the Duke University press release: Seemingly countless self-help books and seminars tell you to tap into the right side of your brain to stimulate creativity. But forget the “right-brain” myth — a new study…
Alzheimer’s disease linked to the metabolism of unsaturated fats
From the King’s College London press release: A new study published in PLOS Medicine‘s Special Issue on Dementia has found that the metabolism of omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids in the brain are associated…
How the brain sees the world in 3-D
From the Ohio State University press release: We live in a three-dimensional world, but everything we see is first recorded on our retinas in only two dimensions. So how does the brain represent 3-D information?…
Why we only learn to understand other people after the age of four
From the Universiteit Leiden press release: When we are around four years old we suddenly start to understand that other people think and that their view of the world is often different from our own. Researchers…
During learning, neurons deep in brain engage in a surprising level of activity
From the Princeton University press release: It’s the part of the brain that makes sure you cannot tickle yourself. The cerebellum, an apple-sized region near the base of the skull, senses that your own fingers…
Researchers focus on cell membranes to develop Alzheimer’s treatments
From the University of Michigan press release: Thin parts of the cell membranes of neurons turn out to be particularly vulnerable to a protein that collects in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to…
Identifying genes key to human memory: Insights from genetics and cognitive neuroscience
From the Cognitive Neuroscience Society: Researchers have identified more than 100 genes important for memory in people. The study is the first to identify correlations between gene data and brain activity during memory processing, providing…
Biomechanical analysis of head injury in pediatric patients
From the Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group press release: The biomechanics of head injury in youths (5 to 18 years of age) have been poorly understood. A new study reported in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics…
Brain stimulation improves schizophrenia-like cognitive problems
From the University of Iowa Health Care press release: “A beautiful, lobular structure,” is how Krystal Parker describes the cerebellum — a brain region located at the base of the skull just above the spinal…