The human brain differs from that of mice and monkeys because of its large cerebral cortex. The organ's most highly developed part, the cerebral cortex is responsible for thinking, perceiving and sophisticated communication. Scientists are just beginning to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive the growth of the
Tag: Psychology Research
Mirror neuron activity predicts people’s decision-making in moral dilemmas
Autism Therapy Social Behavior Restored Via Brain Stimulation
The research from the O'Donnell Brain Institute provides the first evidence that a specific part of the cerebellum, a region near the brain stem that has long been thought to only have roles in coordinating movement, is critical for autistic behaviors. It also establishes a more accessible target for brain
Deep brain stimulation: Improving outcomes in the treatment of movement disorders
For the first time, researchers from the Movement Disorders Unit of the Department of Neurology have shown that both symptom severity and the clinical outcomes achieved through deep brain stimulation (DBS) are directly linked to a specific pattern of brain activity, which is found in patients with isolated dystonia. In
Brain’s Appetite Regulator Disrupted in Obese Teens
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity has more than quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. It is estimated that more than one-third of children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Obesity in adolescence is associated with a number of health
A delicate Crossing Controller Developed to Open the Blood-Brain Barrier with Precision
Better Sleep Less Fear
Sleep disturbances are a common feature of PTSD. While previous research has focused on understanding how single nights of sleep influence the maintenance of already-established fear memories, few studies have investigated whether an individual's regular sleeping habits prior to trauma contributes to the acquisition of these fear memories. Itamar Lerner, Shira
Stimuli Fading Away en Route to Consciousness
The researchers are basing their study on a well-known phenomenon: When presented with two images in rapid succession, humans can only consciously perceive the second one if there is sufficient time between the two presentations. In this study the participants saw a series of pictures on a computer screen, where
New Source for Brain’s Development Discovered
The research, which appears in the journal Science, discovered that glia, a collection of non-neuronal cells that had long been regarded as passive support cells, in fact are vital to nerve-cell development in the brain. "The results lead us to revise the often neuro-centric view of brain development to now appreciate the
Statistical Analysis to Explain Mechanism in State of General Anesthesia
Brown's research shows how application of signal processing algorithms can be used to define such mechanisms. "Careful signal processing combined with experimentation has allowed us to show that a primary mechanism through which anesthetics work is by creating oscillations that disrupt how communications among different regions of the brain occur,"