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Tag Archives: brain

An itch switch

By Stephen Ornes / June 5, 2013

Itchy skin sends a signal to your brain. Scientists have now identified a key player in that process. Credit: iStockphoto

Scientists identify a chemical that helps the brain know where to scratch

Posted in Body & Health | Tagged brain, getinvolved, Glenn Giesler, itch, Jr., Mark Hoon, mice, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, nerve, neuron, neurotransmittors, NIDCR, Santosh Mishra, scratch, spinal cord, Twin Cities, University of Minnesota

A mind for math

By Stephen Ornes / May 19, 2013

A child’s talent for learning math may relate to the size and wiring of different parts of the brain. Credit: iStockphoto

A part of the brain associated with making memories may also predict success in learning math

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged brain, brain scans, Carnegie Mellon University, cognitive science, Columbia, David Geary, getinvolved, hippocampus, IQ, Kaustubh Supekar, learning, math, mathematics, MRI, neuroscience, Palo Alto, Pittsburgh, Robert Siegler, Stanford University, topstories, University of Missouri

The stuff of dreams

By Stephen Ornes / April 18, 2013

Scientists recently used a computer program to decode patterns of brain activity displayed during a dream. They found that a certain object was linked with a particular pattern, and that pattern was similar whether the object was seen while awake or asleep. Credit: iStockphoto

Computer program decodes dreams, finds similar brain activity patterns for objects seen while asleep or awake

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, brain, computers, dreams, fMRI, Frank Tong, getinvolved, Japan, Kyoto, mind, Nashville, neuroscience, sleep, Tennessee, topstories, Vanderbilt University, wakefulness, Yukiyasu Kamitani

Another buzz for bees

By Stephen Ornes / March 24, 2013

The caffeine in some flower nectar gives bees a memory boost, a new study shows. Credit: Image courtesy of Geraldine Wright

Blooms are more memorable when their nectar contains caffeine

Posted in Animals | Tagged bees, behavior, brain, caffeine, coffee, England, Gerladine Wright, getinvolved, honeybees, nectar, neuroscience, Newcastle University, Pollination, protection, stimulant, tea, topstories

Brain to brain

By Stephen Ornes / March 15, 2013

Scientists connected the brains of two rats using computer chips and computers. One animal later signaled the other rat’s brain. Credit: K. Zhuang, Lab.of M. Nicolelis, Duke Univ.

Rats brains signaled each other through computers

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged artificial limbs, brain, brain activity, Brazil, cognition, computer chips, computers, cyborgs, Duke University, getinvolved, Lee Miller, microchips, Miguel Nicolelis, mind meld, nerve signaling, neuroscience, North Carolina, Northwestern University, rats, signals, topstories

Concussion: More than ‘getting your bell rung’

By Alison Pearce Stevens / February 20, 2013

Scientists are studying the brain and helmets to better understand and prevent concussions. Researchers at Virginia Tech use this device to test how well helmets protect heads. Credit: Courtesy of Steven Rowson

This common brain injury can cause serious — and lasting — damage

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged athletic injury, axon, balance, brain, brain injury, cells, concentration, concussion, Dennis Molfese, dizziness, feature, football, headache, memory, nervous system, neuron, sledding, STAR helmet ratings, Steven Rowson, Summer Ott, unconsciousness, University of Nebraska, University of Texas Medical Center, Virginia Tech

Feeling the invisible

By Sid Perkins / February 18, 2013

A rat with an infrared-detecting sensor wired into its brain soon learned that it could find water at a door marked with an invisible infrared light.
Credit: Thomson et al., Nature Communications (2013)

Sensor wired into a rat’s brain lets it detect light it can’t see

Posted in Animals, Light & Radiation, Tech & Math, Technology & Engineering | Tagged bioengineer, brain, Duke University, electromagnetic radiation, getinvolved, infrared light, Miguel Nicolelis, neuroscientist, plasticity, rat, San Diego, sight, spectrum, Todd Coleman, topstories, touch, University of California

Baby brain, adult disease

By Stephen Ornes / January 24, 2013

Newborns with a certain version of a gene are more likely to have a smaller medial temporal lobe (blue spots). This brain region is also smaller in adults with Alzheimer’s disease. People with the gene version are three times more likely to develop the disorder, which affects memory.

Scientists find signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of infants

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged Alzheimer’s disease, ApoE, brain, cells, gene, genetic variant, getinvolved, medial temporal lobe, memory, molecular genetics, nervous system, neurology, neuroscience, newborns, psychiatry, Rebecca Knickmeyer, topstories, University of North Carolina

Baby’s stress can last decades

By Stephen Ornes / December 4, 2012

Scientists have found a connection between stress early in life and anxiety later on. Credit: iStockphoto

Early stress may impair adult behavior, especially in girls

Posted in Body & Health | Tagged adrenal gland, amygdala, anxiety, behavior, brain, brain scans, cortisol, Cory Burghy, getinvolved, hormone, infants, prefontal cortex, pregnancy, stress, teenage brain, teens, University of Wisconsin–Madison, worry

Exhaled air: A problem in buildings?

By Janet Raloff / October 30, 2012

Classrooms are one environment where carbon dioxide levels can be high. They’re also one of the last places anyone would want to risk harming reasoning abilities and thought processes. Credit: iStockphoto

New studies suggest carbon dioxide that accumulates in classrooms could limit how well the brain processes information, lead to more student absences

Posted in Environment & Pollution | Tagged air pollutant, air pollution, air quality, Architectural Energy Corp., brain, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, carbon dioxide, CO2, cognition, concentration, decision making, Environmental Health Perspectives, exhale, getinvolved, indoor air, László Kajtár, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Mark Mendell, office buildings, Roger Hedrick, room air, school absences, schools, sickness, topstories, ventilation, William Fisk

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