Category Archives: Brain Function

The effectiveness of existing stroke treatments can be limited by time and may cause dangerous side effects, but researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center have found a new approach that could improve the standard treatment for strokes. The existing treatment regimen for strokes caused by blood clots involves administering an infusion of a tissue plasminogen ...click here to read more

A new study out of the UW Medicine Sleep Center at Harborview Medical Center has discovered a link between chronic sleep deprivation and the suppression of the immune system. While many people notice that they get sick when they haven’t slept enough, Dr. Nathaniel Watson of the Sleep Center and his team set out to ...click here to read more

How many languages can you speak? If your answer is more than one, you’re likely to fare better against Alzheimer’s disease than those who are monolingual. The latest findings suggest that people with Alzheimer’s disease who are also bilingual perform better in short term and long term memory tests. Furthermore, brain scans reveal less severe ...click here to read more

New research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has shown that following either a simple meditation or music listening regimen may help to reverse early memory loss in older adults. The study was conducted by West Virginia University and helmed by Dr. Kim Innes. It aimed to examine the effects of either completing basic ...click here to read more

An issue in the cell disposal system, which keeps the mitochondria of brain cells healthy, could be contributing to the development of Parkinson’s disease. Research from the University of Nottingham has found a link between issues in the cell’s disposal system and faulty mitochondria, which could add to the death and dysfunction of brain cells. ...click here to read more

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Institut Pasteur in Paris recently conducted a study to find out why patients with schizophrenia tend to smoke more often, and they found a connection between consistent nicotine intake and brain activity. Eighty to ninety percent of those with schizophrenia smoke, with the majority of that ...click here to read more

New research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food has shown that the bioactive components of certain edible and medicinal mushrooms may aid in the prevention and delay of dementia. Researchers from the University of Malaya have suggested that the activity of the bioactive compounds in certain mushrooms may aid in the growth of nerves ...click here to read more

A new study published in Brain suggests that undergoing a functional MRI (or fMRI) prior to beginning an antidepressant regimen may help predict the effectiveness of the treatment. The study observed specific patterns of brain activity as participants with major depressive disorder who were not medicated completed a cognitive control task, and found that the ...click here to read more

Highly demanding jobs often result in intense stress that may affect an individual’s mental health and capacity for sleep. For some people, the use of natural sleep aids may help alleviate the symptoms of stress and other mental health conditions attributable to difficult jobs, whereas for others, the high stress levels at work may destroy ...click here to read more

January is Mental Wellness Month, and in honor of this, Bel Marra has put together a mental health update that includes tips for managing mental illness, as well as information on depression, anxiety, dementia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome: How are they linked? Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, although different, may ...click here to read more

New research published in Nature Genetics has discovered a genetic link between sleep disturbance and medical conditions such as restless leg syndrome, schizophrenia, and obesity. The study examined the biological mechanisms that control insomnia, the duration of sleep, and excessive daytime drowsiness. They also looked at how they related to the medical and life histories ...click here to read more

New research from Georgetown University Medical Center has shown physiological evidence that mindfulness meditation fights symptoms of anxiety. This form of meditation focuses on awareness and being present, allowing you to act and react in the moment rather than build fear or anxiety about future events. To conduct the study, head researcher Dr. Elizabeth A. ...click here to read more

Scientists have discovered that the sense of smell declines dramatically in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, meaning that “sniff tests” may become a staple in the diagnostic process of this disease. A recent study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has provided evidence that testing a patient’s sense of smell ...click here to read more

Findings from a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry have found a link between delirium and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Delirium occurs when patients become confused and disoriented, and is prevalent in elderly patients. This new research from the University of Cambridge and University College London show that this delirium could have long-term detrimental ...click here to read more