Few would argue that the brain is the most complex organ in our body, which may explain why scientists are constantly discovering new things (both good and bad) about this enigma. From Alzheimer’s and ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there’s a lot that still needs to be researched, understood and explained. And those are just the A’s!
Here are some of the most interesting brain-related studies of the past year.
- The brain’s process of reorganizing connections begins earlier in girls than in boys. As we grow older, our brains reorganize, reducing the connections in the brain. Brain function actually improves during this pruning process and it occurs earlier in females than in males.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131219131153.htm
- Scientists have developed a technology to regenerate functional neurons after brain injury and Alzheimer’s. Using glial cells, scientists have regenerated healthy, functional neurons. This technology could eventually help people with TBIs, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131219130740.htm
- Dementia and heart disease are linked in older postmenopausal women. A study of nearly 6,500 American women between 65 and 79 found that those who had experienced a heart attack had double the risk of cognitive decline. In addition, postmenopausal women with either vascular disease or heart disease were 29 percent more likely to experience cognitive decline.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131218171053.htm
- Reading is a multiple component task causing difficulty for children with dyslexia. Compared to their non-dyslexic peers, children with dyslexia have trouble identifying strings of letters, programming eye movements and synchronizing speech output.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131218095855.htm
- Suppression of the enzyme fidgetin promotes the regrowth of injured nerves. Scientists studying rats found that because fidgeting prevents nerve regrowth in the adult brain, suppressing it can conversely regrow injured nerves.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131217123855.htm
- A banned chemical is still affecting seniors’ cognitive performance 30 years later.
In 1979, PCBs were banned in the U.S., but their effects are still showing up in seniors in the form of lower cognitive performance.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269336.php
- Brains of children with nonverbal learning disability differ from those with high-functioning autism.
Researchers have discovered evidence that the brains of children with NVLD actually develop differently than other children, even those with HFA.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269167.php
- 8. A blood biomarker predicts which TBI victims will have most damage.
Researchers have discovered that calpain-cleaved all-spectrin N-terminal fragment (SNTF) can serve as a biomarker to predict which concussion victims will have the worst white matter tract structural damage and persistent cognitive dysfunction.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269119.php
- The progression of Alzheimer’s may be slowed by meditation.
In a study of people between 55 and 90, those who participated in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) using meditation or yoga had significantly improved functional connectivity in the brain system that’s engaged when remembering past evens or envisioning the future.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269043.php
- Exercise during pregnancy helps newborn babies’ brains develop.
Mothers who exercised while pregnant had newborns (ages 8 to 12 days) with brains that had more mature cerebral activation. This suggests that the babies’ brains (of whose mothers exercised during pregnancy) developed more rapidly.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269043.php
- Self-reflection during depression increases brain activity.
People who think about themselves during a depressive episode have increased brain activity compared to those who aren’t depressed.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/268518.php
- Growing up stressed and poor affects brain function as an adult.
A childhood filled with chronic stress and poverty may cause problems with brain function – especially emotional problems — in adulthood.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131021211450.htm
- Early spatial skills and knowledge of written letters predicts math competence.
It’s not oral language skills that predict math, according to longitudinal research out of Finland.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131022091801.htm
- Moderate to vigorous exercise boosts teens’ grades.
The more intensive the exercise, the greater the impact on test results. This is especially true when it comes to girls and science.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131021211712.htm
- Less sleep and poor quality sleep is linked to Alzheimer’s.
A new study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration among older adults raised the B-Amyloid burden.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131021162546.htm
- Oreos are as addictive as cocaine or morphine.
A professor and his students at Connecticut College found that for lab rats, Oreo cookies appear to be as addictive as cocaine or morphine.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267543.php
- Stroke patients lose three of every five quality years of life.
Long-term research has found that people who have had a stroke lose 60 percent of quality years.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267090.php
- Belly fat increases your chances of dementia and memory loss later in life.
Middle-aged men and women who have a lot of belly fat are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from dementia and memory loss when they’re older.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/09/fat-alzheimers-dementia_n_4072400.html
- There’s a biomarker to differentiate the subtypes of ADHD.
By looking at EEGs while teens with ADHD performed a computer task, researchers could distinguish between those whose primary symptom is inattentiveness and those whose symptoms include hyperactivity and impulsivity.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131008152214.htm
- Sniffing peanut butter may help diagnose Alzheimer’s.
A graduate student at the University of Florida has found that people with early Alzheimer’s smell better with their right nostril.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131010092427.htm
- Long-term use of statins may help prevent against dementia.
Johns Hopkins researchers have found that statins pose no threats to short-term memory and may even help prevent dementia if taken for over a year.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131001115438.htm
- Compared to children with autism, children with Asperger’s have different brain patterns (as seen on EEGs). Some specialists wonder if the two should be classified separately in the DSM-5, rather than lumped together.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130730235642.htm
23. Older people who drink two cups of hot cocoa a day may actually be preventing memory decline. That’s because it preserves blood flow in working areas of the brain.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264551.php 24. Girls with anorexia have a lot of autistic traits. They include things like: focusing on oneself, a fascination for detail, inflexible behaviors, and rigid attitudes. Both also share similar changes in structure and function of brain regions. It’s being suggested that perhaps girls with autism are being overlooked because they present with anorexia.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264666.php
- Concussions may affect boys and girls differently. Although girls may suffer fewer concussions, the effects on girls may last longer. This may be because male athletes have greater neck strength and a higher BMI, making them more resilient.