Neuroscience

for that which is of the topic of or relating to Neuroscience

Childhood Unpopularity May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood

Childhood Unpopularity May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood

Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Social Science / By

Figure 1: Childhood experiences are widely considered to affect adult life. A new study revealed that low childhood peer status may have dire health consequences: heightened risk of adult cardiovascular disease. Source: Wikimedia Commons A recent prospective cohort study from Stockholm, Sweden indicates that social marginalization in late childhood may result in a heightened likelihood …

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Contradicting the Disparity Between Primate and Avian Brains

Contradicting the Disparity Between Primate and Avian Brains

Environment, Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: A Northwestern Crow near Whittier, Alaska. Corvids, along with parrots, have experimentally demonstrated cognition comparable to that of great apes—a family of primates including gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans (Olkowicz et al., 2016). When asked to name the smartest animal, most people would name an elephant, a dolphin, a primate, or – most likely …

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A New Method to Track Parkinson’s Disease

A New Method to Track Parkinson’s Disease

Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: 3D structure of alpha-synuclein protein. Mutations in alpha-synuclein that alter its structure have been linked to Parkinson’s disease. Source: Wikimedia Commons Parkinson’s disease affects around 1 million individuals in the US.¹ It is a neurodegenerative disease typically characterized by tremors, and it severely impacts motor functions including movement, speech, and balance.² Despite its …

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A sleeping child. When we sleep, we dream, but dreams are often influenced by the events of our daily lives.

Bad dreams? According to new studies, COVID-19 could be to blame

89 Comments / Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: A sleeping child. When we sleep, we dream, but dreams are often influenced by the events of our daily lives. Source: Wikimedia Commons For many, living through the COVID-19 pandemic is a waking nightmare. Tore Nielsen of the Université de Montréal believes that the coronavirus may contribute to actual nightmares, citing growing worldwide …

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This figure shows several of the different effects of stress on different organs, muscles, and body systems.

The Effects of Friends and Family on Daily Stress

Medicine, Neuroscience, Social Science / By

Figure 1: This figure shows several of the different effects of stress on different organs, muscles, and body systems. Source: Wikimedia Commons The topic of family as a source of stress for adults has long been studied by researchers. Though family can be a motivator and a source of happiness, there is also significant evidence …

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The Critical Role of Sleep in Determining Reaction to Daily Life

The Critical Role of Sleep in Determining Reaction to Daily Life

Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Source: Pixabay Sleep plays an extremely important role in physical and mental health. In terms of physical health, the body repairs its heart and blood vessels during sleep. Healthy sleeping patterns allow your body to maintain proper levels of ghrelin and leptin, both hormones that the body uses to control hunger and satiety. For children …

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Epigenetics: How DNA Gives Birth to Life

Epigenetics: How DNA Gives Birth to Life

Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: Researchers at the Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin have formulated a new method of studying epigenetic factors during the gastrulation period in mice. The gastrulation period, shown in the above image, is an early stage of development in which the body axes and germ layers form. Before gastrulation, which typically occurs …

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Alleviating Vaccine Hesitancy: The Path to a Safer Future

Alleviating Vaccine Hesitancy: The Path to a Safer Future

Medicine, Neuroscience, Social Science / By

The human mind is constantly working on the fly, adapting to situations, and processing new information while considering the old. When posed with opposing courses of action, the best we can do is weigh our options in an attempt to mitigate risk and maximize reward by using what is presented to us along with our …

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Brain Scans

Recent Study Conducted by Duke University Researchers Reveals Critical Limitation of fMRI Measurements

Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: fMRI is used to display differences in basal ganglia activation between individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and control subjects—precisely the type of analysis that will be more difficult to accurately perform in light of newfound limitations to fMRI reliability. 1 The term “fMRI” has over two hundred thousand mentions in PubMed. From surgical …

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