Tag Archives: brain
Science and religion reconciled by the Information concept
In general, evolution is the process by which complexity arises from relative simplicity, and science sees no need to start the process with complexity, which religious people translate as “God.” However, science is increasingly recognizing an abstract
The unappreciated role of the median eminence in energy balance regulation
Obesity results from a sustained imbalance between calorie intake and energy expenditure. It is associated with an increased risk of developing a variety of medical conditions that are widespread in Western countries, such as type 2 diabetes
Finding therapeutic way to eradicate tuberculosis of the brain
Tuberculosis is one of oldest infectious disease in the world. It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, where it infects primarily the lung. Millions of individuals are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Even though we are
Using stem cells to battle brain diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are conditions resulting from the malfunction and death of brain cells, known as “neurons”. As people are living longer, neurodegenerative diseases affect an increasing number of people and pose a major social and economic burden
The multiple faces of Alzheimer’s disease: it’s not only memory
When we think of Alzheimer’s, the first thing that comes to our mind is memory loss. Memory problems were, until recently, a core and mandatory criteria to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The word has spread through awareness programs
Human blood brain barriers malfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
While the ancient Greeks and Romans already associated old age with dementia, it was not until 1901 that the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer diagnosed the first case of Alzheimer’s disease in a fifty year old woman. Today,
Neurophysiology of self-boundarylessness and loving-kindness
For a long time, the topic of “Self” or “Me” was the exclusive domain of philosophy and only recently has it begun to attract the interest of brain researchers and neuroscientists. The accumulated evidence so far suggests
A novel perspective on schizophrenic-like symptoms
One of the key questions in neuroscience involves understanding how the brain processes cognitive functions – like learning new information, making adaptive decisions, and engaging in social interactions with others. We know that these activities occur across
Fear of anxiety and the brain response to threatening stimuli in panic disorder
Panic attacks are periods of very sudden intense fear, accompanied by bodily or cognitive symptoms (such as heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feelings of unreality) that can last from 10 minutes to hours and are
The nostalgic brain gives you the power to live
We are all familiar with feelings of nostalgia that we all experience often. Nostalgia reminds us of better times and helps us feel less lonely when we are facing adversities. It also helps us identify positive aspects
Epileptic rats as perfect models to understand epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects about 1% of the population in the world, most of them being children and teenagers. Animals suffering from epileptic seizures can also be found in several species (dogs, cats, chicken,
A small structure hidden in the brain that might play a big role in diseases like depression and autism
The choroid plexus is a hidden and often neglected, but important, structure in the brain. The choroid plexus hangs inside the brain ventricles which are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (Fig. 1). Importantly, the choroid plexus is
How does the brain coordinate movement?
Suppose you are sitting in a chair and decide to stand up and walk across the room to switch on the light. How does the brain work out what muscles to contract, by how much and in
A small RNA, microRNA-155, “micromanages” inflammation and renewal of neurons in the brain
The immune system is like a silent army, protecting the body from enemy viruses and bacteria. Inflammation is part of this response, acting to eliminate pathogens and initiate tissue repair. Most of the time, our immune systems
A relationship between Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis and motion sickness
Advances the understanding of this disease? Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine observed in 2 % of the adolescent population aged 10–16 years (Fig 1A). It is a serious medical condition, susceptible of
Chloroquine inhibits the malignant phenotype of glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, is characterized by excessive growth and infiltration of the normal brain which prevents the complete surgical resection. These tumors also are refractory to standard treatment strategies, which
Another beneficial role for insulin in the brain: keeping the brain immune responses in check
Brain disease is an umbrella term, which is used to describe a broad variety of diseases ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s disease to multiple sclerosis and everything in between. Brain diseases differ from each other at the
The walking brain
Walking is the most common locomotion strategy to move from one to another place. Normally, we do not think about our steps and we would consider walking as a natural and automatic behaviour. However, more challenging environmental
The quest for targeted therapy in fragile X syndrome
For many years we believed that most hereditary diseases were untreatable. However, hopes for a cure were raised following the discovery of genetic causes and better understanding of disease mechanisms. This elucidated new targets for therapy. The
