Cognitive | Page 33 of 47 | SpiritIndia.com

Imaging :: Imaging pinpoints brain regions that ‘see the future’

Using brain imaging, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have identified several brain regions that are involved in the uniquely human ability to envision future events. The study, to be published in the journal PNAS, provides evidence that memory and future thought are highly interrelated and helps explain why future thought may be impossible without memories. Findings suggest that envisioning the future may be a critical prerequisite for many higher-level planning processes.

Stress :: Patients with PTSD experience less pain sensitivity

Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder show reduced pain sensitivity, a pattern that may be related to altered pain processing in the brain, according to a report in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Brain :: High-normal uric acid linked with mild cognitive impairment in the elderly

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins and Yale university medical schools have found that a simple blood test to measure uric acid, a measure of kidney function, might reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems in old age. Of 96 community-dwelling adults aged 60 to 92 years, those with uric-acid levels at the high end of the normal range had the lowest scores on tests of mental processing speed, verbal memory and working memory.

Down Syndrome :: Down syndrome screening test for younger pregnant women

All pregnant women should be offered screening for Down syndrome in their first trimester, according to new practice guidelines to be issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This is applicable to younger pregnant women regardless of their age.

Gene :: Longevity gene also preserves ability to think clearly

A gene variant linked to living a very long life–to 90 and beyond–also serves to help very old people think clearly and retain their memories, according to new research by scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Their findings are published in the December 26, 2006 issue of Neurology.

Back Pain :: Psychological treatments improve back pain

Psychological interventions for chronic low back pain are effective, a new review of studies has found. Not only do these approaches improve psychological outcomes such as depression and health-related quality of life, they also reduce patients’ experience of pain.

Brain :: Neurons targeted by dementing illness may have evolved for complex social cognition

A new study examined brain tissue acquired at autopsy and found that VENs were devastated in FTD. Von Economo neurons (VENs) are uniquely shaped brain cells that seem to have evolved in a select group of socially complex species: great apes, humans, and, as reported last month, whales.

Dementia :: Physicians enlisted in efforts to keep demented drivers off the road

The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road who may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments linked to aging. Researchers at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have developed a three-hour workshop that trains health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia and to encourage appropriate retirement from driving.

Brain :: Brain helps you become a wine expert

You don’t need to sign up for pricey wine appreciation classes to parse the subtle difference between the black cherry bouquet of a pinot noir and the black currant scent of a cabernet sauvignon. Just pour yourself a couple glasses and sniff. Your brain will quickly help you become a modest oenophile. It’s up to you if you want to drink the lesson plan.

Alzheimer’s Disease :: New brain imaging compound shows promise for earlier detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

A new imaging molecule that can detect and map plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease could eventually lead to earlier diagnosis of the devastating disease, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles report in the Dec. 21, 2006, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.