Psychedelic Promotes Neuroconnections in Mental Illness
Razi Berry The psychedelic drug psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in some mushrooms, has been studied as a potential treatment for depression for years. But exactly how it works in the brain and how long beneficial results might last is still unclear. In a new study, Yale researchers show that a single dose of […]
Sleep is Crucial to Memory
Razi Berry When you slip into sleep, it’s easy to imagine that your brain shuts down, but University of Michigan research suggests that groups of neurons activated during prior learning keep humming, tattooing memories into your brain. U-M researchers have been studying how memories associated with a specific sensory event are formed and stored in […]
REM Sleep Important in Retaining Memories
Razi Berry The presence of dreaming during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep indicates that memory formation may occur during this sleep stage. But now, researchers from Japan have found that activity in a specific group of neurons is necessary for memory consolidation during REM sleep. Researchers from Japan found that activity in a specific group of neurons […]
Breathing is Less Rhythmical in the Brain Than You May Think
Razi Berry Breathing propels everything we do — so its rhythm must be carefully organized by our brain cells, right? Wrong. Every breath we take arises from a disorderly group of neurons — each like a soloist belting out its song before uniting as a chorus to harmonize on a brand-new melody. Or, in this […]
Memory Improved with High-Intensity Exercise in Older Adults
Razi Berry Researchers at McMaster University who examine the impact of exercise on the brain have found that high-intensity workouts improve memory in older adults. The study has widespread implications for treating dementia The study, published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, has widespread implications for treating dementia, a catastrophic disease that affects […]
Can a little bit of exercise make you smarter?
Razi Berry Most people know that regular exercise is good for your health. New research shows it may make you smarter, too. Exercise is cheap and ubiquitous with smart results Neuroscientists at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, working with mice, have discovered that a short burst of exercise directly boosts the function of a gene that […]
Mysterious Group of Neurons Responsible for Mood Develop During Teen Years
Razi Berry Researchers have discovered a mysterious group of neurons in the amygdala — a key center for emotional processing in the brain — that stay in an immature, prenatal developmental state throughout childhood. Most of these cells mature rapidly during adolescence, suggesting a key role in the brain’s emotional development, but some stay immature […]
Contents of Processed Foods could Be Affecting Fetus’ Developing Brain
Razi Berry With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women consume and the effects on a fetus’ developing brain. […]
Research confirms gut-brain connection in autism
Razi Berry People with autism often suffer from gut problems, but nobody has known why. Researchers have now discovered the same gene mutations – found both in the brain and the gut – could be the cause. Researchers found that people with autism often suffer from gut problems The discovery confirms a gut-brain nervous system […]
Childhood Trauma, Stress, and Fibromyalgia: Is There a Connection?
David M. Brady, ND, DC, CCN, DACBN, IFMCP, FACN Traumatic experiences and stressors in childhood have historically been overlooked as predisposing factors in the development of various chronic pain disorders and psychiatric conditions, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, the tide is turning as research […]