Cerebrum : the Dana forum on brain science最新文献

Many questions loom over transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive form of neurostimulation in which constant, low current is delivered directly to areas of the brain using small electrodes. It was first established in neuroscience research in the 1950s and 60s, but has seen rapid growth, particularly in the last five years. Originally developed to help patients with brain injuries such as strokes, tDCS is now also used to enhance language and mathematical ability, attention span, problem solving, memory, coordination, and even gaming skills. The authors examine its potential and pitfalls.

Every whiff you take not only brings a cloud of chemicals swirling up your nose, but matters to your experience of taste as well as smell. Scientists studying smell have not only provided compelling evidence that it's more sophisticated than previously thought, but believe that the sense of smell impacts our mood and behavior and has the potential to detect and treat some neurological disorders. Compared to other senses, smell has long been underappreciated, writes our author, but that is now beginning to change.

The book reflects Fins' role as co-director of the Consortium for the Advanced Study of Brain Injury at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Rockefeller University and his struggle to answer the kinds of questions that stand to shape how society treats people with brain injuries. What is the capacity of brains to recover? What are the mechanisms of that recovery? How do we know that our assessments are accurately describing what's going on in a patient's mind? And what does society morally owe these patients and families?

From our earliest days, the brain rapidly develops thinking, mobility, and communication skills. But not quite as quick to develop are the parts of the brain that regulate and process our emotions. New research is helping scientists learn about areas that are crucial to emotional development, and how our surroundings fit into the picture. The findings could have far-reaching implications for both parents and policy-makers.

While drug development has done little to slow the devastating symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), there is some good news in the fact that scientists have identified some 100 related genes and believe that genetic research offers the best hope for treatments. More good news came on the heels of the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised $220 million globally and has fueled renewed optimism and energy in the ALS community.

The role of sleep has long baffled scientists, but the latest research is providing new indicators about what it does for both the brain and body. While scientists believe that sleep re-energizes the body's cells, clears waste from the brain, and supports learning and memory, much still needs to be learned about the part it plays in regulating mood, appetite and libido. Source/Shutterstock.

Reductive art is a term to describe an artistic style or an aesthetic, rather than an art movement. It is stripping down as a new way of seeing. Movements and other terms that are sometimes associated with reductive art include abstract art, minimalism, ABC art, anti-illusionism, cool art, and rejective art. Eric Kandel's fifth book focuses on reductionism as the principle guiding an ongoing dialogue between the worlds of science and art.

The gut-brain axis is one of the new frontiers of neuroscience. Microbiota (the collective bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract), sometimes referred to as the "second genome" or the "second brain," may influence our health in ways that scientists are just now beginning to understand. Scientists now believe that the microbiota and all that it involves may be a way to treat any number of disorders, including Parkinson's disease and depression.

Much is yet to be discovered about the precise biological changes that cause Alzheimer's, disease, why it progresses more quickly in some than in others, and how the disease can be prevented, slowed, or stopped. And while researchers continue to search for the magic pill that can prevent or halt the spread of amyloid in the brain, our authors believe that changing or modifying one's lifestyle and attitude can make a difference in both prevention and treatment.

Just as online shopping is supplanting visits to the mall, and distance learning is part of the new wave in higher education, so is health care coming to a computer or mobile device near you. In the next few years, telehealth will increasingly become part of psychiatric and neurological care. Still to overcome is an unwieldy health care system that will need to adapt to practices that have the potential to lower costs and improve care.