Separated Bangaldeshi twin Trishna wakes up after surgeryNovember 19th, 2009 LONDON - One of the Bangaldeshi twins separated in a 25-hour operation in Australia has awoken from an induced coma. Trishna and Krishna, who were rescued from an orphanage in Bangladesh two years ago and brought to Australia where they have been nursed back to health, were separated by a team of 16 surgeons, doctors and nurses at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
Hypnosis has 'real' effect on the brainNovember 16th, 2009 LONDON - Hypnosis has a "very real" effect on the brain that can be easily picked up via scans, according to Hull University researchers. In an imaging study of hypnotised participants, researchers showed decreased activity in the parts of the brain linked to daydreaming or letting the mind wander.
Head-mounted microscope allows better viewing of brain activityNovember 10th, 2009 LONDON - A small microscope mounted on an animal's head provides a better view of how the brain processes visual and other stimuli on the move. The device contains a laser, which can scan the activity of neurons through a tiny hole in the skull, made under anaesthetic prior to the experiment, reports New Scientists.
We sense our heartbeat with our skinNovember 5th, 2009 LONDON - There are two brain pathways involved in how we perceive our own thumping heart, claims a new University of Iowa study. Researchers have found that, in addition to a pathway involving the insular cortex of the brain-the target of most recent research on interoception-an additional pathway contributing to feeling the heartbeat exists.
Birth control pill stokes stroke risk among womenOctober 27th, 2009 NEW YORK - A 30-year-old woman's speech suddenly slurred, her left hand developed clumsiness while eating. She was experiencing the classic symptoms of a stroke at a relatively young age, which may have been triggered by the intake of birth control pills.
Surfing the net 'can help older adults slow dementia'October 18th, 2009 LONDON - You can stop your ageing grandparents from becoming forgetful by simply asking them to surf the net, for a new study has found that Googling can consistently stimulate brain to slow or even reverse the age-related declines that can end in dementia. Professor of neuroscience and human behaviour at University of California, Los Angeles, Gary Small, observed 24 men and women aged between 55 and 78 to reach the conclusion.
Green tea can slash cancer riskOctober 15th, 2009 LONDON - Five cups of green tea every day can cut the risk of developing certain blood cancers, say researchers. The much touted beverage, drunk in China, Japan and the Middle East, has been previously shown to have a host of benefits including staving off cancers, helping the heart, boosting the brain and lowering levels of "bad" cholesterol.
'Brain-to-brain communication' developedOctober 15th, 2009 LONDON - Reading minds would soon be possible, thanks to British scientists who have developed a system that creates "brain to brain communication."
The system, developed by a team at the University of Southampton, makes it possible to send messages formed by one person's brain signals through an internet connection to another person's brain many miles away. Christopher James said the experiments were "the first baby steps" towards technologies that would allow people instantly to send thoughts, words, and images directly into the minds of others, reports The Times.
German woman in vegetative state bears childOctober 9th, 2009 ERLANGEN - A German woman who is in a persistent vegetative state has given birth to a baby 22 weeks after suffering a heart attack that cut off the blood flow to her brain, doctors in Erlangen said Friday. The healthy baby was born several months ago, but it was not announced at the time to protect the family's privacy.
Brain waves have direct influence on behaviour, says studyOctober 5th, 2009 LONDON - Brain waves can have a direct influence on a person's behaviour, say researchers after an experiment found that people can be made to move in slow motion by boosting one type of brain wave. "At last we have some direct experimental proof that brain waves influence behaviour in humans, in this case how fast a movement is performed," said Peter Brown of University College London (UCL).
New method to turn blood-brain barrier into therapy delivery systemSeptember 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Researchers at University of Iowa have discovered a way to turn the blood brain barrier into a production and delivery system for getting therapeutic molecules directly into brain cells. Working with animal models of a group of fatal neurological disorders called lysosomal storage diseases, the researchers found that these diseases cause unique and disease-specific alterations to the blood vessels of the blood brain barrier.
Both sides of the brain required to understand idiomsSeptember 15th, 2009 LONDON - Researchers in Italy have discovered that both the left and the right hemisphere of the brain are used to understand idioms. Alice Proverbio from the University of Milano-Bicocca and colleagues used an electro-physiological analysis to investigate the role of the two cerebral hemispheres in idiom comprehension.
Brain training's efficacy in preventing dementia being tested in UKSeptember 7th, 2009 LONDON - British people would be put on test to see if brain-training can help to prevent diseases like Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Society and the BBC are running Brain Test Britain to assess whether mind-training-such as with hand-held computers-can really help ward off dementia.
Saturated fat in certain foods can spur Alzheimer'sSeptember 6th, 2009 SYDNEY - Certain foods high in saturated fat can increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, says a new study. Before now, there has been no dietary driven approach to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, said John Mamo, professor of metabolic fitness at Curtin University.
Playing Tetris could boost brain powerSeptember 2nd, 2009 LONDON - Playing Tetris may help increase brain efficiency, says a new research. Researchers from Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico, examined the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques.
