Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes. This brain dysfunction is a known risk factor for dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. The research is published online in Nutritional Neuroscience.
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Optical Illusion experiment shows higher brain functions involved in pupil size control
(Medical Xpress) — We all know that our pupils contract when our eyes are exposed to increases in the brightness of light. The reason is to both protect the delicate inner workings of our eyes and to help provide for optimum viewing based on available light. But we also know that our pupils dilate, or become larger when we are aroused, regardless of the reason, which means that pupil size is not always just a reaction to lighting conditions. Now, new research by Bruno Laeng and Tor Endestad from the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo, shows that our pupils also react based on what we think we see sometimes, rather than what is actually there. In their paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the two show that pupil constriction occurs when viewing an optical illusion that at first makes us believe one image is brighter than another, when in reality, they are the same.
Mouse brains keyed to speed
(Medical Xpress) — Its hard to be a mouse. Youre a social animal, but your fellows are small and scattered. Youre a snack to a bestiary of fast, eagle-eyed predators, not least the eagle. Youre fast too, but your spatial vision is poor around 20/200. So whats a mouse to do?
Group settings can diminish expressions of intelligence, especially among women
In the classic film “12 Angry Men,” Henry Fonda’s character sways a jury with his quiet, persistent intelligence. But would he have succeeded if he had allowed himself to fall sway to the social dynamics of that jury?
Investigators achieve important step toward treating Huntington’s disease
A team of researchers at the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures has developed a technique for using stem cells to deliver therapy that specifically targets the genetic abnormality found in Huntington’s disease, a hereditary brain disorder that causes progressive uncontrolled movements, dementia and death. The findings, now available online in the journal Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, suggest a promising approach that might block the disease from advancing.