The next time you set a trap for that rat running around in your basement, here’s something to consider: you are going up against an opponent whose ability to assess the situation and make decisions is statistically just as good as yours.
neuroscience
New way to image bleeding in arteries of the brain
New research from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute shows that by using a CT scan (computerized tomography), doctors can predict which patients are at risk of continued bleeding in the brain after a stroke. This vital information will allow doctors to utilize the most powerful blood clotting medications for those with the highest risk.
Deafening affects vocal nerve cells within hours
Portions of a songbird’s brain that control how it sings have been shown to decay within 24 hours of the animal losing its hearing.
Removing molecule speeds relief from depression
Getting rid of a protein increases the birth of new nerve cells and shortens the time it takes for antidepressants to take effect, according to an animal study in the March 7 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The protein, neurofibromin 1, normally helps prevent uncontrolled cell growth. The findings suggest therapeutic strategies aimed at stimulating new nerve cell birth may help treat depression better than current antidepressants that commonly take several weeks to reach full efficacy.
Irreversible catastrophic brain hemorrhage after minor injury in a patient on dabigatran
Clinicians from the University of Utah report the death of a patient who received a mild brain injury from a ground-level fall while taking the new anticoagulant dabigatran etexilate for non–valve related atrial fibrillation. The authors describe the events that led from a mild traumatic brain injury to the man’s death, the largely irreversible dangers of massive hemorrhage from direct thrombin inhibitors such as dabigatran, and the few management options that can be used to counteract this “uncontrollable” bleeding.