Coloured lights could be used to find treatments for brain disorders such as epilepsy, a study has suggested.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology team discovered a way to shut down brain activity using flashes of yellow and blue lasers.
They hope to adjust this to switch off neurons that generate an electrical impulse abnormally, causing seizures.
This could help experts understand how the brain works and, ultimately, offer treatment targets, Nature reports. Read the rest of this entry »
A recent research led by Dr. Una McCann of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, has revealed that regular users of the popular recreational drug Ecstasy are exposing themselves to a risk of developing sleep apnea. The drug has also been linked to various cognitive problems by the study.
Characterized by pauses in breathing when sleeping, sleep apnea is one of the most common disorders and affects and estimated 15 million Americans. Read the rest of this entry »
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that intermittent access to foods rich in fat and sugar induces changes in the brain which are comparable to those observed in drug dependence. The findings, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may explain how abstinence from these foods contributes to relapse eating among dieters as well as related eating disorders.
Forms of obesity and eating disorders can be defined as chronic relapsing conditions with alternating periods of abstinence (dieting to avoid “forbidden” foods-rich in sugar and fat also known as palatable foods) and relapse (compulsive, often uncontrollable, eating of highly-palatable foods) that continue despite negative consequences. Read the rest of this entry »
One in 100 American children has autism, higher than previously thought, according to a new federal survey of parents, reported in this week’s Pediatrics. But parents of young children don’t need to see those numbers to know how terrifying the threat of the disorder can be. We don’t know what causes it, and there’s no good treatment. All the more reason we need to figure out now what’s causing autism and then develop treatments that really work. No one cares more than a parent about that; so why not involve them in that process? Read the rest of this entry »
The number of people suffering from the serious psychological condition, known as “orthorexia nervosa”, is growing, eating disorder charities say.The condition, which affects equal numbers of men and women, is described as a “fixation on righteous eating”.
Experts says sufferers with the obsession for healthy eating tend to be aged over 30, and were middle-class and well-educated. Read the rest of this entry »
