Neuroscience

An exploratory study in cell cultures and mice finds that in their rodents high-fat diets throughout pregnancy (rich in polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids) impacted fetal brain development.  Don’t be alarmed, mice are not little people so a mouse study can only ever disqualify an effect, it can never show one in humans. Mice studies (and epidemiology) are termed "exploratory" because they can only suggest a link and will need relevant study before they can relate to humans, regardless what Huffington Post or Guardian may forget to note in their articles. What is intriguing is that these…

The cutting-edge method of growing clusters of cells that organize themselves into mini versions of human brains in the lab is gathering more and more attention. These “brain organoids”, made from stem cells, offer unparalleled insights into the human brain, which is notoriously difficult to study. But some researchers are worried that a form of consciousness might arise in such mini-brains, which are sometimes transplanted into animals. They could at least be sentient to the extent of experiencing pain and suffering from being trapped. If this is true – and before we consider how likely it…

At our English boarding school in the 1990s, my friends and I would spend hours immersed in roleplaying games. Our favourite was Vampire: The Masquerade, and I can well remember experiencing a kind of psychological hangover after spending an afternoon in the character of a ruthless undead villain. It took a while to shake off the fantasy persona, during which time I had to make a conscious effort to keep my manners and morals in check, so as not to get myself into some real world trouble. If a little fantasy roleplaying can lead to a morphing of one’s sense of self, then what must it be like…

Though the $35 billion supplement industry claims to be superior to vaccines and other medicine, the unknown constituents of shady health products could be causing cognitive defects, finds a new study. Turmeric, a commonly used spice sometimes even injected by Americans who don't understand medicine, is sometimes adulterated with a lead-laced chemical compound in Bangladesh, one of the world's predominant turmeric-growing regions. Long banned from food products, lead is a potent neurotoxin considered to have no known safe level - which does not mean that any trace of it in parts per billion…

Beta blockers are drugs primarily for treating high blood pressure and arrhythmias. They work blocking a hormone known as epinephrine, better known as adrenaline - the same hormone that floods our bodies during times of anxiety and stress. That’s why beta blockers are becoming popular off-label for anxiety. Anxiety is not what it used to be. You are not worried about being eaten by a tiger or sacked by Mongol hordes, you are maybe unhappy in your marriage or don't feel appreciated at work. Pills to the rescue, if you are in a wealthy country like America. So some doctors are recommending them…

During puberty, male and female brains clearly become more distinct, with boys showing an increase in connectivity in certain brain areas previously identified as conferring risk for mood problems in adolescents, and girls showing a decrease in connectivity as puberty progresses.  The researchers analyzed brain scans of 147 girls and 157 boys, aged between 13 and 15, from centers in Dublin, London, Dresden, Mannheim, and Paris.They were at varying puberty stages, from having not started their puberty to being fully mature. The researchers took images of the brain activity while the…

Claims that meat production are causing undue stress on the environment are highly exaggerated, as are the benefits of plant-based diets. Instead of being ground in evidence, the plant-based and vegan diet fads could worsen an already low intake of an essential nutrient involved in brain health. And governments which spend time creating panic about salt and sugar fail to monitor dietary levels of this vital nutrient--choline--found predominantly in meat and eggs. Choline is an essential dietary nutrient, but the amount produced by the liver is not enough to meet the requirements of the human…

If you never care about Haiti until a hurricane hits, are you really altruistic or did you instead imagine how others will perceive your actions? Can altruism even exist or does it all come down to social exchange? When people see someone in distress, neural pathways in the brain create facets of imagination that allow people to see the episode as it unfolds, finds a recent paper. That "episodic simulation", essentially the ability of individuals to re-organize memories from the past into a newly-imagined event simulated in the mindmay help them envision how to aid those in need. It…

A recent paper claims the ketogenic diet (basically the Atkins diet, except you can't sell new diet books using old names) will help with migraines. Other more dangerous claims are that it will help with schizophrenia and epilepsy. The reality is that if the ketogenic diet could do any of those things, meal plans would be in double-blind clinical trials right now. Those diseases are a trillion dollar market.  Instead, they are in a hand-picked pilot study of 18 people who tried a modified Atkins diet (ketogenic) for a month and said they had fewer migraines with a three-day longer period…

Aromatherapy, essential oils, and such, have no medical benefit in humans, but they do work against some pests, if you don't want to use something better. The process is simple enough for simpler creatures; insects are attracted to some smells and repelled by others. So use the repellent on plants you want to keep.  Like garlic on broccoli. A recent paper on how the similarity of plant odors and phylogenetic relatedness can predict insect repellency applied this conceptual framework to swede midge, a tiny fly that is becoming a major problem for Northeastern growers of broccoli,…