Acupuncture may help those who are suffering from the early stages of dementia, a new study suggests. This stage, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is somewhere between that of memory loss due to normal aging and memory loss due to dementia. This new study is one of the first that looks at the combination of Western and Eastern medicine, suggesting that acupuncture may work best if they are used in concert with one another.
Gene-testing company 23andMe, known for giving customers insight into their heritage, has made a major breakthrough in the study of depression. With data linked to 450,000 volunteers, they have pinpointed 15 regions of the human genome that link to a risk of the mental health issue. [1]
The study was done in conjunction with the drug company Pfizer, which allowed them to access one of the largest pools of participants in a genetic study. Getting this number of people to participate is often extremely difficult, especially when factoring in travel and other efforts and costs.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge are warning that being overweight in middle age may age your brain by 10 years. [1]
Doctors may one day be able to test people for Alzheimer’s disease by testing their ability to identify familiar scents, like smoke, coffee, and raspberry.
In 2 studies released at an international Alzheimer’s meeting July 26, people who were in their 60s and older took a standard odor test. In both cases, individuals who did poorly on the tests were more likely to already have or go on to develop memory and thinking problems.
Beginning a new semester or school year at high school or a university may be exciting, or it may be filled with stress, which is likely to increase as assessments pile up. Fortunately, there are natural remedies that can help with learning ability, and a new study shows that cinnamon may be one of them.
A gene which may be related to Alzheimer’s disease can show itself as early as preschool, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology.
Up until now, scientists have been focusing on the proteins that build up in the brain as a way to try and treat Alzheimer’s, yet thus far, developing drugs for this has not been very promising. As such, researchers are pointing to a new theory which states that Alzheimer’s is actually a developmental disorder that may begin as early as childhood, progressing as the person ages.
A new study finds that ducks can actually think in an abstract manner at less than 24 hours old. It seems that they can learn objects, the differences between objects, imprint on them, and their relationships to one another.
In the past, researchers thought that animals, especially ducks, could only grasp these concepts after a significant amount of training. However, this new study has blown that completely out of the water, showing that even newly-hatched ducklings can tell the difference between objects and their relationships to one another within 30 minutes.
Northwestern Medicine in conjunction with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently reported that women who had survived breast cancer and exercised regularly reported fewer memory problems than those who didn’t exercise. Memory problems are a common issue amongst breast cancer survivors, however it was found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity could help curtail some of the cognition problems.
New research, which is to be presented at the 50th International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology in Edinburgh, Scotland, is promised to help people better understand the inner workings of animals. From livestock to household pets, experts are working to better understand the behavior of animals so that they can better serve them and care for them.
On June 19, 18-year-old Ohioan Lauren Seitz went whitewater rafting with her church youth group. After her boat capsized, she found herself underwater, where a brain-eating amoeba made its way up her nose. This organism ultimately killed Seitz by inducing a form of meningitis. Originally, the facility where she contracted the amoeba did not plan to shut its doors until they had done further investigating, but now the U.S.
