Category Archives: Brain anatomy and imaging

Abnormalities found in the brain of psychopaths

Impulsive, anti-social, lack of empathy and remorse, or eccentric personality; all these characteristics could describe someone who suffers from psychopathy. This mental disease is underlined by brain impairments and it seems that a recent research is helping to understand this disorder. Brains of psychopaths seem to show differences in their structure and function compared to [...]

9 Differences Between the Male and Female Brain

Most people are intrigued by the thought processes of the opposite sex. Despite rumors to the contrary, men and women are from the same planet. However, there are many differences between the brains of men and women. I have listed nine of them below. There is bound to be some respectful discourse about this topic, [...]

More Brain Facts

You may find this primer about brain development and functioning, created by the Society of Neuroscience quite interesting. They are a nonprofit  organization of scientists and physicians who study the brain and nervous system and whose mission it to research and educate. The primer is called Brain Facts. It’s written with a non-medical audience in [...]

How Does the Brain Work?

The Alzheimer’s Association has done a very nice job of offering a wonderful Interactive Tour of the Brain…….. in 13 languages. Check it out.

Is Your Brain Happy?

As we know, different parts of the brain are involved in different functions. Just as there are parts of the brain involved in depression, there are parts responsible for positive emotion. Further, mounting research suggests that the adult brain is changeable, or “plastic” as opposed to becoming fixed in adolescence. What this means is that [...]

Exercise to get new neurons!

It is now well known that, for rodents, physical exercise is beneficial for brain health. Indeed, mice allowed to freely run on an exercise wheel grow more new neurons that mice not allowed to move freely. Importantly, these new neurons grow in an area crucial for memory formation: the hippocampus. Neurogenesis (the birth and development [...]

Adult brains can change!

Young brains are plastic. This means that they can change and reorganize to adapt to deficits. Is it the case for older brains as well? Recent research suggests that the answer is yes! Dilks, from John Hopkins University, and his colleagues, studied the brain of a stroke patient (B.L.). Behavioral and brain imaging evidence showed [...]

Why Emotion Boosts Memory

Have you ever wondered why you remember so vividly that argument you had with your boss 3 months ago or the first time you kissed your husband or wife? If yes, you may have thought that your memory for these events was vivid because they occurred when you were experiencing a strong emotion: anger or [...]

Another Study confirms the Importance of Brain Training

Brain Activity Reduces risk of Developing Neurodegenerative Diseases A new study now confirms our beliefs: Train your brain on a regular basis and you should be able to considerably reduce risks to develop Alzheimer’s disease. In Chicago, a major 5 year project that studied over 700 patients aged 80 and over has just come to [...]

Some cocoa may improve brain blood flow

The right kind of cocoa might be great for your brain. “This raises the prospect of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased blood flow in the brain, and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health”. Read all about the benefits of cocoa here