The Brain In A Bucket
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In one of the first studies of its kind, UCLA researchers used a unique brain scan to assess the levels of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles — the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease — in adults with Down syndrome. Published in the June edition of the Archives of Neurology, the finding may offer an additional clinical tool to help diagnose dementia in adults with Down syndrome, which is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a complete or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.
The healthy brain has balance of excitatory and inhibitory signals that stimulate activity but also keep it under control. Some brain diseases, like autism and Down’s syndrome, have too much inhibition, which impairs cognitive functions. Reducing inhibition appears to improve cognition, and it can restore juvenile plasticity in the adult brain, making it more adaptable. Scientists want to recapture this plasticity to enhance recovery from stroke or brain injury and to treat people suffering from developmental or degenerative brain disorders. Now, a new MIT study using a common antidepressant that coincidentally reduces neural inhibition shows how this “disinhibition” works in ways that might be used therapeutically.
The Scientist Research News Update for early December brings about fairly complex research articles with cancer, HIV/AIDS, immunology, and genetic themes. Plus, read up on research that details how scientists revisit an older theory that advocates a role for the immune system in cancer detection and elimination, genetic mutations identified in bacteria occur in a [...]
Roulette William Smith, Ph.D. details a potentially ground breaking theory that purports to unravel the mystery surrounding the underlying causative factors of autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and a host of other mental and physical illnesses in his paper entitled, “Inferring an Autovirulent Epigenetic Etiology for the Autism Spectrum and Schizophrenia*.” Dr. Smith’s theory originated from insights gleamed from three co-cited research articles (discussed in the manuscript) combined with a synthesis of other relevant research using logistic reasoning and logistic intelligence.
