Stroke patients who were left partially paralysed found that their condition improved after they received a simple and non-invasive method of brain stimulation, according to research in the September issue of the European Journal of Neurology. The full-text article is available as a free download. Check the end of this report for a link. ...

Scientists have discovered the part of the brain that tracks the position of our limbs as we move through space. When a mosquito lands on your hand, you can rapidly and effortlessly make a movement of the other hand to brush it away, even in darkness. But performing this seemingly simple action involves a surprisingly complex coordination of different types of sensory information in order for your brain to ...

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) started to release podcasts (short audio recordings of interviews with researchers, professors, clinicians, etc.) on various mental health topics in April. Summaries of the most recently released podcasts will be posted from time-to-time. Today's summary includes four podcasts that discuss recent developments in Autism, depression, and Tourette's syndrome. ...

Some depressed patients who don't respond to or tolerate antidepressant medications may benefit from a non-invasive treatment that stimulates the brain with a pulsing electromagnet, a study suggests. This first industry-independent, multi-site, randomized, tightly controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) found that it produced significant antidepressant effects in a subgroup o ...

MIT neuroscientists have shown they can influence people’s moral judgments by disrupting a specific brain region - a finding that helps reveal how the brain constructs morality. To make moral judgments about other people, we often need to infer their intentions - an ability known as “theory of mind.” For example, if a hunter shoots his friend while on a hunting trip, we need to know what the hunter was thin ...

The next advance in treating major depression may relate to a group of brain chemicals that are involved in virtually all our brain activity, according to a study published today in Biological Psychiatry. The study is co-authored by Drs. Andrea J. Levinson and Zafiris J. Daskalakis of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). This study shows that compared to healthy individuals, people who have ma ...

The current investigation utilized magnetoencephalography to map cortical hubs in tinnitus. Tinnitus is defined as an auditory perception in the absence of any physically identifiable source. Almost everyone will experience some form of auditory phantom perceptions such as tinnitus at least once in their lifetime; in most of the cases this sensation vanishes within seconds or minutes. However, in 5 - 10% of ...

Brain stimulation therapies have received increased attention as of late. These treatments involve activating or touching the brain directly with electricity, magnets, or implants to treat depression and other disorders. One type of brain stimulation, Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES), was previously detailed in "What is CES?" Part 1 and Part 2. BMED Report even created an "Electromedicine" category ...

Dr. M. Barry Sterman, along with Dr. Sarah H. Lisanby, discuss neurofeedback and other brain imaging and treatment modalities during a live interview on WNYC.org public radio. The radio segment entitled, "Please Explain: Neurofeedback," is streamed online at no cost. Check the end of this report for a link to this interview. ...