By applying electrical current to the brain, researchers reporting online on November 4 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have shown that they could enhance a person’s mathematical performance for up to 6 months without influencing their other cognitive functions. The findings may lead to treatments for the estimated 20 percent of the population […]
In a study to determine the durability and long-term effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), psychiatric researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found the non-invasive, non-drug therapy to be an effective, long-term treatment for major depression. Results of the study were published in the October 2010 issue of Brain Stimulation, a journal published by […]
Each time we perform a simple task, like pushing an elevator button or reaching for a cup of coffee, the brain races to decide whether the left or right hand will do the job. But the left hand is more likely to win if a certain region of the brain receives magnetic stimulation, according to […]
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 […]
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 of patients with […]
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 […]
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