Running Makes the Brain Run Faster

Brain rhythm associated with learning also linked to running speed, study shows

ScienceDaily (2011-06-27) -- Rhythms in the brain that are associated with learning become stronger as the body moves faster, neurophysicists report in a new study. The research team used specialized microelectrodes to monitor an electrical signal known as the gamma rhythm in the brains of mice. This signal is typically produced in a brain region called the hippocampus, which is critical for learning and memory, during periods of concentration and learning. ... > read full article

The Significant Effects of Practice on the Brain

A little practice can change the brain in a lasting way, study finds

ScienceDaily (2011-06-28) -- A little practice goes a long way, according to researchers who have found the effects of practice on the brain have remarkable staying power. The study found that when participants were shown visual patterns--faces, which are highly familiar objects, and abstract patterns, which are much less frequently encountered -- they were able to retain very specific information about those patterns one to two years later. ... > read full article

Yet Another Reason I Love Coffee...Alzheimer's Prevention!

Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease, study finds
ScienceDaily (2011-06-28) -- An unidentified coffee component combined with caffeine increases a growth factor that counters Alzheimer's pathology in mice, according to new research. ... read full article

Are Men More Risk Seeking Than Women? Maybe Not!

No gender difference in risk-taking behavior, study suggests

ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- New research shows that young Swedish women are more prone than men to perceive situations as risky. However, there are no gender differences in actual risk-taking behavior. ... > read full article

Smoking and Weight Gain

Discovery may pave way to quitting smoking without gaining weight

ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- Smokers tend to die young, but they tend to die thinner than non-smokers. A team of scientists has discovered exactly how nicotine suppresses appetite -- findings that suggest that it might be possible to develop a drug that would help smokers, and non-smokers, stay thin. ... > read full article

Red Does Wonders...For Your Reaction Time

Color red increases the speed and strength of reactions
ScienceDaily (2011-06-02) -- When humans see red, their reactions become both faster and more forceful. And people are unaware of the color's intensifying effect, according to a new study. ... > read'>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602122349.htm">read full article

Right Fusiform and Temporal Network Involved in IDing Faces

How the brain processes faces: Neural system responsible for face recognition discovered
ScienceDaily (2011-06-01) -- Until now, scientists believed that only a couple of brain areas mediate facial recognition. However scientists have discovered that an entire network of cortical areas work together to identify faces. These findings will change the future of neural visual perception research and allow scientists to use this discovery to develop targeted remedies for disorders such as face blindness. ... > read'>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531121319.htm">read full article