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A new study suggests that high-intensity training (HIT), compared to conventional training, may improve walking ability in patients with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). Possible secondary benefits may include improved aerobic capacity/efficiency and cognition. T. George Hornby, PT, Ph.D. and co-authors, evaluated the effects of HIT focused on stepping practice versus conventional training on walking in individuals with chronic TBI. HIT focused on maximizing stepping practice while trying to achieve higher cardiovascular intensities. The investigators observed greater increases in 6-minute walk test and peak treadmill speed during exercise testing following HIT vs. conventional training. "The present and previous results suggest...

You are not your brain, and brain death does not equal death. Protect yourself from a false “brain death” diagnosis by refusing to be a registered organ donor. But this is not enough. The 2006 update to the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) now mandates that if a person has no documented refusal to donate (and the family cannot be contacted) the coroner, medical examiner, or hospital administrator can donate your body or organs on your behalf. By documenting your refusal to donate in your advanced directive and electronic medical record and by carrying a “refusal to donate” wallet card,...

The foods we eat can go a long way in boosting our moods. Here are our favorite snacks for happiness, according to science. Achieving happiness is top of mind for many people, and we'll try just about anything to get it. Whether it's therapy, exercise or meditation, we all want to bring more peace and joy into our lives. When we think about what makes us happy, our diet isn't usually at the top of the list (unless your favorite fast-food joint brings joy to mind). The foods we eat actually play a major role in how we feel. Studies...

Yesterday the Expose published an article which highlighted just a few of the various diseases that were found to be potentially caused by parasites, including cancers. A recent review of nine published research papers by Doctor William Makis further supports the views in the article, but Dr Makis is more qualified to say “it is a reasonable hypothesis that COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Turbo Cancer patients could benefit significantly from anti-parasitic drugs.” One anti parasitic drug in particular, Fenbendazole, however, has not been sanctioned for human use by the FDA, but despite lacking “official” approval, it is cheap, safe and more...

For military veterans, many of the deepest wounds of war are invisible: Traumatic brain injuries resulting from head trauma or blast explosions. Now, researchers have discovered that the plant-based psychoactive drug ibogaine, when combined with magnesium to protect the heart, safely and effectively reduces PTSD, anxiety and depression and improves functioning in veterans with TBI. Ibogaine is found in the roots of the African shrub iboga. Since 1970, ibogaine has been designated as a Schedule I drug, preventing its use within the U.S. Before the treatment, researchers gauged the participants' levels of PTSD. Participants then traveled to a clinic in...

When they inactivated one specific region, the monkeys stopped making risky choices. No other areas had a similar effect, even areas that have been shown to play a role in monkey decision-making. The region researchers identified is part of the Brodmann area in the monkey frontal lobe, which has dozens of smaller parts that are associated with all sorts of brain activities including speech, hearing, and movement. Specifically, it was Brodmann area 6, which is involved in planning complex and coordinated movement. In people, the frontal lobe is involved in personality, planning, organizing, and goal-oriented behavior.

What does Paul mean by belly here? The stomach or appetite, as some translations read, represents our instinctual and base-level desires, our hungers, cravings, and lusts. For the ancients, the belly was the most animalistic part of all humans, and we tend to agree with them, even is subconsciously. After all, how often do you have a gut-feeling about something? Do you ever question whether or not you should just go with your gut? Have you ever felt the fluttering in your gut while in the throes of infatuation? Our gut is our primal nature, working beyond the confines of...

Scientists have identified a new mechanism that regulates a protein key for cell survival. It appears to protect against the excessive oxidative stress that precedes the development of neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and eye. "This discovery goes beyond the commonly studied transcriptional modulation, suggesting its impact on protection against oxidative stress-related diseases and extension of lifespan," notes Dr. Bazan. "We found that Elovanoid-34 modulates the activity of the protein, TXNRD1, which is central to the initiation cascade of oxidative stress." Elovanoid-34 is part of a class of molecules in the brain that synchronize cell-to-cell communication and neuroinflammation-immune activity in...

Clusters of lab-raised brain cells connected to a computer are capable of elementary speech recognition and math problems. Feng Guo, a bioengineer in the Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering at Indiana University, Bloomington, said his study is a major step in demonstrating how brain-inspired computer neural networks can advance artificial intelligence capabilities. Guo and his team grew bundles of specialized stem cells that developed into neurons, the main component of the brain. A typical brain consists of 86 billion neurons, each neuron connected to as many as 10,000 other neurons. The ball of neurons, known as an organoid, created in...

University of Queensland researchers have found a way to reverse a cellular process triggered by COVID-19 that contributes to premature aging of the brain. Dr. Julio Aguado and a team used synthetic brain organoid models, grown in a laboratory from human stem cells, to study the effect of different SARS-COV-2 variants on brain tissue. "We found COVID-19 accelerates the presence of 'zombie' or senescent cells, which accumulate naturally and gradually in the brain as we get older," Dr. Aguado said. "Senescent cells are known to drive tissue inflammation and degeneration, leaving patients exposed to cognitive impairments like brain fog and...

He couldn’t get chopsticks out of his head — and we’re not talking about the piano tune. A man in Vietnam who had experienced severe headaches for five months was flabbergasted after discovering that he had a pair of chopsticks lodged in his skull. The unnamed 35-year-old patient had reported to the Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi on November 25th after suffering from the aforementioned headaches as well as fluid discharge and fluid loss, The Metro reported. There, doctors conducted CT scans, which revealed that the man was suffering from tension pneumocephalus, a rare but potentially life-threatening neurological condition...

New research has found that daily strawberry consumption could help reduce the risk of dementia for certain middle-aged populations. "Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements," said Krikorian. "There is epidemiological data suggesting that people who consume strawberries or blueberries regularly have a slower rate of cognitive decline with aging." Krikorian said strawberries contain additional micronutrients called ellagitannins and ellagic acid that have been associated with health benefits. About 50% of individuals in the U.S. develop insulin resistance, commonly referred to as...

Scientists have discovered a surprising connection between brain cells involved in producing the insulation around nerve fibers, our sleep patterns, and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The cells studied are a type of glial cell known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). These cells can mature into oligodendrocytes, which are responsible for making myelin—the insulation that ensheaths nerve fibers throughout the brain and speeds neuronal signaling. But before OPCs turn into oligodendrocytes, they have other duties. Gibson revealed that another unexpected role of OPCs may involve sleep. As a circadian biologist, Gibson is familiar with the effects that our...

A little pill called Captagon turns Jihadists into superhuman soldiers. They dont feel pain, they dont fear death and they dont get tired. They become killing machines. Bonus; it makes them murderously psychotic and causes brain damage after prolonged use. It is cheap, easy to produce and highly addictive. The Syrians take it as do the rebels. And from what I hear, ISIS loves the stuff. They laugh when they are beaten, they are high when they rape, they are jazzed when they behead infidels. During the raid in Paris, French police said they found needles used by the attackers...

Scientists have discovered widespread differences in metal levels in the brains of patients with Huntington's disease, a type of dementia. The elements, including selenium (a metalloid), sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, were studied in 11 parts of the brain. In particular, the scientists found substantial decreases in selenium levels in all 11 regions of the HD brains, calculating there was a high risk of having the disease when levels are low. Increased sodium and potassium ratios were observed in every region except the substantia nigra, and many of the regions showed increased calcium and/or zinc levels....

The microstructure of white matter – the fatty network of neuronal fibers that transfer information between regions of gray matter – has been found to change with hormonal shifts, including puberty, oral contraception use, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and post-menopausal estrogen therapy. To address the menstruation gap in our understanding, the team took MRI scans of their subjects during three menstrual phases: menses, ovulation, and mid-luteal. At the time of each of these scans, the researchers also measured the participants' hormone levels. The results showed that, as hormones fluctuate, gray and white matter volumes change too, as does the volume of...

A New York City social justice activist was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend as the pair made their way home from a wedding in Long Island on Monday. The shocking video shows a deranged man appearing on the street as he followed the pair before slaughtering the activist and fleeing the scene. The disturbing surveillance footage has provided police with a clear image of the suspect, who remains at large. (WARNING: The following footage some may find upsetting) VIDEO AT LINK............ As the New York Daily News reported, “The footage shows Ryan Carson, 32, and his girlfriend...

A new review highlights the significant role of dietary lipids in preventing brain aging and cognitive decline. As the global burden of aging-related brain diseases, particularly dementia, continues to rise, this research offers promising insights into potential nutritional interventions that could improve brain function during aging. The review focuses on the intricate relationship between lipid homeostasis and brain aging, emphasizing the importance of maintaining synaptic plasticity to prevent cognitive impairment. By examining evidence from epidemiological and animal studies, the research team demonstrates the crucial functions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and plasmalogen, in promoting...

A letter, signed by 124 scholars and posted online last week1, has caused an uproar in the consciousness research community. It claims that a prominent theory describing what makes someone or something conscious — called the integrated information theory (IIT) — should be labelled “pseudoscience”. Since its publication on 15 September in the preprint repository PsyArXiv, the letter has some researchers arguing over the label and others worried it will increase polarization in a field that has grappled with issues of credibility in the past. “I think it’s inflammatory to describe IIT as pseudoscience,” says neuroscientist Anil Seth, director of...

For many people, the mind and brain are interchangeable. They use one word or the other to talk about the same thing: the organ in our skull that we use to think. However, the mind and brain are actually two very different, but interconnected, entities. As a neuroscientist, this reality is the foundation of my life's research and work: The mind works through the brain but is separate from the brain. What is the difference between the mind and the brain? So what exactly is the difference between the mind and the brain? Well, the mind is separate, yet inseparable...