The Toxoplasma gondii parasite’s ability to hijack the mammalian brain is well documented, but in an intriguing twist, scientists say that the effects from infection may be permanent. The parasite is best known for making infected mice lose their fear of cats, which is good for both cats and the parasite, because the cat gets […]
MRI brain scans of marijuana users under the influence of either tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) show that one chemical increases psychotic symptoms while the other reduces them. THC and CBD are the two main psychoactive components in marijuana. “Different ingredients in marijuana appear to affect regions of the brain differently during brain processing functions […]
The weird world of quantum mechanics describes the strange and spooky, often contradictory, behavior of small objects such as individual atoms. Now, European scientists have described an experiment to test for quantum superposition states in much larger objects, composed of as many as one billion atoms. The German-Spanish research group, split between the Max Planck […]
Ever miss your daily cup of coffee and subsequently get a headache and feelings of fatigue? Now, thanks to researchers at the University of Vermont (UV) and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, we can better understand the biological mechanisms at work during caffeine withdrawal. Reporting in the journal Psychopharmacology, the researchers explain how they studied […]
Gamma rays may have turned mild-mannered Bruce Banner into the Hulk, but in the real-world radiation exposure tends to be more mundane – although no less dangerous. In high enough doses it causes death while chronic exposure is firmly linked to the development of cancer. But one maverick professor believes that short-term controlled exposure to […]
Although past studies have shown some correlation between exposure to media violence and real-life violent behavior, there has been little direct neuroscientific support for the theory until now. Researchers using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) at Columbia University Medical Center have shown that watching violent programs can cause parts of your brain that suppress aggressive […]
The latest issue of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior confirms what many chemotherapy patients have long suspected; chemotherapy addles the brain. Led by Dr. Gordon Winocur, of the Baycrest Research Centre for Aging and the Brain, the new study confirmed that “chemobrain” is indeed a real side-effect of the treatment, causing a decline in memory and […]
Previous studies into the physiological effects of cell phone emissions haven’t found anything that looks to be overtly dangerous. But a new study from Italian researchers has found that cell phones can trigger “intracortical excitability” in the motor cortex of the brain. The researchers don’t believe the effect is dangerous, and hypothesize that the effect […]
Cirrus clouds, formed by contrails from aircraft engine exhaust, are capable of increasing average surface temperatures enough to account for a warming trend in the United States that occurred between 1975 and 1994, say NASA researchers. “This result shows the increased cirrus coverage, attributable to air traffic, could account for nearly all of the warming […]
Recent research claims that playing video games improves some types of visual functioning. But before rushing to your computer or buying more games, consider another new research finding. Newly published results suggests that performing an exciting video display terminal task fitted with a bright display suppresses the nocturnal changes in melatonin concentration and other elements […]
