Our brains have a remarkable knack for adaptability. Each and every day the neuronal connections within are constantly changing, molded by what we experience in our daily lives. The memories we make, information learned and skills we pick up spark this dynamic process, causing lasting changes to neuronal circuits. As the saying goes, experience is…
Natalia Khorkina https://www.hse.ru/en/org/persons/65017 and Marina Lopatina, researchers with the HSE University Department of Applied Economics, examined how the level of physical activity among working Russians changed from 2011 to 2017. They analyzed the results of a survey of Russian men ages 25-60 and women ages 25-55 — who were either employees, self-employed or ran their…
Macular degeneration (AMD) causes blindness in millions of people in the Western world. It is the most common cause of severe vision loss in the Western world among those aged 50 and over, and its prevalence increases with age. Though there is no cure for AMD, significant recent advancements in artificial retina implants may lead…
A rare form of epilepsy can be characterized by seizures of uncontrolled laughter. What is the root cause, and can doctors address it? A new case study answers this question. Share on PinterestA case study found that an individual’s uncontrolled bursts of laughter resulted from a rare form of epilepsy. Gelastic seizure, or gelastic epilepsy,…
At a time when germs are growing more resistant to common antibiotics, many companies that are developing new versions of the drugs are hemorrhaging money and going out of business, gravely undermining efforts to contain the spread of deadly, drug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic start-ups like Achaogen and Aradigm have gone belly up in recent months, pharmaceutical…
For the past 10 years (and change), I have been covering exercise science in this column. During that time, I have seen interest in high-intensity exercise soar and enthusiasm for barefoot running fizzle. We have learned contracting muscles talk to baby neurons, creativity blooms from walking, a minute of exertion can be ample, aging is…
It’s Christmas Day, and you want to enjoy yourself — that’s only natural. In this feature, we provide some quick tips that will allow you to have the fun you are hoping for without affecting your health too significantly. Share on PinterestChristmas does not need to overturn healthful living completely. The holiday period is, commonly,…
Researchers at LSTM have identified a completely new mechanism by which mosquitoes that carry malaria are becoming resistant to insecticide. After studying both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii, two major malaria vectors in West Africa, they found that a particular family of binding proteins situated in the insect’s legs were highly expressed in resistant populations.…
In a sleepy haze, reaching out and grabbing the coffee cup in front of you seems to happen on autopilot. But your caffeine-deprived brain is working hard. It’s collecting sensory information and other kinds of feedback – clues about where your arm is in space relative to the mug – and sending it to your…
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that manifests through symptoms such as tremor, slow movements, limb rigidity and gait and balance problems. As such, nearly all diagnostic testing revolves around how a patient moves and requires the patient to walk for extensive distances and amounts of time. The discomfort caused to patients by this kind…