LifeEthics
neuroscience
Brain Is Command Center for Aging | The Scientist Magazine®
But, what and when are we going to do about it? Hurry! Inflammation in the hypothalamus may underlie aging of the entire body, according to a study published today (May 1) in Nature. Over-activation of the inflammatory protein nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) in the brain region leads to a number of aging-related changes in mice, … Continue reading
How Tanning Changes the Brain – NYTimes.com
I love being out in the sun if it’s not too hot. Could it be that my brain reacts the same way it would to desert? This is an interesting study comparing the activity of the brain when people who like to tan indoors are exposed to UV light and when the … Continue reading
Adult stem cells in MS for reversal
In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the immune system of a patient turns on his or her nervous system, destroying the myelin sheaths that serve as insulation around nerves, disrupting the transmission of nerve signals. The myelin damage often occurs in a patchy manner, at first. See the Medline Plus page from the National Institutes for Health … Continue reading
“Tea-bag” Adult Stem Cell Treatment for Stroke
British researchers report an amazing recovery for a 49 year old man who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on October 15, 2008. The researchers at the company, “Biocompatibles,” used adult stem cells from a healthy donor. The cells had been engineered to cause them to produce a protein that helps prevent “programmed” cell death (even after … Continue reading
Program invites scientists to discuss ways in which science can enlighten society
Beyond Belief 3: Candles in the Dark, From early in October, 2008, video is on line. The program invites scientists to discuss ways in which science can enlighten society. The first sessions I’ve watched so far are part of the Panel on “This Is Your Brain on Morality.” Jonathan Haidt, describes morality as, “Moral systems … Continue reading
Surfing is brain exercise (buy your parents a computer)
Surfing the Internet stimulates middle-aged and elderly brains more than reading a book. In fact, the more you surf, the more stimulation of blood flow to the brain. At left, a functional Magnetic Resonance Image (fMRI) of the brain while reading a book and at right, the brain while surfing the web. The red areas … Continue reading
>I forgot (a note on memory and humanity)
>I know that you may not be able to tell, but I’m trying to make my blog posts shorter. So, I left some quotes out of this morning’s post on memory. However, this quote from the Time Magazine article, “The Ethics of Erasing a Bad Memory” by Dr. Scott Haig, on human-ness needs to be … Continue reading
>Drugs, Sleep, Memory and Ethics
>New information on the science of memory may one day finally tell me why I have a hard time remembering names and even faces, but I’ll store a patient’s potassium level without even trying. As with all science research, we’ll have to decide whether and why the information we discover matters and how to use … Continue reading
>Television Ethics: "Private Practice"
>The TV show, “Private Practice,” hasn’t impressed me with its medical, social or psychiatric integrity. But, I found myself watching it tonight, October 24th, and was more impressed than usual. Tonight’s show touches on a cutting-edge bioethics topic that was also mentioned at last week’s American Society of Bioethics and Humanities. Major Multiple Spoiler Alert!!! … Continue reading
>Liberal/conservative neuro-experiments?
>Nature Neuroscience has reported on an experiment that is being touted as proving that “liberals” are smarter than “conservatives.” Or, as the LATimes’ Denise Gallene states, “that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.” I wonder whether these findings mean that all those visual field tests we’ve been … Continue reading
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