In a study published in the April 28, 2011 journal of Neuron, cognitive scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, and U.C. Berkeley identified a brain region called the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) as critical for establishing one’s particular place in space and perception of themselves (What is my place in the world?) There is [...]
Considerable research is available, done by archeologists, psychologists, neurogists and all sorts of “ists†to support that fact that music plays a key role in our lives and our ability to communicate. Many believe that the ability to communicate through music came before the ability to communicate through speech. Language and music share the same [...]
If you have gone through a tragic event in your life, like the death of someone close or a physical attack, you may want to take the raw and hurtful memories and bury them deep within your subconscious – until a time when you are able to deal with them. Sigmund Freud, a trained neurologist, [...]
The National Institutes of Health reports that there could be 50 to 70 million Americans experiencing some form of sleep disorder that could “significantly diminish†health, safety and alertness. The disorder could take the form of too much sleep, too little sleep, sleep apnea, or a poor quality of sleep. The downside is that this [...]
The relationship between laughter and the brain is not fully understood, but you can bet they are working on it. The physiological study of laughter is called gelotology, and there are actually researchers who study humor and laughter and how they have an impact on the brain. A friend of mine corresponds with Hunter “Patch†[...]
There are many theories as to how to make memorizing easier. You can employ a memory expert, such as myself, to help you with the basics; you can buy cd’s with memory lessons; and you can take classes in speed reading and other memory techniques. They are all excellent ideas that can benefit you immensely, [...]
Some scientists believe that fluid intelligence doesn’t have anything to do with IQ or being “book smart†and more to do with the ability to look at information previously accepted as reality and searching for different answers. Some would use the ‘politically correct’ term “thinking outside the box.†Static intelligence is just the opposite, the [...]
Most of us have a friend or family member who has received some devastating news and was afraid to tell his/her family. Eventually they had to, and instead of being scorned or turned away the family and friends rallied around him/her in their support and the patient was able to turn a dire prognosis around. [...]
Researchers from Cambridge University believe they have found an area of the brain, the paracingulate sulcus or PCS, that could be the variation that would account for real or imagined memories. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that people with a larger PCS were better at distinguishing between real and imagined memories. [...]
Older type-2 diabetes patients are at greater risk of cognitive impairment than their non-diabetic counterparts. They also are at a higher risk of brain atrophy, so control of the insulin levels is key to normal brain performance, and reduced levels of insulin could contribute to dementia progression, including Alzheimer’s disease. The ACCORD trial, after 40 [...]
