ἀνθρώποισι πᾶσι μέτεστι γινώσκειν ἑωυτοὺς καὶ σωφρονεῖν.
Human language follows certain regularities. For instance, a plural noun must be accompanied by a plural verb, as in the following sentence: “The kids from the neighborhood are playing.” Continue reading “Typically human: Babies recognize nested structures similar to our grammar”
In a scientific first, Columbia neuroengineers have created a system that translates thought into intelligible, recognizable speech. By monitoring someone’s brain activity, the technology can reconstruct the words a person hears with unprecedented clarity. Continue reading “Engineers translate brain signals directly into speech”
When it comes to managing anxiety disorders, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth had it right when he referred to sleep as the “balm of hurt minds.” While a full night of slumber stabilizes emotions, a sleepless night can trigger up to a 30% rise in anxiety levels, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. Continue reading “Stressed to the max? Deep sleep can rewire the anxious brain”
A growing body of evidence supports the influence of exercise in vitality and function of the central nervous system (CNS) and promoting resistance against neurological disorders. According to these studies, exercise has the extraordinary capacity to enhance mental health, and current efforts are being devoted to use this capacity to reduce cognitive decay in aging and psychiatric disorders. Continue reading “Exercise; a strong promoter of cognitive health in humans”
A new study documents structural differences in the brains of preschool-age children related to screen-based media use. Continue reading “Screen-based media associated with structural differences in brains of young children”
Science tells us that a lot of good things happen in our brains while we sleep — learning and memories are consolidated and waste is removed, among other things. New research shows for the first time that important immune cells called microglia — which play an important role in reorganizing the connections between nerve cells, fighting infections, and repairing damage — are also primarily active while we sleep. Continue reading “The night gardeners: Immune cells rewire, repair brain while we sleep”
