Researchers looking into the health benefits of utilizing gut bacteria say they have bioengineered a probiotic that may be useful as a treatment for multiple sclerosis.
A microchip implant into the brain of a paralyzed man managed to restore sensation and movement in his hand and arm in a historic trial.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause a huge range of symptoms in different patients, and the severity can vary dramatically. It is an inflammatory condition in which the body attacks myelin sheaths, a protective insulation surrounding nerve cells. This can cause fatigue, pain, paralysis, and symptoms that gradually get worse. MS can be very difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be so different in different patients, and the presence of brain lesions is the clearest indication of the disease. MRIs that can reveal those brain lesions are only useful once the disease have progressed to the point of brain damage, however.
The innate immune system presents a potential option for monitoring the progression of MS. The disease causes inflammation, so researchers tracked immune cells in the brain called macrophages, and assessed brain inflammation in a mouse model of MS. The findings have been reported in Science Translational Medicine.
Often seen negatively cannabis seen truthfully is a miracle plant even derivatives like cbd have cured some of the hardest mental disorders to cure like dementia alleviating symptoms to bring a person closer to health than before. Also now with this study veterans often seen incurable due to the unknown factors of ptsd and unknown factors of the human brain now are seeing relief through cannabis usage in a therapeutic setting đ Even the plant itself is some sorta miracle plant alleviating some thought incurable diseases.
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In mice aged 12â18 months, chronic administration of low-dose Î9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) improves performance in behavioral learning and memory tasks, whereas a similar administration in younger mice (aged 2 months) impairs performance.
Summary: Probiotics might play a vital role in preventing cognitive decline associated with aging. By providing participants suffering from mild cognitive impairment with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for three months, researchers observed enhanced cognitive performance and gut microbiome modifications.
The study suggests that altering gut microbiome might be a strategic approach to enhancing cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. If replicated, these findings could revolutionize preventive strategies in cognitive health using gut microbiome-focused approaches.
Lawrence J. Appel, MD, MPH, is the director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins University. His clinical research focuses on preventing blood pressure-related cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Here, he discusses the link between high blood pressure and kidney disease, and the importance of early detection and management.
Q: What is the link between kidney disease and high blood pressure?
A: High blood pressure is a leading cause for many adverse conditions, such as stroke, heart disease, heart failure, and possibly cognitive decline. Many patients are unaware of the link between elevated blood pressure and kidney disease.
Specifically, the researchers examined how THC administered through edibles, a common consumption method, influenced epigenetic changes in crucial areas for fetal development, including the placenta, fetal lung, brain, and heart.
In recent years, the popularity and availability of cannabis has grown significantly, with various consumption methods like edibles gaining traction. However, alongside this trend, there has been a worrisome increase in cannabis use among pregnant women. Unfortunately, our understanding of the detailed effects of using cannabis during pregnancy on the developing child remains limited. Because normal fetal development relies on the crucial process of epigenetic regulation and gene expression modification, it has been suggested that studying the molecular changes linked to cannabis exposure during pregnancy could provide important insights.
To gain a better understanding of the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy, researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) conducted a unique preclinical study that focused on investigating the epigenetic impact of THC, the main active component in cannabis, on fetal development and future health outcomes. The studyâs findings were published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics.
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We often believe computers are more efficient than humans. After all, computers can complete a complex math equation in a moment and can also recall the name of that one actor we keep forgetting. However, human brains can process complicated layers of information quickly, accurately, and with almost no energy input: recognizing a face after only seeing it once or instantly knowing the difference between a mountain and the ocean.
These simple human tasks require enormous processing and energy input from computers, and even then, with varying degrees of accuracy.
Creating brain-like computers with minimal energy requirements would revolutionize nearly every aspect of modern life. Quantum Materials for Energy Efficient Neuromorphic Computing (Q-MEEN-C)âa nationwide consortium led by the University of California San Diegoâhas been at the forefront of this research.
Researchers have long thought that rewards like food or money encourage learning in the brain by causing the release of the âfeel-goodâ hormone dopamine, known to reinforce storage of new information. Now, a new study in rodents describes how learning still occurs in the absence of an immediate incentive.
Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study explored the relationship between dopamine and the brain chemical acetylcholine, also known to play a role in learning and memory. Past research had shown that these two hormones compete with one another, so that a boost in one causes a decline in the other. Rewards were thought to promote learning by simultaneously triggering an increase in dopamine and a decrease in acetylcholine.
This sudden hormone imbalance is believed to open a window of opportunity for brain cells to adjust to new circumstances and form memories for later use. Known as neuroplasticity, this process is a major feature of learning as well as recovery after injury. However, the question had remained whether food and other external rewards are the only drivers for this memory system, or whether our brains instead are able to create the same conditions that are favorable to learning without outside help.
