Acquiring a language is a difficult process. One of the best ways to learn involves the use of a tutor. This one-on-one interaction allows for direct learning as well as interaction without distraction. Usually, the teacher is an expert in that specific language. But when it comes to learning a first language, the most useful tutor happens to be an infant’s parent. Continue reading
Author: Julie
SickKids scientists show how memories are linked in the brain
Some memories just seem to go together. Think about an important experience in your life. You may also closely remember another experience that happened around that time too, like exchanging vows at your wedding, and then your friend’s epic dance moves later that same night. Somehow these two memories seem to be linked in your mind.
A new study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), looks at this connection between memories and illustrates how certain memories become linked in the brain. The study is published in the July 22 online edition of Science. Continue reading
University of Victoria Researchers Find A “Starburst” In The Space-Time Continuum of Motion Sensing
Most people take motion sensing for granted. Our eyes pick up on something moving and our brains are sent a signal to let us know something has occurred in our space-time continuum. Despite the simplicity of the task, the mechanisms allowing us this ability are incredibly complex. They have been studied for over fifty years and the neural circuitry underlying motion detection is probably the best described circuitry in the brain. Yet, researchers have not discovered all the answers. Continue reading
How the fingertip is teaching scientists about tissue repair
This popular painkiller may hamper your ability to notice errors, University of Toronto researchers say
Dan Randles: “We don’t fully understand how acetaminophen affects the brain”
It’s been known for more than a century that acetaminophen is an effective painkiller, but a new University of Toronto study shows it could also be impeding error-detection in the brain. Continue reading
Alzheimer’s disease : It takes two (proteins) to tango
For years, neuroscientists have puzzled over how two abnormal proteins, called amyloid and tau, accumulate in the brain and damage it to cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Which one is the driving force behind dementia? The answer: both of them, according to a new study by researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.
In the journal Molecular Psychiatry, the team led by Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto, a clinician scientist at the Douglas and assistant professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry at McGill University, reports for the first time evidence that the interaction between amyloid and tau proteins drives brain damage in cognitively intact individuals. Continue reading
New Western neuroscience study shows how we learn from watching others
A new study from Western University shows that the parts of our brain that provide us with our sense of touch are activated when we watch someone else learn a manual skill.
The findings by Heather McGregor and Paul Gribble from Western’s Brain and Mind Institute were published by the prestigious journal Current Biology. Continue reading
Canadian Researchers Help To Understand How The Brain Copes With Stress
It’s one of the guarantees of life: stress. At its core, it’s a perception of a physical or psychological threat and is designed to help us survive. But the triggers are varied and as such, there is no single way to deal with the impending sensation of harm.
For years, researchers have studied the stress spectrum and identified numerous behavioural changes. Most are relatively simple to understand such as heightened awareness, risk avoidance, and the fight or flight response. Continue reading
Canadian Researchers Reveal The Mental Trap of PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a scourge for anyone who suffers from it. The symptoms are heartbreaking – nightmares, flashbacks, poor sleep quality, irritability, and a lack of concentration. Some will feel disconnected from reality as they perceive being trapped in a mental cage from which they cannot break free. Continue reading
Researchers Are Learning How The Brain Tells Us To Stop Moving
In the playground, a popular game for kids of all ages is “Freeze.” The concept is rather simple. A leader tells the participants they are free to move around until everyone is told to freeze in place. Those who don’t suddenly stop are notified they are out and the game continues. It’s a great way to learn how to deal with environmental stimuli and also how to better control locomotor abilities. But most of all, it’s a great deal of fun. Continue reading
