The Effect of Elementary Schools on Language

  Over about a year and a half, Dr. Neelima Wagley and James R. Booth tested young children during two different time periods to get a better understanding of how our behaviours related to understanding and communicating through spoken language and certain regions of our brain influence one another. Before building a house on a…

Greater Social Engagement and Greater Gray Matter Microstructural Integrity in Brain Regions Relevant to Dementia

In recent years, research has been discovering that social engagement (SE), such as performing purposeful activities in life, meeting with friends and family, attending social gatherings, and engaging in recreational activities, can provide great benefits for the human aging process. More specifically, SE can help protect us against cognitive impairment, such as dementia, as we…

Does COVID-19 damage the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

In March of 2020, the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) took over the world from Wuhan, China. One of the first known effects of this virus was that it was attacking our respiratory system with breathing and chest pain being two of the more serious symptoms. Covid-19 has become a fatal virus with inevitably no known cure;…

A Single Session of Moderate Intensity Exercise Influences Memory, Endocannabinoids and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Men.

Regular physical activity is a lifestyle factor known to benefit neuroplasticity and neurocognitive functions. Regular exercise enhances memory functions, synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Evidence suggests that BDNF influences hippocampal synaptic plasticity. This is shown as physical exercise increases BDNF, mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus but blocking…

Cocaine Addiction and Gender-Specific Associations: Is there an Interaction Effect Between Gender and Cocaine Dependance on Brain Structure and Grey Matter Volume?

Use of cocaine, like other drugs of abuse, induces long-term changes in the brain. Brain imaging studies have repeatedly revealed altered brain structure among individuals with substance use disorder and addiction. Structural abnormalities related to cocaine addiction have been most seen in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is a structure composed of several sub-regions-regions,…

Disconnection between Rat’s Left and Right Hemisphere Impairs Short-Term Memory but Not Long-Term Memory

The brain is a remarkably complex organ comprised of billions of interconnected neurons and glia cells. It controls all functions of the body and interprets information from the outside world. Intelligence, emotion, memory, creativity, and movement are a few of the many things governed by the brain. Some researchers believe that the function of the…

The Combined Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use on the Brain: Are Co-Use and Tri-Use More Damaging than Alcohol Use Alone?

Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are three commonly used drugs, and they may be used independent of one another, in a combination of the two, or all three may even be used by an individual. Use, co-use, and tri-use are terms that can be used to describe these conditions. Previous research has found evidence that when…

Exercising and Psychoeducation Bettering the Mental Heath of Adolescence

Adolescents with mood disorders including depression can have a difficult time trying to deal with their mood disorder, but a new study can help. Exercising and psychoeducation a few times, a week could have promising effects to better the mood of the adolescent. Psychoeducation consists of group games, poetry reading, and singing. When the only…

Can the Secretome of Mesenchymal Stem Cells be Used to Effectively Treat Alzheimer’s Disease?

Can the Secretome of Mesenchymal Stem Cells be Used to Effectively Treat Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer’s disease is one of the many forms that dementia can come in and is the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly population. Alzheimer’s results in clots formed in the brain due to a product known as beta-amyloid. Alzheimer’s…

Proposed Mechanism and Routes of Action Of COVID-19 Induced Neurological Dysfunction

Proposed Mechanism and Routes of Action Of COVID-19  Induced Neurological Dysfunction           COVID-19, arguably one of the greatest public health crises of the generation, is misinterpreted commonly and thought by many to only affect our respiratory (breathing) system due to the overwhelming damage it is capable of causing to our lungs.…

Does COVID-19 Damage the Central Nervous System?

            In early 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) suddenly impacted lives across the globe. We rushed to adapt our everyday lives as the world went into panic mode. Quarantine, isolation, and social distancing were terms we were to soon become familiar with. COVID-19 was and continues to be life-threatening and…

Prefrontal and Hippocampal Structure: How Are Young Children Capable of Statistical learning?

Statistical learning is how humans extract regularities from the environment that are not explicitly taught. In other words, it is the explanation for how humans take meaningful information from the world without ever learning how. Rather than being taught, these regularities are often picked up over-time without a learner’s effort or awareness. Statistical learning is…

The Link Between Brain Volume and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Does SES Play a Role?

It has been known that the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can negatively alter the developing brain in a variety of ways. Any amount of alcohol consumed while pregnant could potentially lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a disorder that is greatly associated with behavioral and memory problems. Some potential causes of these factors…

The Hippocampus and Trace Fear Memory: Formation and Retrieval

The development of trace fear memories is considered a declarative task (generally referring to the act of naming something). This requires higher brain functions (e.g. attention, conscious awareness) and multiple brain regions, including the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Previously, it was unclear how brain cells (termed “neurons”) involved in memory behave before learning,…

Blood Pressure and Dementia: Are You at Risk?

Mental disorders. It seems like everyone knows someone who suffers from one affliction or another. Some worse than others, though one can attest that dementia associated with brain aging is one of the most painful afflictions to witness. Most frequently characterized by memory loss, personality changes and impaired mental reasoning. Resulting in suffering individuals completely…

The Role of Serotonin Transporters in Tourette Syndrome and OCD

Tourette Syndrome is a disorder characterized by repeating motor movements and/or verbal tics that are not easily suppressed. It is common for people with Tourette Syndrome to have additional conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and anxiety disorder. The simultaneous presence of Tourette Syndrome and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) has been of interest…