Obesity has taken over one third of the world. From diabetes, to joint problems, to some types of cancers, this debilitating condition is a major health threat to those experiencing it. Obesity, however, not only concerns the physical body. Some studies have shown that the brains of obese individuals can differ from the brains of…
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a commonly diagnosed disorder among older adults. Despite its high prevalence, treatment options are limited. Physical exercise is often prescribed as treatment as it has the potential to relieve pain. Although the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood, studies have shown that incorporating mindfulness into an exercise program may also have…
Recent research has increased our understanding of the mechanics of memory and how the brain can improve memory when needed. The focus of the research was based around sharp wave ripples (SPW-Rs). These ripples can be thought of as waves that activate pathways that store and later form memories. SPW-Rs are found in the region…
Have you ever wondered what motivates an individual to use cannabis? Is it a psychological want or physiological need? To begin, cannabis has become the most widely used illicit substance in the world. The drug is used by many, in many places; whether that be for medical or recreational purposes. The frontostriatolimbic region mainly contains…
To understand Parkinson’s Disease, it is important to understand the brain and its function related to the disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disease of the Central Nervous System, progressive meaning that symptoms, such as slowness of movement (bradykinesia), stiffness and tremors, and more will progress and worsen overtime. When dopamine producing neurons in a…
Neurodegenerative diseases are medical conditions that affect neurons, which are the building blocks of the brain and spinal cord. These diseases not only affect the health of individuals, but also their abilities to work and learn, their families, and society as a whole. Parasites are organisms that live in/on a host and that get their…
The association between drugs and behavior is a field of research that has been essential in prescription medicines. Drugs hold the ability to influence behavior in a number of different ways; therefore studies are required to investigate these influences. Iig, Enkel, Bartsch, and Bähner (2018) are four psychologists who were interested in examining the effects…
The brain is one of largest and most complex organs in the human being, and depending who you ask, is the most fascinating things we possess as humans. Along with mediating every conscious and unconscious process in our bodies, the brain also possesses an incredible ability called neuroplasticity. The research…
Have you ever done something without thinking of the consequences that come along with that action? Many individuals who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often impulsive, meaning that they do and say things without thinking. ADHD is the most common diagnosed disorder in children, affecting 3-7% worldwide. It is characterized by symptoms of…
As a dancer I have been interested in not only the athleticism it takes to execute given choreography but also the demands it places on the attention and memory to learn and remember such choreography. Dance, is a unique activity that requires a dancer to learn, remember, and execute a series of complex sequences. As…
It’s no secret anymore that obesity is a world-wide epidemic. It’s not something that’s easy to hide or overlook: obesity is everywhere, especially in the Western and developed worlds. Something else that is becoming glaringly obvious is that the Western diet is not something to be proud of. With deep fryers and excessive portions dominating…
Insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep at night, is one of the most common forms of sleep disturbance around the world, affecting up to 5 % of the adult population. Insomnia is associated with difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep, as well as waking up in the morning. Due to the lack of sleep, insomnia…
Spinal cord injuries can leave a person paralysed for life. Our bodies have an incredible capacity for healing, but when it comes to regenerating a damaged spinal cord we don’t have what it takes to fix ourselves. However, there is still hope for those suffering from a debilitating break in their spinal cord. Sachdeva et…
Professional musicians make excellent subjects for neuropsychology research. Music performance requires a complex interaction of auditory and touch sensory perception, bimanual coordination, muscle memory and fine motor control, all directed to shape the artistic interpretation of the music. Expert musicians often begin their study at a young age, during the ‘critical period’ of neural development…
How much do babies really understand? Infants are constantly developing and acquiring knowledge and as they grow older, their brains become more and more powerful. Researchers believed infants initially obtain language-specific phonemes (word sounds), phoneme clusters and word prosody (the pattern of stress and pitch on words) then use what they have learned to gradually…
Around 1 in 2000 people suffer from the sleep disorder narcolepsy. The word comes from narco, meaning numbness, and lepsy, meaning seizures. It is a life-long disorder characterized by daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis and fragmentation, vivid hallucinations during sleep transition, and cataplexy, which is the sudden loss of muscle tone while conscious often triggered by…
The average adult human sleeps between seven and nine hours every night. This equates to approximately one third of an average person’s life. The purpose of sleep for humans has been a highly debated topic. Researchers are curious as to why people sleep and if there is any benefit to sleep. Common theories regarding the…
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is described as a neurodegenerative disease characterized by akinesia (loss or impairment of voluntary movement), rigidity, tremors and difficulty walking. The clinical symptoms are thought to be mainly caused by the dopaminergic (DA) neurodegeneration, with other neurotransmitters such as serotonin or acetylcholine being partially responsible as well. Neurodegeneration is the deterioration of…
At the end of 2015, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) estimated that more than 7 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions were held worldwide; this number is almost equal to the world population in total. The negative effects of mobile phone radiation on human health has become a growing concern. The electromagnetic waves (the way that cellphones receive…
Raising a child can be one of the most rewarding tasks that a person can experience in their life. However, as many people know, it can also be one of the most difficult. There are many signs that indicate successful parenting, such as the child showing secure attachment to their parents and/or caregivers, as well…