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;…

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…

Caffeine & Cognition

Caffeine, mainly found and consumed in the form of coffee, is the most widely used and accepted psychoactive drug worldwide (Yuan et al. 2020). For most students, especially ones in university, coffee and the caffeine it contains could become like your best-friend as you work through what could feel like an endless array of classes,…

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…

Designer Drugs and Their Implication on Behavior

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 Role of Vitamin C in Spatial Memory Development: A Study on Guinea Pigs

In the Western world, taking a daily vitamin is common, accessible, and socially accepted as being part of a ‘healthy’ regimen. Many individuals don’t think twice about taking a vitamin to supplement the nutrients they might not be getting enough of from their food. However, many of those individuals who take vitamin supplements don’t really…

Cannabis and the Effects of Music in Several Brain Regions

The primary psychoactive (having effect on mental processes) ingredient of cannabis is THC, which is what produces the feeling of being “stoned”, as well as having the ability to impair memory and exhibit psychotic-like symptoms. There is an additional ingredient that some forms of cannabis contain called cannabidiol which has been found to cancel out…

Take a Step in the Right Direction

Walking can be a good way to reduce the stress we feel in our consistent, crazy and hectic lives that we live; not only can it be a good escape from reality but it might even help us live longer and healthier. Walking, running, and other types physical exercises have been shown to improve our…