Our brains aren’t flying solo; our emotions also come into play when we’re interacting with the world, new research finds.
Category: neuroscience – Page 1,219
Undoing Aging With Aubrey de Grey Part Two
The second part of LEAF’s interview with the SENS Research Foundation team is out!
Welcome to part two of our three-part Undoing Aging 2018 interview of Dr. Aubrey de Grey and his team at SENS Research Foundation. Today, we have some of the scientific questions that the community had about SENS; there are some very detailed responses, and we hope you enjoy them.
Regarding the use of senolytics, are you concerned about their potential to remove highly specialized cells like cardiomyocytes, which do not divide or do so very slowly? Could taking senolytics without the ability to replace these specialized lost cells be risky unless combined with replacement therapies?
Aubrey: This is not a major concern, for a few reasons. First, when cells turn senescent, they cease carrying out their specialized function (as a cardiomyocyte, or neuron, or what have you), so no such function is lost by ablating them. Second, cells that don’t divide (like cardiomyocytes and neurons) are far less likely to become senescent in the first place than cell types that divide; many of the main drivers of senescence are related to cell division. And third, in the specific case of cardiomyocytes, there’s already significant evidence in rodents that it improves cardiac function overall [1] as well as wider cardiovascular health [2–3].
This Startup Will Literally Kill You for Science
Nectome has successfully preserved a rabbit’s brain keeping its neural connections intact. Can it do the same with humans? Not without killing them.
Silicon Valley billionaire pays $10k to be killed and have his brain preserved
A SILICON Valley billionaire is paying the ultimate price for the chance of immortality: death.
Well that, and a spare ten grand.
Entrepreneur Sam Altman is one of 25 people who have splashed the cash to join a waiting list at Nectome – a startup that promises to upload your brain into a computer to grant eternal life to your consciousness.
DNA tests can predict intelligence, scientists show for first time
I ntelligence could be measured with a swab of saliva, or drop of blood, after scientists showed for the first time that a person’s IQ can be predicted just by studying their DNA.
In the largest ever study looking at the genetic basis for intelligence, researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Harvard University discovered hundreds of new genes linked to brain power.
Previous studies have suggested that between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of intelligence is inherited, and the rest comes through upbringing, friendship groups and education. That figure was calculated by studying identical twins who share the same DNA, therefore any differences in IQ between them must be non-genetic.
Enzymes and Cognitive Decline
Enzymes play an important role in cognitive function. Enzymes are biological catalysts. They’re responsible for accelerating chemical reactions.
What role do enzymes play in #aging and cognitive function?
According to new research in laboratory mice by UC San Francisco scientists have discovered that loss of an #enzyme that modifies gene activity to promote brain regeneration may be partly responsible for age-related cognitive decline. When age related cognitive decline starts is still debatable, however the effects of age related cognitive decline are well known.
1 thought on “Insights into the Neurobiology of Death”
A recent study gives insight into the #neurobiology of dying. Before the process of dying neurologists closely monitored patients with devastating #brain injuries following Do Not Resuscitate-Comfort Care orders. This gave key insights into the mechanisms and timing of events in the brain and the circulatory system during the dying process.
The objective of emergency treatment is to restore circulation to prevent #cerebral ischemia. #Cerebral ischemia is a condition that occurs when blood flow is restricted to the brain, which then causes the #death of brain tissue. Understanding the brain’s response to energy depletion can help us estimate how much time is available for resuscitation until irreversible damage has occurred. The goal is to develop methods that can prolong this window before irreversible damage takes place. Injury to central neurons begins only during the progressive and uncontrollable #depolarization of neurons called anoxic depolarization. This Anoxic depolarization “wave” is potentially reversible and typically starts 2 to 5 minutes after the emergence of severe ischemia. This marks the beginning of a toxic change within the neuron which eventually leads to irreversible brain injury.
