Lifeboat Foundation

A letter, signed by 124 scholars and posted online last week, has caused an uproar in the consciousness-research community. It argues that a prominent theory describing what makes someone or something conscious — called the integrated information theory (IIT) — should be labelled as pseudoscience. Since its publication on 15 September in the preprint repository PsyArXiv1, the letter has resulted in some researchers arguing over the label and others worrying that it will increase polarization in a field that has grappled with issues of credibility in the past.

Decades-long bet on consciousness ends — and it’s philosopher 1, neuroscientist 0

“I think it’s inflammatory to describe IIT as pseudoscience,” says neuroscientist Anil Seth, director of the Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex near Brighton, UK, adding that he disagrees with the label. “IIT is a theory, of course, and therefore may be empirically wrong,” says Christof Koch, a meritorious investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Washington, and a proponent of the theory. But he says that it makes its assumptions — for example, that consciousness has a physical basis and can be mathematically measured — very clear.

Continue reading “Consciousness theory slammed as ‘pseudoscience’ — sparking uproar” »

University of Basel.

People differ significantly in their memory performance. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that certain brain signals are related to these differences.

While it is well known that certain brain regions play a crucial role in memory processes, so far it has not been clear whether these regions exhibit different activities when it comes to storing information in people with better or worse memory performance.

Continue reading “Brain signals for good memory performance revealed” »

New research hints at a few ways fatty foods affect cells in the brain, a finding that could help explain the link between a high-fat diet and impaired memory – especially as we age.

The Ohio State University study in cell cultures found the omega-3 fatty acid DHA may help protect the brain from an unhealthy diet’s effects by curbing fat-induced inflammation at the cellular source.

Separate experiments using brain tissue from aging mice showed a high-fat diet may lead specific brain cells to overdo cell-signaling management in a way that interferes with the creation of new memories.

An experimental neuroimaging study in Poland found that exposure to hate speech diminishes the brain’s response to stories about other people suffering. The effect was present irrespective of the group membership of the person suffering in the story – whether they were Polish, like the participants, or Arab. The study was published in Scientific Reports.

Hate speech is a form of communication that involves the expression of discriminatory, hostile, or prejudiced sentiments and ideas directed towards individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other characteristics.

Exposure to hate speech deteriorates neurocognitive mechanisms of the ability to understand others’ pain, was authored by Agnieszka Pluta, Joanna Mazurek, Jakub Wojciechowski, Tomasz Wolak, Wiktor Soral, and Michał Bilewicz.

Continue reading “Neuroimaging study reveals hate speech dulls brain’s empathy responses” »

Scientists have identified two types of brain cell linked to a reduced risk of dementia in older people — even those who have brain abnormalities that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease1.

The finding could eventually lead to new ways to protect these cells before they die. The results were published in Cell on 28 September.

Plaques in the brain.

Continue reading “The brain cells linked to protection against dementia” »

Restoration of lost memories.

Prof Bryce Vissel, who leads the Clinical Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine Initiative (CNRM) at St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, and his team, have identified a molecule in the brain that controls loss of nerve cell connections.

This molecule we are calling ‘the switch’ is decreased in the Alzheimer’s brain but no one really understands why, or what role it plays. When ‘encouraged’ or ‘forced’ to be expressed normally again, in our laboratory tests of a mouse model, this molecule can actually rescue its memory.

Continue reading “Alzheimer’s research breakthrough” »

In a Stanford Medicine study, scientists transplanted stem cells into mice and found reduction of brain abnormalities typical of Alzheimer’s disease.

A team of medical researchers from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Central South University and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, all in China, has found evidence suggesting that the placebo effect has grown stronger in trials of transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for patients treated for depression.

In their study, reported in the journal Nature Mental Health, the group analyzed data from prior research efforts focused on testing the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy.

Prior research has shown that the placebo effect—where a patient is given a “sham” medication or therapy to treat an ailment instead of a real one—can be an effective means of treating some conditions. And while the means by which the placebo effect works is not understood, it has been shown to alleviate symptoms in some people.

A new study in JAMA Network Open may provide key answers to how to help people experiencing chronic back pain.

The study examined the critical connection between the brain and pain for treating chronic pain. Specifically, they looked at the importance of pain attributions, which are people’s beliefs about the underlying causes of their pain, to reduce chronic back pain severity.

“Millions of people are experiencing chronic pain and many haven’t found ways to help with the pain, making it clear that something is missing in the way we’re diagnosing and treating people,” said the study’s first author Yoni Ashar, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.