Fighting spirit, grit, heart: researchers say that they may all be within our reach with just a zap of electricity to a …
epilepsy
Finally, a Way to Read Minds
For now, the technique applies to quantitative thinking (doing math problems and calculating numbers) but the process could launch ways of reading other types of thoughts as well.
Brain’s Own ‘Valium’ Discovered
We’ve known the brain produces its own heroin-like substances since the 1970s. But what about Valium? Although researchers have searched for such anti-anxiety chemicals for decades, it’s only now that they may finally have found one.
Are You Happy? You Might Have Hypocretin to Thank
Move over dopamine, there’s a new “pleasure” molecule that could broaden our understanding of the chemistry of joy, laughter, addiction and even anger.
A Rare but Potentially Treatable Form of Autism
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a rare, hereditary form of autism that may be treatable with nutritional supplements, a new study reports.
A New Marijuana Plant Without the High? It Could Be Good Medicine
The new medical marijuana plant, developed by Israeli researchers, holds promise for treating conditions like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease — without causing the munchies.
Study: Zapping the Brain Boosts Memory
Put aside the crossword puzzles and push the ginkgo biloba pills to the back of the shelf. The key to better memory may lie in three letters: ERC.
Family MattersPregnancy
Mothers’ Epilepsy Medication May Be O.K. for Breast-Feeding Babies
Breast-feeding is urged on moms from all sides, from doctors to friends, but there are some women who can’t breast-feed for medical reasons. Some medications are incompatible with breast-feeding, too. Consider women with …
Sometimes a 90% Fat Diet Is Good For You
This weekend, the New York Times Magazine has an article written by Fred Vogelstein, a contributing editor to Wired and father to a young boy with epilepsy.
‘Deep brain stimulation’ may hold hope for epileptic patients
A recent clinical trial conducted by neurologists at Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that deep brain stimulation using implanted electrodes may help reduce seizures in epileptic patients. The results of the clinical trial, published online this week in the journal Epilepsia, showed that, patients whose brains were
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What medical TV shows get wrong about seizures
Medical TV shows may often be overly melodramatic, but many of the health emergencies they depict do happen in real life. (That is, perhaps, with a notable exception of preventing a bomb from exploding inside a patient’s abdomen, eh hem, Grey’s Anatomy.) And, as a result, when it comes to learning the basics about how to cope should a
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