Seminar Papers

[Article] Caffeine May Delay Brain Development In Teenagers

Consuming caffeine can disturb one’s deep sleep. And reduced deep sleep can make the brain of teenager loose because the brain of teenager is more plastic than adult.

Some researchers have revealed that over-consumption of caffeine can affect the behavior by experimenting the rats.

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/caffeine-may-delay-brain-development-teenagers-1410700

[Article] Stephen Hawking: brain could exist outside body

Stephen Hawking recently said that brain is like a computer, so it can possibly exist alive after physical death.

Even though he said it is a long way off to realize the thought, this opinion could shake people’s belief about afterlife.

A documentary movie about his life will be released soon in UK.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/sep/21/stephen-hawking-brain-outside-body

[Article] Why Smokers Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking: Changes in Intestinal Flora

The weight of most smokers increase about a couple of kilos when they quit smoking. This is not due to an increased calorie intake, but to a change in the composition of the intestinal flora after quitting smoking. This evidence was provided in a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) suggests (Biedermann et al., PLoS One, 2013).

Detailed information can be found in the following link:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130829093032.htm

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0059260

[Article] Dying brains: will our last hurrah be an explosion of conscious experience?

When an individual is close to death, he/she may re-experience some events in the past very clearly, like a phantasmagoria. 

By reading this article, we may learn how the phantasmagoria is possible. 

In a study introduced in this article, the researchers found sharp increase in EEG gamma band power when rats were dying.

(Oscillations in gamma band have been known as the important indicator of conscious state.)

I hope this article attracts your interest.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2013/aug/12/dying-brains-conscious-experience

[Article] Why Music Makes Our Brain Sing

In this article, the researchers have found that the neural activation in striatum and auditory cortex when we listened the song.

And also they try to figure out the what is going on when someone hears a new piece of songs or music and dicides he likes it enough to buy it.

 

More detail: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/why-music-makes-our-brain-sing.html

[Article] Right Brain, Left Brain? Scientists Debunk Popular Theory

There are some wrong knowledge about brain. That is a “brained-ness”.

We used to think about that the more analytical person is using the more right brain on the other hand, the more artistic person is using the more left brain. But, researchers said that there are no connection between personality and using which hemisphere of brain

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/right-brain-left-brain-debunked_n_3762322.html

[Article] Reading skill linked to differences in brain structure

The researchers have revealed that the different brain structure have involved different function to read. They separate the reading skill to three parts. First, Sound out the written word, Second, Connect the seen word with sound, Third, Read out loud at speed. They used the scanning to investigate the structure of brain.

Read more : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23703355

[Article] Brain Handles Stress Better When Bodies Are Exercised

Researchers have found that the exercise is helpful to handle the stress.

It is prevalent that exercise have the result of more excitable neurons. However exercise also strengthens the mechanisms that prevent these brain cell from firing.

Theses may help to understand better to understand anxiety disorder.

Read more : http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112890910/exercise-helps-brain-handle-stress-better-070413/

[Article] Getting a grip on sleep

A new research finds that REM sleep is regulated by an ancient brain region called the lateral habenula, which maintains theta brainwaves in the hippocampus.

 

Read more here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130514184514.htm

 

Original journal paper here: http://bit.ly/10z37vG

[Article] Computer games can 'make your brain younger', study finds

Researchers have revealed that computer games can make brain younger especially in older people. Actually cognitive function such as attention and memory tends to decline as we age. Suggested “Road Tour” game can be helpful in preventing their mental excutive function from decaying.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/games/10032372/Computer-games-can-make-your-brain-younger-study-finds.html