Category: Health

Extinguishing fear memories relies on an unusual change to DNA

Tom Patriot

Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered a DNA modification that enhances our ability to extinguish fear. The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could help guide the development of new treatments for fear-related anxiety disorders. Professor Timothy Bredy of UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) said while fear is an important survival mechanism which uses cues in the environment to prompt certain responses, so too is the ability to inhibit fear when it’s no longer needed. “You still want to have that memory of ‘there’s something dangerous there, I…

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Evening exercise will not ruin sleep and might even reduce appetite

Tom Patriot

Must cook dinner. Need to pick the kids up from school. Have to catch up on my favourite TV series. Live too far from the gym. Any of these sound familiar? With growing time demands, many middle-aged adults are finding time to engage in exercise increasingly difficult. For many, even the thought of fitting exercise in after a busy day at work can be as tiring as it is unappetising. The standing belief that high-intensity exercise should be avoided in the early evening due to its effect on sleep only…

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Salt could be a key factor in allergic immune reactions

Tom Patriot

Salt apparently affects allergic immune reactions. A team working with Prof. Christina Zielinski at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has demonstrated in cell cultures that salt leads to the formation of Th2 cells. These immune cells are active in allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis. The team also detected elevated salt concentrations in the skin of patients. In industrial countries, nearly one in three people are affected by allergies at some point in their lives. One in ten children suffer from atopic dermatitis. T-cells play an important role in…

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Engineers translate brain signals directly into speech

Tom Patriot

In a scientific first, Columbia neuroengineers have created a system that translates thought into intelligible, recognizable speech. By monitoring someone’s brain activity, the technology can reconstruct the words a person hears with unprecedented clarity. This breakthrough, which harnesses the power of speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence, could lead to new ways for computers to communicate directly with the brain. It also lays the groundwork for helping people who cannot speak, such as those living with as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or recovering from stroke, regain their ability to communicate with…

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Combining morning exercise with short walking breaks helps control blood pressure

Tom Patriot

Thirty minutes of morning exercise lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day among older men and women who are overweight or obese. And women who take brief, frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can enhance the blood pressure benefits of morning exercise even more, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. In a study of men and women, age 55 to 80, all of whom were overweight or obese, researchers wanted to find out whether the beneficial effect of morning exercise on blood…

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