Articles

Cerebrum 2012

Home Cerebrum 2012
cartoon close up of needle injecting something into cell
Cerebrum

Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

A Forgotten Disability Remembered

Cognitive impairment substantially impacts the lives of patients with MS and their families. Half to three-quarters of people with MS are unemployed within 10 years of diagnosis.

By: Kristen Rahn, Ph.D., Barbara Slusher, M.B.A., Ph.D., Adam Kaplin, M.D., Ph.D.

man has one language going in ear and another coming out of other ear
Cerebrum

The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual

Today, more of the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual than monolingual. In addition to facilitating cross-cultural communication, this trend also positively affects cognitive abilities. Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain, thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another. In addition, bilingualism has positive effects at both ends of the age spectrum: Bilingual children as young as seven months can better adjust to environmental changes, while bilingual seniors can experience less cognitive decline.

By: Viorica Marian, PhD, Anthony Shook

boy playing with paints
Cerebrum

Play, Stress, and the Learning Brain

In this article, adapted from Dr. Sam Wang and Dr. Sandra Aamodt’s book Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College (Bloomsbury USA, 2011; OneWorld Publications, 2011), the authors explore how play enhances brain development in children. As Wang and Aamodt describe, play activates the brain’s reward circuitry but not negative stress responses, which can facilitate attention and action. Through play, children practice social interaction and build skills and interests to draw upon in the years to come.

By: Sam Wang, Ph.D., Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D.

cartoon of child opening a door to a mind
Cerebrum

Re-opening Windows

Manipulating Critical Periods for Brain Development

The brain acquires certain skills—from visual perception to language—during critical windows, specific times in early life when the brain is actively shaped by environmental input. Scientists are now discovering pathways in animal models through which these windows might be re-opened in adults, thus re-awakening a brain’s youth-like plasticity. Such research has implications for brain injury repair, sensory recovery, and neurodevelopmental disorder treatment.

By: Takao K. Hensch, Ph.D., Parizad M. Bilimoria, Ph.D.

brain scan
Cerebrum

Repairing the Injured Brain

Why Proper Rehabilitation Is Essential to Recovering Function

Recovery from a brain injury is a slow process with no obvious end point—a practical dilemma for patients, caregivers, and medical professionals. While research continues to advance the field to determine optimal interventions,front-line providers have found that certain rehabilitation environments and procedures encourage a stronger recovery than others. But even as specialized facilities make strides, many people face barriers to adequate care. Complementary article to "The Neurobiology of Brain Injury"

By: Mark Ashley, Sc.D.

Cerebrum

The Neurobiology of Brain Injury

Authors Marcela Pekna and Milos Pekny explain what happens within the brain after injury and how scientists’ growing awareness of the brain's capacity for repair could lead to better treatment options. Complementary article to "Repairing the Injured Brain."

By: Marcela Pekna, M.D., Ph.D., Milos Pekny, M.D., Ph.D.

woman holding her neck
Cerebrum

A Future Without Chronic Pain

Neuroscience and Clinical Research

Chronic pain affects 1.5 billion people worldwide, an estimated 100 million of whom live in the United States. Yet we currently have no effective treatment options. Fortunately, research advances have determined some of the ways in which chronic pain changes the brain, and several promising research areas could lead to better treatment approaches. Dr. David Borsook recommends steps to facilitate these new treatments, including the establishment of integrated clinical neuroscience centers bridging the gap between bench and bedside.

By: David Borsook, M.D., Ph.D.

spoons holding various drugs
Cerebrum

Biomarkers and the Future of Treatment for Depression

There is currently no way to determine which antidepressant will work best for a given patient, which means that many people continue to suffer while their doctors try a series of medications. Many researchers have now focused their efforts on developing biomarkers for depression—tests for aspects of a patient’s physiology that can predict a clinical outcome. In the future, doctors may be able to screen patients to determine which treatment options will work for them, reducing the time a patient must continue to live with the effects of depression.

By: Marisa Toups, M.D., Madhukar H. Trivedi, M.D.

child kisses mom's pregnant belly
Cerebrum

The Role of Stress in Brain Development

The Gestational Environment’s Long-Term Effects on the Brain

During gestation, the fetal brain develops dramatically as structures and connections form, providing the foundation for all future development. Exposure to maternal stress can sometimes have deleterious effects on the fetus, depending on the cause, timing, duration, and intensity of stress. Fortunately, postnatal interventions, such as a secure parent-infant bond and an enriched environment, can buffer the potential negative consequences.

By: Claudia Buss, Ph.D., Sonja Entringer, Ph.D., James M. Swanson, Ph.D., Pathik D. Wadhwa, M.D., Ph.D.

cartoon of cranial nerves
Cerebrum

A New Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Treating Inflammation with Computerized Nerve Stimulation

Doctors currently treat rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling autoimmune disease, with an arsenal of drugs that, while often effective, can have serious side effects. Authors Ulf Andersson and Kevin J. Tracey describe a circuit between the immune system and the nervous system that enabled development of an implanted nerve stimulator to treat the disorder, now being tested by a patient in Bosnia. If further clinical trials show as much promise as this initial case, similar devices may be developed for a broad range of inflammation-related diseases, from diabetes to congestive heart failure.

By: Ulf Andersson, M.D., Ph.D.,, Kevin J. Tracey, M.D.

displaying page
of 2

Explore More

Sign up for monthly email updates on neuroscience & society topics, grants, and upcoming events

Subscribe