Brain's vision secrets unraveled

A new study led by scientists at the Universities of York and Bradford has identified the two areas of the brain responsible for our perception of orientation and shape.
Using sophisticated imaging equipment at York Neuroimaging Centre (YNiC), the research found that the two neighbouring areas of the cortex—each about the size of a 5p coin and known as human visual field maps—process the different types of visual information independently. The scientists, from the Department of Psychology at York and the Bradford School of Optometry & Vision Science established how the two areas worked by subjecting them to magnetic fields for a short period which disrupted their normal brain activity. The research which is reported in Nature Neuroscience represents an important step forward in understanding how the brain processes visual information.

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This Is How Your Brain Works

Quick, what’s 23 times 46? No time to think, your mind has already figured it out. Confused? No need for an explanation, your mind is two steps ahead of you. Sometimes your brain is working so fast it’s getting everything wrong.

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Dementia in the General Hospital: Raising Awareness [Video]

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A short film to raise awareness of the needs of patients with dementia in the general hospital setting. Roy Fleet was the inspiration for the film and his daughters Trish Barnes and Kath Kearns share his experiences.

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Folic acid cuts brain tumour risk

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Mothers who take folic acid pre-pregnancy can cut the risk of their baby developing a childhood brain tumour by almost half, a new study suggests.

This is the result of a five year study by the Australian Childhood Brain Tumour Consortium (Aus-CBT), led by Professor Elizabeth Milne at WA’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the study stands out as the largest and most comprehensive national research performed so far on this topic.



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The Strange Neuroscience of Immortality

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“Hayworth has spent much of the past few years in a windowless room carving brains into very thin slices. He is by all accounts a curious man, known for casually saying things like, “The human race is on a beeline to mind uploading: We will preserve a brain, slice it up, simulate it on a computer, and hook it up to a robot body.” He wants that brain to be his brain. He wants his 100 billion neurons and more than 100 trillion synapses to be encased in a block of transparent, amber-colored resin—before he dies of natural causes.”

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Brain scans detect signs of autism by six months

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“Abnormal brain development in high-risk infants who develop autism may be detected as early as age 6 months — before the appearance of autism symptoms.

Autism is typically diagnosed around the age of 2 or 3. Research suggests that the symptoms of autism — problems with communication, social interaction and behavior — can improve with early intervention.”

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