Kim Peek was a "walking encyclopedia" who in her life memorized more than 8,000 books since her parents began reading stories to her when she was only 18 months old. Peek was able to read and memorize a page in a record time of 10 seconds. And he still had plenty of room in his head to remember, for example, all the zip codes in the United States.
Scientists at the University of California Irvine (UCI), in the United States, have discovered fascinating differences in the brains and mental processes of an extraordinary group of people capable of remembering effortlessly - and in great detail - every moment of their lives since they were 10 years old.
Practicing yogic meditation for 12 minutes a day reduces the inflammatory response of the immune system that is associated with many chronic health problems, including stress, according to a study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. Researchers at the University of California had already found in previous work that meditation practice increases brain connections.
A team of scientists from the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) has managed to erase memories in laboratory mice, as they have declared at the VIII Congress of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) held in Barcelona. Specifically, the researchers prevented the animals from remembering the association between two stimuli that they had previously learned.
A Spanish team in collaboration with an American laboratory have just achieved a breakthrough for the world of neurology. According to the research, published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' (PNAS), they have succeeded, for the first time, in transforming cells from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby into neurons, which opens up a world of possibilities for future treatments against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Optogenetics is a technique used to 'turn' and 'turn off' groups of brain cells that is causing a furor in the neuroscience world. The method combines genetics, optics and virology and will allow studying the role of neurons in depression, anxiety, memory and social behavior.
Altruistic people have more gray matter in a small part of the brain that is also related to empathy or the ability to put themselves 'in the shoes' of others, according to an article published in the journal Neuron. The latest neuroscientific advances indicate that the structure of the brain is related to many personal characteristics and abilities.
While we are asleep, our brain takes the opportunity to 'assimilate' all the information received during the day. Although this is something that has been known for a long time, scientists are now beginning to understand how all this happens in our brains. A team of researchers from the Hospital Clínico de Barcelona has studied the synchrony between neurons during sleep, a process that is essential to consolidate memory, and presents its results at the congress of the European Federation of Neuroscientific Societies (FENS), which celebrate these days in Barcelona.
Danni Büchner is invited to Sam Dylan's Halloween party. But the "Goodbye Germany" emigrant has no desire for many other party guests. And find clear words.
