A few years ago, French researcher Daniel Schön showed that language learners find it easier to learn new words when someone sings them than when they are included in normal speech. And it is not only because of the motivation that is attributed to the music. The researchers say that listening to songs involves the same area of the brain that we use to learn languages. In addition, when we listen to a tune it is easier for us to remember the letter that accompanies it than if we try to memorize those same words without rhythm or cadence.
In addition to regulating blood sugar levels, insulin plays a critical role in modulating the activity of neurons involved in learning and memory, according to a new work published in the journal Neuron. "People often think that insulin regulation disorders simply cause diabetes, but many cognitive and behavioral defects, such as depression or dementia, are also associated with metabolic syndromes," says Yun Zhang, a biologist at Harvard University. and responsible for the study.
That in school they forced us to learn by singing the multiplication table or the rivers of Spain was not a whim. Accompanying the lesson with music is a good tactic to memorize, although some songs are more suitable than others. The ones that best help to retain information, scientists say, are those that use simple and highly repetitive melodies.
When energy is low and survival is threatened, the brain takes precedence over other organs and disables all its functions in order to save resources. Now, two new studies in fruit flies show that when these insects "starve," their neurons block the formation of long-term memories of negative or repetitive learning events. At the same time, their brains enhance the production of pleasant long-term memories.
As we age, it becomes more expensive for us to learn languages, memorize data ... A study by the Medical College of Georgia (USA) suggests that it is because the brain loses the ability to filter only what is relevant and to eliminate old and obsolete, rather than difficulties in storing new material.
When the activity of the transcription factor CREB increases in the brain, in the brain what scientists call 'long-term potentiation' increases, a phenomenon related to memory and the formation of memories. These are the results of a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Brief, intense exercise improves memory. This has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of California Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Their findings are published in the latest issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The biological function of pain is to indicate that a harmful alteration that can harm us takes place in the body. However, sometimes we also feel pain in the absence of noxious stimuli. On World Pain Day, we tell you some of the discoveries about pain and its perception.
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.
