Brain and Behavior
Life Lines
Category archives for Brain and Behavior
Potential link between environmental contaminants and autism
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on June 7, 2012
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Idiopathic autism has been on the rise in recent years and is thought to be caused by a mixture of genetic risk factors as well as some as yet unknown environmental factors. Research suggests a link between antidepressant use by pregnant women and the development of autism. Further, some unmetabolized psychoactive pharmaceuticals (UPPs) have…
Restoring movement after paralysis
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on June 5, 2012 Scientists have been able to restore locomotion in paralyzed rats using a combination of nerve stimulation and engaging the mind by having the rats complete simple tasks (like obtaining treats). In the newly published research, Dr. Grégroire Courtine (University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) and his team created a rat model of spinal…