TopicsHow exactly a punch with extremely powerful force is launched is not fully understood. According to previous studies, the power needed to generate a karate punch is not a result of strong muscles, but is related to the control of the muscle by the brain. Researchers from Imperial College London and UCL conducted a study to test the punching ability of karate experts. They found that it is the brain which is responsible for the generation of a powerful punch, and not the muscle strength. For the study, the researchers compared 12 karate black belts trained for around 14 years with 12 people of similar age, who were physically fit members of the public, but did not have any experience of martial arts.
Some of us would go to any extent to win or excel. For some people, winning isn't everything and are happy participating or just being a part of the group. So what exactly does make some people competitive and some others not? Two researchers from University of Otago perhaps can explain what exactly in the brain drives competitive behavior. Dr Kristin Hillman and Professor David Bilkey from the Department of Psychology, have found that neurons in a specific region of the frontal cortex called the anterior cingulate cortex, become active during decisions involving competitive effort.
A new research reveals that when our nose is blocked due to a cold or allergy, the brain is working hard behind the scene during that time, to make sure that when the sense of smell is recovered, it is as sharp as it used to be. According to the new Northwestern Medicine study, in which the nose of the participants was blocked experimentally for a week, the brain exhibited rapid changes in the olfactory regions. This indicated that when the sense of smell is gone, the brain compensated for the interruption and the brain pattern comes down to normal soon after the breathing is restored.
A new study by a team of researchers from Yale University claims that major depression and stress can cause loss of brain volume, which contributes to emotional and cognitive impairment. According to the scientists, the reason behind the same is apparently a single genetic switch which triggers loss of brain connections in humans and depression in animal models. The loss of the brain volume takes place in the prefrontal cortex.
Scientists have recently discovered stem cells, which they believe are responsible for the embryonic origins of human consciousness. The stem cells, newly-identified in mice by scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla form the upper layers of the cerebral cortex (outer covering of gray matter over the hemispheres) , where higher brain functions are located.
A new study claims that eating chocolate can improve the brain's ability to solve math problems. Also, an intake of flavanols, the compounds found in chocolate, makes it less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, and authors of the study suggest that it could be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks. "For things that are difficult to do, mentally demanding things that maybe crop up in your work it could help," Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, and a co-author of the study said.
To achieve many of our long-term goals, we need to practice self-control. From losing weight to passing an exam, one needs to make a lot of choices and sacrifices based on what is desired in the end. One should let go of the need for immediate gratification, focusing on the bigger reward later. According to researchers Kentaro Fujita and Jessica Carnevale from The Ohio State University, the way people subjectively understand or interpret events is what influences their self-control.
Although each one of us tries hard to 'live in the moment', as that thought seems key to happiness, it may not be practically possible, researchers say. Neuroscientists have discovered a particular brain area that guides our future behavior using past instances. The study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh is the first study to analyze signals associated with metacognition-a person's ability to monitor and control cognition, the press release states.
More and more women are opting for cesarean births, either because they do not want to go through the labor pain or simply because they want their babies to be born on a day and time convenient for them. However, new studies say that as convenient as it sounds, it might not be the best way to welcome your baby. According to a research, babies born by C-section might not be as intelligent as those born naturally. The study has found higher IQ levels in babies born naturally.
A recent study has found that fainting runs in families. People who faint at the sight of blood or following a shock could have other people in their family with the same reaction in similar situations. The researchers studied 51 identical and non-identical sets of twins (at least one of whom had a history of fainting) and found fainting has a strong genetic component.
A recent study, that studied the pattern in which men and women focus on things and how they get distracted, had found that it differs widely for both the genders. The new study conducted by University of South California shows that for men and women, the way in which their eyes wander, their attention span, and the things which distract them, differs. Previous studies in the vision and attention area has always been disregarding factors such as sex, race and age.
A latest research by UC Irvine scientists claims that people who have excellent autobiographic memory have different brains and mental processes than those who cannot. The first person ever to have been documented for her extraordinary memory of the past was identified as "AJ." However, this latest study is the first scientific evidence of almost a dozen people with this uncanny ability.
Alcohol consumption is the third largest reason for the factor responsible for onset of various diseases and in spite of that, there are only three FDA approved drugs available to treat Alcohol dependence.
The cure for blindness could just be in a chemical injection into the eye, claim scientists. According to a latest research, the chemical called AAQ works by making normally 'blind' cells in the retina sensitive to light, reports the Telegraph. During the experiment, scientists in the US could restore vision in congenially blind mice and they hope that an improved version of the chemical could possibly cure inherited and age-related forms of blindness in people.
A latest research suggests that a single event of trauma to brain is enough for a person to get Alzheimer's disease. According to a research conducted on mice and utilizing post-mortem samples of brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease, a single traumatic brain Injury caused to the brain, can disrupt proteins that regulate an enzyme associated with Alzheimer's. They study identifies the mechanisms after the injury that result in a vigorous increase of the enzyme, BACE1, in the bra...
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Study Reveals How the Body Fights off the Damaging Effects of Depression 
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