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“Some scientists refer to the immune system as the seventh sense,” says Dr. Hao Jin, a neuroimmunologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It’s a comparison that anyone who’s ever had a common cold can appreciate. Much like our traditional senses help us perceive and interact with our external world, our immune system — a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs — helps us sense and respond to threats in our internal environment. And, as we all know, it’s not always a pleasant experience. When bacteria or viruses invade our body, our immune system springs into action, releasing pro-inflammatory molecu...... Read Full article on HadNews

From the very early days of the pandemic, brain fog emerged as a significant health condition that many experience after COVID-19. Brain fog is a colloquial term that describes a state of mental sluggishness or lack of clarity and haziness that makes it difficult to concentrate, remember things and think clearly. Fast-forward four years and there is now abundant evidence that being infected with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – can affect brain health in many ways. In addition to brain fog, COVID-19 can lead to an array of problems, including headaches, seizure disorders, strokes, sleep problems, and tingling and paraly...... Read Full article on HadNews

The case of Noah Wall is a truly remarkable story that challenges the limits of what we know about the human body and its abilities. Born with only 2% of his brain and facing a myriad of health challenges, Noah Wall defied all odds to live his life to the fullest. While it is scientifically impossible to survive without a brain, Noah’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Noah’s parents, Shelly and Rob, refused to give up on their son even when doctors told them there was little hope. Despite being born with severe brain abnormalities, Noah continued to breathe, respond to stimuli, and even celebrate his 12th bir...... Read Full article on HadNews

Have you ever noticed that time slows down while you’re traveling somewhere new yet flies by when you’re steeped in your everyday routine? Doesn’t this seem to contradict the old saying “time flies when you’re having fun”? Although scientists generally agree on the basics of how we see, hear, think, and plan, time perception largely remains a mystery, with little consensus on how it’s processed in the brain.  Recently, some researchers have been turning toward the body — the heart, specifically — to explore how we subjectively process time. Their findings not only solve part of the mystery but also suggest that we can influence our sense of ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Many people have compared the addictive nature of social media to cigarettes. Checking your likes, they say, is the new smoke break. Others say the unease over social media is just the next round of moral panic about new technologies. We are a pair of researchers who investigate how social media affects the mental health of young people. More than 75% of teens check their phone hourly, and half say they feel like they’re addicted to their devices. Here are some of the things they’ve told us: “TikTok has me in a chokehold.” “I would 1,000% say I am addicted.” “I feel completely aware that it is hijacking my brain, but I can’t put...... Read Full article on HadNews

MIT neuroscientists have found that the brain’s sensitivity to rewarding experiences — a critical factor in motivation and attention — can be shaped by socioeconomic conditions. In a study of 12 to 14-year-olds whose socioeconomic status (SES) varied widely, the researchers found that children from lower SES backgrounds showed less sensitivity to reward than those from more affluent backgrounds. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the research team measured brain activity as the children played a guessing game in which they earned extra money for each correct guess. When participants from higher SES backgrounds guessed correc...... Read Full article on HadNews

Oral contraceptives, also known as birth control pills, are used by more than 150 million women worldwide. Approximately one-third of teenagers in North America and Europe use them, making them the most prescribed drug for teenagers. It is well known that oral contraceptives have the power to alter a woman’s menstrual cycle. What’s less well known is that they can also have an effect on the brain, particularly in the regions that are important for regulating emotions. As a doctoral student and professor of psychology at UQAM, we were interested in the impact of oral contraceptives on the brain regions involved in emotional processes. ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Music’s power over your brain, explained | Michael Spitzer Humans have been making music and learning to recognize it from the moment our species learned to walk on two legs and create a predictable beat. Michael Spitzer, a music expert and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, explains in a video titled "Music’s power over your brain, explained" that humans are musical animals 4 million years in the making. The rhythm of walking has stamped human music, forging links between the brain, muscular exertion, and sound. Music reflects walking, and this gives humans a fascination with the metaphor that music moves. The video delves i...... Read Full article on HadNews

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why do we have a certain taste in music, different than others? – Shirya R., age 11 When you turn on the radio, you might hear songs you like and other songs you just skip past. But even the songs you don’t like usually have some fans. Maybe you don’t like older music, but your parents or grandparents might love it because they grew up with it. It’s familiar and comfortable. When you’re older, you’l...... Read Full article on HadNews

There’s no shortage of advice about what to eat, including hype about the latest superfoods that will help you live to 100, or about the newest restrictive diets that claim to help you lose weight and look beautiful. As a researcher from the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, I’m well aware that there is no universal “healthy diet” that will work for everyone. However, most professionals would agree that a diet should be well balanced between the food groups, and it’s better to include more things like vegetables and fermented foods in your diet than restrict yourself unnecessarily. Eating foods that promote gut hea...... Read Full article on HadNews