When animals are made to feel anxious and frustrated, they often turn to displacement activities - goals which may be irrelevant, but which they can at least achieve. Rats may run so eagerly on wheel that they starve themselves to death. Dogs may lick themselves so repetitively that they develop skin lesions. But what do humans do?One thing we can do, according to new research by Ian McGregor and
8 Vote(s)
July 11, 2010
Forget your worries with religious zealotry
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July 8, 2010
Chemical makes brain cells grow, thwarts mental decline in aging rats
Scientists have discovered a compound that restores the capacity to form new memories in aging rats, likely by improving the survival of newborn neurons in the brain's memory hub. The research has turned up clues to a neuroprotective mechanism that could lead to a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The neuroprotective compound, called P7C3, holds promise because of its medication-friendly propert
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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June 5, 2010
Extinction Training In Rats Induces A Memory Of Safety, Offers Potential For Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders
Researchers have found a way to pharmacologically induce a memory of safety in the brain of rats, mimicking the effect of training. The finding suggests possibilities for new treatments for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders. Rats normally freeze when they hear a tone they have been conditioned to associate with an electric shock...
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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June 3, 2010
Drug induces a memory of safety in rat brains
Researchers have found a way to pharmacologically induce a memory of safety in the brain of rats, mimicking the effect of training. The finding suggests possibilities for new treatments for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders.
14 Vote(s)
14 Vote(s)
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February 2, 2010
Novelty lures rats from cocaine-paired settings, hinting at new treatments for recovering addicts
The brain's innate interest in the new and different may help trump the power of addictive drugs, according to new research. In controlled experiments, novelty drew cocaine-treated rats away from the place they got cocaine.
11 Vote(s)
11 Vote(s)
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September 22, 2009
Long-Term Risky Decision Making May Have Its Roots In Adolescent Alcohol Expsoure
Picture this. A bunch of adolescent rats walk into a bar and start consuming Jell-O shots. Lots of them. Then, three weeks later, some of those party rats are given the choice of pushing one lever that always will give them two sugary pellets or another lever that will give them a larger but uncertain reward of either four or zero treats.
11 Vote(s)
11 Vote(s)
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Adolescent Alcohol Expsoure May Lead To Long-term Risky Decision Making
Exposure to alcohol during adolescence apparently leads to long-term risky decision making, and a new study with rats shows there is a causal link.
12 Vote(s)
12 Vote(s)
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September 16, 2009
New evidence for the Mozart effect?
Last week an interesting study was published (online) that provides evidence that music exposure facilitates neuroplasticity in rats. While I feel quite uncomfortable with using animals for these studies (especially if you read the explicit method sections of these kind of neurobiological papers :-) , the results could well contribute to a better insight in how music might be functional in the n
20 Vote(s)
20 Vote(s)
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September 4, 2009
Rats found to mentally re-enact events
September 02, 2009 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sep 2, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists say they have discovered rats engage in a mental re-enactment of their recent experiences when choosing what actions to take.
5 Vote(s)
5 Vote(s)
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August 27, 2009
Rats’ Mental ‘Instant Replay’ Drives Next Moves
Researchers have found that rats use a mental instant replay of their actions to help them decide what to do next, shedding new light on how animals and humans learn and remember.
13 Vote(s)
13 Vote(s)
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