Wiping out memories at a press of a button, just like with a ‘neuralizer’ from the Men in Black movie, may soon become a reality. Researchers have managed to erase and then restore lost memory in genetically modified rats with a flash of light. The study by researchers from University of California in San Diego, published in Nature journal , is the first cause-and-effect evidence that strengthening... 

Scientists reprogram urine cells to generate neurons: Chinese scientists claim to have succeeded in reprogramming cells from human urine into brain cells (neural progenitor), in a study that may contribute to future advances in the treatment of degenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Research has contributed to the advancement of the treatment of degenerative diseases... 

In the Swedish Academy of young translators, new recruits study a crash course in complex languages. It is not only about military discipline: specialists discovered that intensive study of foreign tongues stimulates the growth of the hippocampus and causes changes in other structures of the brain. Learning languages also helps in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. In the Swedish Academy, young... 

Cases of dementia are anticipated to rise significantly in the coming decades due to improvements in life expectancy and medical care in poorer countries, warns the World Health Organisation (WHO). In 2010, approximately 35.6 million people were living with dementia, a figure expected to double to 65.7 million by 2030 and triple to 115.4 million by 2050, according to the United Nations health agency... 

Fasting a day or two a week may protect the brain against degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, according to a study by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Baltimore, USA. Meeting of the AAAS: “Reducing calorie consumption could help the brain, but simply reducing food intake may not be the best way to enable this protection. It’s probably better to alternate... 

Almost a million Australians will have dementia by 2050 unless there are significant medical breakthroughs, a conference in Brisbane has been told. Dementia, along with diabetes, is an emerging epidemic in Australia, the federal Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, told the 14th annual conference of Alzheimer’s Australia. About 270,000 Australians currently live with dementia... 

Got a pot belly? The risk of dementia and Alzheimer's is higher, say scientists Having a ‘pot belly’ in middle age raises the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in later life, warn researchers. A new study shows people with large stomachs by the time they reach their 50s are significantly more likely to have smaller brains. Those with the biggest girths had a lower...