LOS ANGELES - We know maps can lead us to some of our favorite destinations, but did you know they may also put us on the road to better health? Now, new research in brain mapping may help find treatments to some of the most common neurological and memory disorders. Dr. Mayank Mehta is one of a number of researchers at UCLA studying the secrets of the human brain. "We hope this could help us understand what goes wrong in Alzheimers disease," said Mehta, a professor of neurology, physics and astronomy. Mehta mapped neuron patterns that form when rats do simple tasks in hopes of learning more about how different sections of the brain communicate. "The brain has its own dynamics, its own laws of physics. If that goes wrong, clearly it will play a role in loss of memory, such as Alzheimers or PTSD," Mehta explained. They're diseases that Dr. Arthur Toga said may one day be treated with targeted therapies using brain mapping. "Our ability to look at a living brain of an individual that has a disease, or has had a traumatic brain injury, has allowed us to target exactly what has happened and suggest various therapies," … Continue reading →

A traumatic brain injury (TBI), typically resulting from car crashes, slip and falls, or other severe impacts, may occur without the victim even realizing they have suffered an injury at all. Although the victim may look and speak normally, dangerous symptoms can develop from sudden brain impact such as decreased cognition, change in mental state, or altered personality. With both the lack of awareness and victim recognition, sufferers typically go unnoticed, failing to receive any mental care for their injury. A tramautic brain injury can occur when the skull strikes an object such as a steering wheel, the windshield of a car, or other object at a high velocity. The impact may cause bruising of the brain not visible at the time of accident. However, it is important to remember that a traumatic brain injury can also result without the head striking anything at all. When the neck is whipped back and forth, the brain has nowhere to go except back and forth inside the skull literally striking the skull with each movement. So while the head may not strike anything, the brain is striking the skull repeatedly. A traumatic brain injury can result from such force. Diagnosis can be … Continue reading →

Colm OMolloy for The Boston Globe Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone (near right) and Dr. Mo Shafi use magnetic stimulation technology to observe brain function on a study participant at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. By Karen Weintraub / Globe Correspondent/ July 14, 2013 Although scoffed at for years, computer games that drill specific skills are gaining currency as a viable treatment for brain conditions and a hedge against normal aging. A growing body of evidence suggests that a brain trained this way will be better equipped to work around damage caused by disease, injury, deficits, or aging just as a physically fit person can better avoid and bounce back from injury. Bonnie Wong, a clinical neuropsychologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and her colleagues are starting what they envision as a gym for the mind, offering brain training exercises specially designed computer games as well as nutritional and lifestyle coaching, social opportunities, and classes in meditation, music, and yoga. Full story for BostonGlobe.com subscribers. Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company. Get the full story with unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com. Just 99 for 4 weeks. Get Access Now Continued here: A gym for the mind: Brain ‘training’ gains currency as treatment for … Continue reading →