Science and Medicine Briefs

THE HYPOCRETIN DIET PLAN  Two newly discovered brain messengers may lead to a deeper understanding of how the body controls weight. These neurotransmitters, dubbed hypocretins, are produced in the brain’s hypothalamus. In other studies, researchers have linked cells in this area of the brain to the control of food consumption. “The discovery of a new neurotransmitter is always significant, but the location of these neurotransmitters in the brain makes this work particularly exciting,” said senior research scientist Thomas Kilduff (pictured). The scientists now plan to test the effects of supplying excess hypocretins or preventing hypocretin production in experiments with mice or rats.

DYSLEXIA INSIGHT  Between 3 and 9 percent of the population is affected by dyslexia, an impairment of the ability to read. For decades, doctors have disagreed over its cause. A new Stanford study finds that the disorder may be caused by a subtle vision problem. Researchers found that the level of brain activity in the visual cortex ­ the portion of the brain devoted to processing visual signals ­ appears to predict the speed at which people with dyslexia can

Related Information:

• Lower brain activity in visual cortex associated with dyslexia

read. This is only one of a handful of cases in which a strong link between individual behavior and brain differences has been established. “We found compelling evidence that there is a visual deficit associated with dyslexia, but at this time we don’t know for certain if the deficit causes dyslexia or is just a

Sci & Med Briefs (Plain text)

Previous | Next