A new study from Western University shows how the brain controls what information becomes memories and the role diet and obesity play in these formations. Published in the journal Trends in Neuroscience, the study describes the critical importance of perineuronal nets...
Neuroscience
Researchers find a way to stop stress-induced seizures after traumatic brain injury
For the over one million Canadians who are living with traumatic brain injury, the likelihood of developing epilepsy increases significantly because of their injury. When faced with stress or anxiety, that likelihood increases even more dramatically. While clinically...
Brain health of older adults enhanced by low-intensity physical activity
Older adults who engage in short bursts of physical activity can experience a boost in brain health even if the activity is carried out at a reasonably low intensity, according to new findings from Western University. Researchers from Western’s School of Kinesiology...
London Brain Bee 2019 encourages next generation of neuroscientists
For more than 40 years, some of Western University’s most internationally recognized research has come from the field of neuroscience research. A special event, later this spring, aims to encourage and foster the next generation of neuroscientists as Western hosts the...
Your spinal cord is ‘smarter’ than previously thought: research shows our spinal cords contribute to sophisticated hand function
We often think of our brains as being at the centre of complex motor function and control, but how ‘smart’ is your spinal cord? Turns out it is smarter than we think. It is well known that the circuits in this part of our nervous system, which travel down the length...
Black widow spiders rely on posture and body dynamics for survival and sex
A new study led by Western University’s Natasha Mhatre shows that body dynamics and posture are crucial to how black widow spiders decode the important vibrations that travel through their webs and up their legs. Black widows rely on these vibrations for sexual...
World’s largest sleep study shows too much shut-eye can be bad for your brain
Preliminary results from the world’s largest sleep study have shown that people who sleep on average between 7 to 8 hours per night performed better cognitively than those who slept less, or more, than this amount. Neuroscientists from Western University’s renowned...
Brain game doesn’t offer brain gain
A new study led by a team of Western University neuroscientists has debunked claims that getting better at a brain training game can translate to improved performance in other, untrained cognitive tasks. This study, published in the journal Neuropsychologia, set out...
London Brain Bee 2018 encourages next generation of neuroscientists
Western University has long been internationally recognized for its excellence in neuroscience research. From developing and advancing innovative imaging technology to deciphering the neural basis for cognitive functions, Western cultivates an integrated approach to...
Western researchers reverse the negative effects of adolescent marijuana use
Researchers at Western University have found a way to use pharmaceuticals to reverse the negative psychiatric effects of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana. Chronic adolescent marijuana use has previously been linked to the development of psychiatric...
World’s largest sleep study launches from Western’s Brain and Mind Institute
Renowned Western University neuroscientist Adrian Owen has launched the world’s largest sleep-and-cognition study to help researchers learn the effects on our brains of sleep and sleep deprivation. “Many of us are working more erratic hours and sleeping less, while...
Western neuroscientist’s book explores the borderlines of consciousness
Western neuroscientist Adrian Owen’s work has transformed how medical teams, families and philosophers understand the spaces between life and death for people in a vegetative state. And now Owen is sharing his discoveries and insights more broadly in his book, Into...