Is ESP Real?

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Psychologists at Harvard University have developed a new method to study extrasensory perception that, they argue, can resolve the century-old debate over its existence. According to the authors, their study not only illustrates a new method for studying such phenomena, but also provides the strongest evidence yet obtained against the existence of extrasensory perception, or ESP. The research was led by Samuel Moulton, a graduate student in the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University with Stephen Kosslyn, John Lindsley Professor of Psychology at Harvard and was published in the Jan. 2008 issue of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. The scientists used brain scanning to test whether individuals have knowledge that cannot be explained through normal perceptual processing. “If any ESP processes exist, then participants’ brains should respond differently to ESP and non-ESP stimuli,” … Read more

Mitochondria Defects Linked To Social Behavior And Spatial Memory

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Respiration deficiencies in mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses, are associated with changed social behavior and spatial memory in laboratory mice.This research, conducted by Atsuko Kasahara and colleagues at the University of Tsukuba, Kyoto University, and the Fujita Health University in Japan, may open the door to understanding the connection in humans between mitochondrial breakdowns and mental illness. Previous studies have shown that mitochondrial “cytopathies” can underlie conditions as diverse as muscle weakness, lactic acidosis, mental retardation, stroke, diabetes, or heart disease. Significant mitochondrial genetic defects have been found in patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It also has been reported that mutated mtDNAs are associated with mood disorders and schizophrenia. Since the brain’s normal functioning depends on a large amount of the ATP energy that mitochondria harvest from food through aerobic respiration, Kasahara and colleagues theorized that pathogenic … Read more

Surgeon Pulled Teeth Directly For Profit

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Pulling more teeth than medically necessary from patients mouths, just to make money. That’s the allegation against a local oral surgeon whom News 3 Investigators first exposed a year ago. The state started investigating after her story, and now she tells us what the state says needs to be done to protect patients. The State Board of Dental Examiners wanted to suspend Dr. Jay Selznick’s license, put him on three years probation, prevent him from treating medicaid patients for nine months and force him to reimburse some patients. All because they believe he’s operating below the standard of care and falsifying records to cover his tracks. “I’m glad the truth finally came out and justice will prevail. He will get what he’s got coming. He thinks that he’s above the law, and he’s not.” We first met Medicaid patient Karyn … Read more

Brain Systems Become Less Coordinated With Age, Even In The Absence Of Disease

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Some brain systems become less coordinated with age even in the absence of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from Harvard University. The results help to explain why advanced age is often accompanied by a loss of mental agility, even in an otherwise healthy individual.The study was led by Jessica Andrews-Hanna, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. “This research helps us to understand how and why our minds change as we get older, and why some individuals remain sharp into their 90s, while others’ mental abilities decline as they age,” says Andrews-Hanna. “One of the reasons for loss of mental ability may be that these systems in the brain are no longer in sync with one another.” Previous studies have focused on the specific structures and functions within … Read more

Researchers Reverse Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

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esearchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance can be reversed when the naturally occurring brain peptide, orexin-A, is administered in monkeys.”These findings are significant because of their potential applicability,” said Samuel A. Deadwyler, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest. “This could benefit patients suffering from narcolepsy and other serious sleep disorders. But it also has applicability to shift workers, the military and many other occupations where sleep is often limited, yet cognitive demand remains high.” Orexin-A, also known as hypocretin-1, is a naturally occurring peptide produced in the brain that regulates sleep. It’s secreted by a small number of neurons but affects many brain regions during the day and people who have normal amounts of orexin-A are able to maintain wakefulness. When people or animals … Read more