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December 2, 2008 4:30:12 AM CST

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MRI

MRI news stories

10 Stories

 Multitasking 
 Is a Myth 

Imaging shows brain quickly switches among tasks instead

NPR NPR Oct 4, 08 9:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Pull your ears away from that cell phone: Multitasking is a myth. New research shows we can’t really concentrate on two things at once; rather, the executive functions of the brain sweep quickly between multiple tasks. It’s thought that survival and the hunt made this rapid refocusing of attention an evolutionary boon. NPR checked in with researchers studying the phenomenon. More »

MRIs Hold Promise of Early Alzheimer's Detection

Brain plaque spotted in rabbits

Reuters Reuters Jul 28, 08 2:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Researchers are a step closer to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRI scanners. Plaque associated with Alzheimer's has been detected in rabbits by a team in Canada using MRI equipment, Reuters reports. Currently, the disease is diagnosed based on a series of tests, but a diagnosis can only be confirmed by an autopsy.    More »

 Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's 

Study finds fit patients have less brain atrophy

WebMD WebMD Jul 15, 08 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Alzheimer's patients may be able to slow the progression of the disease with exercise, a new study has discovered. Patients who were in poorer physical condition experienced up to four times more brain shrinkage than those who were physically fit, WebMD reports. More »

More about:  exercise • Alzheimer's • MRI • physical fitness

Brains Look Alike in Gay Men, Straight Women

Findings add to evidence that sexual orientation is innate

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) Jun 17, 08 12:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gay men and straight women have similarly shaped brains, new research shows. Homosexual men and heterosexual women both have relatively symmetrical brains, while heterosexual men and lesbians have significantly larger right hemispheres, reports the Guardian . The research provides new evidence that sexual orientation is hardwired into the brain. More »

More about:  homosexuality • brain • MRI

Tiny Shocks
Win by a Nose

Sense of smell shows electric response; technique could help PTSD patients

Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Mar 28, 08 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Electric shocks can sharpen the sense of smell, a finding that suggests new ways of altering sensory perception, the Chicago Tribune reports. MRIs showed subjects’ brains actually changing after researchers administered tiny shocks, which improved their ability to distinguish between similar smells. Because many psychological conditions relate to the senses, the results could shed light on possible treatments. More »

More about:  brain • mental health • PTSD • therapy • health research • MRI • sense of smell • electrical shocks • phobias

 No Lie: Polygraphs On the Rise 

Critics hold firm, but use of test growing nationwide

Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal Mar 22, 08 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Despite lingering reservations about its effectiveness, the polygraph is gaining traction with law enforcement. The lie-detection program has spiked 53% in the last decade, and truth be told, just the threat of a test keeps convicts honest, drug addicts and sex offenders told the Wall Street Journal. “Don’t believe anyone who tells you polygraph doesn’t work,” one Oregon pedophile said. More »

More about:  Texas • Colorado • Denver • Houston • Oregon • Dallas • sex offenders • domestic violence • MRI • parole • polygraph

Virtual Surgery Coming Soon?

3D models of patients'  bodies would let surgeons practice first

Scientific American Scientific American Dec 8, 07 6:39 AM CST
(Newser) - Within five years, surgeons may be able to create 3D virtual models of patients' bodies in order to practice surgeries ahead of time. While current virtual surgery lags far behind the realism of, say, combat video games, a UCLA assistant math professor believes this could change soon, reports Scientific American . High costs could delay adoption in hospitals, however. More »

More about:  medicine • surgery • MRI • CT scans • virtual imaging

Brains of ADHD Kids
Mature Later: Study

Cortex controlling action and attention lags three years behind

NPR NPR Nov 13, 07 3:35 AM CST
(Newser) - The brains of hyperactive children appear to develop more slowly than those of their peers,  researchers have discovered, with the cortex—the area that affects attention and action— maturing 3 years later than in other children. The finding accounts for the fact that many kids with ADHD grow out of the problem by the time they reach adulthood, NPR reports, and may prompt new ways to understand and treat the disorder. More »

More about:  children • brain • scientific study • ADHD • MRI

Do Vegetative Patients Dream of Comatose Sheep?

Research sheds light on impaired brain activity

New Yorker New Yorker Oct 14, 07 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - New research into the way vegetative brains function is challenging the way the scientific community classifies cognitively impaired patients. Recent studies show that some vegetative patients can recognize faces, acquire new memories, and imagine physical movement—all mental activities long held to be out of reach for such patients, the New Yorker writes. More »

More about:  neuroscience • brain damage • MRI

MRIs Beat Mammograms at Spotting Earliest Breast Cancer

Researchers urge switch to save lives

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) Aug 10, 07 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - MRIs significantly outperform mammograms in detecting pockets of abnormal cells that can lead to full-blown breast cancer, and the costly scans should be used routinely to save more women's lives, researchers say. A new study out today says MRIs detected 92% of the early lesions, called ductal carcinoma in situ, while mammograms found only 57%, the Guardian reports. More »

More about:  cancer • breast cancer • medical research • cancer research • mammogram • MRI • oncology

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