How the BRAIN Initiative is Changing Neuroscience
The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, a large-scale, public-private research program launched in 2014, aims to be ambitious and transformative. Its overarching goal is to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain, driven by the development and application of breakthrough technologies. Such a bold vision requires changes in the practice of science, from grant writing to data sharing.
As we approach the halfway mark of this 10-year effort, we can evaluate how scientists are responding to this challenge.
Read my article in Neuroscience Quarterly: The BRAIN Initiative: Changing Neuroscience.
Americans are Sitting More, Despite Health Risks
You might want to take this news standing up. A national survey shows that Americans of all ages are spending more time sitting. Research suggests that sitting for a long time, especially when watching television or videos, may be bad for your health. More time sitting has been linked to diseases like diabetes and cancer. It’s also tied to an increased risk for mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Check out my first story for Science News for Students: New Risk From Too Much Screen Time.
Health Care Chatbots
Chatbots are computer programs designed to carry on a dialogue with people, assisting them via text messages, applications, or instant messaging. Essentially, instead of having a conversation with a person, the user talks with a bot that’s powered by basic rules or artificial intelligence. Chatbots are already widely used to support, expedite, and improve processes in other industries and now the technology is gaining traction in health care, where it is helping patients and providers perform myriad tasks.
Read the whole story at IEEE Pulse: Health Care Chatbots Are Here to Help.
Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides
Recent data from Nationwide Children's Hospital show a disproportionate increase in the suicide rate among female relative to male youth, highlighting a significant reduction in the historically large gap in suicide rates between sexes.
Read more on the study here: A Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides.
Brain Imaging Bipolar Disorder in High-Risk Children
Researchers report a potential neural marker of individual risk in those with a family history of bipolar disorder. The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, points to particular patterns of brain connectivity as future potential targets for early intervention. Patterns in connectivity in a portion of the frontal lobe called the inferior frontal gyrus appears to be an early biomarker in children of parents with bipolar disorder.
Read more about the study here: Can Brain Imaging Help Predict Bipolar Disorder in High Risk Children?