Only 35 percent of Americans know the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Yet 80 percent of respondents want to reduce their risk of dementia.

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  • A new MDVIP/Ipsos survey found that only 35 percent of Americans know the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
  • Eighty percent of respondents said they want to reduce their risks.
  • An estimated 7.1 million Americans over the age of 65 will suffer from Alzheimer's by 2025.
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Scientists uncover the brain circuitry that causes mysterious dissociative experiences

A team of researchers have discovered the brain rhythmic activity that can split us from reality.

Credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
  • Researchers have identified the key rhythmic brain activity that triggers a bizarre experience called dissociation in which people can feel detached from their identity and environment.
  • This phenomena is experienced by about 2 percent to 10 percent of the population. Nearly 3 out of 4 individuals who have experienced a traumatic event will slip into a dissociative state either during the event or sometime after.
  • The findings implicate a specific protein in a certain set of cells as key to the feeling of dissociation, and it could lead to better-targeted therapies for conditions in which dissociation can occur.
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Measuring brain waves during sleep could lead to better depression treatments

A team at the University of Basel discovered a connection between antidepressants and REM sleep.

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  • Researchers at the University of Basel measured the efficacy of antidepressants by measuring brain waves during REM sleep.
  • Antidepressants take weeks to begin working, and over 50 percent of users don't find success with the first prescription.
  • This research could offer a powerful new diagnostic tool for psychiatrists and doctors.
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Time: Do the past, present, and future exist all at once?

Does time exist? Here's what the debate is all about.

  • Everything we do as living organisms is dependent, in some capacity, on time. The concept is so complex that scientists still argue whether it exists or if it is an illusion.
  • In this video, astrophysicist Michelle Thaller, science educator Bill Nye, author James Gleick, and neuroscientist Dean Buonomano discuss how the human brain perceives of the passage of time, the idea in theoretical physics of time as a fourth dimension, and the theory that space and time are interwoven.
  • Thaller illustrates Einstein's theory of relativity, Buonomano outlines eternalism, and all the experts touch on issues of perception, definition, and experience.
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Pattern recognition influences religious belief, according to new study

Christians and Muslims that pick out unconscious patterns are more likely to believe in a god.

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  • Georgetown researchers found strong implicit pattern learning implies belief in a god.
  • The study included American Christians and Afghani Muslims, representing two different religious and cultural backgrounds.
  • Further research on polytheistic religious believers could provide insights into a cognitive basis of religion.
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