As we sleep, speedy brain waves boost our ability to learn

UC Berkeley researchers have found compelling evidence that bursts of brain waves known as “sleep spindles” may be networking between key regions of the brain to clear a path to learning.

These electrical impulses help to shift fact-based memories from the brain’s hippocampus — which has limited storage space — to the prefrontal cortex’s “hard drive,” thus freeing up the hippocampus to take in fresh data. Spindles are fast pulses of electricity generated during non-REM sleep, and they can occur up to 1,000 times a night.

“Sleep spindles predict learning refreshment,” said Matthew Walker, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley. “A lot of that spindle-rich sleep is occurring the second half of the night, so if you sleep six hours or less, you are shortchanging yourself. You will have fewer spindles, and you might not be able to learn as much,” said Bryce Mander, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study.

The study found that spindle-driven networking was most likely to happen during Stage 2 of non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, which occurs before we reach the deepest NREM sleep and the dream state known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. This shallow stage of dreamless slumber can account for half our sleeping hours, and happens most frequently during the second half of the night, or in the latter part of a period in which we sleep.

Electroencephalogram tests measured electrical activity in the brains of the nappers and showed that the more sleep spindles the nappers produced, the more refreshed they were for learning. Researchers were able to link sleep spindles to brain activity looping between the lobes of the brain that house the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex — two critical areas for memory.

As for broader societal ramifications, researchers said evidence that brain waves during the latter part of the sleep period promote our capacity to store fact-based memories raises the question of whether the early school day is optimal for learning.

Estrogen controls how the brain processes sound

Scientists at the University of Rochester have discovered that the hormone estrogen plays a pivotal role in how the brain processes sounds.

The findings, published in today's issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, show for the first time that a sex hormone can directly affect auditory function, and point toward the possibility that estrogen controls other types of sensory processing as well. Understanding how estrogen changes the brain's response to sound, say the authors, might open the door to new ways of treating hearing deficiencies.

Previous studies have hinted at a connection between estrogen and hearing in women who have low estrogen, such as often occurs after menopause, says Pinaud. No one understood, however, that estrogen was playing such a direct role in determining auditory functions in the brain, he says. "Now it is clear that estrogen is a key molecule carrying brain signals, and that the right balance of hormone levels in men and women is important for reasons beyond its role as a sex hormone," says Raphael Pinaud, assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester and lead author of the study.

Lithium in water 'curbs suicide'

Drinking water which contains the element lithium may reduce the risk of suicide, a Japanese study suggests.

Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million.

The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels of the element, they wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

High doses of lithium are already used to treat serious mood disorders.

But the team from the universities of Oita and Hiroshima found that even relatively low levels appeared to have a positive impact of suicide rates.

Levels ranged from 0.7 to 59 micrograms per litre. The researchers speculated that while these levels were low, there may be a cumulative protective effect on the brain from years of drinking this tap water.

Sophie Corlett, external relations director at mental health charity Mind said the research "certainly merits more investigation.

"We already know that lithium can act as a powerful mood stabiliser for people with bipolar disorder, and treating people with lithium is also associated with lower suicide rates.

"However, lithium also has significant and an unpleasant side effects in higher doses, and can be toxic. Any suggestion that it should be added, even in tiny amounts, to drinking water should be treated with caution and researched very thoroughly."

10 Ways to keep your Mind Sharp

1.Tease your brain eg.crosswords, puzzles, sudoku
2.Skip the supplements eg.get vitamins from natural sources like food
3.Chill Out eg. sports, yoga, socializing
4.Eat Fish
5.Enjoy Ur coffee eg.growing evidence suggests a caffeine habit may protect the brain
6.Get your beauty sleep
7.Take care of your body eg.plenty of excercise
8.Watch your diet eg.not too much and not too little
9.Eat, eat, eat eg. A low GI diet is recommended
10.Do something eg.for mental fitness, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every other day

Bleach Bath may help excema

Adding bleach to the bath may be an effective treatment for chronic eczema, US researchers say.In a study of 31 children, there was significant improvement in eczema in those who had diluted bleach baths compared with normal baths.
The Pediatrics study also showed improvements were only on parts of the body submerged in the bath.UK experts stressed the treatment could be extremely dangerous and should only be done under the care of a specialist.

Studies have shown a direct correlation between the number of bacteria on the skin and the severity of the eczema.
It has been shown that bacteria cause inflammation and further weaken the skin barrier.In the study, researchers randomly assigned patients who had infection with Staphylococcus aureus to baths with half a cup of sodium hypochlorite per full tub or normal water baths for five to 10 minutes twice a week for three months.

They also prescribed a topical antibiotic ointment or dummy ointment for them to put into their nose - a key site for growth of the bacteria.Eczema severity in patients reduced five times as much as those on placebo.
But there was no improvement in eczema on the head and neck - areas not submerged in the bath.

Risk of Depression 50 Times lower in Japan

IRISH people are 50 times more likely to develop depression than the Japanese because we don’t eat enough fish, a conference was told in Dublin yesterday.

Professor Michael Crawford, director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, at London Metropolitan University, suggested that dependence on a meat and wheat-based diet is resulting in a significant rise in brain ill-health in the Western world.

"Currently, just over 50% of the Irish population eats fish at least once a week," said Prof Crawford, a Bord Iascaigh Mhara-sponsored keynote speaker at the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute conference.

His key message to the Irish is to eat more fish and substantially lessen their risk of developing mental health problems.