Immunology

No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause more severe disease; antibody-dependent enhancement has not been observed in clinical trials – Health…

CLAIM

COVID-19 vaccines will cause more severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement

DETAILS

Unsupported: Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is theoretically a possible side effect of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, clinical trials so far have not shown ADE occurring in vaccinated participants.Inaccurate: Some posts inaccurately suggest that non-neutralizing antibodies are irrelevant to protection. Although non-neutralizing antibodies can result in ADE, such antibodies can also participate in a process called antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity, which kills infected cells and is an important part of a protective immune response.

KEY TAKE AWAY

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) occurs when antibodies are unable to neutralize a virus infectivity, but instead enhance a virus ability to infect cells. Although ADE has been observed in humans who received the dengue vaccine, as well as in individuals that received a vaccine candidate for the respiratory syncytial virus, the evidence from COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials so far have not shown more severe disease occurring in vaccinated participants. People who have been given the COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be closely monitored to determine whether ADE occurs.

SUMMARY A Facebook post claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine will lead to more severe disease, was published in November 2020 and went viral on the social media platform. Similar claims have also been published in other social media posts, like this one and this one. The claim is based on the observation of more severe disease occurring in individuals who received a dengue vaccine and a vaccine candidate for the respiratory syncytial virus. Both are likely due to a phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), however ADE has not been shown to occur in individuals that received COVID-19 vaccines to date. One of the authors of these posts previously claimed to be a toxicologist, despite lacking the necessary training and credentials for that title.

Health Feedback reached out to experts to find out how ADE works and whether the claim is supported by scientific evidence [See scientists feedback in full].

Angeline Rouers, a research fellow at the Singapore Immunology Network, explained, ADE is a well-known mechanism which was described for the first time in dengue patients. It occurs when antibodies do not neutralize the virus to prevent its entry into the target cells, for example, but instead facilitate the infection of other cells, such as macrophages (a type of immune cell). However, Rouers added that there is no clear evidence showing that the virus which causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, can infect macrophages.

Walter Orenstein, a professor at Emory Universitys School of Medicine and associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center, said, Vaccine-enhanced disease is theoretically possible with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, but it has not been seen as of yet in the clinical trials reported.

Sanjay Mishra, a staff scientist and project coordinator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who is also working in the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium, concurred. The major vaccine candidates that have so far progressed in the large-scale Phase 3 trials, such as the ones by Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, have all ruled out any serious safety concerns, he said.

Overall, all three scientists agreed that close monitoring of vaccinated people is important to ensure that ADE can be safely ruled out as a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines, but for the moment, the evidence has not shown the vaccines to have such an effect.

Indeed, preliminary findings released by frontrunners Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca have shown that among the trial participants who did develop COVID-19, those who received the vaccine did not show higher rates of severe disease compared to those who received the placebo. The vaccines were also able to prevent COVID-19 at a high efficacy. However, an important caveat of these findings is that these trials are still underway, and the number of people included in these interim analyses is relatively small.

Apart from the posts unsupported claim linking ADE with COVID-19 vaccines, its suggestion that non-neutralizing antibodies are always ineffective for protection is inaccurate. The immune system has several ways to deal with viruses, and Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, which can involve non-neutralizing antibodies, is another mechanism that is distinct from neutralization, that is also important for a protective immune response, Rouers pointed out.

And contradicting Everlys claim that no one is concerned about it, Health Feedback was able to find multiple articles published over the course of 2020 that discussed concerns about ADE with respect to the COVID-19 vaccine. Some examples are this article in The Scientist, this article in PNAS and these two articles in Nature[1,2], the latter two being highly respected journals in the scientific community.

Overall, while ADE is a theoretical possibility with a COVID-19 vaccine, clinical trials in people so far have not shown that participants who received the vaccine have a higher rate of severe illness compared to participants who did not receive the vaccine. Given the paramount importance of vaccine safety, scientists continue to encourage rigorous safety monitoring so as to completely rule out ADE as a potential side effect. SCIENTISTS FEEDBACK Sanjay Mishra, Staff Scientist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center:Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of virus infection[3] is a phenomenon in which virus-specific antibodies enhance the entry of a virus and in some cases, ADE can even facilitate the infection[4]. ADE has been well-established in dengue[5] and Zika viruses, and any poor-quality antibodies that bind the virus but do not neutralize can cause ADE. Indeed, some vaccine candidates, such as one against the respiratory syncytial virus resulted in deaths due to ADE[6]. However, no definitive role for ADE in human coronavirus diseases has yet been established, despite the concerns raised[7,8].

The opinion piece being cited in the viral Facebook post itself concluded that the risk of ADE remains theoretical in vaccines being developed against SARS-CoV-2. The major vaccine candidates that have so far progressed in the large-scale Phase 3 trials, such as the ones by Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, have all ruled out any serious safety concerns. While more data is still needed, randomized controlled trial with convalescent sera has also shown to be beneficial in COVID-19 patients with moderate disease severity[9]. Just like other things related to this pandemic, we should wait and watch for better evidence to completely rule out ADE, but no evidence for ADE has been found so far.

Angline Rouers, Research Fellow, Singapore Immunology Network:ADE is a well-known mechanism which was described for the first time in dengue patients. It occurs when antibodies do not neutralize the virus (to prevent its entry into the target cells, for example) but instead facilitate the infection of other cells, such as macrophages. It might also happen with coronaviruses but for the moment, there is only in vitro demonstration of this with regards to SARS-CoV-2. The mechanisms in vivo might be different and there is also no clear evidence showing that SARS-CoV-2 can infect macrophages.

As a note, it is false to say that non-neutralizing antibodies are inevitably non-efficient and potentially dangerous, as suggested in the Facebook post. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, which can involve non-neutralizing antibodies, is another mechanism that is distinct from neutralization that is also important for a protective immune response.

This claim is particularly alarming for the public and unnecessarily invokes a conspiracy theory: Most people dont know this. Most people have never heard of this. Maybe the big media networks dont find this important to share with the public, or maybe its just plain censorship. Its probably censorship. In fact, ADE is an immune response that is well-known to scientists and is described in immunology textbooks. ADE has to be assessed from the earliest stage of vaccine development. There is nothing hidden from the publicif ADE is detected during vaccine development, it will simply stop the trials. We can never be 100% sure it will not happen in some way at a later stage of clinical trials, but in the whole history of vaccines, this phenomenon is very rare.

The post also mentions that (a) antibodies might not be the most protective aspect in the context of SARS-CoV-2 and (b) there is a positive correlation between severity and level of antibodies in the patients. These claims are true but require more context to avoid readers misunderstanding. (a) Cytotoxic T cells have indeed been shown to be very important to fight the virus, however, antibodies are also doing part of the job and should not be neglected. (b) The level of antibodies is not necessarily predictive of their efficiency. Indeed, a high level (quantity) of antibodies might not be protective, and can even make things worse in the case of ADE. But a high level of efficient (i.e. neutralizing) antibodies is generally a good prognosis.

Overall, it is very important to keep in mind the difference between what is observed in the patients and what a vaccine aims to do. A vaccine does not aim to reproduce the immune response observed in an infected patient; on the contrary, it aims to elicit a neutralizing antibody response to fight the virusthis is something that is rarely observed in severely ill patients.

ADE is a concern that scientists have in mind and will assess carefully. Some vaccine candidates may have led to ADE at the early stages of trials, which halted their development. This demonstrates that the scientific community is careful and will do everything possible to release a safe vaccine for people. In conclusion, ADE is a theoretical danger in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development, but it is taken seriously into consideration and very close monitoring will be applied.

Walter A. Orenstein, Professor, Emory University School of Medicine:Thus far, there are no data supporting vaccination as a cause of vaccine-induced enhanced disease. Such enhancement has been seen with other vaccines such as the dengue vaccine. But for the vast majority of vaccines in use today around the world, such enhancement has not been seen.

There were concerns seen in animal studies with earlier coronavirus vaccines for SARS-CoV-1 and MERS. But not in human studies to date.

Vaccine-enhanced disease is theoretically possible with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, but it has not been seen as of yet in the clinical trials reported. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 is killing more than 1000 people a day in the US alone.

It will be important to monitor to see if enhanced disease happens. But there is no evidence for it in humans to date. In contrast, there is good information on efficacy.

Read the original:
No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause more severe disease; antibody-dependent enhancement has not been observed in clinical trials - Health...

Neuroscience

Expert speakers draw thousands to the Neuroscience Summit – SelectScience

All the talks and resources exploring the latest research and methods in the field are now available free and on demand - but for a limited time only

Thousands of scientists from across the globe have joined leading manufacturers online to drive forward neuroscience research and explore the latest technologies.

Headline topics at the successful Virtual Neuroscience Summit 2020 included Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, neurodegeneration, spatial and cellular genomics, live-cell analysis, protein quantification and more.

The new SelectScienceVirtual Summits offer a crucial interactive platform for the science industry to continue to connect, share knowledge and provide technology solutions in order to advance science and health at this critical time. Held over two days, last weeks Neuroscience Summit featured talks by eminent speakers, technology workshops, virtual resource hubs from leading brands, as well as 1-on-1 webcam chats and dedicated networking sessions for attendees to maximize connections.

Explaining the significance of the event, keynote speaker Dr. Omer Bayraktar, Group Leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: It is crucial to maintain scientific discourse with the wide research community during the COVID-19 pandemic and this virtual summit provides an excellent opportunity to share our research findings with a large audience.

Missed the live event? Dont worry all presentations are now available to view on demand>>

A total of 22 fascinating presentations each drew crowds of upto 380 live attendees, far more than most physical shows, while the themed networking sessions again proved a hit.

Just a few of the talks available to watch on demand until Friday, December 18, include:

SelectScience Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, Kerry Parker, said: Its been fantastic to be able to offer a platform to these speakers right at the forefront of their fields and we would like to thank them all for taking the time to share their work with our audience.

A number of leading manufacturers presented their latest technologies available in the field, including Corning, Malvern Panalytical, Bertin Instruments, Analytik Jena, Bio-Techne, MilliporeSigma, bit.bio, ZEISS, PHCbi, Leica Microsystems, Sutter Instrument, and The Jackson Laboratory. All presentations and resources are now available on demand.

Susana Alcantara, Senior Research Scientist at Sartorius, led a discussion on revealing CNS secrets via live-cell analysis. She said: A new communication dynamic is currently emerging, and it is our opportunity to develop a successful virtual networking strategy which is inclusive, engaging and beneficial across the entire scientific community for now and upcoming times.

Live Q&A sessions were a big hit and provided two-way communication between visitors, speakers, and manufacturers, allowing for valuable insights into the neuroscience community.

Speaker Dr. Min Tang-Schomer added: As Louis Pasteur once famously said, Science has no borders. The COVID-19 pandemic will finally make worldwide exchange a reality. In this crisis, we are fortunate to have the opportunity of reaching out to the like-minded as well as the critics from all corners of the world. Im looking forward to connecting with anyone interested in my research topic at this Summit.

Attendees were able to collect a virtual swag bag of useful resources completely free of charge. These are also available on demand in the event hall.

Featured highlights from the summit include:

Missed the live event? Dont worry all presentations are now available to view on demand>>

Plus, coming soon: Look out for the Virtual Biopharmaceutical Summit, launching December 8. Register free here>>

See original here:
Expert speakers draw thousands to the Neuroscience Summit - SelectScience

Neuroscience

How to Get Smarter Every Day, According to Neuroscience | Inc.com – Inc.

A friend of mine spends 20to 30minutes a day solving Sudoku puzzles. He says it improves his speed of mental processing and makes him, well, smarter.

Ask people which factor contributes the most to successand most will choose intelligence, even thoughscience saysyoualso have to be lucky: Rightplace, right time. Right person, right time. Right idea, right market, right audience at the right time.

Yet even though there are ways to "create" your own luck, you can't control luck.

But you can control, to some degree, how smart you are.

Let's Define "Smart."

While there are a number of differentforms of intelligence, let's focus ontwo. Crystallized intelligence is accumulated knowledge: facts,figures. Think "educated."

Of course we all know people who are "book smart" but not necessarily smart smart. That's where fluid intelligence comes into play: The ability to learn and retainnew informationand then use it to solve a problem, to learn a new skill,to recall existing memories and modify them with new knowledge. Think "applied intelligence."

Becomingmore educated is, while not easy, certainly simple.

Improving fluid intelligence is harder, which is one reason why brain games--crossword puzzles, Sudoku, brain training apps, etc.--are fairly popular.

But do they make you smarter? Do they improve fluid intelligence?

Basically, No.

A 2007 study published in Behavioral and Brain Sciencesassessed the impact of brain training games on fluid intelligence. After participants played Tetris--yes, Tetris--for several weeks, cortical thickness and cortical activity increased.

Both are signs of an increase in neural connections and learned expertise.In simple terms, their brains bulked up and got smarter.

But after those first few weeks, cortical thickness and activity started to decrease, eventually returning topre-Tetrismasterypursuit levels--even though their skill levels remained high.Participants didn't lose brain power.

Instead, their brainsbecame so efficient at playing Tetristhose increased neural connections were no longer necessary. Usingmore mental energy was no longer necessary. As with most things, once they kinda figured it out,it got easy.

Unfortunately, no matter how much work it took to learn new information or gain new skills, "easy" doesn't helpimprovefluid intelligence. Once knowledge or skill is in your pocket, you certainly benefit from the increase in crystallized intelligence.

But your fluid intelligence soon returns to a morebaseline level.

That's the problem with brain training games.Solving Sudoku puzzles, andonly solving Sudoku puzzles, won't improve my friend's fluid intelligence in any other areas.

It only makes him better at solving Sudoku puzzles.

Learning how to use a new inventory management system will improve your fluid intelligence,until you've mastered it. Setting up Quickbooks for a new business will improve your fluid intelligence,until you've mastered the accounting process basics.

Once you achieve a level of comfort, your brain no longer has to work as hard,and all that new mental musclegained starts to atrophy.

Stay Uncomfortable.

Easy: Once you've mastered a new game, a new process, a new skill, a new anything--move on to something new.

At work. At home. Anywhere. Just keep challenging yourself.

Not only will you pocket a constant flow of new information and skill, yourbrain will stay "bulkedup" and forging new neural connections,making it easier to keep learning and growing.

And then there's this: The more you know, the more you can leverage the power of associative learning--theprocess of relating something new to something you already know.

Not in a Pavlov's dog kind of way, but by learning the relationship between seemingly unrelated things.In simple terms, whenever you say, "Oh, that makes sense:Thisis basicallylikethat," you're using associative learning.

The more you learn, themore likely you will be able to associate "old" knowledge to new things.Which means you only have to learn differences or nuances. And you'll be able to apply greater context, which also helps with memory storage and retrieval,to the new information you learn.

All of which makes learning even easier, which research showswill result in your being able tolearn even more quickly--and retain a lot more.

So if you like brain training games, master one andthen move on to another. And another.

Better yet, keep pushing yourself to learn new things about your business, your customers, your industry, etc.

Not only will that help you become more successful, you'll also get to improve your crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence--which will surely help you become even more successful.

Where win-wins are concerned, that's a tough one to beat.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Continued here:
How to Get Smarter Every Day, According to Neuroscience | Inc.com - Inc.

Neuroscience

Global Neuroscience Market Size |Incredible Possibilities and Growth Analysis and Forecast To 2025 – The Courier

The research report titled Global Neuroscience Market Size |Incredible Possibilities and Growth Analysis and Forecast To 2025 and published by Zion Market Research is an in-depth and dedicated scrutiny of the existing stats of the globalNeuroscience Marketentailing the numerous facets pertinent to statistics and growth of the business. The report segregated into diverse sections to simplify the comprehension of the included data and thus, market dynamics. It encompasses all the major competitors and playersAlpha Omega, Axion Biosystems, Blackrock Microsystems LLC, Femtonics Ltd., Intan Technologies, LaVision Biotec GmbH, Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, Neuralynx Inc., NeuroNexus Technologies, Neurotar Ltd., Newport Corporation, Plexon Inc., Scientifica Ltd., Sutter Instrument Corporation, Thomas Recording GmbH, and Trifoil Imaging Inc.involved in the global Neuroscience Market along with the various features relating to the market players like company profiles, supply chain value, product specifications, market shares, and so on. Also, the report entails the major strategic market developments, comprising R&D activities, collaborations, new product launch, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, M&A, and presence & expansion extent of these prominent players on the global and regional scale. In addition, it comprises the systematic examination of business strategies for expansion of the prominent Neuroscience Market players.

Request Free Sample Report of Neuroscience Market Report @https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/neuroscience-market

Some of the Major Market Players Are:

Alpha Omega, Axion Biosystems, Blackrock Microsystems LLC, Femtonics Ltd., Intan Technologies, LaVision Biotec GmbH, Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, Neuralynx Inc., NeuroNexus Technologies, Neurotar Ltd., Newport Corporation, Plexon Inc., Scientifica Ltd., Sutter Instrument Corporation, Thomas Recording GmbH, and Trifoil Imaging Inc.

The Neuroscience Market report encompasses the general idea of the global Neuroscience Market including definition, classifications, and applications. Further, it includes the all-inclusive comprehension of several factors such as drivers, constraints, and major micro markets. The report is a wide-ranging source of widespread facts and figures for business strategists as it offers the historical & futuristic data such as demand & supply data, cost, revenue, profit, supply chain value, and so on. Furthermore, it entails the key market features, comprising production, revenue, price, capacity, gross margin, market share, consumption, gross, production rate, demand/supply, cost, capacity utilization rate, export/import, and CAGR (compound annual growth rate). In addition the report encompasses global Neuroscience Market segmentation on the basis of diverse facets like product/service type, application, technology, end-users, and major geographic regionsLatin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle & East Africa, and Europe.Apart from this, the researcher market analyst and experts present their outlook or insights of product sales, market share, and value along with the possible opportunities to grow or tap into in these regions.

Promising Regions & Countries Mentioned In The Neuroscience Market Report:

The Neuroscience Market report also entails the vigorous evaluation about the growth plot and all opportunities & risk related to of global Neuroscience Market during the forecast period. In addition, the report comprises the key events and most recent innovations in the industry together with the prospective trends technological progresses within the global Neuroscience Market that can impact its expansion graph. Entailing the pivotal data on the markets statistics and dynamics, the report will serve as a valued asset in term of decision-making and guidance for the businesses and companies already active within industry or looking forward to enter into it.

Download Free PDF Report Brochure @https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/neuroscience-market

The Study Objectives of Neuroscience Market Report Are:

Request coronavirus impact analysis on sectors and market

Request impact analysis on this market @https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/2776?covid19=true

Some Major Points in TOC:

BlackFriday FLAT 30% OFF @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/neuroscience-market

Also, Research Report Examines:

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

About Us:

Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting-edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.

Contact Us:

Zion Market Research

244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202

New York, 10001, United States

Tel: +49-322 210 92714

USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651

Email:sales@zionmarketresearch.com

Website:www.zionmarketresearch.com

The rest is here:
Global Neuroscience Market Size |Incredible Possibilities and Growth Analysis and Forecast To 2025 - The Courier

Neuroscience

ASU psychology student receives scholarship to research perception and neuroscience – ASU Now

November 23, 2020

Koop Bills is an Arizona State University senior in neuroscience and psychology who wants to pursue a PhD in cognitive neuroscience after graduation. Bills was the first recipient of the brand-new Jenessa Shapiro Undergraduate Research Scholarship designed to support underrepresented students in their pursuits of research opportunities. He is a research assistant with the Perception, Ecological Action, Robotics, and Learning (PEARL) Lab.

The PEARL Lab aims to better understand perception and action by approaching perception from the perspective of sports, robotics and illusions. Recent project directions include studying subjective perception, time perception, color perception, sound symbolism and music.

Bills personal research interest centers on astrocytes glial cells in the brain and on human memory and behavior, such as walking in a pandemic and how you approach people. For example, there is a general trend when walking toward someone to shift to the right side when passing. This bias is consistent worldwide, even in countries that drive on the other side of the road.

Koop Bills has been working as a research assistant in the PEARL lab and attending lab meetings for over a year now, so I and graduate student supervisor Matt Langley have gotten to know him quite well. Like many others in this COVID-directed year, he was forced to change directions from a well-developed earlier project to one that could be run under social isolation conditions, but he has adapted well and come up with a nice, socially relevant study, saidMichael McBeath, professor of psychology and director of the PEARL Lab.

McBeath added, He is a bright, thoughtful, and insightful student and researcher. He has had to endure personal hardship and spend a lot of time working many hours to earn a living while attending ASU, which has slowed down his progress up until now. But he now has a renewed vigor and is making good headway due to receiving the Jenessa Shapiro Research Scholarship.

Bills was previously an engineering major, but after taking his first neuroscience course, he finished the semester and immediately changed his major.

When you are reading something and you get to the point of thinking that it is so cool, that is something you should be doing more of. I found that when I read about astrocytes and neuroscience. I had to have more of it, Bills said.

Video by ASU Department of Psychology

Bills has worked two jobs in the restaurant service industry for the past seven years to support his family while pursuing his undergraduate degree and serving as a research assistant in the PEARL Lab. He has had to make sacrifices that other students havent in order to pursue his passions and research.

Oftentimes Ive had to make the choice to go into work, when I know I need to write a paper Ive had to make the choice to work a double, when I needed to be the one to call out because I had real work that was important for me to do, Bills said.

This experience is representative of challenges that underrepresented students face regularly. Many students need to work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet while trying to study and achieve an undergraduate education.

When I found out I was receiving the scholarship, I lost it and danced around, said Bills, It took a few moments to really set in how much my life had just changed from receiving this scholarship.

The next day, Bills gave his two weeks notice at both jobs and refocused his schedule to be entirely research-centered.

One of the most gratifying parts of the experience for Bills was the support he received from his mentors, McBeath andMatthew Langley, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology. He hadnt seen the application for the scholarship, and they pushed him to apply, encouraging him to work on the application a little bit every single day.

As Bills comments came through the shared document, they would edit in real time, even late into the night. They set up additional one-on-one meetings to make sure he was hitting his deadline to apply.

That was the most amazing thing, to see the support I was receiving from my professors and how much they wanted me to get this scholarship, Bills said. They didnt have to do this Im just an RA, Im just a student but they put in that extra effort, just because they care.

What really benefits the world is diversity. It is unique experiences getting to the highest level of education. It is the idea that we are better as a team, so if you are looking to donate to a fund, I think it is really important to give to scholarships like this one, Bills said. You just dont know who someone can be, until they are given an opportunity to grow.

The Jenessa Shapiro Scholarship, whichis dedicated to supporting annually one to two students with funding of up to $5,000,is part of theENERGIZE Initiativein the ASU Department of Psychology. The ENERGIZE initiative is designed to streamline the process of getting involved with research and working around requirements that would previously prevent underrepresented students from gaining the research experience they need.

Learn more or donate to the fund here.

RELATED:Psychology researcher receives scholarship to explore stress, sleep

Top photo:ASU senior Koop Bills. Photo by Robert Ewing

Marketing and Communications Manager , Department of Psychology

480-727-5054 robert.ewing@asu.edu

Originally posted here:
ASU psychology student receives scholarship to research perception and neuroscience - ASU Now

Neuroscience

Your Healthy Family: Study – Two-Thirds of Seniors Won’t Seek Treatment for Depression – KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH A new nationwide poll, the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor, shows that nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans age 65 or older who have concerns about having depression will not seek treatment. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 (33%) seniors who are concerned they might be suffering from depression believe they can snap out of it on their own.

The pull yourself up by your bootstraps mindset of some seniors and reluctance to talk about mental health are hindering them from getting the help they need especially now when the pandemic is having an enormous impact on the mental health of older Americans, said Dr. Mark Pollack, chief medical officer of Myriad Neuroscience, makers of the GeneSight test. People will seek treatment for conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Depression is no different. It is an illness that can and should be treated.

Yet, while depression is a condition that needs to be treated:

61% of respondents who are concerned they might have depression would not treat it because my issues arent that bad.

About 4 in 10 (39%) of these consumers think they can manage depression without a doctors help.

In my experience, there is a commonly held view that depression is a normal part of aging; it is not, said Dr. Parikshit Deshmukh, CEO and medical director of Balanced Wellbeing LLC in Oxford, Florida, which provides psychiatric and psychotherapy services to nursing and assisted living facilities. Ive found older adults have a very difficult time admitting that they have depression. When they do acknowledge it, they are still reluctant to start treatment for a wide variety of reasons.

Depression remains a taboo topic among older Americans, despite about one-third of those over the age of 65 who are concerned they have depression recognizing that depression has interfered with their relationships and their ability to enjoy activities.

There is such a stigma about depression among people my age, said Carmala Walgren, a 74-year-old resident of New York. I am proof that you do not have to accept living with depression. Although it may not be easy to find treatment that helps you with your symptoms without causing side effects, it is certainly worth it.

Walgrens doctor used information from the results of her GeneSight test, a genetic test that identifies potential gene-drug interactions for depression medications, to help inform Walgrens medication selection.

The GeneSight test made such a difference in my life, said Walgren. My doctor has used the test results to find medications that helped me.

The GeneSight Mental Health Monitor is a nationwide survey of US adults conducted by Acupoll from August 12-September 27, 2020. The survey was conducted among a statistically representative sample of US adults age 18+, including a US representative sample of adults age 65 and older. The margin of error in survey results for those Age 65+ who are concerned they may have depression but have not been diagnosed is +/-5%.

For full results of the survey, learn more at genesight.com/about-myriad-neuroscience/

For more information on older adults and depression, please visit genesight.com/olderadult

Myriad Neuroscience is a business unit of Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN). Through its GeneSight Psychotropic test, Myriad Neuroscience provides information to healthcare providers about their patients genetic variations, which may impact how they metabolize or respond to certain psychiatric medications. Learn more at genesight.com/about-myriad-neuroscience/

Visit link:
Your Healthy Family: Study - Two-Thirds of Seniors Won't Seek Treatment for Depression - KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

Neuroscience

Revolutionary Cognitive Therapy Combines Sports Medicine With Neuroscience – ourcommunitynow.com

The concept of neuroplasticity is one that hasn't been in the public vocabulary for very long, but it's already getting people to rethink big parts of medicine and therapy. Our ability to treat neurological issues has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years, allowing for previously prohibitive conditions to become significantly more manageable. This has become especially valuable in the world of sport's medicine, where its advantages are twofold: creating more effective treatments for injuries such as concussions while providing athletes with regimens that let them hone their motor reflexes.

Let's back up to discuss some basic vocabulary for a second. For starters, what is neuroplasticity?

To put it simply: neuroplasticity is our brain's ability to change over time by growing and reorganizing neural networks. Neural pathways that are used frequently are reinforced, while ones that go neglected will become less prominent over time. It's the process that's at work in your brain when you learn new skills. If you've ever noticed yourself developing reflexes for exercise that used to require a lot of conscious brainpower, you're seeing neuroplasticity at work!

While neuroplasticity is still a newer concept in the world of cognitive therapy and rehabilitation, it's opened some incredible doors.

Injuries and illnesses that cause neurological conditions are a serious matter. Head trauma from car accidents and career sports injuriesare two common forms of neurological problems, and both can mean a long, uphill battle in recovery. The integration of neuroplastic treatments into recovery seems to be making a huge difference!

One of the companies at the forefront of this medical frontier is NeuraPerformance Brain Center, an organization that's been using revolutionary neuroplasticity treatments to make a difference in people's lives. What makes them so unique is that the intersection they occupy is between sports medicine and cognitive therapy. Fans of Colorado sports will be excited to know that parts of NeuraPerformance can be traced to Denver's sports teams!

NeuraPerformanceClinic Director Shawn Caldwellhas over 20 years of experience working with professional sports teams to ensure player health. In fact, he's been the Colorado Rockies team chiropractor since 1999 and worked with the Denver Broncos for 13 years. He also consults with the Denver Nuggets!You can see some of Caldwell's expertise here:

NeuraPerformance employs a variety of different treatment options to accomplish a variety of outcomes. One of their most common treatments is Neurofeedback, a process that is used to treat migraines, concussions, and plenty of other conditions. This process has patients wear a brainwave-detecting helmet and interact with a special computer system that reads inputs from the user's brainwaves, allowing them to control objects on a screen by selectively focusing. By adjusting the contents of the screen and providing reaction prompts, neurofeedback helps condition patients to use their brains more actively and mindfully while reinforcing structures that can help in cognitive recovery.

Another treatment is GyroStim, which places patients in a chair that can move along multiple different axes and asking them to perform complex tasks. As patients will be rotating in directions that they probably aren't used to, this goes a long way in both developing new reflexes and forcing participants to engage their existing ones. What's interesting is that neither of these treatments are exclusive to patients undergoing rehabilitative therapy: they are also used by athletes looking to train their reflexes and improve their performance.

In addition to these things, NeuraPerformance has developed a variety of other treatments, such as the use of oxygen-rich hyperbaric chambers to boost the body's natural healing properties and Dynavision D2, which is used in concussion baseline testing and gaze/gait stabilization.

Companies like NeuraPerformance represent an exciting frontier in the medical world. Conditions that once used to require invasive (and expensive) treatments just to manage can now be addressed more effectively. From competitive sportsto traumatic accidents, to genetic conditions, the frontier of medicine is accomplishing some incredible things!

See the rest here:
Revolutionary Cognitive Therapy Combines Sports Medicine With Neuroscience - ourcommunitynow.com

Neuroscience

The Neuroscience of Audiobooks – Book Riot

Our earliest experiences with stories are with their oral forms, both on an individual level and as a society. Many of us developed our love for stories from listening to the stories and anecdotes that we were told by our elders in our childhood. Human beings have been spinning tales and passing them down to later generations orally since long before the first words were put to paper. The stories that our early ancestors told one another had a very important evolutionary role and played a major part in the creation and sustenance of the societal structures of today.

Through the advent of writing, and the wonderful world of books, stories have been transmitted, lived in and variously interpreted for centuries now. But the rising popularity of audiobooks has brought oral storytelling to the forefront once again. These modern, easily accessible descendants of the ancient story circles have much to offer in terms of convenience and entertainment. So, how does our brain react to an oral narrative? How do we process the stories that we listen to in the audio format?

Audiobooks Newsletter

Sign up for Audiobooks to receive the latest from the audiobooks world.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

The theory of how human beings process language to extract meaning from it has been popular with researchers, and several models of language comprehension have been proposed. The process ultimately ends in the creation of a mental picture of what the text that is being listened to (or read) represents, including aspects like the space and time coordinates of the world that the text is trying to represent, causal relationships and inferences about the characters involved.

According to most accepted models of language comprehension, this is achieved through an active search for meaning on the part of the listener, as they corroborate their initial propositions about the words and sentences they listened to using information from the memory, from the rest of the text, and background knowledge.

Researchers have also tried to further dissect the process of language comprehension and its relationship with specific cognitive skills. A 2014 study showed through empirical analysis that three distinct cognitive skills have independent positive association with listening comprehension. The first, inhibitory control, is our brains ability to suppress a dominant response; it relates to our ability to eliminate distractions and focus our attention during listening. The next is theory of mindthe ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others, to make inferences about someone elses state of mind and to predict their behavior. Finally, the study found that comprehension monitoring, the brains ability to dynamically assess our understanding of a text, drives successful listening comprehension.

Once we have successfully extracted meaning from the text, how do we respond to it? In myriad different ways, it turns out. In a study sponsored by Audible UK, researchers found that audiobooks produced heightened physiological responses in participants. Participants showed higher heart rates, greater electrodermal activity (a commonly used measure of autonomic nervous system activity), and higher body temperatures. These responses were more intense when they listened to the audiobooks (popular titles across genres) compared to when they watched the corresponding movie adaptations, an observation that the researchers attributed to the greater level of active engagement in the case of audiobooks.

Another study has claimed that exposure to character-driven stories (though the story used in this case was in the video format) increases the concentration of oxytocin in the body, a neurochemical that has been associated with empathy and fellow feeling, and can even elicit direct behavioral responses like donating to a charity.

Recent research about the neuroscience of listening and reading has used functional MRI techniques to detect brain activity associated with these tasks. Research has shown that listening to an engaging story activates not only the areas of the brain known for linguistic processing but also areas associated with mental imagery, though the degree of involvement of mental imagery varies across individuals. Study of fMRI data has also let researchers explore how different individuals may elicit different meanings while listening to the same story.

Our brains are programmed to be empathetica study involving storytellers and listeners working with personal stories found extensive similarities in brain activity between the narrators and the audience. This might also explain how some of us can feel the excitement, joys, and sorrows of fictional characters almost as strongly as our own.

Another branch of research seeks to compare brain activity between listening and reading. A recent study found that there are no discernible differences. This, however, might not be a very accurate generalization for the book vs. audiobook debate, since the participants in this study only read one word at a time, displayed at a pre-determined speed. Another earlier study, on sentence comprehension by reading and listening, found subtle differences in brain activity.

There are many factors in the reading vs. listening debate, and there isnt a clear winner. Some experts argue that audiobooks are more stimulating, since listening is a more social activity. Others opine that as with reading the mind is continuously engaged in supplying a voice to the narrator and the characters and figuring out the tone of the text, our attention is less likely to wander, resulting in better comprehension and retention. Curious about other differences in how we process, and benefit from, the two media? Check out our detailed commentary on this debate.

Our brains are hardwired to enjoy stories, irrespective of the format we consume it in. So pick up those earphones, turn those pages, or hit play on Netflixchoose whatever floats your boat!

Read the original post:
The Neuroscience of Audiobooks - Book Riot

Neuroscience

Neuroscience Market Analysis,Overview,Applications,Key Players and Forecast 2020-2025 – The Market Feed

The Neuroscience Market report is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). Report explores the current outlook in global and key regions from the perspective of players, countries, product types and end industries. This Neuroscience Market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.

According to this study, over the next five years the Neuroscience market will register a 3.6% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ 28600 million by 2025, from $ 24800 million in 2019.

(Special Offer: Get Flat 20% Discount on this report)

Inquire for Sample Copy of this Report:

https://www.marketintelligencedata.com/reports/132987/global-neuroscience-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2020-2025/inquiry?Mode=108

Prominent Key Players of Global Neuroscience Market are GE Healthcare, NeuroNexus, Siemens Healthineers, Mightex Bioscience, Thomas RECORDING GmbH, Noldus Information Technology, Plexon, Blackrock Microsystems, Phoenix Technology Group, Tucker-Davis Technologies, Alpha Omega..

This report segments the Global Neuroscience Market on the basis of Types are:Whole Brain ImagingNeuro-MicroscopyElectrophysiology TechnologiesNeuro-Cellular ManipulationStereotaxic SurgeriesAnimal BehaviorOther

On the basis of Application, the Global Neuroscience Market are segmented into:HospitalsDiagnostic LaboratoriesResearch InstitutesOther

Regional Analysis for Neuroscience Market:North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

Influence of the Neuroscience Market Report:-Comprehensive assessment of all opportunities and risk in the Neuroscience Market.-Neuroscience Market recent innovations and major events.-Detailed study of business strategies for growth of the Neuroscience Market leading players.-Conclusive study about the growth plot of Neuroscience Market for forthcoming years.-In-depth understanding of Neuroscience Market particular drivers, constraints and major micro markets.-Favourable impression inside vital technological and market latest trends striking the Neuroscience Market.

Browse the report description and TOC:https://www.marketintelligencedata.com/reports/132987/global-neuroscience-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2020-2025?Mode=108

What are the market factors that are explained in the report?-Key Strategic Developments: The study also includes the key strategic developments of the market, comprising R&D, new product launch, M&A, agreements, collaborations, partnerships, joint ventures, and regional growth of the leading competitors operating in the market on a global and regional scale.

-Key Market Features: The report evaluated key market features, including revenue, price, capacity, capacity utilization rate, gross, production, production rate, consumption, import/export, supply/demand, cost, market share, CAGR, and gross margin. In addition, the study offers a comprehensive study of the key market dynamics and their latest trends, along with pertinent market segments and sub-segments.

-Analytical Tools: The Global Neuroscience Market report includes the accurately studied and assessed data of the key industry players and their scope in the market by means of a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis, feasibility study, and investment return analysis have been used to analyse the growth of the key players operating in the market.

Customization of the Report: This report can be customized as per your needs for additional data up to 3 companies or countries or 40 analyst hours.

Please connect with our sales team ([emailprotected]).

About Us:Market Intelligence Data provides syndicated market research on industry verticals including Healthcare, Information, and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc.,Market Intelligence Data provides global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.

Contact Us:Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales) Market Intelligence DataPhone: +1 (704) 266-3234[emailprotected]

Continue reading here:
Neuroscience Market Analysis,Overview,Applications,Key Players and Forecast 2020-2025 - The Market Feed