You can now buy a commercial genetic test that claims to assess your risk of developing bipolar disorder. Genetic tests for major depression and schizophrenia are also expected to reach the market soon. However, although the suspects are numerous, the genes responsible for most brain disorders remain unknown. So, when it comes to commercial genetic tests, we just don’t know enough to make the tests useful, reports the May issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. [continue reading…]
Harvard Medical School
A relationship has been observed between deep sleep and the ability of the brain to learn specific tasks. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have now shown that the processes that regulate deep sleep may affect visual learning. These results are published in the March 12, 2008 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.“These findings show that deep sleep is important for visual learning and possibly the ability of the brain to learn new tasks,” said Daniel Aeschbach, researcher in the Division of Sleep Medicine at BWH and lead author of the study. [continue reading…]
