By Konstantinos Kavallieros COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is one that is multifaceted, affecting multiple organ systems, and creating immense difficulties for health care professionals – who are faced with the task of treating it without fully comprehending its pathophysiological mechanisms of action. The elucidation ofContinue reading “Covid-19 and Stress”
Category Archives: Neuroscience
Nutrition and its role in Alzheimer’s Disease
By Shahnia Surendran There are approximately 50 million people worldwide living with dementia, with an estimated 10 million new cases annually (World Health Organisation, 2019). As a result of the global population ageing phenomenon, the prevalence of dementia is estimated to double to over 100 million people by 2050 (Morris, 2009). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) isContinue reading “Nutrition and its role in Alzheimer’s Disease”
Could a ketogenic diet improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease?
By Lauren Wheeler Ketogenic diets, which are characterised by high levels of dietary fat, moderate levels of protein and very low levels of carbohydrates, have been popularised recently by the mainstream media as a weight loss solution, promising rapid and pronounced results. This is not, however, the first time that the diet has been used with theContinue reading “Could a ketogenic diet improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease?”
‘Breaking down the walls’: therapeutic bypassing of the blood-brain barrier
By Samrah Siddiqi Often naively thought of as the wall which protects our brains, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex physiological barrier comprising a multitude of endothelial cells lining blood vessels. These vessels separate the blood from the brain to maintain brain homeostasis (Zuhorn, 2016). The homeostatic purpose of the BBB is to provideContinue reading “‘Breaking down the walls’: therapeutic bypassing of the blood-brain barrier”
Neuroanatomical evidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)
By Adriana Ramos Calvo Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that impact normal communication and social interaction, impairing cognitive functions and causing atypical behaviors through the decline of perception and judgment (McPartland and Volkmar, 2012). ASDs, which include: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s disorder, are multi-factorialContinue reading “Neuroanatomical evidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)”
Understanding Synaesthesia: What colour is Wednesday?
By Samrah Siddiqi Imagine being able to taste words or smell sounds. To many synesthetes, otherwise normal individuals, this is a daily experience. Their subjective and altered perception of the world, established from birth, is something quite remarkable for the average person – considered a type of superpower to many. Scientists, however, describe synaesthesia asContinue reading “Understanding Synaesthesia: What colour is Wednesday?”
Why humans use more than 10% of the brain
By Sarah Choi It appears to be common knowledge that humans only use part of the brain. The concept that the vast majority of the population only uses 10% of their mental capacity has been pervaded. It is even suggested that Einstein’s intellectual prowess was due to his ability to use more than 10% ofContinue reading “Why humans use more than 10% of the brain”
Could psychedelic drugs revolutionise psychiatric care?
By Lauren Wheeler You may or may not be familiar with the term ‘psychedelics’, used to describe a group of psychoactive drugs that have the potential to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness, producing changes in a person’s perception, thoughts and feelings. Two such drugs are psilocybin (which occurs naturally in ‘magic mushrooms’) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) which wereContinue reading “Could psychedelic drugs revolutionise psychiatric care?”
The voiceless narration of a life: what is it like to not have an inner monologue?
By Effie Eshetu “Please be quiet, I can’t hear myself think!” This colloquial saying sounds completely logical to most of us. However, to others, upon a little dissection, it may seem semantically dissonant, and even nonsensical. This is because some individuals actually cannot, regardless of how quiet the room is, hear themselves think (Epting, 2020).Continue reading “The voiceless narration of a life: what is it like to not have an inner monologue?”
Imperial Bioscience Review 