Tag: switch

Flip a switch and shut down seizures? New research suggests how to turn off out-of-control signaling in the brain

The brain is a precision instrument. Its function depends on finely calibrated electrical activity triggering the release of chemical messages between neurons. But sometimes the brain’s careful balance is knocked out of control, as in epilepsy. Electroencephalography, or EEG, visualizes a brain’s electrical activity and can reveal how an epileptic seizure diverges from the predictable

Muscle ‘switch’ may control the benefits of exercise

Some people respond well to both aerobic exercise and strength training, while others don’t. And some of us respond well to only one of those things, but not both. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have uncovered a surprising molecular “switch” that may help to explain why this happens. “We’ve identified an exercise-activated biological pathway