Senior Health: Mobile robots could help the elderly live fuller lives ♦ Smart walkers for elderly with new technology ♦ Swap the couch for a walk to avoid an early death

Increased activity in older brains may point to new avenues for treating memory loss Scientists have examined activity in a little-studied part of the brain associated with memory and found for the first time the reason that neurons there become more active in old age, findings that may suggest a new target for future therapies to combat memory loss in aging and Alzheimer's

Researchers identify possible physiological cause of brain deficits with aging Like scratchy-sounding old radio dials that interfere with reception, circuits in the brain that grow noisier over time may be responsible for ways in which we slow mentally as we grow old.

Mobile robots could help the elderly live fuller lives Mobile service robots developed by computer scientists could soon be helping elderly people stay independent and active for longer. The project, which includes artificial intelligence and robotics experts, will include a large-scale evaluation where robots will be deployed within the extra-care homes of LACE Housing Association in the UK, to care homes in Greece and to elderly people's own homes in Poland, for one year.

Smart walkers for elderly with new technology Researchers have developed a smart walker prototype that supports independent living among the elderly by making the traditional walker smart. They have retrofitted it with sensors and digital software that analyze user's physical condition and daily activities. This allows the device to collect useful information on user's daily rhythm, walking distances, duration and speed of walking, in addition to hand grip strength. Such information can then be used to monitor user's wellbeing and physical condition.

Swap the couch for a walk to avoid an early death Swapping just one hour of sitting with walking or other physical activity each day decreases your chance of an early death by 12 to 14 percent, according to a University of Sydney study of over 200,000 Australians.

Brain Research: Evidence of schizophrenia's causes ♦ Hippo-campus: In search of memory storage ♦ Long-term memory formation

MRI technology reveals deep brain pathways in unprecedented detail A 3-D map of the human brain stem has been produced at an unprecedented level of detail using MRI technology. In a new study, the researchers unveil an ultra high-resolution brain stem model that could better guide brain surgeons treating conditions such as tremors and Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation

Scientists produce strongest evidence yet of schizophrenia's causes The strongest evidence yet of what causes schizophrenia has been provided by an international group of scientists. The work strongly suggests that disruption of a delicate chemical balance in the brain is heavily implicated in the disorder.

Hippocampus: In search of memory storage The hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory formation. However, it is not yet fully understood in what way that brain structure's individual regions are involved in the formation of memories. Neuroscientists have recreated this process with the aid of computer simulations. Their findings challenge the model of memory forming in the hippocampus

Autologous stem cell therapy helpful in traumatic brain injury The use of cell therapy after traumatic brain injury in children can reduce the amount of therapeutic interventions needed to treat the patient, as well as the amount of time the child spends in neurointensive care, according to research.

Long-term memory formation Neuroscientists has determined how a pair of growth factor molecules contributes to long-term memory formation The researchers examined GFs in Aplysia californica, the California sea slug. Aplysia is a model organism that is quite powerful for this type of research because its neurons are 10 to 50 times larger than those of higher organisms, such as vertebrates, and it possesses a relatively small network of neurons -- characteristics that readily allow for the examination of molecular signaling during memory formation.