Tag: Brain science

Guide to Sober October: what’s in it for you?

David Nutt

This month, people worldwide will take on the 31-day ‘Sober October’ challenge, a movement that began in the UK to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, benefiting those with cancer. Even if you’re not officially participating, Sober October offers a chance to reset your body and rethink your relationship with alcohol. In our latest blog, Professor David Nutt from the Department of Brain Sciences shares expert tips on how to make the most of this healthy, alcohol-free month.

Sober October is here, and it’s the perfect opportunity to hit reset on your relationship with alcohol – whether you’re looking to completely abstain or simply cut down. Much like Dry January or Dry July, this month-long challenge is about taking a break from alcohol and reassessing its place in your life.

With alcohol consumption on the decline among Gen Z and Millennials, it’s clear that more and more people are recognising the benefits of taking a break from booze and now is the perfect time to jump on board.

Sober October is a global movement encouraging people to stop drinking for the month of October. For many, it’s a time to take a break and rest after summer’s social gatherings and prepare for the end of year holiday season with a clearer mind. It’s not just about abstinence; it’s also about fostering better health, improving mental clarity, and building positive habits for the future.

Progress not perfection

Stopping alcohol intake for a whole month can have major health benefits.  People who participated in previous abstinence challenges like Dry January have reported improved sleep (56%), weight loss (38%), and better mental health. Even those who didn’t make it through the full month still saw long-term reductions in alcohol intake and enhanced well-being, showing that it’s about progress, not perfection.  There are also likely to be measurable physiological improvements such as lowering your blood pressure if you are hypertensive, losing weight (as alcohol has more calories than most people imagine) and putting more money in your pocket – perfect for upcoming holiday shopping.

(more…)

Stroke survivors’ cognitive health under the spotlight: New research aims to improve diagnosis and treatment

Dr Fatemeh Geranmayeh

Did you know stroke is the largest cause of disability in the UK and the fourth biggest killer? To mark Stroke Awareness Month, Dr Fatemeh Geranmayeh from the Department of Brain Sciences sheds light on her recent research looking at the recovery of cognitive functions after cerebrovascular disease and the ‘prediction problem.’  

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Given that stroke strikes every five minutes here in the UK, chances are that you personally know someone affected by stroke.  Of the 1.3 million stroke survivors, three quarters have problems with cognition (that is problems with memory, thinking, language, problem solving, numbers or planning actions). A significant proportion (a third) develop dementia within five years. It’s not surprising therefore that vascular brain health is beginning to get the attention that it deserves in the field of dementia research.  

The spectrum of post-stroke cognitive deficits is broad with significant negative impacts on therapy engagement, mental health, employment and societal costs. Consequently, diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment following stroke have been highlighted as priority by patients and national guidelines for stroke management. 

From a research perspective, much effort has been put into understanding the ‘prediction problem’; that is which patients are likely to a) recover cognition, b) show cognitive deterioration requiring additional monitoring and care needs, and c) benefit most from personalised therapy.   

(more…)

Psychedelics – how modern neuroscience research is leading to new treatments for brain disorders

Psychedelic therapies have the potential to vastly improve the treatment of mental health disorders such as depression. The Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research is paving the way in exploring these innovate treatments using psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Here, Professor David Nutt from the Department of Brain Sciences discusses. 

When most people think of psychedelics, the first thing that comes to mind is LSD-inspired Flower Power during the 1967 Summer of Love in the USA, with its associated revolution in art and music. This explosion of use was seen to be fuelling the protests against the war in Vietnam and so rapidly led to LSD and related psychedelics such as psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushroom) being banned, first in the USA and then later globally. This ban still exists today and has effectively censored research for over 50 years. The ban is very unfortunate as prior to this there were hundreds of studies that showed psychedelics were effective treatments for a range of mental illnesses as well as some other brain disorders. Millions of patients may therefore been denied access to potentially life-saving treatments.

This situation is beginning to change with several universities setting up psychedelic research groups including the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial, which was the first and is now five years old. The impetus to these new research centres is twofold. First, today we have much more powerful neuroimaging methods to examine the impact of psychedelics on the brain and second, these neuroimaging studies have revealed possible mechanisms underpinning the therapeutic activity of psychedelic drugs, so encouraging more clinical research. This research has revealed remarkable efficacy in a number of patients who have not responded to prior conventional treatments and may be the start of a whole new phase of novel therapies for mental illnesses.

(more…)

My day in the living lab: Could I help accelerate drug trials?

Rory-Cellan-Jones

Rory Cellan-Jones is an author and former BBC Technology Correspondent who, in 2019, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Rory discusses his visit to the ‘Living Lab’ at the UK DRI Care Research & Technology Centre – a unique mock apartment where scientists can monitor the behaviour of patients in a domestic environment.

My week started with quite a stressful day. For nearly five hours I was under the microscope, my every move watched by scientists. They made me walk up and down, rise from a chair without using my arms, open and close my hand rapidly. I spent half an hour staring at a computer screen trying to work out which shape fitted where on a grid, one of a number of cognition tests. They even made me make two cups of tea and four slices of toast.

It was tiring but it was all in the cause of science – and potentially faster drug trials. This all took place in Imperial College’s Living Lab, a room fitted out like a small flat on the ninth floor of a tower block in West London. The lab is equipped with video cameras and a series of sensors which provide data on its occupants’ activities.

(more…)

Lockdown Hangover: The impact of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption

With reports of a spike in alcohol sales suggesting that many are turning to alcohol during these unprecedented times, PhD student Emily Palmer is conducting a survey to find out more about alcohol consumption and the potential public health consequences.

I blink my eyes open. Head is throbbing, suddenly I realise how thirsty I am and reach for the glass of water on my bedside table. Blissful saviour. Then slowly, the blurry memory of uncorking yet another bottle of wine swims to the forefront of my mind. This is my experience of being hungover.

Throughout my teenage years, hangovers were a ritualistic reprimand for a failure in self-control. However, throughout my studies – first in biomedical science and then neuroscience – I began to learn more about the science of the hangover phenomenon. My interest started with a project in my undergrad degree focusing on alcohol. Alcohol in the context of intoxication and addiction is widely researched, and there is no shortage of published papers. I was fascinated to learn how this widely used, socially acceptable drug ravages the brain and body. (more…)

From friend to foe: what drives MS to turn our immune systems against us?

For MS Awareness Week, Dr Rachel James and Dr Carmen Picon Muno from our Department of Brain Sciences explain how their efforts in understanding the mechanism behind MS is driving the search for new drug targets. 

I have always been fascinated by how the immune system protects our body by identifying attackers and fighting them off. It’s a remarkable undertaking: it must recognise and protect us from any number of harmful molecules produced by a huge array of invading organisms. Sometimes, however, this system can go wrong. For instance, in the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system erroneously attacks the myelin – a fatty covering that protects our nerves – in our own central nervous system. This produces the chronic accumulation of demyelinated MS lesions that lead to the clinical symptoms of the disease. (more…)

Banking on brains: the quest for new methods of treatment for Parkinson’s

Parkinson's

For World Parkinson’s Day, Ben Tilley highlights how brain tissue donated to Imperial’s Tissue Bank is instrumental in finding new methods of treatment for Parkinson’s. 

My personal journey with Parkinson’s disease (PD) research started six years ago. It was the summer of 2012, and while enjoying the London Olympics and preparing myself to start Medical School at Imperial College London, my father was developing symptoms of PD. When the diagnosis was made I knew what my career goal would be; I had to study this disease and I had no ambitions other than to become a neurologist in the future. (more…)

Encephalitis: the rare disease with a million implications

 

22 February is World Encephalitis Day. Founded by The Encephalitis Society four years ago, it aims to help raise awareness of the disease on an international scale.

In a nutshell, encephalitis refers to the inflammation of the brain. Up until recently, it was thought that encephalitis was simply either a viral or bacterial infection. However, in 2005, research described a new version of the disease: auto-immune or ‘anti-NMDAR encephalitis’, which is caused by antibodies that attack the brain tissue. In all its forms, encephalitis is incredibly rare: herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), for instance, affects approximately one in 1,000,000 children. Although there are clear treatment routes available, viral encephalitis is incredibly destructive. The virus can cause irreversible damage in the brain, which will continue to impact upon a patient’s quality of life well after their short-term recovery from the disease itself. (more…)

Could gut hormones help make Dry January last all year?

Dr Tony Goldstone

In this post, Dr Tony Goldstone looks at the role of gut hormones in controlling alcohol addiction and how they may provide a basis for future treatment. 

After the excesses of Christmas and New Year, it has become fashionable for January to be promoted as a time for reassessment and resolutions. There are promises and attempts at living a healthier lifestyle, including stopping drinking alcohol (‘Dry January’), joining that gym, stopping smoking, and eating better. However, we know how difficult it is to maintain behaviour change over the longer term. People start drinking excessively again, put back on the weight they lose, start smoking again, and their attendance at the gym wanes. For people who have hazardous levels of drinking, and those who are dependent on alcohol, this is particularly problematic. (more…)

Alcohol Awareness Week: seeking a responsible alternative

For Alcohol Awareness Week, Professor David Nutt explains how his latest research venture, an alcohol-free beverage, could address the dangers associated with alcohol consumption. 

Most of us are aware that chronic, heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking leads to a plethora of health issues including liver damage and addiction. However, many of us are still unaware of the dangers associated with even moderate alcohol consumption or the cumulative effects that alcohol can have on our health. So just what are those regular trips to the pub, or the frequent cocktails after work really costing us? (more…)