UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences

Wellcome Trust-funded scientists at UCL have shown that working as a piano tuner may lead to changes in the structure of the memory and navigation areas of the brain. The study, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that these structural differences correlate with the number of years of experience a piano tuner has accumulated.

People will reject an offer of water, even when they are severely thirsty, if they think the offer is unfair, according to a new study by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL. The findings have important implications for understanding how we make decisions that need to balance fairness and self-interest.

Fatter people are more likely to lose their memories and brain power quicker than those who are thinner, according to research by Dr Archana Singh-Manoux (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health) and colleagues. Read: Telegraph More: Scotsman, BBC Radio 4 Today (from 54mins), Business Insider

UCL is pleased to announce that it has filled all its places for 2012 entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range.

Even a moderate increase in exercise when you are in your fifties can help your heart health according to a study published today by researchers from UCL Epidemiology and Public Health.

An international consortium of scientists, led jointly by researchers at UCL’s Institute of Neurology and Duke University, USA, has identified the specific genetic mutation that causes Alternating Hemiplegia, a rare neurological condition affecting an estimated one child in every million. Using the newest genetic technology, next-generation sequencing, the study published in Nature Genetics, showed that de novo mutations in the gene ATP1A3 cause the condition (de novo mutations are genetic mutations not present in the parents’ genes).

The British Tinnitus Association has been able to commit to funding a second year of research work at the pioneering UCL Ear Institute, thanks to the many generous donations of our members and supporters and a grant of £54,728 from healthcare provider, Simplyhealth. Read more: BTA website

"When we focus intently on one task, we often fail to see other things in plain sight - a phenomenon known as ‘inattention blindness’. Scientists already know that performing a task involving high information load - a ‘high load’ task - reduces our visual cortex response to incoming stimuli. Now researchers from UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience have examined the brain mechanisms behind this, further explaining why our brain becomes ‘blind’ under high load." Read more: Medical Express

Professor Val Curran (UCL Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology) said that any effects on memory are likely to be small and transient. ”The general agreement that is emerging about ecstasy is that while you are using the drug, you might expect a very subtle memory impairment but it’s probably not significant in the real world,” she said. Read: Daily Mail More: Times of India