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Obesity Hardwired In The Brain Essay

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The brain is an amazing thing. It is the control tower of the human body, controlling everything from our thoughts to our actions to keeping us breathing and everything in-between. Scientists and researchers are always learning new and interesting things about the human brain. Consider these three recent Brain News studies:
Is Obesity Hardwired in the Brain?
According to a recent study, for some people who are obese, the problem may have arisen in their brains. The study, conducted by researchers from Monash University in Australia and the University of Granada in Spain, looked at MRI brain scans of people’s responses to pictures of food. For the study, 39 obese people and 42 normal weight people were given buffet food and then shown pictures …show more content…

Other forms of exercise can also result in this feeling of great happiness.
Does Sleep Apnea Damage the Brain?
According to a recently released study, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disordered suffered by roughly 22 million Americans, could be causing lasting damage to the brain. Those suffering from OSA repeatedly stop and start breathing while they are sleeping. The damage is likely caused by reduced oxygen intake to the brain caused by pauses in the individual’s breathing.
Using an MRI, researchers looked at the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in those recently diagnosed with OSA as well as healthy participants. The blood-brain barrier prevents infections, bacteria, and chemicals from getting into and harming the brain. The study found that the blood-brain barrier was significantly weaker in those with OSA than the healthy participants.
Previously, scientists knew OSA could lead to high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and memory loss. It can also lead to conditions such as a stroke, diabetes, and endocrine-related problems, and loss of testosterone. While therapies have been created to treat the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier for other conditions, this is the first study to show the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier happens during OSA. Rajesh Kumar, the study’s main researcher

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