Network Expands; Research Boosts QI

NINDS boosts research for biomarkers in Parkinson's disease.

Perceptual choice boosts network stability: effect of neuromodulation?

A recent paper demonstrates that conscious perceptual decisions are characterized by a hallmark of attractor states in recurrent cortical networks: increased stability of cortex-wide activity patterns. We propose that this global cortical state change may be caused by a transient gain modulation through ascending brainstem systems.

The Qi connection: A study in studying Qi

What Is Qi?

At a conference of practitioners and scholars of Chinese Medicine held in Australia recently, it was reported that China has, in recent decades, spent an inordinate amount of resources on experiments to determine the existence and nature of Qi. The nub of the report was that China is easing up on this research. The veracity of the claim that these experiments are slowing down for lack of concre...

Vorapaxar expands antiplatelet options.

Vorapaxar is the first substance of a new class of antiplatelet drugs that has been tested in large clinical trials. The protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) antagonist inhibits thrombin-induced platelet activation to prevent atherothrombosis. In the phase 3 trials TRACER (acute coronary syndrome) and TRA 2P-TIMI 50 (stable atherosclerosis) reducing ischemic events with vorapaxar came at the c...