President Obama of the United States of America announced this April the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN for short) investment, while Professor Henry Markram’s team based in the European Union will spend over a billion euros on the Human Brain Project, breaking through the unknowns in the fifth science of the decade: Neuroscience. Malaysia's growth in the same field needs to be augmented, and thus the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s vision is to excel in the field of clinical brain sciences, mind sciences, and neurosciences. This will naturally bring up the level of research in the country simultaneously. Thus, a center was recently established to coordinate this venture. The four-year Integrated Neuroscience Program established recently will  be a sustainable source of neuroscientists for the country. We hope to establish ourselves by 2020 as a global university with neurosciences research as an important flagship.
Neurosciences

No abstract available.
Neurosciences* ; Psychopharmacology*

No abstract available.
Neuropsychiatry* ; Neuropsychology* ; Neurosciences*

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article is to clarify the similarities and differences between psychiatry and neurology. METHODS: The author reviewed articles regarding the reciprocal relationship of psychiatry and neurology in Korea and western countries. RESULTS: The divided domains of psychiatry and neurology according to mind/body dualism is arbitrary and wrong. Mind is the function or activity of brain. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine which treats the mind disorders (dysfunction of the brain) caused by various biopsychosocial factors. Neurology is also a branch of medicine which treats the anatomical or structural abnormalities of the brain. Progress in the neuroscience and other disciplines heralds a new understanding of the brain leading to new approaches to neuropsychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: Integration of the two disciplines is desired for mutual benefits and their patients' benefits near future in Korea.
Brain ; Korea ; Neurology* ; Neurosciences

No abstract available.
Consciousness* ; Neurosciences* ; Philosophy*

During past decades, the formation and storage principle of memory have received much attention in the neuroscience field. Although some studies have attempted to demonstrate the nature of the engram, elucidating the memory engram allocation mechanism was not possible because of the limitations of existing methods, which cannot specifically modulate the candidate neuronal population. Recently, the development of new techniques, which offer ways to mark and control specific populations of neurons, may accelerate solving this issue. Here, we review the recent advances, which have provided substantial evidence showing that both candidates (neuronal population that is activated by learning, and that has increased CREB level/excitability at learning) satisfy the criteria of the engram, which are necessary and sufficient for memory expression.
Learning ; Memory ; Neurons* ; Neurosciences

During past decades, the formation and storage principle of memory have received much attention in the neuroscience field. Although some studies have attempted to demonstrate the nature of the engram, elucidating the memory engram allocation mechanism was not possible because of the limitations of existing methods, which cannot specifically modulate the candidate neuronal population. Recently, the development of new techniques, which offer ways to mark and control specific populations of neurons, may accelerate solving this issue. Here, we review the recent advances, which have provided substantial evidence showing that both candidates (neuronal population that is activated by learning, and that has increased CREB level/excitability at learning) satisfy the criteria of the engram, which are necessary and sufficient for memory expression.
Learning ; Memory ; Neurons* ; Neurosciences

The exciting information engendered by developments in neuroscience are essential in understanding the mechanisms of various psychiatric disorders as influenced by psychosocial forces. Contemporary psychiatric research has conclusively demonstrated that mind/brain responds to biological and social vectors and its jointly constructed by both. Major brain pathways are specified in the genome, detailed connections are fashioned by the consequently reflect socially mediated experience in the world.
PSYCHOTHERAPY ; PSYCHIATRY ; NEUROSCIENCES

It is doubtless that the mind or behaviors could be modified through biological interventions, either invasive or noninvasive. Those changes may be negative or pathological, and may be positive or normalizing. However, further advances in psychiatry and neurosciences they could be more and more desirable, variaous, and specific in direction. Researchers in the fields of psychiatry and neurosciences focused and are focusing their activities mainly on causes of and risk factors for mental illnesses. Some persons with high risk for mental illness, genetically or environmentally, cope very well without psychiatric manifestations. Our future studies should include resilience or invulnerability which is thought to protect the predisposed persons from mental illnesses.
Brain ; Humans ; Neurosciences ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: Standardization of head size is essential for the volume study. Cortical thickness analyses are increasingly being used in many fields of neuroscience. However, it is not established whether head size correction should be done for thickness study. METHODS: Using the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies data, we determined cortical thickness of 316 cognitively normal participants aged 18-94 with FreeSurfer. The association between head size and cortical thickness of whole cortical mantle and in each lobe among age tertile groups was assessed. Estimated total intracranial volume (eTIV) was calculated for determining head size. RESULTS: Across all participants, cortical thickness in whole brain except some areas in cingulate and insula decreased with aging. eTIV had positive correlation with the thickness of frontal, parietal, occipital and whole brain areas. However, the age effect was not shown in whole brain of the first tertile group and in cingulate areas of the third tertile group. eTIV had negative correlation with the thickness of cingulate in the third tertile group. Gender effects were shown in some areas in third tertile group, but it would be due to difference of head size. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that head size standardization might be done especially in older population and in studies of paralimbic areas.
Aging ; Brain* ; Head* ; Neurosciences ; Rabeprazole