Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdtOIHDkW5/Genetic engineering might someday improve your powers of attention and focus by up to 20%.  This from neuroscientists at New York’s Rockefeller University following their preclinical study published in the journal Nature.Using a mouse model, the researchers discovered that, by reducing versions of the Homer1 gene in adolescent mice, the animals’ concentration improves.  Most interestingly, that benefit occurs by slowing rather than revving up brain activity. Reducing the brain activity suppresses electric background neural noise, the manifestation of distraction. This intervention failed to produce this beneficial effect in adult mice.Reducing the Homer1 gene turns off GABA receptors which facilitate brain activity inhibition. This permits the processing of stronger, more critical signals and enhanced attention.This finding suggests possible genetic management for those children with ADHD. Many more pre-clinical studies and subsequent clinical trials are neede