Washington, Mar 10 : Researchers from University of Southern California have identified an area of hypothalamus in the brain, which is key to animals'' fear of territorial rivals and predators.

The team of neurologists led by Larry Swanson found that mice lose their fear of territorial rivals when a tiny piece of their brain is neutralized.

Brain's amygdala region has long been studied by researchers as the region of fear. However, the new study has shown that primal fear responses do not depend on the amygdala, but on an obscure corner of the primeval brain.

During the study, the researchers examined the brain activity of rats and mice exposed to cats, or to rival rodents defending their territory.

Washington, Mar 10 : Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco have found that older men with higher levels of fat are more likely to experience declines in cognitive function, but the same link does not appear to occur in women.

For the study, Alka M. Kanaya, M. D., of the university and colleagues looked at 3,054 elderly individuals enrolled in the Health ABC Study.

London, Mar 10: Researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Centre have discovered that a particular gene, BDNF, can pave the way for promising new treatment for obesity that is much safer and effective than other conventional therapies.

For the study, the researchers analysed a potentially long-term treatment that involves injecting a gene directly into one of the critical feeding and weight control centres of the brain.

Washington, Mar 10 : A new study has explained why children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder move around a lot - it helps them stay alert to complete challenging tasks.

Researchers from University of Central Florida have discovered that

children with ADHD need to move more to maintain the required level of alertness while performing tasks that challenge their working memory.

London, Mar 10 : Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy could give their babies a taste for booze, suggests a study in rats.

The study may shed new light on why human studies have previously linked fetal alcohol exposure to increased alcohol abuse later in life, and to a lower age at which a person first starts drinking alcohol.

Washington, Mar 10 : Researchers from Indiana University have found that Hatha yoga can help reduce fear of falling among older adults.

According to the study, just a few minutes of pranayama twice weekly can help reduce fear of falling, increase lower body flexibility and lower older adults' leisure constraints.

Fear of falling compels older adults to limit their social and physical activity, which can in turn diminish their health and quality of life.