Visionary Gene Therapy Research
Column

Visionary Gene Therapy Research

by Guy McKhann, M.D.

Brain in the News

Gene therapy's promise in treating an eye nerve cell disease has implications not just for vision but also for degenerative diseases in the brain, writes columnist Guy McKhann. Our "in the News" pages feature new links weekly to stories our advisors recommend from around the Web.

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Use of Deep Brain Stimulation Widens

Use of Deep Brain Stimulation Widens

BrainWork

The "brain pacemaker" treatment's promise is moving beyond movement disorders. No one knows just how deep brain stimulation makes a difference, but the dramatic effect that the procedure had on one man’s memory may offer a clue. 

Your Brain and Heart Surgery

Your Brain and Heart Surgery

by Guy McKhann, M.D., and Brenda Patoine

Cerebrum

Cognitive problems sometimes follow heart bypass surgery, but that does not mean the surgery is the cause. In fact, the same things that harm the heart before surgery may also be subtly harming the brain.

News

The Physiology of Sleep

by Kayt Sukel

From years of behavioral studies, we thought we new a lot about sleep. But some recent studies examining its neurobiological mechanisms have led to new hypotheses about "non-wakefulness."

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science
New Book

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

In this second annual anthology, top scientists and scholars interpret the latest discoveries about the human brain and confront their implications for fields from architecture to ethics, music to health care policy. Foreword by Carl Zimmer.

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News

Testosterone–The Next Blockbuster Anti-depressant?

by Jim Schnabel

A large-scale study finds a significant association between depression and low testosterone levels in elderly men, adding to the case that testosterone replacement might be a possible therapy for some cases of depression.

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Seeking New Treatments for Epilepsy

Seeking New Treatments for Epilepsy

by Elizabeth Norton Lasley

BrainWork

Because about one-third of people with epilepsy do not respond to medication, researchers have launched a nationwide study to find culprit genes and new drug targets. On the level of treatment, brain “pacemakers” similar to deep brain stimulation are now in clinical trials.

Learning, Arts, and the Brain
New Research

Learning, Arts, and the Brain

Dana Consortium studies find strong links

For the first time, coordinated, multi-university scientific research brings us closer to answering the question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter?

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George Will Riffs on Cubs Book

George Will Riffs on Cubs Book

The Newsweek columnist uses examples from Your Brain on Cubs to explain the “neurological affliction” of rooting for a team with a history of letdowns. Also, Steve Mirsky of Scientific American talked with editor Dan Gordon about the book recently, as did Ira Flatow on National Public Radio's Science Friday show. Visit the book page for more links to interviews and news coverage.

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Beatles' Magical Memory Tour
Brain Research

Beatles' Magical Memory Tour

Be part of an online study using people's recollections of the Beatles to discover the link between music and memory. Participants can input their own memories about the Beatles and explore other people’s memories, finding out which albums evoke the most memories; which songs evoke positive or negative memories; and which news events are most vividly remembered. The study, launched by the British Association of the Advancement of Science, is also supported by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.

Where in the Brain is Intelligence?

by Tom Valeo

The emerging consensus is that what we casually call “brains” depends not just of the efficiency or power of various brain regions, but also on the strength of the connections that link them.

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"Brain Fitness" at Work
Partner site

"Brain Fitness" at Work

We've all seen the news: We can affect how our brains work.  Neuroscience tells us that we can increase our chances of maintaining our mental edge and functional independence throughout our lives. How? By working to keep our brains fit the way we work to keep our bodies healthy. This validated guide, available via The Conference Board's Web site, explains how.

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Podcasts

The Brain-Injured Soldier

A two-part podcast about the connection and intersection of brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder in U.S. veterans of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of our podcasts section.

Arts Education: Spelling Out What Works
New Publication - AVAILABLE FREE

Arts Education: Spelling Out What Works

Edited By Barbara Rich, Ed.D., and Jane L. Polin

This new book examines innovations in arts-teacher training and features the best practices at 24 higher-education institutions. Also included are proceedings from Dana’s 2007 national symposium on how colleges, universities and conservatories can enhance arts learning. (Free pdf version)

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Book Releases
Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

In this second annual anthology, top scientists and scholars interpret the latest discoveries about the human brain and confront their implications for fields from architecture to ethics, music to health care policy. Foreword by Carl Zimmer.

See also

Your Brain on Cubs

Your Brain on Cubs

Inside the Heads of Players and Fans

Edited by Dan Gordon

A group of today’s leading science writers and neuroscientists explore here the ways that our brain functions when we participate in sports as fans, athletes, and coaches, taking baseball as the quintessential sport for all three perspectives.

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The 2008 Progress Report on Brain Research
Free Publication - Online

The 2008 Progress Report on Brain Research

Describes the top findings in brain research during 2007 affecting areas such as disorders of development, aging, and movement, as well as mental and thought disorders. This year’s report includes a special essay on deep brain stimulation by prominent neuroscientists Mahlon R. DeLong and Thomas Wichmann.

Wired for Goodness

Wired for Goodness

by Donald W. Pfaff, Ph.D.

A distinguished neuroscientist gives us a science-based hypothesis of why humans across time and geography have such similar notions of right and wrong.

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Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow's Brain

by Floyd E. Bloom, M.D.

Top neuroscientist Floyd E. Bloom has selected the most fascinating brain-related articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind since 1999 in this collection. Divided into three sections—Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow’s Brain—this compilation takes you to the latest information from the front lines of brain research.

Defining Right and Wrong in Brain Science

Defining Right and Wrong in Brain Science

Essential Readings in Neuroethics

by Walter Glannon, Ph.D.

The fifth volume in The Dana Foundation Series on Neuroethics, this collection provides readers with the seminal writings on past, present and future ethical issues facing neuroscience and society.

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Events

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April 24, 2008

Baseball and the Brain

Dan Gordon, editor Your Brain on Cubs, moderated Baseball and The Brain with Bobby Thomson, former Giant great; Hillary R. Rodman, Ph.D., Emory University; and Jordan Grafman, Ph.D., NINDS.

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Upcoming Grant Deadlines
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