Feb 03, 2012Pressures on the brain as early as fetal development can alter development much later, researchers studying neural connections have found. Jan 31, 2012Prion-like protein aggregates aren’t always bad—they may be the key to stabilizing our long-term memories, for example. But how firm is the dividing line between “good prions” and bad ones? Jan 20, 2012We build on memory to predict the future, and might remember better if reality surprises us. Researchers offered these and other insights during the recent meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society in London this month. Jan 17, 2012Research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in November suggests that norepinephrine and serotonin also play roles in helping us decide. Jan 09, 2012Areas that are linked to reward and self-control appear to change when young people play video games, according to two recent studies. Jan 03, 2012Researchers seek faster, cheaper ways to evaluate potential neurodegenerative disease treatments. Dec 23, 2011Targeting different neurotransmitters hasn't offered a breakthrough, said Ann Young during the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting. Perhaps genetics and attention to the misfolded proteins seen in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases can offer a better therapeutic solution. Dec 14, 2011Delirium in the hospital is a common occurrence for the elderly, but there are ways to lower the risk. Dec 13, 2011Researchers can describe differences in the brains of psychopaths, addicts, and developing humans (a k a teenagers), compared with normally behaving adults. But no one is ready to predict a person's behavior based on a brain scan, warned panelists during a public symposium at the recent Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. Dec 05, 2011The tightly knit cellular fence protecting the brain from foreign invaders in the bloodstream also blocks the entry of helpful drugs. Researchers are trying a variety of approaches to temporarily pry open a safe portal. Nov 28, 2011Using off-the-shelf electronics and a little ingenuity, teachers and scientists are helping kids do basic brain science – and even high-tech optogenetics. Nov 22, 2011Epidemiologists have been searching for decades for scientific evidence that tobacco and other substances really are "gateways" to harder drugs. Now neuroscientist Eric Kandel and colleagues, in partnership with his wife, epidemiologist Denise Kandel, have described a molecular mechanism by which nicotine enhances cocaine cravings in mice. Nov 18, 2011"Even though their personality might have changed and their behaviors might have changed, that neurobiology has not," says researcher Jerome Kagan. Nov 11, 2011During a workshop at the annual meeting of the International Neuroethics Society, panelists advised ethical wannabes to just get started. Nov 10, 2011Researchers are combining brain imaging, genetics, and molecular and cellular biology to find new ways to understand and treat anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. Nov 01, 2011Researchers find tantalizing clues that a lesser-known virus may play a role in multiple sclerosis, but how and why are still a mystery. Oct 28, 2011People are born more or less sensitive to alcohol; while one may feel intoxicated after one drink, another may not feel anything after three or more. Less-sensitive people show a lower brain response to alcohol, even when their scores on a cognitive task may stay the same. This may contribute to the difficulty some of them have recognizing modest levels of alcohol intoxication—and might help explain why some more easily slide into alcoholism. Oct 24, 2011Results from the longitudinal Adverse Childhood Experiences study suggest that traumatic childhoods can affect heart, liver, and lungs, as well as mood. Oct 18, 2011Researchers are testing drug delivery via virus or vaccine to stem this pernicious type of cancer. Sep 29, 2011Huda Zoghbi, awarded the 2011 Gruber Neuroscience Prize for her pioneering work on genetic influences on neuropsychiatric disorders, balances her lab work and clinical practice. "While I would love to be bringing a drug to the clinic today or tomorrow, I need to be able to look at my patients and say, 'I would put my child through this trial.' That is the litmus test for me." |