Recommended reading from around the Web

Fatigue Syndrome News Is Promising—but Preliminary

Fatigue Syndrome News Is Promising—but Preliminary
by Guy McKhann, M.D.

November 2009

A potential link between a virus and chronic fatigue syndrome has been discovered, but the finding is just a first step.

Brain on the Web

by Andrew Kahn

November 2009

This month's links feature three blogs that mix interesting content from around the Web with original writing. Two include reports from the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

The Man Who'd Map Consciousness

by Nilanjana S. Roy

Business Standard (India) | November 17, 2009

Vilayanur Ramachandran, a neuroscientist and author, recently lectured in Delhi about consciousness, causing at least one audience member to feel as if she had witnessed history.

Your Brain on Books

by Stanislas Dehaene

Scientific American | November 17, 2009

In this interview, the author of the new book "Reading in the Brain" explains his research into how the mind interprets the written word.

Attention Loss Feared as High-tech Rewires Brain

by Benny Evangelista

San Francisco Chronicle | November 15, 2009

Our increasingly high-tech society may lead to changes in the brain, some mental health experts say. As activities such as text messaging and tweeting increase, they say, conditions such as attention-deficit disorder may spread.

'Language Gene' Effects Explored

BBC News | November 13, 2009

Two small-scale differences between the chimpanzee and human versions of a gene may help explain the evolution of language and higher thought, according to a recent study.

Newborn Cells Clear Space in Brain's Memory-maker

by Tina Hesman Saey

Science News | November 12, 2009

Recent research suggests that newly-formed neurons can erase older memories by altering connections among existing brain cells.

Hub Lab Writing the Book on Face-reading

by Patricia Wen

The Boston Globe | November 10, 2009

In the cognitive neuroscience laboratory at Children’s Hospital Boston, researchers are studying when and how humans learn to make judgments based on facial expressions. The findings could eventually have implications for autism treatments.

Head Games

by Jonathan Starkey

The Washington Post | November 10, 2009

Manufacturers are designing football helmets in new ways, hoping to make players safer by reducing the effects of impacts to the head. Approaches include air-cushioned shock absorbers, foam lining of varying density, even a helmet that can send a wireless alert to a team trainer after a potentially dangerous hit.

A Dream Interpretation: Tuneups for the Brain

by Benedict Carey

The New York Times | November 9, 2009

Recent research on sleep proposes that the main purpose of dreaming is physiological—the brain preparing for conscious awareness—rather than psychological.

Sea Lion Brain Mapped to Study Toxins' Effects

by Cristen Conger

Discovery News | November 4, 2009

In a first-of-its-kind study, the California sea lion's brain has been analyzed in an attempt to learn more about how toxins in the water are causing neurological damage.

The New Science of Temptation

by Piercarlo Valdesolo

Scientific American | November 3, 2009

A recent brain-imaging study suggests that the ability to resist temptation lies not in will power but in not feeling tempted in the first place.

Childhood Brain Cancer Causes Other Long-Term Problems

by Robert Preidt

HealthDay News | November 2, 2009

Survivors of childhood brain cancer experience neurocognitive problems later in lafe, according to an American Psychological Association study published this month. Most commonly reported: problems with memory and task efficiency.

Headaches and Heartaches: Wife's Persistence Leads to Relief

by Michael Morton

The MetroWest Daily News | November 1, 2009

An experimental technique that involves electrical nerve stimulation grants relief to a man with a rare condition that causes severe headaches.

Brains: The Secret to Better Schools

by Alanna Mitchell

The Star (Toronto) | October 31, 2009

Part One in a series on neuroeducation explores the idea that advances in neuroscience could prove beneficial in the classroom, though many hurdles remain.

See also

Are You a Bad Driver? Now You Can Blame It on Your Genes...

by Jenny Hope

The Daily Mail (U.K.) | October 29, 2009

People with a particular gene variant scored more than 20 percent lower on a driving test than those without the gene, according to a recent study. A smaller portion of the brain is stimulated during certain activity in people with the gene variant compared to those with a normal gene.