For a patient experiencing pain, the belief that a pain treatment will work can be enough to reduce their pain.
The placebo effect and pain relief
Use it or lose it: A look at cortical mapping, remapping, and implications for brain function
How our brains take into account our recent experience
Trash in the brain leads to Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study found that plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients are formed when cells’ cleanup machinery becomes defective.
Are people who stutter really tongue-tied?
The exact cause of stuttering remains unknown, but it is probably the result of changes in certain brain structures.
Can Dietary Fat Boost Your Mood?
Despite what you may have heard, dietary fat isn’t all bad. On the contrary, some types of dietary fats, such as omega 3 fatty acids, can positively impact mood and have a protective effect against symptoms of mood disorders like depression.
What’s in a framework?
Does the way we define and categorize psychological concepts match the organization of our brains, and why does it matter when studying mental illness?
Keeping a cool head
Hypothermia is an effective treatment to protect the brain after a lack of oxygen.
Meowza, that scared me!
Peeking inside a mouse’s head to understand PTSD
Sensing Our Organs
Why can we tell when our stomach hurts but not know which organ is affected?
From gut to brain: do your neurons know the gut is inflamed?
A recent study found that a specific region in your brain recognizes inflammation in your gut.
Electroconvulsive Therapy: The Mystery of Mechanism
Electroconvulsive therapy is an effective treatment for some people with mental illness, but how does this so-called “shock therapy” affect the brain?
What is a seizure?
What is happening in the brain when somebody is having a seizure?
What COVID-19 has to tell us about Alzheimer’s Disease
Recent developments in our understanding of how COVID-19 affects the brain have led scientists to revisit an old idea that Alzheimer’s could be virally induced.
The neuroprotective double-life of estrogen
How hormones may ease patients’ stroke recoveries
3 Notable Neuroscience Discoveries in 2021
Neuroscience wrapped: as we move into a new year, let’s reflect on some notable discoveries in the field of neuroscience from 2021.
Blood, sweat, and clusterin
New insights into the link between exercise and improved cognition
Ataxia and Autoimmune Encephalitis
Anyone can develop ataxia, but why are people with autoimmune disorders more susceptible?
Restoring Sight to the Blind
Restoring sight to the blind sounds like science fiction, but a recent study puts us one step closer to making this fantasy a reality.
The Neuroscience of Acupuncture
New research uncovers the biology behind acupuncture’s anti-inflammatory effects
Is your brain full of plastics?
Humans consume a shocking amount of plastic particles; what effects do they have on the brain?
Seeing the light again
How a protein from algae might help blind patients see
Dissociative Identity Disorder
How early childhood trauma can lead to the development of multiple personalities.
Alzheimer’s disease: What’s causing some of our neurons to die?
A recent study suggests that an Alzheimer’s disease-related protein could explain why specific neurons die first.
Depression and the Immune System
Can activity of the immune system explain the link between depression and autoimmune disorders?
Brain Fog and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Brain fog is a common symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but what causes altered brain function, and could this be happening in patients infected with COVID-19?
Do I know you?
To learn about how we recognize faces, neuroscientists study the most and least skilled face recognizers.
Stressing Yourself Sick: The Impact of Stress on the Gut
How does stress affect the health and function of your gut?
Am I Hearing Things?
For the first time, researchers can study auditory hallucinations in mice
The Neurological Exam
Searching for clues to diagnose problems in the brain
The Neuroscience of Narcolepsy
Loss of one type of neuron can throw sleep transitions into chaos
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