Field: Neuroscience
AI-based theory explains your weird dreams
Researchers suggest that dreaming helps us generalize our experiences so that we can adapt to new circumstances.
How exercise changes your brain biology and protects your mental health
A psychiatrist and neuroscientist began to think of prescribing exercise as telling patients to take their “exercise pills.”
Anxiety treatment in early childhood can lower long-term mental health risks
Some anxiety is normal and, in fact, necessary and helpful. But what happens when it interferes with a child's daily functioning?
A new class of antidepressant works in 2 hours
Most types of antidepressants work by increasing neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain, which take weeks. A new drug takes hours.
How neuroscience can make us better parents
Kids' brains develop in four main stages. Each has its own particular set of advancements and challenges for parents.
Magnets pull these tiny medical robots deep into the brain
LA-based startup Bionaut Labs is developing micro-sized medical robots that are guided through the body by magnets.
Watch a Neuralink robot insert electrodes into a dummy brain
During a livestreamed event, a Neuralink robot precisely inserted 64 electrode-packed threads into a dummy brain in just 15 minutes.
Exercise boosts the brain — and mental health
New research is revealing how physical activity can reduce and even ward off depression, anxiety and other psychological ailments.
The science of habits
Whether you’re trying to break a bad habit or start a good one, psychologists have some tips to get you started.
How you breathe affects your brain
A psychiatrist and neuroscientists investigate how breathing affect the brain and biological markers of stress and immune function.
Electrically stimulating the brain helps stop binge eating
Two people with binge eating disorder reported that deep brain stimulation helped them control their eating and lose weight in a small study.
Good and bad memories are stored in different neurons, study finds
Positive and negative memories are stored in different parts of the brain, raising the possibility of therapeutic memory manipulation.
Injectable gel repairs severe spinal cord injuries and enables mice to walk
An injectable gel that prevents scar formation and stimulates regeneration successfully repaired severe spinal cord injuries in mice.
Our ancestors first developed humanlike brains 1.7 million years ago
Using computed tomography, a team of researchers generated images of what the brains of early Homo species likely looked like.
New deep brain stimulator is powered automatically by breathing
A deep brain stimulator powered by breathing could eliminate the need for patients to undergo regular battery-change surgeries.
Brain implant translates neural activity into letters, letting a paralyzed man “speak”
A new device allowed a paralyzed patient to "speak," spelling out full sentences in real-time with an error rate of about 8%.
Spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed patients walk again
Swiss researchers have used epidural electrical stimulation to restore walking in nine people with chronic spinal cord injuries.
Australian man uses brain implant to send texts from his iPad
The Stentrode — a brain-computer interface implanted through minimally invasive surgery — has been used to send text messages from an iPad
“Laughing gas” may offer quick, long-lasting relief from depression
With ketamine showing potential as an antidepressant, researchers investigate another anesthetic: nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas."
New study will put the leading theory about Alzheimer’s to the test
Washington University in St. Louis is embarking on a drug trial that may also put the amyloid hypothesis to its ultimate test.
“Freakonomics” study offers simple strategy for making tough decisions
People who chose change over inaction, regardless of the decision, self-reported being better off and happier after six months.
It’s time to change how we think about electroshock therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy is more effective than ketamine at treating severe depression, according to a new meta-analysis.
Withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can last over a year
A scientific review found that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants and antipsychotics can last for over a year.
Deep brain stimulation can be life-altering for OCD sufferers when other treatment options fall short
Deep brain stimulation relies on thin electrodes implanted deep in the brain that deliver electrical currents. Could it treat OCD?
It may be possible to treat inherited blindness, even in adults
A new mouse study suggests that synthetic retinoids may be able to help restore vision in adults with Leber congenital amaurosis.
Three reasons “you” won’t return after this life
Entire religions are constructed around theories of an afterlife, but former monk Stephen Batchelor lists three reasons you won't come back.
Scientists claim “never before” seen results in ALS clinical trial
The ability of tofersen, a gene-based treatment for ALS, to improve symptoms is being hailed as a “treatment milestone.”
Study finds a striking difference between neurons of humans and other mammals
Researchers identified a “building plan” that holds true for every species they looked at — except for humans.
New Alzheimer’s drug slows mental decline by 27% in clinical trial
Eisai and Biogen are reporting that their new Alzheimer’s antibody slowed cognitive decline by 27% in a global trial.
Shape-shifting DNA is helping researchers decode the human brain
Researcher Nako Nakatsuka has turned to DNA to tackle an important challenge: how do we measure chemicals in the brain?
Brain-zapping tech improves memory by more than 50%
A brain-zapping "memory prosthesis" funded by DARPA improved trial participants' ability to retain new information by more than 50%.
Creatine, a popular exercise supplement, might help treat depression
Creatine shows promise as a treatment for depression, boosting the effects of SSRIs and potentially working as a standalone medication.
Axolotls can regenerate their brains
Axolotls are a model organism researchers use to study a variety of topics in biology because of their regenerative abilities.
Are near-death experiences just psychedelic trips?
One possible explanation of near death experiences is that our brains are flooded with a hallucinogenic, DMT.
Identical twins were raised in different countries. Here’s how they differ today.
After being separated as toddlers, two identical twins were raised apart in the US and South Korea.
Shoe wearable could help Parkinson’s patients avoid falling
Data-collecting sensors in shoes can predict a Parkinson’s patient’s fall risk almost as accurately as standard walking tests.
This 20-year chart of depression diagnoses shows an incredible shift
People are being diagnosed with depression earlier than in the past because of a decrease in stigma and better diagnostic guidelines.
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Life's modern distractions, such as news and social media, have overwhelmed our evolutionarily designed attention spans.
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
What if there is nothing special about self-awareness? What if it is just evolutionary dead weight, bound to disappear soon?
New epilepsy treatment could stop seizures in their tracks
A new epilepsy treatment that's delivered as a nasal spray may be able to prevent seizures or even interrupt them.
A new drug could repair stroke damage to memory and movement
A new drug can repair stroke damage in mice, improving memory and motor skills. If it works in humans, it could lead to a paradigm shift in stroke treatment.
The Singularity: When will we all become super-humans?
Are we really only a moment away from "The Singularity," a technological epoch that will usher in a new era in human evolution?
The Biden administration is preparing for legal psychedelics within two years
The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has sent a memo supportive of psychedelic therapies. What does that mean for the field?
MIT engineers 3D-print rubbery brain implants that don’t “stab” the brain
How do you engineer an implant that doesn't harm an organ as soft as tofu? MIT engineers 3D-printed new soft brain implants.
Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study
Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter. A corvid's pallium has more neurons than a great ape's.
Potential cause of unexplained epilepsy cases uncovered
University of Arizona researchers have uncovered a protein that might be behind some epilepsy cases with currently unknown causes.
People who read live longer than those who don’t, Yale researchers say
A study by Yale researchers finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity.
After death, you’re aware that you’ve died, say scientists
How can we know that we're dead after we die? Some evidence attributes a certain neurological phenomenon to a near death experience.
Do optimists really live longer? Here’s what the research says
Research shows if you cultivate a more optimistic mindset, you might further increase your chances for a long life.
This implant cools off nerves to give targeted pain relief
A tiny implant that wraps around nerves and cools them to deliver targeted pain relief could help address the opioid crisis.
Discovery reveals how scary memories stick
Researchers believe they may have discovered the mechanism behind fear’s sticking power in our memory.
Magnetic robot can save lives after a brain hemorrhage
Researchers have developed a microbot-containing, magnetically controlled catheter for removing blood from brain hemorrhages.
How the brain responds to surprising events
Unexpected outcomes trigger release of noradrenaline, which helps the brain focus its attention and learn from the event.
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation
Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.
Stimulating deep sleep may improve brain health, memory, and mood
Researchers are trying to harness deep sleep to bolster the glymphatic system, which helps flush brain tissue.
Geopsychology: Your personality depends on where you live
Scientists in the relatively new field of “geopsychology” are seeing links between personality and location.
This already-approved drug could help repair the brain after stroke
Ohio State researchers have found that an already approved anticonvulsant drug helps increase stroke recovery in mice.
HIV drug could improve memory
The common HIV drug maraviroc improved memory linking in aging mice and might be able to help people experiencing memory loss, too.
Brain infusions from younger mice revive memory in older ones
Stanford researchers have found that an infusion of cerebrospinal fluid from young mice improves the memory of old ones.
World’s smallest DBS device reverses Parkinson’s symptoms
An ultra-small deep brain stimulation (DBS) device could increase the number of Parkinson’s patients to receive the powerful treatment.
Stanford scientists can control specific brain cells at a distance
Using infrared light and a Nobel Prize-winning molecule that detects chili pepper heat, researchers can control brain cells from a distance.
Does this artificial intelligence think like a human?
A new technique compares the reasoning of a machine-learning model to that of a human, so the user can see patterns in the model’s behavior.
Psychedelics, brain implants, and the future of chronic pain relief
The future of chronic pain relief could include psychedelics, gene therapies, brain implants, and other cutting-edge alternatives to opioids.
Probiotic gut bacteria can produce a vital Parkinson’s drug
L-DOPA is a miraculous Parkinson’s drug with terrible side effects. Researchers have created drug-producing bacteria that may help.
Death: how long are we conscious for and does life really flash before our eyes?
Seeing one’s life flashing before one’s eye might be our ultimate attempt – however desperate – to find meaning in our lives.
In a hole in Earth’s magnetic field, neuroscientists are peering into the human brain
By using quantum physics to measure magnetic fields, researchers are pushing closer to measuring the brain in ways we couldn't before.
AI maps psychedelic “trip” experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments
To better understand how these effects manifest in the brain, we analyzed over 6,000 written testimonials of hallucinogenic experiences.
Brain implant lets man with locked-in syndrome share thoughts
A man with total locked-in syndrome has used a brain-computer interface to spell out sentences with his mind.
Mammals dream about the world they are entering even before birth
A study finds that baby mammals dream about the world they are about to experience to prepare their senses.
Newly discovered types of brain cells may hold the key to memory
Researchers believe they have discovered two new types of brain cells that play a key role in memory.
Clues to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder hidden in the dark genome
A new study suggests that the causes of these disorders are hidden in "dark genes," which may account for the enigma of their development.
Psychosomatic illness: Are some diseases caused by our memories?
The brain appears to remember immune responses, and memories can trigger them to happen again.
How the antidepressant Prozac could treat blindness
Prozac is a widely used antidepressant. Data indicates that the drug could be used to prevent blindness due to macular degeneration.
Brains scans of the placebo effect show new way to treat depression
A meta-study of placebo effect research has revealed a link between the phenomenon and brain stimulation as a depression treatment.
How a bedtime routine may affect your brain — and your sleep
A mouse study has yielded new insights into the effect of a bedtime routine on the brain, which could lead to new therapies for insomniacs.
Scientists use ultrasound to control brain cells in animals
Researchers have used ultrasound to trigger the brain cells of mice with a technique called sonogenetics.
Mutation protecting against Alzheimer’s edited into human cells
Scientists have used CRISPR to edit the "Icelandic mutation," which protects carriers against Alzheimer's, into human cells.
Researchers can predict rats’ behavior by reading their brains
A team at the University of Oregon have decoded the patterns of brain activity to predict basic actions in mice.
Researchers are testing neural stimulation as a long COVID treatment
Small pilot trials of two different types of external electrical brain stimulation suggest the technique may work as a long COVID treatment.
Blocking an immune system protein helped mice recover from brain injury
Blocking an immune system molecule that accumulates after traumatic brain injury could significantly reduce the injury’s detrimental effects
Brain wrinkles and folds matter – researchers are studying the mechanics of how they form
Brain folding is another poorly understood mechanism of the most complex known structure in the universe.
The DMT ‘elves’ people meet while tripping
Why do so many people encounter these 'elves' after smoking large doses of DMT?
Edison and Dali’s “creative nap” trick seems to actually work
Briefly entering the hypnagogic state appears to boost creative thinking, just like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí said it would.
“Dancing” molecules repair spinal cord injuries in paralyzed mice
A treatment for spinal cord injuries was able to reverse paralysis in mice by “dancing” to connect with cells near the site of the injury.
Architects design new mental health facilities with healing in mind
Architects are incorporating neuroaesthetics insights into designs for medical facilities in an attempt to promote positive mental health.
Brain implant relieves woman’s treatment-resistant depression
A woman with severe treatment-resistant depression has found relief, thanks to “pacemaker” implanted in her brain by UCSF researchers.
Here’s why sensory perception research was awarded a Nobel Prize
Physiologists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their research on human sensory perception.
Therapy can relieve chronic back pain by rewiring the brain
A psychological treatment for chronic back pain left two-thirds of study participants with little-to-no pain after just one month.
Mini brains grown in the lab sprout primitive “eyes”
Researchers have grown mini brains with light-sensitive eye structures that could lead to breakthrough treatments for vision disorders.
Brain-wide gene editing may one day treat Alzheimer’s
Researchers have developed a brain-wide gene editing technique that treated Alzheimer’s disease in mice.
Implantable “neurograins” may be the key to mind-controlled tech
A new kind of brain-computer interface uses tiny neural implants called “neurograins” to record brain activity in rats.
Hungry mice show why you should take study breaks
The spacing effect — a strange phenomenon by which you retain information more readily if you take study breaks — is now less of a mystery.
Already-approved ALS drug may help Alzheimer’s patients
A small phase 2 study has found evidence that ALS medication riluzole may have potential as a drug for Alzheimer’s.
First neuron-level map of a monkey brain revealed
The first neuron-level 3D image of an entire macaque monkey brain could have a major impact on the world of neuroscience.
Researchers have created a brain sensor swarm
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed an injectable swarm of nanosenors they hope will measure the brain noninvasively.
Baby mice “dream” about the world before seeing it
Before the eyes of baby mice open, their brains appear to use retinal waves to prep their vision systems to detect objects and motion.
New treatment reverses age-related memory loss in mice
A treatment that reversed age-related memory loss in mice could one day treat or prevent such cognitive decline in older people.
Neuroprosthesis lets paralyzed man “speak” whole words again
An experimental neuroprosthesis that translates brain activity into words on a computer screen has given a paralyzed man back his “voice.”
Hair-thin spine stimulator could relieve severe back pain
A new implant that delivers pain-relieving spinal cord stimulation can be put into place using just a needle — no invasive surgery required.
These mind-reading helmets could be a Fitbit for your brain
Kernel has developed two mind-reading helmets that record the same brain activity data as massive, million-dollar machines, but cost just $100,000.