Neuroscience1947 articles archived since 1845

Dopamine: The Currency of Desire

Rethinking the “pleasure molecule” could help scientists better understand addiction, Parkinson’s disease and motivation 

Brains in a Jar May Help Fight Disease [Video]

A leader in the technique of growing mini brains talks about their benefits for research

Building a Brain in the Lab

Scientists copy nature's most complex organ in the hope of solving the mysteries of brain disorders, from autism to Alzheimer's

Eye Contact Can Be Overwhelming

Research shows that maintaining eye contact can make it harder to think 

Pregnancy Primes the Brain for Motherhood

Areas of the brain related to social cognition shrink in first-time mothers—a structural change that could boost maternal attachment. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

Pregnancy Causes Lasting Changes in a Woman's Brain

New mothers showed evidence of neural remodeling up to two years after giving birth

Pitch-Aware Marmosets Provide New Model for Human Hearing

The animals are giving scientists a glimpse into the pattern of neurons responsible for communication

Repeated Anesthesia Exposure Could Hurt Young Brains, FDA Warns

The agency will require new warnings on medication labels

Why Sleep Disorders May Precede Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

When the body’s biological clock goes awry, insomnia and related disruptions may be an early sign of pending cognitive decline 

From the Magic of Exercise to the Mind of an Octopus

A look inside the January/February issue of Scientific American Mind 

Your Pun-Divided Attention: How the Brain Processes Wordplay

To understand puns, the left and right brain hemispheres have to work together

"Power Poses" Don't Stand Up

A 2010 study claimed that striking certain poses could alter hormone levels and risk-taking behavior. But subsequent studies can’t replicate that finding. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

So, You Want to Be a Synesthete?

Several “artificial” approaches exist but most evidence suggests that training cannot capture a synesthete’s experience

Experimental Treatments Aim to Prevent Brain Damage in Babies

Advances in neuroscience are driving the development of therapies that could save thousands of the most vulnerable patients

Failed Alzheimer’s Trial Does Not Kill Leading Theory of Disease

The drug, and others based on the “amyloid hypothesis,” are still being tested in other, different trials

The Brain's GPS Tells You Where You Are and Where You've Come From

Scientists are discovering how the brain navigates

Finding Her Nerve

Hear the Violet, Taste the Velvet

Research is unwinding the physiological basis of synesthesia, finding links to migraine, autism and other conditions that suggest a role for the immune system 

Hopes Dashed as Alzheimer's Drug Fails in Late-Stage Trial

The result could be a major setback for the strategy of attacking amyloid plaques 

Dementia Rates Falling Among U.S. Seniors

The drop suggests certain actions may reduce disease risk