Brain

Scientists in Denmark have now offered further insights into how sugar reshapes our brain chemistry, by performing experiments on pigs and taking note of how the reward circuitry lights up after consumption.

A team of UK researchers has, for the first time in living human brains, demonstrated how the cognitive dysfunction seen in schizophrenia may be caused by the lack of a key protein known to facilitate communication between neurons in the brain.

Scientists have uncovered what they describe as the first “compelling evidence” of the effects of childhood neglect on brain development by tracking the long-term impacts among Romanian orphans who spent time in the country’s institutions.

Utilizing a recently developed brain imaging technique new research suggests measuring accumulated levels of a protein called tau may predict future neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study has described the successful results in mice of a novel vaccine designed to prevent neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers suggest this "dementia vaccine" could become the “breakthrough of the next decade.”

Austin-based game developer Frank Force has won the Best Illusion of the Year prize for his mind-bending yet simple animation of twisting rings that seem to be rotating in different directions simultaneously.

Scientists in Australia have made a big breakthrough in regenerative medicine, developing a hydrogel that acts as a “sanctuary” for transplanted stem cells in the brain, giving them the smooth start they need to survive in their new environment.

Results have been published from one of the first placebo-controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of microdosing LSD. This Phase 1 trial is exploring whether microdosing could be useful as a therapeutic tool to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study from Northwestern University is demonstrating evidence a novel implantable ultrasound device allows a less toxic formulation of chemotherapy to cross the blood-brain barrier and destroy deadly tumors.

A new study suggests sleeping more than nine hours a night, and/or taking long midday naps, can significantly increase a person’s risk of stroke. The research adds to a growing body of work finding deleterious health effects from excessive sleep.

A study is suggesting a neural circuit implicated in overeating may be more broadly linked to impulse control. The research hypothesizes behavioral disorders, from drug addiction to excessive gambling, could be treated by regulating this pathway.

A new study tracked the effects of extreme isolation on the brains of crew members living on a research station in Antartica. It presents some of the first evidence showing how social isolation can cause tangible structural changes in a human brain.