fMRI

New research examining the brain activity of subjects sleeping suggests that instead of the traditional four sleep stages we generally understand the brain moves through, there are 19 identifiable brain patterns transitioned through while sleeping.

A new study has homed in on the relationship between sleep and pain using brain imaging to identify the differences in neural activity while processing pain. The results revealed sleep deprivation seems to block the parts of the brain that release natural analgesics in relation to pain sensitivity.

​There may be new hope for people with severe phobias, thanks to a system devised by scientists in Japan and the US. It's based around using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to actually see when a patient is envisioning the thing that they fear.

Wim Hof is an “extreme athlete” from the Netherlands, best known for his apparently superhuman ability to withstand intense cold for long periods of time. To observe what might be going on in his brain and body, scientists have now run a series of scans during these icy exposures.

The brain is more complicated than the simplistic adage that left-brain thinking is logical while right-brain thinking is creative and new research is showing how creative thought is determined by how effectively the brain can communicate between different regions that usually work separately

​Following some compelling research suggesting brain inflammation is linked to suicidal thoughts, a team of scientists has now used a machine-learning algorithm and brain imaging to accurately identify whether a person is considering suicide.

An operating theater isn't somewhere you'd normally expect to see someone belt out a saxophone solo lying on the table with their brain exposed. But that's exactly what musician Dan Fabbio​ did, as surgeons removed a tumor from his brain without disrupting his professional skills.

​In the past, “mind reading” systems have been able to guess a number, but deeper thoughts have been beyond the technology’s reach. Now, a team from Carnegie Mellon University has developed a way to accurately read more complex concepts from a brain scan, and even piece together entire sentences.

A criminal who knew what they were doing was wrong faces harsher penalties than someone who was acting recklessly, but it's hard to know where that line is. In a move that could help clear things up, neuroscientists have found that brain imaging techniques can tell the difference.

​​A team of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified key areas of the human brain that, under stimulation, could make a person more susceptible to hypnosis.

Previous studies of the effects of aging on the brain suggested that neuronal activity reduces as people get older, but new research indicates that the difference may actually be vascular. In other words, brain function changes little, but blood vessels in the brain change a lot.

Stories, whether fact or fiction, are at the heart of human culture. A strong narrative can resonate with your personality and experiences, and help set a framework for your future. "That book changed my life" is a cherished maxim. So can a book change your brain too?