Brain-training claims questioned
Brain-training companies claim scientific studies back the effectiveness of their programs, but according to a new report, most studies like…
Evidence that probiotics alter brain function
In a discovery that carries significant implications for changing brain function through dietary interventions, UCLA researchers say they now have…
This is your brain on iTunes
Researchers have been using an MRI scanner to work out what happens in our brain when we decide to purchase…
Brain wave trajectories challenge area-specific notion of brain activity
Our understanding of brain activity has traditionally been linked to specific brain areas – an area associated with speech, vision,…
Steroid use found to damage brain’s spatial functioning
Long-term use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) appears to severely impact a user’s ability to accurately recall the shapes and spatial…
“Uncommon features” in Einstein’s brain revealed
Researchers who have just completed a new analysis of the famous scientist’s grey matter say portions of Albert Einstein’s brain…
Revealed: how social isolation atrophies the brain
A study in Nature Neuroscience has found that animals socially isolated for prolonged periods make less myelin (the brain’s white…
Neuroscientists observe “novel” activity in brain during sleep
UCLA researchers have for the first time measured the activity of a brain region known to be involved in learning…
UK scientists aim to create artificial bee brain
Hoping to gain insights into what’s needed for creating artificial intelligence, scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Sussex are…
Gene mutation behind African migration also responsible for modern health woes
The brain-boosting genetic mutation that allowed primitive man to migrate across the African continent is over-represented in modern-day African Americans…
Women better with colors
A study examining visual processing in the brain found that men have greater sensitivity to detail and rapidly moving stimuli,…
Alcohol rewires brain for PTSD
Heavy drinking appears to impair the brain’s ability to recover from trauma and may put people at greater risk for…
Nicotine receptor gets blame for Internet addiction
Internet addiction has a physiological basis, according to German researchers who say a variant of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor makes…
Brain hardwired for objectification of women
A new series of experiments have shown that when presented with images of men, both male and female subjects perceive…
AI: size matters
MIT scientists have discovered that the brain processes objects based on their physical size, with a specific region of the…
Social behavior shared across all vertebrates
Humans, birds, fish and frogs appear to share the same ancient neural circuits that are responsible for a range of…
Ovulation goggles make Mr Wrong look like Mr Right
Nice guys finish last when women are wearing ovulation goggles, say University of Texas researchers who have been investigating exactlywhy…
Robot probe maps brain neuron activity faster, more accurately
Researchers at MIT and the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a robotic probe to automate the process of finding…
Food and sex behaviors predicted with MRI
Previously used in experiments to see whether it could predict pop music success, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain…
Brain scans hint at root of consciousness
Imaging internal brain activity under anesthesia has provided researchers with revealing insights into what happens when the subjective phenomenon of…
False memories implanted in mammalian brain
By exerting control over specific neurons in the brain, Scripps Research Institute scientists have successfully generated synthetic memory traces in…
Scientists scope effects of marijuana ingredients via MRI
MRI brain scans of marijuana users under the influence of either tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) show that one chemical…
Zinc’s role in the brain revealed
Researchers have discovered that zinc plays a critical role in regulating how the neurons in our brain communicate with one…
Scale of epigenetic changes observed in stimulated brain is “mind boggling”
In a discovery with major implications for treating psychiatric diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, Johns Hopkins neurologists have established that non-dividing…
Videos reconstructed from brain scan
Using MRI brain scans, computational models and a large quantity of YouTube videos, University of California, Berkeley researchers have demonstrated…
Fattening-up with Facebook
Social and physical environments can have a profound effect on metabolic processes, say the scientists behind rodent experiments that showed…
Gettin’ drunk and fallin’ down; who cares?
In a fascinating new study, University of Missouri researchers have shown that contrary to previous research, alcohol doesn’t reduce your…
Text messaging modifying our emotional responses
Experiments by German psychologists indicate that text messaging is subtly changing the way our brains respond to certain number combinations.…
Study identifies key aspects of music that evoke emotions in brain
Using fMRI neuroimaging, Florida Atlantic University scientists have identified key aspects of musical performance that cause emotion-related brain activity, and…