Scientists Improve Mood By Stimulating A Brain Area Above The Eyes
People with symptoms suggesting depression felt better immediately when tiny pulses of electricity reached a brain area called the lateral orbitofrontal cortex.
neuroscience
Researchers Uncover A Circuit For Sadness In The Human Brain
When people are feeling glum, it often means that brain areas involved in emotion and memory are communicating. Researchers have now observed the circuit in action in humans.
Neuroscientists Debate A Simple Question: How Does The Brain Store A Phone Number?
Working memory is where the brain keeps bits of information in everyday life handy. But brain scientists don't agree on how working memory works.
The Underestimated Cerebellum Gains New Respect From Brain Scientists
A brain structure that helps us walk in a straight line also appears to play a central role in emotional control and decision-making. The findings about the cerebellum challenge years of dogma.
After Paul Allen Co-Founded Microsoft, He Changed Brain Science Forever
In 2003, Paul Allen created an institute to figure out how the human brain works. That institute has already made contributions that may turn out to be part of his greatest legacy.
In Lab Turned Casino, Gambling Monkeys Help Scientists Find Risk-Taking Brain Area
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a brain region in monkeys that influences their desire to take big risks. When this area is inactivated, the monkeys tend to hedge their bets.
Scientists Study Barn Owls To Understand Why People With ADHD Struggle To Focus
Research on the brains of barn owls suggests that attention problems like ADHD may involve a brain circuit that usually helps us ignore distractions.
How The Brain Helps You Sing Or Say What You Mean
The richness of human vocal communication turns partly on our ability to control pitch, scientists say. Consider the difference you hear between "Let's eat, Grandma" and "Let's eat Grandma."
Researchers Find Herpes Viruses In Brains Marked By Alzheimer's Disease
Two herpes viruses that cause skin rashes in toddlers may accelerate Alzheimer's disease when they infect brain cells. The finding suggests antiviral drugs might help protect the brain.
Army 'Leans In' To Protect A Shooter's Brain From Blast Injury
The Army tells NPR of plans to monitor blast exposure across a military career, to enforce limits on firing certain weapons, and to even look into whether special helmets could help stop blast waves.