neurology

When Bob Smithson could no longer breathe on his own and surgeons wanted to operate, his doctor decided to take a chance on a different treatment. That decision gave Bob another chance at life.

If you have a problem with your heart or liver, the diagnosis is likely to be made by a lab test or medical image. But neurologist Allan Ropper says those tests often fail when it comes to the brain.

Researchers discovered what appears to be a momentary increase in electrical activity in the brain associated with consciousness. As the brain struggles to survive, it also struggles to make sense of many neurons firing in the survival attempt.

For years, researchers have struggled to understand the mental fog that envelops some patients getting chemotherapy. Now a study has found that the cancer treatment significantly decreases brain activity in regions responsible for memory, attention, planning and prioritizing.