neuroscience

I guess it's too late to change my mind.

Why Your Brain Has Trouble Bailing Out Of A Bad Plan

4:40pm December 07, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Researchers say it takes a lot of brainpower to stop an action, once it's underway. A study found that when people have to change a planned movement, 11 different brain areas have to get involved.

A chimpanzee skull, at left, and a human skull. Scientists are probing why our brains evolved so differently despite many similarities.

Human Brains Have Evolved Unique 'Feel-Good' Circuits

2:01pm November 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

A comparison of brain tissue from monkeys, chimps and humans suggests that our brains produce the chemical messenger dopamine, which plays a major role in pleasure and rewards, far differently.

Many children recover quickly from a concussion, but some have much more severe symptoms. Competitive sports are a major source of injury.

Spit Test May Help Reveal Concussion Severity

2:11pm November 20, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When a child suffers a concussion, it's very hard to tell if the brain injury will cause long-term problems. An experimental test that looks for bits of genetic material in spit might help.

Sleep-deprived brain cells respond sluggishly, say researchers who recorded directly from the tired brains of people they'd kept awake for 24 hours.

Sleepless Night Leaves Some Brain Cells As Sluggish As You Feel

3:20pm November 06, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have found an underlying reason why it's dangerous to drive when you're sleepy. Brain recordings show cells involved in perception fire more slowly in somebody who has been up all night.

Alzheimer's disease causes atrophy of brain tissue. The discovery that lymph vessels near the brain's surface help remove waste suggests glitches in the lymph system might be involved in Alzheimer's and a variety of other brain diseases.

Brain's Link To Immune System Might Help Explain Alzheimer's

6:10pm October 03, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

For centuries, scientists thought the human brain had no direct connection to the body's immune system. Now researchers seem to have found one, and say it may offer clues to multiple sclerosis, too.

Queue Listen Now

After surgeons removed a tumor from Dan Fabbio's brain, they gave him his saxophone — to see whether he'd retained his ability to play. A year after his surgery, Fabbio is back to work full time as a music teacher.

This Music Teacher Played His Saxophone While In Brain Surgery

6:40pm August 25, 2017

by Andrea Hsu

The surgeons tasked with removing a tumor from Dan Fabbio's brain had worked hard not to disrupt his ability to perform music. They rejoiced when he was able to play his sax on the operating table.

Queue Listen Now

Simply going up in pitch at the end of a sentence can transform a statement into a question.

Really? Really. How Our Brains Figure Out What Words Mean Based On How They're Said

5:28pm August 24, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have identified the brain cells that detect pitch changes in speech, allowing us to understand whether someone is asking a question or making a statement.

A vaccine against heroin wouldn't be like the measles vaccine that you receive once for a lifetime of immunity, say scientists working on it. Multiple shots per year would likely be required, and it would be specific to just heroin and morphine.

Health & Safety

A 'Vaccine For Addiction' Is No Simple Fix

6:22pm August 10, 2017

by Richard Harris

Scientists are trying to develop a vaccine to block the euphoria of heroin without interfering with other pain relief. The Trump administration hopes the approach might help with the opioid epidemic.

Scientists are still trying to figure out how playing video games affects the brain.

Video Games May Affect The Brain Differently, Depending On What You Play

12:12pm August 09, 2017

by Courtney Columbus

Millions of people play video games, but there's plenty of disagreement on whether they're good or bad for brains. Action games may have a different effect than something like Super Mario.

For a rat, "metamemory" is about knowing whether you remember that predator in the distance, researchers say. For people, knowing what we don't know can be especially useful in navigating social interactions.

From Rats To Humans, A Brain Knows When It Can't Remember

4:40pm July 28, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When we see a familiar face, we know instantly if we can remember that person's name. That's because the human brain has an ability called metamemory. Looks like rats may have that higher power, too.