Four breakthroughs that are changing our understanding of dreams

Researchers are developing theories about the purpose of dreams and learning why some people seem to be better at remembering them.

Anthony Bloxham, Lecturer in Psychology, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Aug. 30, 2024 ~7 min

What is mental imagery? Brain researchers explain the pictures in your mind and why they’re useful

Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes.

Jiabin Shen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, UMass Lowell • conversation
Aug. 26, 2024 ~7 min


Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales

In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Aug. 26, 2024 ~8 min

One in four patients in vegetative or minimally conscious state able to perform cognitive tasks, study finds

Around one in four patients with severe brain injury who cannot move or speak – because they are in a prolonged coma, vegetative or minimally conscious state –

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Aug. 14, 2024 ~6 min

New open-source tool helps to detangle the brain

The software tool NeuroTrALE is designed to quickly and efficiently process large amounts of brain imaging data semi-automatically.

Anne McGovern | MIT Lincoln Laboratory • mit
Aug. 14, 2024 ~8 min

Fluid keeps your brain from crushing itself and shields your spine from shock – a neurologist explains what happens when it stops working

Cerebrospinal fluid can sometimes leak or collect in the brain without an identifiable cause, leading to symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose.

Danielle Wilhour, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Aug. 14, 2024 ~9 min

Study reveals ways in which 40Hz sensory stimulation may preserve brain’s “white matter”

Gamma frequency light and sound stimulation preserves myelination in mouse models and reveals molecular mechanisms that may underlie the benefit.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Aug. 13, 2024 ~9 min

Why elite athletes are harnessing their own brain waves for sporting success

Athletes from a variety of sports have experimented with neurofeedback in recent years in a bid to gain a competitive edge.

Andrew Michael Cooke, Senior Lecturer in Performance Psychology, Bangor University • conversation
Aug. 7, 2024 ~6 min


Brain implants to restore sight, like Neuralink’s Blindsight, face a fundamental problem − more pixels don’t ensure better vision

Engineers have tried for decades to develop bionic eyes to reverse blindness. But the brain is far more complex than a computer.

Geoffrey Boynton, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington • conversation
Aug. 6, 2024 ~7 min

‘Far from clear’ new Alzheimer’s drugs will make a difference at a population level, say researchers

Cambridge researchers have cast doubt on whether new amyloid immunotherapy drugs will have the desired effect of significantly reducing the impact of

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Aug. 6, 2024 ~7 min

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