Tag: Insight

When you are faced with a choice — say, whether to have ice cream or chocolate cake for dessert — sets of brain cells just above your eyes fire as you weigh your options. Animal studies have shown that each option activates a distinct set of neurons in the brain. The more enticing the offer,

Each day, humans and animals rely on habits to complete routine tasks such as eating and sleeping. As new habits are formed, this enables us to do things automatically without thinking. As the brain starts to develop a new habit, in as little as a half a second, one region of the brain, the dorsolateral

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widespread condition with complex underlying causes. A stimulant drug called methylphenidate is a common ADHD treatment that impacts the brain’s levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in systems of reward; however, methylphenidate has a potential for abuse, and its therapeutic effects are poorly understood. To explore methylphenidate’s varied interactions

A novel way in which the inflammatory response to pain is regulated has been described in the open-access journal eLife. The results add to our understanding of the mechanisms that cause increased sensitivity to pain in response to injury and inflammation, and could pave the way for more effective therapies. Inflammatory hyperalgesia, the hypersensitivity to

About a third of epilepsy sufferers require treatment through surgery. To check for severe epilepsy, clinicians use a surgical procedure called electrocorticography (ECoG). An ECoG maps a section of brain tissue to help clinicians identify areas damaged by seizures. “But ECoG requires taking a part of your skull out and putting electrodes directly on brain