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Neurology news

Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking—new research in mice

For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing ...

Whole-brain activity may better predict variations in stimulation responses

Brain stimulation can produce very different effects at different moments, even when the stimulus is delivered exactly the same way. A new study published in Brain Stimulation shows that the brain's ongoing activity before ...

Researchers identify possible marker of suicidal thoughts

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have identified a possible biological marker linked to severe suicidal thoughts. The finding, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, may also help explain ...

A new target in the gut for reducing Alzheimer's risk

A compound produced by bacteria in many people's digestive tracts increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and speeds cognitive decline in dementia patients, making it a potential target for a treatment that could ...

Electric fields offer new hope against aggressive brain cancer

More than a decade ago, Dr. Matthew Hebb was treating patients with Parkinson's disease using deep brain stimulation by implanting tiny electrodes into the brain and delivering electrical signals to control tremors. He wondered ...

Got ice‑cream brain freeze? Here's what is happening

With temperatures forecast to reach around 37°C (99°F) in places, reaching for an ice cream or an icy drink might seem like an excellent idea. There is, however, one small hazard to eating your frozen treat with too much ...

Potential language-specific brain network identified

The language network in your brain can be seen, even if you aren't saying a word. For a study published in Nature Communications, researchers used data from more than 1,900 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans ...

Sensory overload in kids has distinct neurobiological roots

Overreactions to ordinary sensory stimuli—a scratchy shirt tag, a roaring vacuum cleaner, an unfamiliar smell—are commonly associated with autism. But in fact, an estimated 15% to 20% of children experience such reactions, ...

How brain ripples help support working memory

Research from scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and collaborators has shed new light on how the human brain coordinates working memory, the process in which the brain encodes information ...

Human tissue model tracks glioblastoma invasion cell by cell

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor and is among the most aggressive cancers in humans. Despite multimodal therapy with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, there is still no cure. A major reason is the tumor's invasive ...

Dreams drain energy: The REM sleep paradox

The brain demands a lot of energy compared with other organs. However, it can also make do when energy supplies are scarce, flexibly processing information using what is available. How the brain resourcefully allocates this ...

Mind-wandering mechanisms change depending on eye state

A type of brain activity linked to arousal and attention can track mind wandering. But research conflicts on whether this activity promotes or hinders mind wandering. Esther Thielking of Barnard College and colleagues explored ...