The Cerebellum Is Your "Little Brain"--and It Does Some Pretty Big Things
A newly identified circuit connecting the cerebellum to the brain’s reward centers in mice could help scientists understand autism and addiction
Neuroscience2224 articles archived since 1845
"Mona Lisa Effect" Not True for Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa effect is the illusion that the subject of a painting follows you with her gaze, despite where you stand. But da Vinci's famous painting doesn't have that quality. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Fake Whiskeys and Octo-Ecstasy
Scientific American assistant news editor, Tanya Lewis, and collections editor, Andrea Gawrylewski, take a deeper look at two short articles from the Advances news section of the December issue, on counterfeit whiskeys and the effect of real ecstasy...on octopuses.
Gene Therapy Targets Epilepsy
Anti-seizure medication doesn’t work in every person with epilepsy. But a treatment option is emerging that would spare the need for brain surgery.
Does Weight-Loss Surgery Rewire Gut–Brain Connections?
Bariatric procedures are revealing new insights into the dialogue between bowel and brain
"Hunger Hormone" Ghrelin Aids Overindulgence
Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry, also makes food, and food smells, irresistibly appealing. Karen Hopkin reports.
You Gotta Scratch That Itch
A particular set of brain neurons may be behind registering itch and inducing us to scratch.
The Brain's Autopilot Mechanism Steers Consciousness
Freud’s notion of a dark, libidinous unconscious is obsolete. A new theory holds that the brain produces a continuous stream of unconscious predictions
Computers Determine States of Consciousness
A machine learning algorithm uses EEG traces to find a patient’s odds of waking
Huge Brain Study Uncovers "Buried" Genetic Networks Linked to Mental Illness
Enormous genomic analysis yields tantalizing insights into mechanisms behind conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Prehistoric Viruses and the Function of the Brain
The exceedingly strange story of learning, memory and the “Arc” gene
A New Connection between the Gut and Brain
A surprising way that diet leads risks of stroke and cognitive impairment
Do Brain Waves Conduct Neural Activity Like a Symphony?
A dispute at a big neuroscience meeting erupts over whether the field needs new thinking about the way clusters of neurons process information
How Brain Injuries Deprive People of a Sense of Free Will
Studies of patients with unusual neurological conditions reveal brain networks that contribute to feelings of agency
Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?
The drowsiness we experience after a hearty Thanksgiving meal is usually blamed on the amino acid tryptophan, which turkey supposedly has an extra helping of. Or does it? Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr investigates.
With Brain Implants, Scientists Aim to Translate Thoughts into Speech
Experts increasingly think a system that could help paralyzed patients is within reach
Reprogrammed Stem Cells Implanted into Patient with Parkinson's Disease
A man in his 50s is the first of seven patients to receive the experimental therapy
Why Don't We Forget How to Ride a Bike?
The way memories are anchored in the brain plays a role, neuropsychologist Boris Suchan explains
How History Forgot the Woman Who Defined Autism
Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger
Neuroscientists Make a Case against Solitary Confinement
Prolonged social isolation can do severe, long-lasting damage to the brain