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More filling? Tastes great? How flies, and maybe people, choose their food

Flies have discriminating taste. Like a gourmet perusing a menu, they spend much of their time seeking sweet nutritious calories and avoiding bitter, potentially toxic food. But what happens in their brains when they make these food choices? Researcher…

Role of dopamine in songbird’s brain plasticity

Neuroscientists have demonstrated in new research that dopamine plays a key role in how songbirds learn complex new sounds.

Smart technology is not making us dumber, experts say

There is no scientific evidence that shows that smartphones and digital technology harm our biological cognitive abilities, according to new research.

Pioneering noninvasive technique for neurological conditions

Researchers are developing a new, noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders, including pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and more.

Scientists discover a new class of memory cells for remembering faces

Our brains have sensory cells, which process the faces that we see, and memory cells dedicated to storing data from person encounters. But until now, a hybrid neuron capable of linking vision to memory — and explaining how we recall familiar faces — …

The key role of astrocytes in cognitive development

Researchers have now uncovered their crucial role in closing the period of brain plasticity that follows birth, finding them to be key to the development of sensory and cognitive faculties. Over the longer term, these findings will make it possible to …

Human stem cells enable model to test drug impact on brain’s blood barrier

Using an experimental model to simulate the blood-brain barrier, scientists reported in unprecedented detail how antioxidants protect the brain from inflammation caused by such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Eating disorder behaviors alter reward response in brain

A new study found that eating disorder behaviors alter the brain’s reward response process and food intake control circuitry, which can reinforce the behaviors.

Early experiences have larger effect on mood than more recent ones, study suggests

New insight on how our experiences during a task or interaction shape our current mood has just been published.

Managing attention deficit disorder by training the brain

Scientists explored a technique called ‘neurofeedback,’ which enables ADHD patients to train their attention, based on instant feedback from the level of their brain activity. The team of neuroscientists found that not only did the training have a posi…