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New electronic skin can react to pain like human skin

New pain-sensing prototype mimics the body’s near-instant feedback response and reacts to painful sensations with the same lighting speed that nerve signals travel to the brain. It’s a significant advance towards next-generation biomedical technologies…

Brain estrogen is key to brain protection when oxygen is low

When the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen, estrogen produced by neurons in both males and females hyperactivates another brain cell type called astrocytes to step up their usual support and protect brain function.

Love hormone also forms important link between stress and digestive problems

New research shows that oxytocin, known as the love hormone, plays an important role in stress’ disruption of digestion such as bloating, discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea.

Brain protein linked to seizures, abnormal social behaviors

A team has found a new mechanism responsible for the abnormal development of neuronal connections in the mouse brain that leads to seizures and abnormal social behaviors.

Shedding light on split-second decision making

A little understood region of the cerebellum plays a critical role in making split-second ‘go — no go’ decisions, according to a new study.

Scientists show how brain flexibility emerges in infants

Cognitive flexibility, which refers to the brain’s ability to switch between mental processes in response to external stimuli and different task demands, seems to begin developing during the first two years of life, which is much earlier than previousl…

Brainstem protein mediates exercise-based stress relief

Exercise fights off stress by increasing levels of the brain protein galanin.

Researchers discover a specific brain circuit damaged by social isolation during childhood

Researchers have identified specific sub-populations of brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, a key part of the brain that regulates social behavior, that are required for normal sociability in adulthood and are profoundly vulnerable to juvenile social…

People with increased risk of Alzheimer’s have deficits in navigating

Alzheimer’s patients develop severe symptoms of spatial disorientation as the disease progresses and are unable to find even the simplest ways.

Strokes in babies are surprisingly common; here’s how the body rushes to the rescue

New research is shedding light on the development of the brain’s immune defenses – and how those defenses respond to strokes that strike one in 4,000 babies in the first month of life.