Is everything about who we are contained within our brains?
Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltender Frederik Andersen is scored on by Montreal Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal in April.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Can the brain’s conscious mechanisms exert a significant influence on the body’s autonomic functions? New research suggests yes – with possible implications for mental health.
Rylie, age 10, is one of the nearly 1000 children diagnosed with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a rare form of autism. Photo curtesy of Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation.
Photo credit: Christa Michelle Photography
The complexity of autism makes research difficult, but understanding even rare forms of autism is leading to greater insight into the biology of these disorders and potential new treatments.
How do jurors use different kinds of information about mental illness when making sentencing decisions? An experiment finds that neurobiological evidence could harm or help defendants.
Do you have a magnetic compass in your head?
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Your brain’s sensory talents go way beyond those traditional five senses. A team of geoscientists and neurobiologists explored how the human brain monitors and responds to magnetic fields.
One way to see the value of meaning is to share information and cooperate with others.
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The self-help books are full of advice on how to get meaning in life, but it helps to understand what meaning actually is. Science may be able to provide some answers.
A headache is not from your brain itself hurting, but it might mean some of the muscles, membranes and tissues surrounding the brain or its blood supply system could be hurting.
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David Farmer, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
The brain itself can’t actually feel pain. It can’t sense damage to itself the way your finger can. We know this because people can have brain surgery while they are totally awake.
As people age, their sense of smell can decline.
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Our ability to smell is a function of the brain, so it makes sense that an impaired sense of smell can point to cognitive decline. The good news is training our noses may be effective.
David Farmer, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
An adult brain weighs about 1.5kg. It’s mostly water with some fat, protein, sugar and a dash of salt. Sounds like pancakes, I know, but I once tried chicken brains and, well, pancakes are tastier.
Our everyday lives are full of decision dilemmas. To understand why we make particular choices, scientists investigate how our brain deals with uncertainty.
Long-term exposure to air pollution was linked to cognitive decline in elderly people.
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