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Physical activity jolts brain into action in the event of depression

The dual beneficial effect of physical activity in depression is confirmed by a new study: physical activity not only reduces depressive symptoms. It also increases the brain’s ability to change.

Marijuana-like brain substance calms seizures but increases aftereffects, study finds

Release of the brain’s equivalent of THC, marijuana’s active component, reduces seizure activity but leads to post-seizure oxygen deprivation in the brain, scientists have shown.

Study reveals how smell receptors work

The first-ever molecular images of an olfactory receptor at work answer decades-old questions about odor recognition.

Study reports repair of mitochondrial recycling defect linked to Parkinson’s disease

A study in mice shows that an experimental small molecule helped restore the removal of damaged mitochondria from dopamine-producing brain cells.

Insight into underlying causes of seizure disorder in babies


Trains in the brain — Scientists uncover switching system used in information processing and memory


The music of silence: Imagining a song triggers similar brain activity to moments of mid-music silence

Imagining a song triggers similar brain activity as moments of silence in music, according to new research. The results reveal how the brain continues responding to music, even when none is playing, and provide new insights into how human sensory predi…

Learning foreign languages can affect the processing of music in the brain

Research has shown that a music-related hobby boosts language skills and affects the processing of speech in the brain. According to a new study, the reverse also happens — learning foreign languages can affect the processing of music in the brain.

Mapping of genetic control elements in the cerebellum

The mammalian cerebellum is key to motor control and contributes to many of the higher brain functions. Scientists have now decoded the genetic programs that control the development of cerebellar cell types before and after birth.

Amygdala found to have role in important pre-attentive mechanism in the brain

Researchers have shown how the amygdala, a brain region typically associated with fear, contributes to prepulse inhibition (PPI) by activating small inhibitory neurons in the mouse brain stem. The discovery advances understanding of the systems underly…