What is motor neuron disease and why is it so deadly?
By Paul Panckhurst New Zealand has one of the world’s worst rates of a fatal brain disease. Now, scientists hunting rogue genes hope to unravel the 150-year-old mystery of what triggers the disease and how to find a cure. Motor neuron disease is absurdly cruel and...
What causes the loss of smell in COVID-19?
By Helen Murray New research shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause significant damage to the olfactory bulb and brainstem and highlights the importance of monitoring the neurological symptoms of COVID-19. Although COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, many...
What are some of the key developments in cognitive neuroscience? ▶
In her inaugural lecture at the University of Auckland, Professor Karen Waldie attempts to answer some of the big questions in the area of developmental cognitive neuroscience. Are dyslexia and ADHD real? How do children with dyslexia turn out years later? Do...
How do we measure pain, anyway?
By Jeremy Delahanty How do we measure pain, anyway? Jeremy Delahanty investigates. Imagine you have been asked to define pain by your doctor. They might have asked for a rating on a scale from zero, no pain, to ten, unbearable pain. Or you chose from a selection of...
Why is it so hard to find a cure for Alzheimer’s?
By Norman A. Paradis Norman A. Paradis investigate why it is so hard to find a cure for Alzheimer’s after a century of research into the brain disease. Biogen recently announced that it was abandoning its late stage drug for Alzheimer’s, aducanumab, causing...
Is mind control possible?
By Lily Toomey With new technology, mind control is no longer just science fiction, as Lily Toomey explains. Reading minds seems to be a common part of the science-fiction canon—a genre much loved by actual scientists. But even as someone who turned their love of Kurt...
Do dogs really, truly understand what we tell them?
By Lauren Mackenzie Reynolds Do dogs really, truly understand what we tell them? Scientists trained some pups to endure MRIs to help find out, as Lauren Makenzie Reynolds explains. Scrolling back through my Instagram posts recently, I came across a short video I took...
Are hallucinations a disease?
By Yewande Pearse Hallucinations may be a symptom of mental illness, but they are not necessarily harmful, as Yewande Pearse explains. As late as the 18th century, hallucinations in their various forms were considered independent diseases or syndromes. In 1821, Alexis...
Pulling all-nighters may damage your brain
By Hannah Thomasy Doctoral candidate Hannah Thomasy discusses the impacts of all-nighters on the brain. Is staying up late a health risk? For decades, scientists have suspected that there is a connection between poor sleep and neurodegenerative diseases like...Subscribe by Email
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