News

The Brain in Motion

Dancing begins with a cognitive act for professionals and Parkinson’s patients

by Ben Mauk

The challenges of movement reward the minds of dancers both professional and amateur—and, in eight programs across the nation, of people with Parkinson’s disease.

Once More into the Scanner
Column

Once More into the Scanner

by Guy McKhann, M.D.

Brain in the News

Brain scanning continues to dominate news stories about the brain, in a variety of contexts.

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Dana Press Blog

Neuroscientists Converge on Washington, D.C.

Our bloggers were among the more than 31,000 people in town this past week for the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting. And at a two-day meeting of the Neuroethics Society, people from 26 countries heard—and debated—panelists on topics including the growing number of diagnoses of pediatric bipolar disorder and using brain scanners as lie detectors.

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Do No Harm
New Book from Dana Press

Do No Harm

Q&A with Paul McHugh, Author of “Try to Remember”

Paul McHugh outlines his leading role in fighting—and eventually winning against—the recovered memory movement in the 1990s in his new Dana Press book. But as he points out in this Q&A, psychiatry is beginning to repeat its mistakes, and both the public and the medical community should take heed of why things went so badly awry 15 years ago.

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News

Brain-Imaging Study Solves the Mystery of Auction ‘Overbidding’

by Jim Schnabel

Economists have observed for decades that participants in auctions tend to bid more than they should, according to traditional theories of rational economic behavior. A recent “neuroeconomics” study in Science that combines brain-imaging technology with behavioral experiments suggests this may be due to the auction’s social context.

Protein Keeps New Neurons Moving in the Right Direction
News

Protein Keeps New Neurons Moving in the Right Direction

by Elizabeth Norton Lasley

Newborn neurons in the adult brain can “settle” in the wrong neighborhood if they lack a certain protein, according to new research, forming connections that might cause more noise in the system than good.

Event

Public Misconceptions of DBS Raise Ethical Challenges

Neurologists exploring deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment face serious ethical challenges because the invasive technique is still in very early testing, yet many in the public think it's ready for prime time, experts said during a public forum last week.

The Meaning of Psychological Abnormality

The Meaning of Psychological Abnormality

by Jerome Kagan, Ph.D.

Cerebrum

As reports of childhood behavioral problems such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder increase, Dr. Jerome Kagan contends that for some kids the diagnosis is a result of social pressures on parents and doctors rather than biology. He proposes steps that might help paint a more realistic picture.

News

Long-Term Psychoanalysis Works, Study Finds

by Aalok Mehta

One form of extended psychotherapy produces better results than shorter-term therapies, an analysis of 23 studies suggests. But many psychiatrists remain skeptical that treatment is being properly applied.

Intuition, Memory Help Us Keep Track of Numbers

Intuition, Memory Help Us Keep Track of Numbers

by Scott P. Edwards

BrainWork

While some people seem to be endowed with a special ability to remember numbers, researchers suggest that we all have an innate “numbers sense”—and that memorization skills may boil down to repetition.

News

Study Links Arteries to Unique Immune Functions

by Kayt Sukel

Oxygen-carrying blood vessels may also serve as sensors for the immune system, and what they sense may differ depending on where they are in the body, recent research suggests.

Connectomics

Connectomics

Tracing the Wires of the Brain

by Sebastian Seung, Ph.D.

Cerebrum

Using high-tech computers and electron microscopes, scientists are working toward mapping the connections of the human brain. Describing where the technology is now and where it could go, Sebastian Seung illustrates how it could someday be used to answer some of the most puzzling questions about the brain.

'Exercise in a Pill' Has Cognitive Implications
News

'Exercise in a Pill' Has Cognitive Implications

by Sandra A. Swanson

BrainWork

The ideas behind a new 'exercise pill' might benefit not only those hoping to shed pounds, but also those suffering from Alzheimer's and other cognitive problems.

Podcast

Paralyzed Arms Move Again

Nature NeuroPod

Nature reporter Kerri Smith explores how monkeys have regained movement in paralyzed limbs, how the brain is affected by steroids, two new Alzheimer’s disease targets and autism in this month's NeuroPod, produced in association with the Dana Foundation.

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Arts Advocates Are Left Behind Online
Column

Arts Advocates Are Left Behind Online

by Janet Eilber

Arts Education in the News

In a field that has so much momentum, why aren’t there more blogs and other new-media sources offering on-the-cusp thinking in arts education?

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"Brain Fitness" at Work
Partner site

"Brain Fitness" at Work

We've all seen the news: We can affect how our brains work.  Neuroscience tells us that we can increase our chances of maintaining our mental edge and functional independence throughout our lives. How? By working to keep our brains fit the way we work to keep our bodies healthy. This validated guide, available via The Conference Board's Web site, explains how.

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Learning, Arts, and the Brain
Research

Learning, Arts, and the Brain

Dana Consortium studies find strong links

For the first time, coordinated, multi-university scientific research brings us closer to answering the question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter?

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Beatles' Magical Memory Tour
Brain Research

Beatles' Magical Memory Tour

Be part of an online study using people's recollections of the Beatles to discover the link between music and memory. Participants can input their own memories about the Beatles and explore other people’s memories, finding out which albums evoke the most memories; which songs evoke positive or negative memories; and which news events are most vividly remembered. The study, launched by the British Association of the Advancement of Science, is also supported by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.


Book Releases
Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

In this second annual anthology, top scientists and scholars interpret the latest discoveries about the human brain and confront their implications for fields from architecture to ethics, music to health care policy. Foreword by Carl Zimmer.

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Your Brain on Cubs

Your Brain on Cubs

Inside the Heads of Players and Fans

Edited by Dan Gordon

A group of today’s leading science writers and neuroscientists explore here the ways that our brain functions when we participate in sports as fans, athletes, and coaches, taking baseball as the quintessential sport for all three perspectives.

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Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow's Brain

by Floyd E. Bloom, M.D.

Top neuroscientist Floyd E. Bloom has selected the most fascinating brain-related articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind since 1999 in this collection. Divided into three sections—Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow’s Brain—this compilation takes you to the latest information from the front lines of brain research.

Audiobooks Now Available

Audiobooks Now Available

The Creating Brain, Your Brain on Cubs and Best of the Brain from Scientific American are available now as audiobooks at Audible or iTunes.


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Events

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Nov 13, 2008

Mind and Matter: Ethical Challenges of Deep Brain Stimulation

At this event, co-sponsored by the Dana Alliance and the Neuroethics Society, experts discussed ethical considerations of depression, surgical experimentation, consciousness, technology, and public policy. Judy Illes, Ph.D., (far right) Canada Research Chair in Neuroethics, moderated. Speakers were, from left to right, Philip Campbell, Ph.D., Nature and Nature Publications; Jonathan Moreno, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Helen Mayberg, M.D., Emory University; and Joseph Fins, M.D., Weill Cornell Medical College.

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