Zap one part of the brain with a magnetic pulse and people become more likely to lie. Stimulate the opposite side of the region and truth-telling increases, according to new research.
Brain
Former Hockey Star Rick Martin Had Disease Linked to Head Trauma
Over the past couple of years, two hockey “enforcers” — players whose primary job is to slug opponents on the ice — have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease found in …
Monkey Brain Control: The Future of Robotic Prostheses?
File this under “the future is now:” in a series of experiments at Duke University Medical Center, researchers fitted two monkeys with electrodes in their brains and trained them to move a virtual arm across a computer screen to …
Low Vitamin B12 Linked to Smaller Brains and Cognitive Decline
Older people may not be getting enough vitamin B12, and that could affect their thinking and the size of their brain, according to a new study.
Depression May Boost Risk of Stroke
Depression may go hand in hand with a number of other physical health problems, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Now the latest evidence suggests that depression may also increase the risk of stroke.
Why Kids Should Stay Out of the Boxing Ring
An estimated 18,000 children and teens are involved in amateur boxing, but a new policy statement from the American Association of Pediatrics says that the risk of both chronic and acute brain injury is simply too high and that …
Researchers Discover Underlying Cause of Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Researchers report they’ve discovered a common cause of all forms of the fatal neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The findings, published in Nature, point to a possible new avenue …
Study: 4 Factors That May Shrink Your Brain
Your brain is bound to shrink as you age — it’s unavoidable. But there are certain lifestyle factors that hasten the process, according to a new study by researchers at University of California, Davis.
Real-Time Video: First Look at a Brain Losing Consciousness Under Anesthesia
What happens to your brain as it slips into unconsciousness? A new technique allows researchers to view real-time 3-D images of a patient undergoing anesthesia using the drug propofol, and the findings show that consciousness …
Hearing Things? It May Be Your Coffee Buzz
If you’re stressed out and hopped up on caffeine — and who isn’t these days — you might be prone to hallucinating, namely hearing snatches of the tune “White Christmas” in white noise, according to a recent study by …
The Criminal Mind: How Drugs and Violence May Affect the Brain
Brain imaging studies of violent criminals are difficult to interpret because the most persistent among them — those who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of all crime — are not only violent but also …
Monkeys, Like Humans, Make Bad Choices and Regret Them, Too
We humans tend to think of ourselves as the only sentient beings capable of regret, a key emotion that helps keep us from making the same mistakes over and over. Now a new study shows that rhesus monkeys may be saddled with the …
How Fear Changes What We Hear
How does fear alter memory? A new study reveals that it can literally change our perception, a process that may help researchers better understand post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders and possibly …
