Dissected human nervous system
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs, and all of the nerves that connect these organs with the rest of the body. Together, these organs are responsible for the control...
Tagged: brain
Severe obesity linked to newly identified gene mutations
Research into the genetic causes of obesity, and related conditions, could be incredibly valuable in finding ways to treat them. Currently, there are some drugs available or being tested, but knowing what specific mutations...
How aspirin was discovered
4000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery: if they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree and ate it, their pain disappeared. Little did they know that what they’d...
13 ways to cut cancer risk
Avoid Tobacco Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, as well as cancers of the esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach and cervix. Other tobacco products also increase cancer risk. Smoking is the leading...
8 questions about peripheral neuropathy
All of us have had that sensation of numbness or “pins and needles” in our arms and legs at some point—perhaps after sitting the wrong way or sleeping in a funny position, causing the...
Why do we dream?
In the 3rd millennium BCE, Mesopotamian kings recorded and interpreted their dreams on wax tablets. In the years since, we haven’t paused in our quest to understand why we dream. And while we still...
Researchers uncover drain pipes in our brains
By scanning the brains of healthy volunteers, researchers at the National Institutes of Health saw the first, long-sought evidence that our brains may drain some waste out through lymphatic vessels, the body’s sewer system....
The girl who doctors can’t diagnose
Nine year-old Katie Renfroe suffers with a condition so rare that it doesn’t even have a name. Katie was diagnosed with megalencephaly at birth, a growth development disorder characterised by the overgrowth of the...
The neuroscience of tripping
In a series of experiments, scientists have gained a glimpse into how the psychedelic compound affects brain activity. The team administered LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) to 20 healthy volunteers in a specialist research centre...
Brain chemical NPGL controls appetite and body fat composition
NPGL, a recently discovered protein involved in brain signalling, has been found to increase fat storage by the body – even when on a low-calorie diet. In addition, NPGL was shown to increase appetite...
