Topic description and stories

Neuroscience has transformed our understanding of the brain and promises treatments for devastating disorders that affect millions.

Charts map rapid growth and slow decline of brains

06 April 2022

An international team of researchers has created a series of brain charts spanning our entire lifespan – from a 15 week old fetus to 100 year old adult – that show how our brains expand rapidly in early life and slowly shrink as we age. 

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Woman in purple and white floral shirt washing a carrot

Strongest evidence to date of brain’s ability to compensate for age-related cognitive decline

06 Feb 2024

Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that our brains can compensate for age-related deterioration by recruiting other areas to help with...

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Two autistic friends sitting outside using stim toys and laughing at their phones

Autistic individuals have increased risk of chronic physical health conditions across the whole body

29 Sep 2023

Autistic people have higher rates of chronic physical health conditions across the whole body and are more likely to have complex health needs...

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Alzheimers disease. Computer illustration of amyloid plaques amongst neurons.

AI-driven techniques reveal new targets for drug discovery

27 Sep 2023

Researchers have developed a method to identify new targets for human disease, including neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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Women enjoying sun

Suppressing negative thoughts may be good for mental health after all

20 Sep 2023

The commonly-held belief that attempting to suppress negative thoughts is bad for our mental health could be wrong, a new study from scientists at...

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Illustration of brain anatomy

Largest genetic study of brain structure identifies how the brain is organised

17 Aug 2023

The largest ever study of the genetics of the brain – encompassing some 36,000 brain scans – has identified more than 4,000 genetic variants linked...

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Young people smoking

Reduced grey matter in frontal lobes linked to teenage smoking and nicotine addiction

15 Aug 2023

Findings may demonstrate a brain and behavioural basis for how nicotine addiction is initiated and then takes hold in early life, say scientists.

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Overweight man playing basketball

Brain’s ‘appetite control centre’ different in people who are overweight or living with obesity

08 Aug 2023

Cambridge scientists have shown that the hypothalamus, a key region of the brain involved in controlling appetite, is different in the brains of...

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Statue of a figure hugging its knees

Experts call for urgent mental health support for people living with long term autoimmune diseases

26 Jul 2023

More than half of patients with auto-immune conditions experience mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, yet the majority are rarely...

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Drug graphic

‘Smart’ drugs can decrease productivity in people who don’t have ADHD, study finds

09 Jun 2023

Smart drugs do motivate people, but the added effort can lead to “erratic thinking”, adversely affecting above-average performers, according to...

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System of neurons with glowing connections on black background

‘Biohybrid’ device could restore function in paralysed limbs

22 Mar 2023

Researchers have developed a new type of neural implant that could restore limb function to amputees and others who have lost the use of their arms...

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Map of the fruit fly brain

First wiring map of insect brain complete

10 Mar 2023

Researchers have built the first ever map showing every single neuron and how they’re wired together in the brain of the fruit fly larva.

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Tuning into brainwave rhythms speeds up learning in adults

31 Jan 2023

The first study to show that delivering information at the natural tempo of our neural pulses accelerates our ability to learn.

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