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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Recalling happy memories during adolescence can reduce risk of depression

14 Jan 2019

Recalling positive events and experiences can help protect young people against depression in later life, suggests new research published today.

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Marmoset study gives insights into loss of pleasure in depression

04 Dec 2018

‘Anhedonia’ (the loss of pleasure) is one of the key symptoms of depression. An important component of this symptom is an inability to feel...

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One of the partner schools

How could multilingualism benefit India’s poorest schoolchildren?

20 Nov 2018

Multilingualism is the norm in India. But rather than enjoying the cognitive and learning advantages seen in multilingual children in the Global...

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Inside the mind of a young person

15 Nov 2018

Our brains begin to form in the womb but continue to take shape into adolescence. In a series of articles, we look at how the latest research could...

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Crowd at a party

Over half a million people take part in largest ever study of psychological sex differences and autistic traits

12 Nov 2018

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have completed the world’s largest ever study of typical sex differences and autistic traits. They tested...

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Gardeners and carpenters: the ‘skill’ of parenting

08 Nov 2018

Wanting your child to have the best chance in life is natural for any parent. But by focusing too much on the ‘skill’ of parenting, are we losing...

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Selective amnesia: how rats and humans are able to actively forget distracting memories

07 Nov 2018

Our ability to selectively forget distracting memories is shared with other mammals, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. The...

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Spotlight on children

01 Nov 2018

Welcome to our new ‘ Spotlight on children ’, a focus on research taking place at the University of Cambridge relating to children and childhood –...

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Brain training app helps reduce OCD symptoms, study finds

23 Oct 2018

A ‘brain training’ app developed at the University of Cambridge could help people who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) manage their...

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Cambridge team develops technique to ‘listen’ to a patient’s brain during tumour surgery

16 Oct 2018

Surgeons could soon eavesdrop on a patient’s brain activity during surgery to remove their brain tumour, helping improve the accuracy of the...

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Many cases of dementia may arise from non-inherited DNA ‘spelling mistakes’

15 Oct 2018

Only a small proportion of cases of dementia are thought to be inherited – the cause of the vast majority is unknown. Now, in a study published today...

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Mental health disorders: risks and resilience in adolescence

10 Oct 2018

Deeper understanding of the wiring and rewiring of the adolescent brain is helping scientists pinpoint why young people are especially vulnerable to...

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