Brain

If you've wondered why you procrastinate with doing your taxes early or starting mundane jobs, it's not because you dislike them. New research has uncovered a specific pathway in the brain that slams the brakes on investing energy in these tasks.

A recent discovery suggests a hit of the brain’s "feel-good" chemical, dopamine, may have a rather surprising effect on our perception of past experiences, drawing out novel moments in our memories while letting more dull experiences become condensed.

Despite the headlines, there’s limited evidence that using large language models – like Claude and ChatGPT – is rotting the brain. But there’s enough cause for concern.

For decades, scientists believed that associative learning – understanding that two events are linked to each other – required at least some form of neural machinery. But now, a unicellular creature with no gray matter may upend this assumption.

Does the brain really produce its own psychedelic “Spirit Molecule” to power our dream states and near-death experiences? A new study has sparked fresh debate over endogenous DMT, and its presence – or absence – in mammalian brains.

Scientists have uncovered an intriguing link between infection and brain health, finding that a common bacterium may advance cognitive decline. It's the latest evidence suggesting that bacteria and infections play a key role in destroying our brains.

A new study challenges the idea MS is just one single disease presenting evidence it may actually follow two distinct biological pathways. It’s a shift that could reshape how clinicians think about diagnoses, disease progression and treatment strategy.

In the first study of its kind, neuroscientists have shown the real-world benefits that sunlight gives the brain, beyond laboratory experiments, linking brighter and more regular daytime light to better alertness and faster attention in everyday life.

Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, has shown rapid antidepressant effects in people with depression, with symptoms easing within hours of inhaling it. The treatment involves breathing in a mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen for up to an hour.

For millions, losing their sense of smell reshapes daily life. Once damaged, the system is difficult to restore. That challenge led researchers to stop asking how to fix smell, and start asking whether its information might reach the brain another way.

A new study from Northwestern University offers hope to Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. If researchers there are correct, their new small-molecule NU-9 drug may be able to stop the disease long before it begins ruining lives.

ADHD drugs have been thought to sharpen attention, but a new study has found something very different is at play. They don't offer laser-sharp focus but boost wakefulness and engagement, helping the brain stick to tasks it would otherwise give up on.