News

‘Bilingual’ Babies Show Cognitive Gains

by Maria Schamis Turner

A recent study shows that being exposed to two languages directly from birth enhances executive function in infants before they begin to talk.

News

Ignoring ‘Biological Motion’ Could Be an Early Warning Sign for Autism

by Carl Sherman

Toddlers diagnosed with autism show an unusual preference for synchrony—movements that match sounds—over movements made by living things, researchers have found. Testing how toddlers at risk for the disability react to movement could help doctors diagnose and treat autism earlier.

Vitamin D and the Brain: More Good News

Vitamin D and the Brain: More Good News

Cerebrum

Vitamin D, long ago established as important for healthy bones, also appears to be significant in the brain during development and as we age—but more research is necessary to determine the consequences of vitamin D deficiency and how supplements could help.

News

Depression Risk May Be Linked to a Thinner Cortex

by Jim Schnabel

A brain-imaging study of people in 58 families has found a pattern of thinning along the brain’s cortex that seems to be linked to the risk of depression.

News

Anesthesia in Young Children May Be Linked to Later Learning Disabilities

by Kayt Sukel

Children who have had anesthesia two or more times by age 3 may be at a higher risk of developing learning disabilities later, new research suggests. This is the first human study to show such an association; it is not clear if anesthesia is the culprit or if other factors are at play.

News

Music Training Changes Brain Networks

by Ben Mauk

Music training in early childhood improves related cognitive function, according to research that for the first time demonstrates brain plasticity as a result of music instruction.

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Brain Stimulation Pioneer Sets Sights on Other Diseases
Profile

Brain Stimulation Pioneer Sets Sights on Other Diseases

Moving from the laboratory bench to the operating room, Mahlon DeLong helped pioneer deep brain stimulation for treating movement disorders. Now he believes the technique has potential for many other diseases—and for solving some brain mysteries. Second of two parts.

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News

Autism Researchers Seek Answers Within and Without

by Kayt Sukel

Autism spectrum disorders may be rooted in a mix of genetic influences and environmental risk factors from early in prenatal development.

 

Cerebrum 2009: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science
New Dana Press Book

Cerebrum 2009: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

In this annual anthology of articles selected from Cerebrum, the online magazine, a stellar group of scientists and science writers, including neuroscientist Guy McKhann, computational neuroscientist Sebastian Seung, developmental psychologist Jerome Kagan and neurologist Stephen L. Hauser, introduce readers to cutting-edge developments in brain science.

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Newborns Have Rhythm
News

Newborns Have Rhythm

by Maria Schamis Turner

A new study shows that babies can sense when the beat is off, suggesting that rhythm may be innate—or one of the very first things we learn.

Stem Cells Offer Insights, Screening Tool for ALS
News

Stem Cells Offer Insights, Screening Tool for ALS

by Elizabeth Norton Lasley

The ability to grow human motor neurons from stem cells has revealed the importance of neuron-supporting astrocytes in ALS as well as potential new drug targets.

Hormone Therapy's Timing May Shape Outcome

Hormone Therapy's Timing May Shape Outcome

by Sandra A. Swanson

BrainWork

Experts remain divided on the merits of hormone treatment for menopausal women. New evidence lends support to the idea that timing, genetics and the existence of different estrogen receptors in the brain contribute to the effects of estrogen on memory, mood and cognition.

News

Electrical Brain Stimulation May Boost Dexterity

by Tom Valeo

A little of jolt of electricity to the scalp behind the ears appears to improve dexterity, according to a new study. The technique might hold promise for stroke victims and others needing to learn or relearn motor skills.

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A Wound Obscure, Yet Serious

A Wound Obscure, Yet Serious

Consequences of Unidentified Traumatic Brain Injury Are Often Severe

by Wayne Gordon, Ph.D.

Cerebrum

Traumatic brain injury affects both soldiers and civilians of all ages, and many cases go unidentified because there is no external damage. Wayne Gordon considers the consequences of these severe injuries and how loved ones, teachers and medical professionals can better respond.

Learning, Arts, and the Brain
Research

Learning, Arts, and the Brain

Dana Consortium studies find strong links

For the first time, coordinated, multi-university scientific research brings us closer to answering the question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter?

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Screening for Childhood Disorders: Is There a Downside?
News

Screening for Childhood Disorders: Is There a Downside?

by Brenda Patoine

Recent recommendations by the nation’s top pediatricians association to screen all infants for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has raised questions about the potential downsides of widespread screening for ASD and other childhood neuropsychiatric disorders. 

Podcast

The Brain-Injured Soldier

A two-part podcast about the connection and intersection of brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder in U.S. veterans of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of our podcasts section.

Latest Books
Try to Remember

Try to Remember

by Paul McHugh

One of our country’s leading authorities on psychiatry tells the unforgettable story of how lives can be destroyed by faddish misdirections of thought and therapeutic practices. His first-hand account begins in the 1990s with his battle against the theory of “repressed sexual memories” and ends with his concern that excessive diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder is today placing many patients in treatments that leave their real mental troubles untouched. A passionate advocate for the contribution of psychotherapy to healing, McHugh reaches out to patients, families, and mental health providers to explain how to work together toward effective diagnosis and treatment to win a contest for mental peace.

See also

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

Cerebrum 2008: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science

In this second annual anthology, top scientists and scholars interpret the latest discoveries about the human brain and confront their implications for fields from architecture to ethics, music to health care policy. Foreword by Carl Zimmer.

See also

Your Brain on Cubs

Your Brain on Cubs

Inside the Heads of Players and Fans

Edited by Dan Gordon

A group of today’s leading science writers and neuroscientists explore here the ways that our brain functions when we participate in sports as fans, athletes, and coaches, taking baseball as the quintessential sport for all three perspectives.

See also

Wired for Goodness

Wired for Goodness

by Donald W. Pfaff, Ph.D.

A distinguished neuroscientist gives us a science-based hypothesis of why humans across time and geography have such similar notions of right and wrong.

See also

Defining Right and Wrong in Brain Science

Defining Right and Wrong in Brain Science

by Walter Glannon, Ph.D.

August 2007

The fifth volume in The Dana Foundation Series on Neuroethics, this collection marks the five-year anniversary of the first meeting in the field of neuroethics, providing readers with the seminal writings on past, present, and future ethical issues facing neuroscience and society.

Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Best of the Brain from Scientific American

Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow's Brain

July 2007

Top neuroscientist Floyd E. Bloom has selected the most fascinating brain-related articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind since 1999 in this collection. Divided into three sections—Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow’s Brain—this compilation takes you to the latest information from the front lines of brain research.

Mind Wars

Mind Wars

Brain Research and National Defense

by Jonathon Moreno

November 2006

A provocative book that reads like an edge-of-your seat investigation into the intertwining worlds of science, technology, and government, Mind wars is the first ever systematic overview of brain research and national security.

Resistance

Resistance

The Human Struggle Against Infection

by Norbert Gaulde
Steven Rendall (Translator)

October 2006

The 20th century utopian notion of eradicating common infectious disease has gradually taken a back seat to the reality of bacterial resistance, new diseases and newly discovered infectious agents.

Hard Science, Hard Choices: Facts, Ethics, and Policies Guiding Brain Science Today

Hard Science, Hard Choices: Facts, Ethics, and Policies Guiding Brain Science Today

by Sandra J. Ackerman

May 2006

Hard Science, Hard Choices examines the ethical challenges facing brain research today.

Spotlight
Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation

Award-winning journalist Jamie Talan provides the first investigation of this cutting-edge new treatment, and delivers compelling profiles of patients, and an introduction to doctors and scientists who are pioneering the research.

Dana Alliance Publications

2009 Progress Report on Brain Research

2009 Progress Report on Brain Research

Describes and interprets the important advances in neuroscience of the previous year, contributing to better diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the numerous diseases that affect the brain.
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Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research

Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research

A pamphlet that provides the answers to commonly asked questions about the brain and its disorders.
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Brain Connections

Brain Connections

An online guide that lists more than 240 organizations in the United States likely to help those looking for information, referrals, and other guidance in connection with brain-related disorders. Listings provide mailing addresses, toll-free numbers, e-mail and Web site addresses, and identify the primary services each organization provides.
It's Mindboggling!

It's Mindboggling!

Packed with information about the brain in a fun format of games, riddles, and puzzles, this booklet is perfect for middle and high school students.
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Es Increible!

Es Increible!

The Spanish edition of It's Mindboggling! is packed with information about the brain in a fun format of games, riddles, and puzzles. This booklet is perfect for middle and high school students.
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More Mindbogglers!

More Mindbogglers!

An addition to It’s Mindboggling!, this new publication is a closer look at learning and memory, the senses, drug addition, and how the brain and nervous system work...still in a fun format.
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