News & Views

The more afraid a person is of a spider, the bigger that individual perceives the spider to be, new research suggests.

Researchers have identified the part of the brain driving motivation during actions that combine physical and mental effort: the ventral striatum.

For some older adults, the online video game World of Warcraft (WoW) may provide more than an opportunity for escapist adventure. Researchers have found that playing WoW boosted cognitive functioning for older adults – particularly those who had scored poorly on cognitive ability tests before playing the game.

Can animals’ survival instincts shed additional light on what we know about human emotion? Neuroscientists pose this question in outlining a pioneering theory, drawn from two decades of research, that could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of emotions in both humans and animals.

Pain? Just turn it off! It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now succeeded in inhibiting pain-sensitive neurons on demand, in the laboratory. The crucial element in their strategy is a chemical sensor that acts as a light-sensitive switch.

If you are looking for a particular object -- say a yellow pencil -- on a cluttered desk, how does your brain work to visually locate it? For the first time, neuroscientists have identified how different neural regions communicate to determine what to visually pay attention to and what to ignore. This finding is a major discovery for visual cognition and will guide future research into visual and attention deficit disorders.

When first exposed to cocaine, the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction designed to minimize the drug's effects, scientists have found. Now two new studies identify key genes that regulate this response and show that interfering with this reaction dramatically increases a mouse's sensitivity to cocaine.

The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a new study.

February 21, 2012 LAUREN Jackson's wedding day marked more of a new beginning than for most brides.

A new study reveals that young people do not possess the knowledge or skills required to adhere to U.S. government guidelines for responsible alcohol consumption.

Scientists have taken a step forward toward the goal of repairing nerves in such patients more effectively. In a new study, researchers report that a surprising set of cells may hold potential for nerve transplants.

A gene known to control lens development in mice and humans is also crucial for the development of neurons responsible for mechanosensory function, as neurobiologists have now discovered. They found that in mice in which they had removed the c-Maf gene in the nerve cells, touch sensation is impaired. This similarly applies to human carriers of a mutant c-Maf gene.

Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go "unseen," one of which is shortening of telomere length.

A new study finds a strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used to listen to a cell phone, with more than 70 percent of participants holding their cell phone up to the ear on the same side as their dominant hand.

Researchers have found that parents of young children who anger easily and overreact are more likely to have toddlers who act out and become upset easily.

On the surface, it's simple: when night falls, our bodies get sleepy. But behind the scenes, a series of complex molecular events, controlled by our genes, is hard at work to make us groggy. Now, research suggests that a newly identified gene known as insomniac may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in fruit flies researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is regulated.

A study of mothers and their young babies by neurologists has shown that mothers who suffer migraine headaches are more than twice as likely to have babies with colic than mothers without a history of migraines.

I love Canadians, and I love Canada. Here is just one of many reasons. On the third Monday of February, Family Day is observed in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Family Day celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.

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A new drug is showing promise in shielding against the harmful effects of traumatic brain injury in rats, according to a new study.

A ring-like structure found in a protein complex called ‘Elongator’ provides new clues to its tasks inside the cell and to its role in neurodegenerative diseases. It is the first three-dimensional structure of part of this complex.