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In the past 5 years or so, there has been a huge increase in lifestyle use of prescription drugs that can enhance cognitive function in various ways. These so-called “smart drugs” include the stimulants methylphenidate (better known by its trade name, Ritalin), which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and modafinil (also known […]
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Stress hormones released by a pregnant mother can cause the placenta to shrink and can directly affect the developing brain of the foetus. Now, researchers have identified the mechanism through which stress may damage an unborn child in the womb. An enzyme in the placenta of the mother and the brain of the foetus acts […]
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It starts with a bit of chaos. Makeup artists slap thick pale, foundation onto women’s faces as the stylists produce a cloud of hair spray. Everybody is wriggled out of their ordinary jeans and t-shirts and into finery; long ball gowns or tight fitting suit jackets. This is how The Salon Project begins. It’s an [...]
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Q: What happens when you mix 200 neuroscientists with 5000 members of the public? A: You get people playing Pong with their brainwaves, children decorating cardboard neurons, people giggling as they try (and fail) to touch their own noses, primal art, knitted neurons and live “brain surgery”. These were just some of the intriguing and [...]
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Research is gradually uncovering the intracacies of the relationship between our bodies and our brains, and it is clear that the former has more sway over our minds and mental state than is commonly acknowledged. But in the nineteenth century there were some strong and startingly ideas about the effects of bodies and bacteria on the brain. Jen Wallis reveals [...]
