Getting our heads around the brain
Further Reading
August 2007, pages 16-18
Frontier technologies for brain repair (by Christine Barry, Simon Koblar and David O’Carroll)
Looks at frontier research into treating brain injuries.
June 2007, page 7
Alcohol cravings blocked
Explores a part of the brain that blocks cravings for alcohol and other drugs.
October 2005, pages 21-23
How are emotions processed and stored in our brains? (by Louise Faber)
Explains how emotional memories are stored and how knowledge of emotional memories can be used to treat anxiety, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder.
January/February 2004, pages 14-40
This special issue on neuroscience contains the following articles:
- Our tactile brain (by Mark Rowe)
- Extrovert or introvert? (by Yvonne Tran, Ashley Craig and Paul McIsaac)
- Splitting perceptions (by John Bradshaw)
- Sulfate's role in autism (by Daniel Markovich)
- Sweet key to learning (by Ruani Fernando)
- Does your brain rule your heart? (by Clive May)
- Treating brain disease and injury with adult neural stem cells (by Natalie Bull)
- When and where does schizophrenia affect the brain? (by Christos Pantelis)
- Banking on a cure for motor neuron disease (by Surindar Cheema)
- Clues to alcohol-seeking behaviour (by Andrew Lawrence)
- Brainstorming new epilepsy treatments (by Steven Petrou)
April/May 2008, pages 66-71
Mind maps (by Caroline Barry)
Discusses advances in imaging for brain disorders.
A collection of articles on the brain is available.
4 October 2008, pages 28-33
The outer limits of the human brain (by Helen Phillips)
Explores the human brain and properties of the brains of extraordinary people.
28 May 2008, pages 30-33
Is this a unified theory of the brain? (by Gregory T. Huang)
19 September 2007, pages 34-41
Mind tricks: Six ways to explore your brain (by Graham Lawton)
Provides hands-on experiments to explore the brain.
4 August 2007, page 14
Man roused after six years of minimal consciousness (by Helen Phillips)
Reports on the use of brain electrodes to trigger consciousness.
21 July 2007, pages 30-34
Remote control brains: A neuroscience revolution (by Douglas Fox)
Explores the potential use of light to treat medical disorders.
19 April 2007, pages 33-37
Mind-altering media (by Helen Phillips)
Explores the effects of the media on the brain.
12 September 2006
Alzheimer's drug also combats brain injuries (by Rowan Hooper)
Reports that a drug currently used for Alzheimer’s disease can be used to treat patients with traumatic brain injuries.
16 August 2006
Fastest-evolving human gene linked to brain boost (by Gaia Vince)
Reports on the accelerated rate of evolution of a region of DNA in humans associated with processing thoughts and learning.
26 November 2005, page 12
How life shapes the brainscape (by Helen Philips)
Research suggests that life experiences can change the structure and connectivity of the brain.
28 May 2005, page 28
11 steps to a better brain (by Kate Douglas, Alison George, Bob Holmes, Graham Lawton, John McCrone, Alison Motluk and Helen Phillips)
April 2010, pages 28-35
Faulty circuits (by Thomas R Insel)
Reveals that certain mental disorders like depression can be caused by brain abnormalities rather than being purely psychological.
29 April 2008
Why does the brain need so much power? (by Nikhil Swaminathan)
Explains the large energy requirements of the brain.
March 2008, pages 42-49
White matter matters (by Douglas Fields)
Looks at the functions of white matter.
July 2007, pages 34-41
The memory code (by Joe Tsien)
Explores how the brain forms memories.
May 2007, pages 66-71
Eyes open, brain shut (by Steven Laureys)
Looks at the use of new brain-imaging techniques to better understand patients in the vegetative state.
19 April 2007
The brain may use only 20 percent of its memory-forming neurons (by Nikhil Swaminathan)
Provides the findings of a study which could lead to new Alzheimer therapies.
14 March 2007
How to make – or break – memory(by Nikhil Swaminathan)
Study shows memories formed by the same gene-silencing tool used in embryonic development; a finding could set the stage for new therapies for schizophrenia
March 2007, pages 70-75
Illusory colour and the brain (by John Werner, Baingio Pinna and Lothar Spillman)
Suggests that the brain does not separate perception of colour from perception of form and depth.
December 2006, pages 48-55
Seeking the neural code (by Miguel Nicolelis and Sidarta Ribeiro)
Summarises research about how electrical impulses are translated into thoughts emotions and sensations.
November 2006, pages 30-37
Mirrors in the mind (by Giocomo Rizzolatti, Leonardo Fogassi and Vittorio Gallese)
Describes how 'mirror neurons' reveal how humans understand other person’s acts, intentions or emotions.
November 2006, pages 38-45
Broken mirrors (by Vilayanur Ramachandran and Lindsay Oberman)
Looks at research into the relationship between the mirror neuron system and autism.
December 2005, pages 88-93
Inside the mind of a savant (by Darold Treffert and Daniel Christensen)
Describes the memory ability of savant Kim Peek.
November 2005, pages 64-71
Neurobiology of the self (by Carl Zimmer)
Looks at the brain activities that produce a sense of self.
October 2005, pages 48-55
The forgotten era of brain chips (by John Horgan)
Describes renewed interest in the use of brain implants to treat epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, paralysis, blindness and other disorders.
May 2005, pages 22-29
His brain, her brain (by Larry Cahill)
Describes the differences between male and female brains and research that could lead to sex-specific treatments for disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.
November 2004, page 67
Music and the brain (by Norman M. Weinberger)
Describes research into how and where music is processed in the brain.
April 2004, pages 27-33
The other half of the brain (by R. Douglas Fields)
Discusses the mounting evidence that suggests glial cells may be nearly as critical to thinking and learning as neurons are.
March 2004, pages 50-57
The addicted brain (by Eric J. Nestler and Robert C. Malenka)
Looks at the long term changes in brain circuitry that happens as a result of chronic drug use.
Page updated May 2010.