The Weight of Words: How Therapy Rewires the Brain
We tend to treat the mind and the brain as two different things. But modern neuroscience proved otherwise: Every meaningful conversation actually physically rewires us.
Xuanwei Li
Editors’ Picks – Neuroscience Book Sharing
I did not start with a career goal of becoming a neuroscientist, nor have I been a book lover in general, since my ADHD often kept me from finishing them. Somehow, while pursuing my growing passion for this field, I came across a few neuroscience books that strengthened my knowledge, broadened my view, and gave me company in the cold, dark Dutch winter.
Tickle – a fascinating yet mysterious field in neuroscience
Do you remember a childhood time when you are tickled? Do you like the sensation of being tickled? Who are the ones who tickled you and who would you like to tickle? Have you tried tickling ourselves? Tickle is a familiar sensation to most of us. Yet, we lack a thorough scientific understanding of tickling. A recent article by Dr. Kilteni from Donders Institute and Karolinska institute looked at the status and the prospect of research on tickling, revealing interesting facts about this underrated subfield in neuroscience.
How it all begins: a peek into early brain development
When we talk about the human brain, we often picture the adult form – a fully folded cortex, distinct regions, complex circuits, continuous changes and overlapping functions. Yet the story of how this structure emerges is one of the most striking narratives in biology. Early brain development is an orchestrated progression of cellular decisions, migrations, and refinements that begins long before birth and sets the stage for everything that follows.
The brain’s secret to staying organized amid chaos
When you think about the brain, you might imagine a map with neatly labelled regions, one part for vision, one for language, another for movement. This picture is appealing because it gives the sense that our mental life can be cleanly divided into separate boxes. But the reality is far more fascinating, and a little messy.
Resting-state fMRI: mapping the brain’s functional connections
In previous blogs, we explored several types of MRI: structural imaging, diffusion imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and functional MRI (fMRI). This post focuses on a unique and powerful type of fMRI: resting-state fMRI.
Meningitis: A brain-affecting disease you should know about
Recent news from RIVM suggested that an increasing number of people have been contacting general practitioners (GP) with flu-like symptoms. Even though the flu does not directly attack our brain, there are several diseases that often “disguise” as flu and affect our brain. This article will take you into one of those dangerous brain-affecting diseases: meningitis.
More than just brain power: Where do memories live?
We usually think of memory as something that happens only in the brain. But what if it’s not just neurons that can learn? Research by Nikolay Kukushkin suggests that other cells in the body can also adapt and “remember,” using methods like spaced repetition.