Brain

Brain

How your brain is like a film editor

A brain structure called the hippocampus may slice our ongoing lives into distinct chunks so that they can then be stored as memories.

Brain

The immune system has a say in how hard ‘teen’ rats play

“Teen” rats like to wrestle. A new study shows the brain’s immune system might trigger changes that morph this desire for rough-and-tumble play into the calm of adulthood.

Brain

Less screentime linked to better memory, learning in kids

Kids ages eight to 11 spend an average of 3.6 hours a day on screens, a new study shows. But the best thinking scores come from kids who average fewer than two hours a day of screen time.

Health & Medicine

Teens’ cell phone use linked to memory problems

A new study suggests teens who get more exposure to cell-phone radiation — and hold their phones up to their right ear — do worse on one type of memory test.

Brain

Football and hockey don’t necessarily doom players’ brains to serious damage

A broad look at the brains and behavior of retired pro football players and hockey players finds no signs of early dementia.

Brain

Body heat due to exercise may reduce hunger

Why aren’t animals hungry after a workout? Brain cells that control appetite may sense the exercise heat — and keep you out of the kitchen, a new study finds.

Brain

Soccer headers may hurt women’s brains more than men’s

Women sustain more brain damage from heading soccer balls than men, a new imaging study indicates.

Brain

Taste good? Senses inform the brain — but don’t tell everyone the same thing

Whether something tastes appetizing depends on what a host of different sensory nerves collectively tell the brain. Warning: Sometimes they aren’t dependable — or even truthful.

Health & Medicine

Explainer: Taste and flavor are not the same

What’s behind a food’s flavor? More than what we taste, it turns out.

Brain

Scientists Say: Ventral striatum

The ventral striatum is an area of the brain that plays an important role in mood, learning and addiction. It has a lot of dopamine, a chemical messenger.

Brain

Belly bacteria can shape mood and behavior

Our guts and our brains are in constant communication with the goal of managing a whole lot more than food digestion. Their conversations can affect stress, behaviors — even memory.

Brain

Not all social media sites are equally likely to provoke anxiety

Most teens are on social media. Could these sites cause anxiety? A teen checks it out — and finds big differences.