Brain, Study | featured news

Scientists have found a way to read people's dreams using brain scans, a new study suggests.

More than a decade of research hinting that magnesium supplements might boost your brain power is finally being put to the test in a small clinical trial. The research, led by biopharmaceutical company Magceutics of Hayward, California, began testing the ability of its product Magtein to boost magnesium ion (Mg2+) levels in the brain earlier this month. The trial will track whether the ions can decrease anxiety and improve sleep quality, as well as following changes in the memory and cognitive ability of participants. But critics caution that the trial in just 50 people is too small to draw definitive conclusions.

Only recently have researchers begun to understand how the teen brain is wired and that some of what appear to be teens' senseless choices may result from biological tendencies that also prime their brains to learn and be flexible.

The researchers didn't find the same IQ dip for people who became frequent users of pot after 18. Although experts said the new findings are not definitive, they do fit in with earlier signs that the drug is especially harmful to the developing brain.

Researchers say the small but significant increases in the risk of leukemia and brain cancer do not mean that CT scans should be avoided entirely, but that the test should be performed only when necessary.

Everyone knows stress can cause headaches and sleepless nights. But a new study suggests it can actually shrink your brain.

Scientists have found a direct link between the number of "friends" a person has on Facebook and the size of certain brain regions, raising the possibility that using online social networks might change our brains.

One reason optimists retain a positive outlook on life despite all evidence to the contrary has been discovered, say researchers. A study, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests the brain is very good at processing good news about the future. However, in some people, anything negative is practically ignored - with them retaining a positive world view.

In some cases, Alzheimer's disease may in fact be the result of an infection, and may be even be transmissible, a new study in mice suggests.

Brain games can help with abstract reasoning months after the training, but they work only for those who really need and enjoy the exercises, a study says. Training a child to hold a whole cluster of items in his or her memory for even a short time may feel like trying to hold a wave on the sand.