Topic description and stories

Neuroscience has transformed our understanding of the brain and promises treatments for devastating disorders that affect millions.

Charts map rapid growth and slow decline of brains

06 April 2022

An international team of researchers has created a series of brain charts spanning our entire lifespan – from a 15 week old fetus to 100 year old adult – that show how our brains expand rapidly in early life and slowly shrink as we age. 

Read more
In healthy tissues, a gene expression signature associated with amyloid-beta and tau aggregation echoes the progression of AD well before the onset of the disease.

Gene signature in healthy brains pinpoints the origins of Alzheimer’s disease

10 Aug 2016

A specific gene expression pattern maps out which parts of the brain are most vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, decades before symptoms appear, and...

Read more
Measuring tape

Brains of overweight people ‘ten years older’ than lean counterparts at middle-age

04 Aug 2016

From middle-age, the brains of obese individuals display differences in white matter similar to those in lean individuals ten years their senior...

Read more
Teenager

Changes in brain structure during teenage years provide clues to onset of mental health problems

25 Jul 2016

Scientists have mapped the structural changes that occur in teenagers’ brains as they develop, showing how these changes may help explain why the...

Read more
Artist’s rendering of protein fibrils (in blue) and healthy proteins from computer simulations

Slow, slow, quick quick, slow: Scientists discover how proteins in the brain build up rapidly in Alzheimer’s disease

18 Jul 2016

Cambridge researchers have identified – and shown that it may be possible to control – the mechanism that leads to the rapid build-up of the disease-...

Read more
In the huff (cropped and manipulated)

Opinion: How to start healing those Brexit family rifts

01 Jul 2016

A difference in values can be a major stumbling block for family relationships, writes Dr Lucy Blake from the Centre for Family Research for The...

Read more
Sträng

Carrots and sticks fail to change behaviour in cocaine addiction

16 Jun 2016

People who are addicted to cocaine are particularly prone to developing habits that render their behaviour resistant to change, regardless of the...

Read more
̽»¨Ö±²¥orbitofrontal cortex (blue) and medial temporal cortex (red) were more similar in terms of thickness in youths with Conduct Disorder than in typically-developing youths, suggesting that the normal pattern of brain development is disrupted.

‘Map’ of teenage brain provides strong evidence of link between serious antisocial behaviour and brain development

16 Jun 2016

̽»¨Ö±²¥brains of teenagers with serious antisocial behaviour problems differ significantly in structure to those of their peers, providing the clearest...

Read more
Anxiety

Women and people under the age of 35 at greatest risk of anxiety

06 Jun 2016

Women are almost twice as likely to experience anxiety as men, according to a review of existing scientific literature, led by the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of...

Read more
Brains

Sex and the brain: fruitless research?

02 Jun 2016

̽»¨Ö±²¥male and female brains have more in common than media reports often suggest, argues Julia Gottwald , a third year PhD student at the Department...

Read more

What birds' attitudes to litter tell us about their ability to adapt

31 May 2016

Urban birds are less afraid of litter than their country cousins, according to a new study, which suggests they may learn that litter in cities is...

Read more
Zoe and Friend

Support from family and friends important to help prevent depression in teenagers

20 May 2016

̽»¨Ö±²¥importance of friendships and family support in helping prevent depression among teenagers has been highlighted in research from the ̽»¨Ö±²¥...

Read more
Talking

Ageing affects test-taking, not language, study shows

12 May 2016

̽»¨Ö±²¥ability to understand language could be much better preserved into old age than previously thought, according to researchers from the ̽»¨Ö±²¥...

Read more

Pages