Mice in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease had some of their brain abnormalities reversed and their declining mental function restored when they were given low doses of a rarely used cancer drug. The drug, bexarotene, stimulated the removal of ­beta-amyloid, a substance whose accumulation in the brain appears to be the main cause of Alzheimer’s dementia. After treatment, the animals fared better in tests of memory and social behavior, according to a study published online Thursday by the journal Science. Read full article > >

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Cancer drug shows promise in mouse Alzheimer’s study

Constant interaction with electronics deprives us of the daydreaming time necessary to solve problems.

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Disruptions: Resolved in 2012: To Enjoy the View Without Help From an iPhone

Eating a diet rich in vitamins and fish may protect the brain from ageing while trans fats have the opposite effect, research suggests.

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Diet ‘can stop brain shrinking’

Gary Bettman, the N.H.L. commissioner, has said there is not enough data on the causes of brain trauma to justify stiffer penalties for fighting, but some doctors say ample evidence exists.

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In Debate About Fighting in Hockey, Medical Experts Weigh In

Professor of sleep and physiology Derk-Jan Dijk explains how the brain works with little rest.

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AUDIO: EU deal reached at ‘brain’s lowest ebb’

A team of scientists are using simple technology to alter the way we look at the brain, curing the previously incurable with little more than a mirror

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How can mirrors fix phantom limbs?

Scientists have used brain scans to shed more light on how the brain deals with the memory of unpleasant or traumatic events during sleep.

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Dreaming ‘eases painful memories’

For brain scientists, a gaffe by Gov. Rick Perry of Texas was a fascinating example of a common experience: the brain freeze.

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Well Blog: Researchers Tune In to a High-Profile Lapse

Three severely brain-injured people thought to be in an irreversible “vegetative” state showed signs of full consciousness on a commonly used brain exam, doctors reported in the journal The Lancet.

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Brain Exam Detects Awareness in 3 ‘Vegetative’ Patients

Doctors had hoped the operation would prevent strokes in people with poor circulation to the brain.

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Surgery to Prevent Strokes Is Found Ineffective

I.B.M. and a group of university researchers have developed experimental computer chips that mimic the brain’s method of cognition.

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Bits Blog: I.B.M. Announces Brainy Computer Chip

It’s eerie but it’s true: Three people have died this summer after suffering rare infections from a waterborne amoeba that destroys the brain.

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Brain-eating amoebas kill three

The very act of making decisions depletes our ability to make them well. So how do we navigate a world of endless choice?

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Magazine Preview: Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?

A Texas hospital says Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was released and expects to soon begin outpatient treatment for the brain injury she suffered in a January shooting.

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Rep. Giffords released from hospital

Traditional classroom learning is generally rules first, application later. However, researchers are finding that repeated exposure to patterns seems to deepen understanding.

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Brain Calisthenics for Abstract Ideas