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The Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal

Emotional Regulation and Psychosis: A Lack of Control Over One’s Experience of Their Own Emotions
Issue 31

Emotional Regulation and Psychosis: A Lack of Control Over One’s Experience of Their Own Emotions

Psychosis can uproot the life you once knew. This fact is displayed all too well in the case of Grohl, a young man who came to define himself as socially flourishing and creative, before schizophrenia ​broke his tether with reality.

  • Freya Hartfelder
  • Klaus Quinn
Freya Hartfelder, Klaus Quinn 6 Nov 2024 • 11 min read
Dummy Treatment, Real Results: The Placebo Effect
Issue 31

Dummy Treatment, Real Results: The Placebo Effect

The term placebo comes from the Latin phrase “I shall please,” but today, it typically means a sham medical treatment. Despite being inactive, placebo treatments can still have significant beneficial effects on patients, known as the placebo effect.

  • Nevada Simpson
  • Heidi Chang
Nevada Simpson, Heidi Chang 6 Nov 2024 • 13 min read
Neurobiological Basis of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Issue 31

Neurobiological Basis of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

PMDD is an intensified form of PMS characterized by unusual and inexplicably severe physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that begin during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, wherein the uterine lining thickens right before menstruation occurs.

  • Srishti Bakshi
  • Ellina Ivanova
Srishti Bakshi, Ellina Ivanova 6 Nov 2024 • 14 min read
Narcissism: Myth Turned Reality
Issue 31

Narcissism: Myth Turned Reality

The most well-known form of narcissism is grandiose narcissism, which is characterized by heightened self-confidence, entitlement, and lack of empathy.

  • Sahana Subramanian
  • Oliver Zeng
Sahana Subramanian, Oliver Zeng 6 Nov 2024 • 8 min read
Pain and distress in animal research
Issue 31

Pain and distress in animal research

Documentation of pain and distress that may affect behavior and wellbeing is generally more difficult for animals than it is for humans, which can skew the results.

  • Ashley Sciocchetti
  • Mikayla Puska
Ashley Sciocchetti, Mikayla Puska 6 Nov 2024 • 18 min read
Snoring Is Not That Simple: Snoring And Neurocognition
Issue 31

Snoring Is Not That Simple: Snoring And Neurocognition

Understanding Snoring Have you ever shared a dorm room with someone else and been rudely awakened in the wee hours of the morning by your roommate’s snoring? If you've

  • Chloe Jin
  • Divyashree Venkatesan
Chloe Jin, Divyashree Venkatesan 6 Nov 2024 • 15 min read
An Unseen Sickness: Seizures and Brain Cancer
Issue 31

An Unseen Sickness: Seizures and Brain Cancer

A person can walk around experiencing seizures for months without realizing it. If someone experiencing these odd symptoms...they could risk ignoring what is often the first symptom of a much deadlier disease: brain cancer.

  • Lilian Nguyenphuoc
  • Nuoyang Jia
Lilian Nguyenphuoc, Nuoyang Jia 6 Nov 2024 • 18 min read
The Adverse Effects Current Day Drug Policy in America has on Scientific Advancement Within the Field of Neuroscience, POC, and Addiction Rehabilitation
Issue 30

The Adverse Effects Current Day Drug Policy in America has on Scientific Advancement Within the Field of Neuroscience, POC, and Addiction Rehabilitation

All of us, at least once in our lives, have been misguided in our beliefs surrounding the nature of drugs. This occurrence is further exacerbated by the laws and regulatory policies created by the American government.

  • Rachael Zhang
  • Heidi Chang
Rachael Zhang, Heidi Chang 30 Jul 2024 • 12 min read
Can't Trust This: Racism in Research
Issue 30

Can't Trust This: Racism in Research

Medical research has a dark past, especially for Black Americans. Embedded in this history contains withholding information, biases, and racism towards Black Americans.

  • Eva Orbock
  • Jackson Nuss
Eva Orbock, Jackson Nuss 30 Jul 2024 • 11 min read
Unraveling the Mysteries of Myasthenia Gravis
Issue 30

Unraveling the Mysteries of Myasthenia Gravis

Ensor's story reflects the wider reality of myasthenia gravis. In this chronic autoimmune disorder, the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys muscle-nerve communication pathways in the neuromuscular junction, the connection site between a muscle and nerve.

  • Tanvi Kale
  • Annika Brockett
Tanvi Kale, Annika Brockett 30 Jul 2024 • 17 min read
Introduction to Organoids
Issue 30

Introduction to Organoids

Enter organoids, the cost-efficient game-changers of modern research. Organoids are three-dimensional cell cultures that are designed to mimic the structure and function of specific organs.

  • Ananya Dev
  • Klaus Quinn
Ananya Dev, Klaus Quinn 30 Jul 2024 • 13 min read
Glass Patterns Research Technique
Article

Glass Patterns Research Technique

Whether it’s choosing which coffee shop to visit, deciding between job offers, or considering whether or not to accelerate to catch a yellow light, you are constantly making decisions. But how do these decisions go hand in hand with visual processing?

  • Angele Boulanger
  • Adrienne Stern
Angele Boulanger, Adrienne Stern 30 Jul 2024 • 10 min read
A Brain Spine Interface
Issue 30

A Brain Spine Interface

We are all familiar with the futuristic scenario where humans become one with machines to push beyond our biological limitations. Whether this idea excites or frightens you, it is currently becoming our reality.

  • Anna Fuss
  • Russell Myers
Anna Fuss, Russell Myers 30 Jul 2024 • 13 min read
Angelman syndrome–insights into a rare genetic disorder
Article

Angelman syndrome–insights into a rare genetic disorder

In 1965, Dr. Harry Angelman documented cases of three children exhibiting sudden and uncontrollable laughter, intellectual impairment, abnormal facial features, jerky movements, and a protruding tongue, which was then collectively defined as Angelman syndrome (AS) [2].

  • Han Lin
  • Natsumi Inoue-Talbert
Han Lin, Natsumi Inoue-Talbert 30 Jul 2024 • 10 min read
Call of Duty: Are Videogames our Friend or Foe?
Issue 30

Call of Duty: Are Videogames our Friend or Foe?

Around the mid-1980s, video games began to rise as a form of popular entertainment, and within the last twenty years, they have catapulted even further through the development of mobile games for the casual gamer.

  • Victoria Pang
  • Adhya Kartik
Victoria Pang, Adhya Kartik 30 Jul 2024 • 14 min read
Somnambulism: So, you're a sleepwalker?
Article

Somnambulism: So, you're a sleepwalker?

When thinking of sleepwalking, the image that most often springs to mind is that of a person rising from their bed and walking around like a zombie. But the potential implications are a lot larger than this.

  • Rohan Gadamsetty
  • Nuoyang Jia
Rohan Gadamsetty, Nuoyang Jia 30 Jul 2024 • 6 min read
The Neurobiological Mechanisms of a Suicidal Brain
genetics

The Neurobiological Mechanisms of a Suicidal Brain

Many of us live our lives day to day, excited to see tomorrow’s adventures or indulge in its captivating events. Others live their lives simply wishing it would end.

  • Maya Malinowski
  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Sharon Oh
Multiple authors 30 Jul 2024 • 18 min read
Effects of Alcohol on the Neuroimmune System
Issue 28

Effects of Alcohol on the Neuroimmune System

Imagine you’re at a college party: The music’s loud, people are dancing, and you’re surrounded by bottles of whiskey, beer, vodka, and rum. You take a shot, and someone hands you another drink.

  • Antara Garai
  • Ashley Sciocchetti
  • Kellie Lam
Multiple authors 18 Apr 2024 • 20 min read
Sleep and the Glymphatic System
Issue 29

Sleep and the Glymphatic System

We have all experienced sleepless nights and know what it is like to suffer the consequences: inability to focus, decreased productivity, and feeling lethargic. Sleep is a process that is

  • Ron Vered
  • Kyra Hanssen
Ron Vered, Kyra Hanssen 30 Mar 2024 • 11 min read
Clinician Burnout: Effects on the Brain and the Healthcare Industry
Issue 29

Clinician Burnout: Effects on the Brain and the Healthcare Industry

Dr. Tammie Chang has just gotten off a busy day of work as a pediatric oncologist. As she drives on the road that leads to home, she feels her exhaustion

  • Victoria Pang
  • Daniel Tan
Victoria Pang, Daniel Tan 30 Mar 2024 • 13 min read
Beyond the Pill: Utility of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Issue 29

Beyond the Pill: Utility of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Imagine a world where depression's relentless grip is broken, where hope can finally shine through the clouds of despair. That was, unfortunately, not something Ms. T could afford to imagine.

  • Eric Shiu
  • Vladislav Baglaev
  • Sharon Oh
Multiple authors 30 Mar 2024 • 19 min read
From Genes to Behavior: Unraveling Psychopathy with Neuroscience
Issue 29

From Genes to Behavior: Unraveling Psychopathy with Neuroscience

Psychopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by the absence of emotional responses, lack of empathy, and poor behavior control, resulting in antisocial behavior and participation in criminal acts. Researchers suggest

  • Ahalya Rajesh
  • Kate Yuan
Ahalya Rajesh, Kate Yuan 30 Mar 2024 • 13 min read
The Brain is Alive with the Sound of Music
Issue 29

The Brain is Alive with the Sound of Music

While everyone has their own music preferences, there are some songs that almost everyone knows the words to. Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” is basically the Fourth of July national anthem, and we only need to hear the first few bell chimes to identify Mariah Carey

  • Aleksandra Cholewinska
  • Jacqueline Flynn
Aleksandra Cholewinska, Jacqueline Flynn 30 Mar 2024 • 15 min read
Mirror, Mirror
Issue 29

Mirror, Mirror

Have you ever flinched when watching a character get hurt on TV? Yawned when someone near you yawned? These reactions may be due to unique brain cells known as mirror neurons.

  • Brielle Arnold
  • Jenny Mcllwain
  • Allison Chae
Multiple authors 30 Mar 2024 • 16 min read
Microglia: Little Giants in the Brain
Issue 29

Microglia: Little Giants in the Brain

Imagine the brain as an epic house party with various cell types acting as partygoers, each contributing to the chaotic buzz. Amid the lively crowd, the neurons are the center

  • Michael Li
  • Annika Brockett
Michael Li, Annika Brockett 30 Mar 2024 • 14 min read
The Mechanisms of General Anesthesia
Issue 28

The Mechanisms of General Anesthesia

For many, the thought of undergoing surgery can be a terrifying fear. Operations in the United States often come with an exorbitant price tag and without any guarantee of success. At the extreme end, there is even a risk of death.

  • Amy Lin
  • Emma Howell
Amy Lin, Emma Howell 8 Mar 2024 • 15 min read
Is Free Will an Illusion? Neurobiological Basis of Human Agency and Volition
Issue 28

Is Free Will an Illusion? Neurobiological Basis of Human Agency and Volition

Invariably, few can deny the integral roles of conscious free will and volition in our identities, beliefs, choices, interactions, and everyday lives. Introduction: Let’s get started with the main

  • Eric Shiu
  • Vladislav Baglaev
  • Sharon Oh
Multiple authors 8 Mar 2024 • 32 min read
Special K: The Emergence of Psychedelic Healthcare
Issue 28

Special K: The Emergence of Psychedelic Healthcare

Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is notorious for its street reputation as an abused substance. Known by the general public as an illicit club drug, recreational users inhale, ingest, or inject

  • Rachael Zhang
  • Kyvalya Reddy
Rachael Zhang, Kyvalya Reddy 8 Mar 2024 • 14 min read
Antidepressants: The magic pill?
Issue 28

Antidepressants: The magic pill?

Disclaimer: This is a comprehensive overview of the public’s understanding on the chemical theories of depression, the marketing of antidepressants, and the importance of transparency in the pharmacotherapy and

  • Brian Wong
  • Tatyana Atanasova
Brian Wong, Tatyana Atanasova 8 Mar 2024 • 17 min read
A Review of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response
Issue 28

A Review of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

Imagine a tingling sensation, starting at the top of the scalp and traveling down your spine, inducing a state of relaxation and deep breathing [1]. You feel an increased desire

  • Ashley Sciocchetti
  • Sasha Kravchuk
Ashley Sciocchetti, Sasha Kravchuk 8 Mar 2024 • 15 min read
The Hunt for a Cure: Promising New Developments in Huntington’s Disease Research
Issue 28

The Hunt for a Cure: Promising New Developments in Huntington’s Disease Research

When discussing her grandmother’s and father’s diagnoses with Huntington’s Disease (HD), Kimberly Pryce described the testing process as “a flip of a coin. Heads, you’re facing

  • Aleksandra Cholewinska
  • Annika Fines
Aleksandra Cholewinska, Annika Fines 8 Mar 2024 • 12 min read
Audition for Audition: Could Regenerative Therapy Be The Lead Role for Hearing Restoration?
Issue 26

Audition for Audition: Could Regenerative Therapy Be The Lead Role for Hearing Restoration?

For a large proportion of the population, hearing is a passive process easily taken for granted despite the complex mechanisms required for its function. Due to the intricate structures responsible for hearing, there are myriad ways that hearing loss can occur.

  • Stephanie Sherman
  • Di Mao
Stephanie Sherman, Di Mao 19 Feb 2024 • 17 min read
Coffee or Conditioning?
Issue 27

Coffee or Conditioning?

Coffee, café, 咖啡, قهوة, コーヒー, КоΦέ, Kahvi. No matter what you call it, that bitter, dark brown drink is universally recognized as a crisp beacon that cuts through mental fog.

  • JT Young
  • Emma D’cessare
  • Ashley Sciocchetti
  • Amy Lin
  • Annika Brockett
Multiple authors 4 Feb 2024 • 16 min read
CNS Regeneration in the Spiny Mouse
Issue 27

CNS Regeneration in the Spiny Mouse

What is the Spiny Mouse? How amazing would it be to possess the ability to regenerate lost body parts? It would be effortless to easily produce new limbs, organs, or

  • Emma D’cessare
  • Emma Howell
Emma D’cessare, Emma Howell 4 Feb 2024 • 11 min read
The Cholinergic Hypothesis: Acetylcholine & Alzheimer’s Disease
Issue 27

The Cholinergic Hypothesis: Acetylcholine & Alzheimer’s Disease

Imagine a world where cherished memories vanish like whispers in the wind, leaving behind only fragments of a once vibrant existence. Alzheimer's disease, a relentless force that steals away our

  • Neha Ramana
  • Eiden Brewer
  • Mai Anh Tran
Multiple authors 4 Feb 2024 • 9 min read
Spice Spice Baby: How Eating Spices Benefits the Brain
Issue 27

Spice Spice Baby: How Eating Spices Benefits the Brain

Imagine you’re out at dinner with a friend, excitedly awaiting your dish. Your food comes, and you take a big bite.

  • Aleksandra Cholewinska
  • Annika Fines
Aleksandra Cholewinska, Annika Fines 4 Feb 2024 • 13 min read
The Choreography of Spinal Cord Regeneration: Stem Cells, Supramolecular Polymers, & “Dancing Molecules”
Issue 27

The Choreography of Spinal Cord Regeneration: Stem Cells, Supramolecular Polymers, & “Dancing Molecules”

Superman: Man or Myth? On an unforgettable spring day in 1995, esteemed Superman actor Christopher Reeve redefined the meaning of his role as the “man of steel.” Once recognized as

  • Amy Lin
  • Di Mao
Amy Lin, Di Mao 4 Feb 2024 • 15 min read
Love on the Brain: The Neuroscience of Love and Love Addiction
Issue 27

Love on the Brain: The Neuroscience of Love and Love Addiction

Today, the intersection of psychological and neuro-scientific disciplines offer substantial insight into the positive and negative implications of human love. With advancements in fMRI technology, scientists have began exploring the

  • Alayha Chaudhry
  • Kyvalya Reddy
Alayha Chaudhry, Kyvalya Reddy 4 Feb 2024 • 8 min read
All You Need to Know About Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Issue 27

All You Need to Know About Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography

Have you ever thought about going to a professional when something about your body did not feel right? “Jerry,” a 73-year-old man, was in the same situation.

  • Ellina Ivanova
  • Rhea Kelkar
Ellina Ivanova, Rhea Kelkar 4 Feb 2024 • 12 min read
Gene Therapy: Treating the Untreatable
Issue 26

Gene Therapy: Treating the Untreatable

If you asked researchers for a list of the last decade’s most important discoveries, most would include CRISPR-Cas9, a system that has the ability to find a sequence within a strand of DNA, cut it out, and replace it with a new sequence.

  • Michael Li
  • Ohnshim Kim
  • Kyvalya Reddy
Multiple authors 21 Jan 2024 • 16 min read
Improving Memory through Slow Wave Sleep
Issue 26

Improving Memory through Slow Wave Sleep

In the ocean, the form water will take at any given time may seem unpredictable to someone not paying attention, though there are patterns that can be identified and relied upon with some certainty.

  • Kate Loftis
  • Chloe Dahleen
Kate Loftis, Chloe Dahleen 15 Jan 2024 • 19 min read
Navigating the Cosmos of Whole-Brain Imaging
Issue 26

Navigating the Cosmos of Whole-Brain Imaging

Mapping the (B)rainforest Neurons, with their long axons and countless branching dendrites, are often colloquially spoken of in the language of trees. To extend the metaphor likens the brain

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Allison Li
Valerie Tsai, Allison Li 15 Jan 2024 • 20 min read
Fatal Familial Insomnia: What Happens When You Can't Sleep
Issue 26

Fatal Familial Insomnia: What Happens When You Can't Sleep

Introduction Memory loss, paranoia, double vision, disorientation, confusion, and an abnormal sleep pattern: these were the irregular symptoms of a 57-year-old man in the Netherlands. During the day, he would

  • NhiVan Tran
  • Abigail Regan
  • Olivia D'Costa
  • Kyra Hanssen
Multiple authors 15 Jan 2024 • 14 min read
CBD: New Player on the Pain Block
Issue 26

CBD: New Player on the Pain Block

Everyone knows what pain is…right? While most people have a comfortable understanding of what pain means to them, pain as a clinical symptom is nebulous: difficult to describe and even more difficult to treat [1].

  • Sophia Mar
  • Molly Kelly Weston
Sophia Mar, Molly Kelly Weston 15 Jan 2024 • 11 min read
Bilingualism and the Brain
Issue 26

Bilingualism and the Brain

Introduction Shaina Shetty, a woman born in Detroit, spoke Tulu (an Indian language with only 1.7 million speakers) up until she started elementary school in Detroit: “[My parents] had

  • Alice Hofsetz
  • Xuetong Li
Alice Hofsetz, Xuetong Li 15 Jan 2024 • 16 min read
Your Brain on Aromatherapy
Issue 25

Your Brain on Aromatherapy

Introduction Jasmine, rose, and sandalwood; these are the scents that permeate my childhood  memories. From the burning of incense sticks to the steady stream of fragrances coming from my essential

  • Ankita Menon
  • Stephanie Sherman
Ankita Menon, Stephanie Sherman 15 Oct 2023 • 12 min read
Invisible String
Issue 25

Invisible String

The language of love is so complex and multifaceted that the researcher and the poet alike are left bewildered at its hands.

  • Sahana Sridhar
  • Allison Li
Sahana Sridhar, Allison Li 15 Oct 2023 • 14 min read
An Introduction to Neuroeconomics
Issue 25

An Introduction to Neuroeconomics

Introduction Behavioral neuroscience and economics are two distinct academic disciplines which at first glance would not seem to have much in common. However, a deeper dive into the specifics of

  • Hayden Goldberg
  • Di Mao
  • Chloe Dahleen
Multiple authors 15 Oct 2023 • 17 min read
The Richest Palace is in Your Brain
Issue 25

The Richest Palace is in Your Brain

Imagine you are given 60 seconds to memorize 52 cards, with only one chance to look at the deck and no room for errors. That may seem like a lot to memorize in a short amount of time—a feeling shared by...

  • Siddhant Dharap
  • Olivia D'Costa
Siddhant Dharap, Olivia D'Costa 15 Oct 2023 • 15 min read
Stereotyping Disability
Issue 25

Stereotyping Disability

Introduction Living with a physical disability can be incredibly challenging — having to alter common tools to make them usable, wondering if the places that you plan to visit have accessible

  • Khushi Yadav
  • Kathleen Bach
  • Di Mao
Multiple authors 15 Oct 2023 • 11 min read
Hacking Consciousness: Mindfulness Meditation, Ego Death, and Enlightenment Engineering
Issue 25

Hacking Consciousness: Mindfulness Meditation, Ego Death, and Enlightenment Engineering

Drift away from the daily thoughts and settle into a new mindset, at least for the moment. Let your inborn ego drop the loudspeaker it holds over your internal monologue and detach from the emotions occupying your mind; losing that sense of self-importance being carried through each day.

  • Efra Ahsan
  • Ohnshim Kim
Efra Ahsan, Ohnshim Kim 15 Oct 2023 • 12 min read
Harnessing Your Inner Bear: The Neuroscience Behind Hibernation
Issue 25

Harnessing Your Inner Bear: The Neuroscience Behind Hibernation

You’ve just woken up from a deep sleep. As you slowly regain your senses, you find you have a renewed sense of vigor. The birds are chirping outside, and the sun’s rays neatly drape themselves on your wall.

  • Vikshar Athreya
  • Zeynep Yilmaz
  • Sasha Kravchuk
  • Chloe Dahleen
  • Carter Bass
  • Eiden Brewer
  • Ashley Sciocchetti
Multiple authors 15 Oct 2023 • 7 min read
Chronic Stress: Living in a World of Worry
Issue 25

Chronic Stress: Living in a World of Worry

Chronic stress affects many Americans. Most recently, a major cause of stress in the United States has been the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly eight in ten Americans reporting that the

  • Elora Reilly
  • Zhiwei Wang
Elora Reilly, Zhiwei Wang 15 Oct 2023 • 13 min read
Embodiment and the Working Mind
Issue 25

Embodiment and the Working Mind

Introduction Nineteen months after suffering a stroke, Patient “AC” was interviewed about how his limbs felt. He said about his right hand, “I can’t control it. It doesn’t

  • Zoe Friedland
  • Chloe Dahleen
Zoe Friedland, Chloe Dahleen 15 Oct 2023 • 15 min read
Branching into the World of Ethnobotany
issue 24

Branching into the World of Ethnobotany

Introduction Have your parents ever told you to drink lavender tea to help you destress? Or maybe you’ve looked up cures for a stomach ache and found websites telling

  • Khushi Yadav
  • Pine Dysart-Bricken
Khushi Yadav, Pine Dysart-Bricken 8 Feb 2023 • 15 min read
CADASIL: How a Rare Disease Could Help Cure Dementia
issue 24

CADASIL: How a Rare Disease Could Help Cure Dementia

In 1976, French neuroscientist Marie-Germaine Bousser recruited hundreds of Parisians for an experiment to determine whether aspirin could prevent subsequent strokes in patients who had already had strokes...

  • Michael Li
  • Molly Kelly
Michael Li, Molly Kelly 8 Feb 2023 • 18 min read
Sharing Memories through Epigenetics
issue 24

Sharing Memories through Epigenetics

Try to recall your tenth birthday party. Specific details such as the color of the cake or the theme of your party are probably resurfacing in your mind right now. These pieces of information are stored as long-term memories and are readily available for recall...

  • Esha Patel
  • Shima Shaporifar
Esha Patel, Shima Shaporifar 8 Feb 2023 • 9 min read
Tachyphylaxis: Antidepressants' Greatest Challenge
issue 24

Tachyphylaxis: Antidepressants' Greatest Challenge

Imagine sitting down with a doctor to discuss several distressing symptoms you’ve been experiencing recently. Slowly you confess that you’ve been experiencing a sense of numbness, and your hobbies don’t interest you. In fact, nothing interests you anymore...

  • Phoenix Davis
  • Gillian Soo
Phoenix Davis, Gillian Soo 8 Feb 2023 • 19 min read
The Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa
issue 24

The Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa

For most of us, sitting down to at least three meals a day is so normal that intentionally refusing to eat seems unthinkable. Yet for some, the experience of eating is fraught with anxiety...

  • Hannah Dahleen
  • Di Mao
Hannah Dahleen, Di Mao 8 Feb 2023 • 13 min read
Prions: How Can Proteins be Infectious? And what that tells us about other neurodegenerative diseases
issue 24

Prions: How Can Proteins be Infectious? And what that tells us about other neurodegenerative diseases

What makes cows go mad? The deceptively short answer: prions. Most of the human population has encountered pathogenic viruses and bacteria at some point in their lives, but very few have experienced an illness related to prions, which are misfolded proteins...

  • Elena Baraznenock
  • Sasha Kravchuk
Elena Baraznenock, Sasha Kravchuk 8 Feb 2023 • 9 min read
Sleep Karate: How a Neurological Disorder Can Make You Act Out Your Dreams
issue 24

Sleep Karate: How a Neurological Disorder Can Make You Act Out Your Dreams

Most of us can probably recall the last vivid dream or nightmare that we’ve had. Maybe it was trekking through a futuristic city worlds away, maybe it was running from a monster with a seemingly familiar presence...

  • Mikko Epstein o'Rourke
  • Mai Anh Tran
Mikko Epstein o'Rourke, Mai Anh Tran 8 Feb 2023 • 8 min read
Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and the General Public
issue 24

Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and the General Public

There has long been a sizable gap in communication between the scientific community and the general public. For many, the sciences are often intimidating and difficult to grasp...

  • Sophia Mar
  • Zeynep Yilmaz
Sophia Mar, Zeynep Yilmaz 8 Feb 2023 • 13 min read
Computational Neuroethology: A Machine Vision of the Future
issue 24

Computational Neuroethology: A Machine Vision of the Future

the rise of computational neuroethology, or the computational modeling or analysis of the neural basis of behavior...

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Jonathan Bustamante Osorio
Valerie Tsai, Jonathan Bustamante Osorio 8 Feb 2023 • 16 min read
Hive Mind
issue 24

Hive Mind

When you were younger, did you ever sit and watch the movement of a beehive or anthill? It’s like watching the ocean’s currents or leaves floating in the wind. But in insect colonies, the motion is purposeful, every little movement adding up to the rhythmic motion of the whole...

  • Elora Reilly
  • Kathleen Bach
Elora Reilly, Kathleen Bach 8 Feb 2023 • 12 min read
Nootropics: How Online Communities Foster Misinformation and Pseudoscience
Issue 21

Nootropics: How Online Communities Foster Misinformation and Pseudoscience

On a sunny July day in Paris, 189 cyclists breathe a sigh of relief. Some are celebrating, some are disappointed, and some are just grateful that they can get some rest.

  • Michael Li
  • Tom Branstettre
Michael Li, Tom Branstettre 8 Feb 2023 • 15 min read
Locating Creativity
Issue 23

Locating Creativity

Let’s take a short quiz: look at an object and close one eye. Which eye is left open – your right or your left? Next, put one hand on your head. Which hand did you use?

  • Devika Dwivedi
  • Sasha Kravchuk
Devika Dwivedi, Sasha Kravchuk 11 Jan 2023 • 8 min read
Of Mice and Men: Rodent Models in Neuroscience Research
Issue 23

Of Mice and Men: Rodent Models in Neuroscience Research

In Denmark, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have identified specific genetic predispositions in mice that eventually impair the development of oligodendrocytes, crucial cells that produce the myelin sheath.

  • Michael Li
  • Stephanie Sherman
Michael Li, Stephanie Sherman 11 Jan 2023 • 17 min read
The Neuroscience of ADHD
Issue 23

The Neuroscience of ADHD

In both public and medical understanding, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often thought of as a simple attention deficit. However, continuing research has found that it is a far more complex disorder.

  • Elora Reilly
  • Gillian Soo
Elora Reilly, Gillian Soo 11 Jan 2023 • 10 min read
Kinesiology of Balance: Understanding Implications of Targeted Dance Therapy on Proprioception
Issue 23

Kinesiology of Balance: Understanding Implications of Targeted Dance Therapy on Proprioception

For some, balancing on one leg is easy. However, take away a person’s sight and this task becomes more challenging. Strip away a person’s sense of hearing as well, and the task that used to be “easy” is now quite difficult. How do dancers make the act of balancing seem so effortless?

  • Anna Lee
  • Danika Lee
Anna Lee, Danika Lee 11 Jan 2023 • 12 min read
Fever Dreams
Issue 23

Fever Dreams

When the world first entered lockdown at the end of March 2020, our lives were turned upside down. Days bled into nights spent inside the same walls, with no separation between work and home. If we went out, it was to a masked, nightmarish world full of empty streets and dark storefront windows.

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Olivia D'Costa
Valerie Tsai, Olivia D'Costa 11 Jan 2023 • 13 min read
Virtual Reality Treatments for Psychosis
Issue 23

Virtual Reality Treatments for Psychosis

Macbeth, Black Swan, and the centuries of art in between serve as a testimony: humanity’s fascination with psychosis is a long-lasting one. Behind the craft, however, lies a wildly misunderstood and misrepresented mental disorder.

  • Sahana Sridhar
  • Sasha Kravchuk
Sahana Sridhar, Sasha Kravchuk 11 Jan 2023 • 11 min read
The Neuroscience of Inequality
Issue 23

The Neuroscience of Inequality

One of the fundamental mysteries in neuroscience is how the brain develops and adapts to its experiences regardless of genetics. It has become a hot topic in media from documentaries like Three Identical Strangers...

  • Brandon Wu
  • Elaine Tasak
Brandon Wu, Elaine Tasak 11 Jan 2023 • 10 min read
Understanding the LGBTQIA+ Experience
Issue 23

Understanding the LGBTQIA+ Experience

One of the most astounding things about the brain is that it contains our entire mind. All of our memories, thoughts, feelings, and preferences are contained within this mass of flesh that is, well, just meat.

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Chloe Dahleen
Jay Bhateja, Chloe Dahleen 11 Jan 2023 • 10 min read
Light it Up: Optogenetics
Issue 22

Light it Up: Optogenetics

Neuroscience can only go as far as its research tools will take it. All science relies on experimentation and observation, which are difficult to accomplish when studying complex biological systems such as the brain.

  • Elora Reilly
  • Tiia Freeman
Elora Reilly, Tiia Freeman 21 Feb 2022 • 11 min read
Feeling the Beat: The Neuropsychology of Music and Empathy
Issue 22

Feeling the Beat: The Neuropsychology of Music and Empathy

While we wait in elevator rides or drive to the grocery store, the majority of us don’t sit in silence: we go about our day-to-day lives accompanied by songs and soundtracks.

  • Hannah Pour
  • Olivia D'Costa
Hannah Pour, Olivia D'Costa 21 Feb 2022 • 7 min read
Don't Forget Your Fats
Issue 22

Don't Forget Your Fats

If you’ve gone grocery shopping recently, you’ve likely come across the word “keto-friendly” labeled on many foods. These foods are all marketed as low-carbohydrate and accompany the ketogenic diet (KD).

  • Sophia Mar
  • Sriram Thothathri
  • Christine Hau
Multiple authors 21 Feb 2022 • 10 min read
Don't Rain on my Parade
Issue 22

Don't Rain on my Parade

Look outside, what do you see? What you see outside varies greatly depending on where you live and what time of the year it is. If it’s summertime, you might look outside and see bright skies and sunlight.

  • Nicole Houppermans
  • Skye Tampi
Nicole Houppermans, Skye Tampi 21 Feb 2022 • 10 min read
COVID on the Brain
Issue 22

COVID on the Brain

A sore throat. A cough. Difficulty breathing. In the post-2020 era, these symptoms are readily identifiable and directly related to an infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has taken the world by storm.

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Ohnshim Kim
Valerie Tsai, Ohnshim Kim 21 Feb 2022 • 12 min read
Love, Sex, and Brains
Issue 22

Love, Sex, and Brains

Between different individuals and cultures, the spectrum of human wants, needs, actions, and responses varies almost infinitely. But despite these differences, one phenomenon seems to persist across the branching history

  • Michael Li
  • Cindy Zou
Michael Li, Cindy Zou 21 Feb 2022 • 14 min read
Lean, Mean, Psychoactive Machine
Issue 22

Lean, Mean, Psychoactive Machine

We Have Lean On the Beat Over the last thirty years, hip-hop music has risen from its humble beginnings in inner-city neighborhoods to the center of the mainstream music stage.

  • Ian Guan
    Ian Guan
  • Abigail Regan
Ian Guan, Abigail Regan 21 Feb 2022 • 12 min read
Parallel Processors: Comparing the Brain and the Computer
Issue 22

Parallel Processors: Comparing the Brain and the Computer

Introduction With billions of computations per second, our brains are the most complex and intelligent entities the world has ever known. So intelligent, in fact, that we’ve been able

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Allison Li
Jay Bhateja, Allison Li 21 Feb 2022 • 18 min read
Quarantine Isolation
Issue 21

Quarantine Isolation

I remember March 11th, 2020 vividly: schools in my area announced they would go online for the next three weeks. I was relieved that things slowed down. I could finally catch up on my sleep, schoolwork, and responsibilities.

  • Gabriel Lau
  • Sasha Kravchuk
Gabriel Lau, Sasha Kravchuk 20 Oct 2021 • 10 min read
Missing a Mind’s Eye: The Metacognition of Aphantasia
Issue 21

Missing a Mind’s Eye: The Metacognition of Aphantasia

What is your favorite memory? Is it sitting in front of the fireplace, burrowing yourself under a blanket with a visibly steaming cup of hot cocoa between your hands?

  • Brandon Wu
  • Olivia D'Costa
Brandon Wu, Olivia D'Costa 20 Oct 2021 • 9 min read
Something to Crow About
Issue 21

Something to Crow About

In mythology, corvids, the family of birds that includes crows and ravens, are often depicted as clever and mischievous. Native Americans tell stories of ravens as wise and practical jokesters who created the world.

  • Elora Reilly
  • Cindy Zou
Elora Reilly, Cindy Zou 20 Oct 2021 • 8 min read
An Area of Exception: Is the Brain Immune-privileged?
Issue 21

An Area of Exception: Is the Brain Immune-privileged?

In the human body, the immune system plays a crucial role in protecting us from foreign substances. For example, when you contract the flu, the immune system is responsible for fighting against the virus and keeping you healthy.

  • Madeline Shonat
  • Hannah Fitchett
Madeline Shonat, Hannah Fitchett 20 Oct 2021 • 9 min read
Alzheimer's Environmental Factors
Issue 21

Alzheimer's Environmental Factors

The denizens of modern-day, developed countries have living standards that have not been available ever before in human history: a permanent food surplus, technologies that were unthinkable just decades ago, and healthcare that allows us to live for more than a hundred years.

  • Francisco Miralles
  • Gillian Soo
Francisco Miralles, Gillian Soo 20 Oct 2021 • 15 min read
Out on a Limb: Phantom Limb Syndrome
Issue 21

Out on a Limb: Phantom Limb Syndrome

In September 1863, George Dedlow awoke in an army hospital tent [1]. As he regained his bearings, he felt a sharp cramp in his left leg. Dedlow tried to reach to rub it but was still too weak to move. Instead, he called for an attendant.

  • Devika Dwivedi
  • Stephanie Maack
Devika Dwivedi, Stephanie Maack 20 Oct 2021 • 8 min read
Diversity in Neuroscience
Issue 21

Diversity in Neuroscience

The field of neuroscience is not diverse or inclusive for underrepresented groups, which consist primarily of women, racial minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Olivia D'Costa
Jay Bhateja, Olivia D'Costa 20 Oct 2021 • 14 min read
The Placebo Effect in Depression Treatment
Issue 21

The Placebo Effect in Depression Treatment

Medications have long been one of mankind's best ways of treating diseases. Imagine you are feeling nauseous, so you go to a doctor and they prescribe you some medication. You take it, and within hours you start feeling better.

  • Nicole Houppermans
  • Allison Li
Nicole Houppermans, Allison Li 19 Oct 2021 • 13 min read
Nutritional Therapy for Fibromyalgia
Issue 21

Nutritional Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Most people are familiar with the concept of eating better to feel better. You are what you eat after all. This takes on new meaning when considering the integral connection of gut health and brain health. What you eat affects your gut health, which affects your brain function.

  • Sophia Mar
  • Kathleen Bach
Sophia Mar, Kathleen Bach 19 Oct 2021 • 9 min read
Awake Under the Knife: Conscious Brain Surgery
Issue 21

Awake Under the Knife: Conscious Brain Surgery

Imagine, for a moment, that you are undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor. While the surgeons operate on you, you remain deeply sedated and unconscious -- but before they finish, you begin to wake up.

  • Cynthia Yu
  • Meher Chand
Cynthia Yu, Meher Chand 19 Oct 2021 • 9 min read
Eau de Pheromone
Issue 21

Eau de Pheromone

It isn’t uncommon to see marketing for fragrances and deodorants that do not show the product or its features.

  • Ian Guan
    Ian Guan
  • Daeun Lee
Ian Guan, Daeun Lee 19 Oct 2021 • 9 min read
How a Signal is AMPA'fied
Issue 20

How a Signal is AMPA'fied

Find out the role of the NMDA-AMPA receptor system in our ability to associate the occurrence of two events, allowing our brains to learn and form memories.

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Olivia D'Costa
Valerie Tsai, Olivia D'Costa 10 May 2021 • 11 min read
Criminal Minded
Issue 20

Criminal Minded

To most, the act of killing another human is unthinkable. And yet, for the victims of the thousands of homicides and millions of violent assaults that occur every year, this criminal behavior is all too real. But what would motivate someone to commit such vicious acts of harm?

  • Vikshar Athreya
  • Carter Bass
  • Emma Cremeen
Multiple authors 10 May 2021 • 8 min read
Return of the Retina
Issue 20

Return of the Retina

Vision is a sensory system that we rely on heavily, and yet many people face visual impairments. The National Eye Institute recently reported that there were over 4 million people with visual impairments in the United States, mostly due to disease.

  • Sharda Raina
    Sharda Raina
  • Stephanie Sherman
Sharda Raina, Stephanie Sherman 10 May 2021 • 10 min read
Screaming into the Void: Evolved and Learned Echolocation
Issue 20

Screaming into the Void: Evolved and Learned Echolocation

Hunters of the night, unseen during the day, bats are some of the most interesting creatures on the planet. Making up roughly a quarter of all mammal species, they are remarkably similar to humans.

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Allison Li
Jay Bhateja, Allison Li 10 May 2021 • 8 min read
Old Brain, New Tricks
Issue 20

Old Brain, New Tricks

With the increase in computer performance and accessibility of personal computing, most jobs require computer skills as part of their work.

  • Ian Guan
    Ian Guan
  • Grace Wang
Ian Guan, Grace Wang 10 May 2021 • 21 min read
That's Cringe: The Neuroscience Behind Embarrassment
Issue 20

That's Cringe: The Neuroscience Behind Embarrassment

Have you ever been on the brink of sleep when you get hit with a memory of something embarrassing that you did in the past? Maybe even just remembering the moment makes you cringe and fully wake up.

  • Carina Kill
  • Zeynep Toprakbasti
Carina Kill, Zeynep Toprakbasti 10 May 2021 • 11 min read
How Pollution Affects the Brain
Issue 20

How Pollution Affects the Brain

Take a deep breath in. Exhale out. Take another deep breath in. Exhale out. Take deep breaths to center and calm yourself. This is a common strategy to rid the body of stressful and angry emotions. But what if deep breathing actually creates stressors instead of reducing them?

  • Nicole Houppermans
  • Meher Chand
Nicole Houppermans, Meher Chand 9 May 2021 • 11 min read
Just Dance, It'll be Okay
Issue 20

Just Dance, It'll be Okay

It starts with the hand lift – the body moves with the melody while the mind thinks about a feeling that has yet to be worked and the lungs breathe as they travel through space. Calmness, happiness, release.

  • Anna Lee
  • Ohnshim Kim
Anna Lee, Ohnshim Kim 9 May 2021 • 14 min read
A Trip to Your Happy Place
Issue 20

A Trip to Your Happy Place

Naturally occurring hallucinogens have been around for centuries and are used for a myriad of reasons from recreational to spiritual. The first synthetically-made hallucinogen was created in 1938 by a

  • Liza Panova
  • Allison Li
Liza Panova, Allison Li 9 May 2021 • 10 min read
Treating Glioblastoma
Issue 20

Treating Glioblastoma

Getting a cancer diagnosis is a life-altering event, but few diagnoses are as grim as being told you have a glioblastoma. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a very aggressive form of

  • Julia Bergquist
  • Stephanie Maack
Julia Bergquist, Stephanie Maack 9 May 2021 • 15 min read
Harnessing the Power of Sleep
Issue 19

Harnessing the Power of Sleep

Many college students discount the importance of sleep; whether it is to stay up cramming for a test, or to play a new game that was just released, students simply

  • Liza Panova
  • Allison Li
Liza Panova, Allison Li 13 Dec 2020 • 10 min read
Holy Molly: Treating PTSD with MDMA
Issue 19

Holy Molly: Treating PTSD with MDMA

Our ever-changing socio-political landscape creates many feelings of uneasiness, and individual experiences of war, terrorism, or sexual abuse only corroborate these feelings.

  • Ian Guan
    Ian Guan
  • Emma Cremeen
Ian Guan, Emma Cremeen 13 Dec 2020 • 14 min read
Decoding Neuroblastoma
Issue 19

Decoding Neuroblastoma

Late stage neuroblastoma is one of the most difficult childhood cancers to handle because of its poorly understood genetic markers, erratic tumor growth, and difficulty to remove.  The primary treatment

  • Dennis Godin
  • Stephanie Sherman
Dennis Godin, Stephanie Sherman 13 Dec 2020 • 7 min read
Getting a Grip on Dystonia
Issue 19

Getting a Grip on Dystonia

Hold out your hand, make a fist, and squeeze as hard as you can. If you squeeze long enough, you’ll experience some pain. This is a pain that individuals

  • Natalia Owen
  • Zeynep Toprakbasti
Natalia Owen, Zeynep Toprakbasti 13 Dec 2020 • 8 min read
To See or Not to See
Issue 19

To See or Not to See

The year was 1998 and a blind woman had done the seemingly impossible: she had managed to accurately post a letter in a constantly rotating mail slot. By all accounts,

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Kayrina Bui
Valerie Tsai, Kayrina Bui 13 Dec 2020 • 8 min read
Brain Cartography: How Mammals Memorize Spatial Maps
Issue 19

Brain Cartography: How Mammals Memorize Spatial Maps

Let’s say someone asked you to memorize a random list of twenty animals. Your first thought, aside from “Why?”, would probably be, “How can I manage to memorize all of these creatures?”

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Olivia D'Costa
Jay Bhateja, Olivia D'Costa 13 Dec 2020 • 8 min read
Mental Mechanics: How Humans Reason Through a Physical World
Issue 19

Mental Mechanics: How Humans Reason Through a Physical World

Picture yourself sitting in a coffee shop. When the barista sets a drink down on the counter, you probably don’t expect the drink to fall through the counter’s surface or bounce off the counter into the air.

  • Carina Kill
  • Ohnshim Kim
Carina Kill, Ohnshim Kim 13 Dec 2020 • 13 min read
Jogging Your Memory: Exercise and Alzheimer's Disease
Issue 19

Jogging Your Memory: Exercise and Alzheimer's Disease

It can be difficult to fit exercise into busy schedules, especially for college students who always seem to have exams and deadlines approaching. However, exercise provides many neurological benefits, such

  • Pavithra Rao
  • Angelique Guina
Pavithra Rao, Angelique Guina 13 Dec 2020 • 8 min read
Stimulating Developments in Parkinson’s Treatment
Issue 18

Stimulating Developments in Parkinson’s Treatment

Imagine you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms start as a small shake in one of your hands, which gradually spreads and worsens [1]. You attribute it

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Angelique Guina
Valerie Tsai, Angelique Guina 5 Apr 2020 • 7 min read
Searching for the Self
Issue 18

Searching for the Self

For centuries, many have wrestled with what the “self” really is. As a species, we have come to the conclusion that a fundamental part of being human is having a

  • Stephanie Mizuno
  • Andrew Liu
Stephanie Mizuno, Andrew Liu 3 Apr 2020 • 10 min read
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome: Not Just an Illusion
Issue 18

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome: Not Just an Illusion

To some people, the world just doesn’t feel right. They may feel their bodies growing unnaturally large till they fill up the room. They sense that their bodies are

  • Yutong Zhao
  • Grace Wang
Yutong Zhao, Grace Wang 3 Apr 2020 • 6 min read
Take a Breath: The Effects of Respiration on Brain Activity
Issue 18

Take a Breath: The Effects of Respiration on Brain Activity

Imagine a square. Breathe in deeply for four seconds while ascending one side of the square. Hold your breath for four seconds across the top edge, then breathe out for

  • Carina Kill
Carina Kill 3 Apr 2020 • 9 min read
Cerebellum Models and Disease Treatments
Issue 18

Cerebellum Models and Disease Treatments

Look at a fixed point. Now turn your head left, then right. What do you notice? Well, as your head moves in one direction, your eyes move the same number

  • Jay Bhateja
    Jay Bhateja
  • Ohnshim Kim
Jay Bhateja, Ohnshim Kim 3 Apr 2020 • 9 min read
Great Minds Built Alike
Issue 18

Great Minds Built Alike

Giftedness. The term itself carries a sense of ambiguity, as the potential of human ability and the depth of biological, social, psychological, and physical effects of what we call “giftedness”

  • Haleigh Schwartz
  • Kat Ramus
Haleigh Schwartz, Kat Ramus 3 Apr 2020 • 12 min read
Misophonia: Symptom or Disorder?
Issue 18

Misophonia: Symptom or Disorder?

A coworker slurps chicken-noodle soup. A classmate refuses to stop coughing. A friend gulps down their coffee as if it were the last cup on earth. Many people find these

  • Natalia Owen
  • Olivia D'Costa
Natalia Owen, Olivia D'Costa 3 Apr 2020 • 10 min read
Locating Loneliness
Issue 18

Locating Loneliness

A lone person stands amid a bustling crowd of familiar faces. A glance around at the wide, inviting smiles on the faces of their family and friends should spark the

  • Jane Chea
  • Matthew Tyska
Jane Chea, Matthew Tyska 3 Apr 2020 • 9 min read
Livin’ the Dream
Issue 18

Livin’ the Dream

For most of us, dreaming is a normal and unremarkable facet of life. But, what if this didn’t have to be the case? What if instead of waking up

  • Madeline Shonat
  • Meher Chand
Madeline Shonat, Meher Chand 3 Apr 2020 • 8 min read
An Immune Attacker: T-Cells Gone Wrong
Issue 18

An Immune Attacker: T-Cells Gone Wrong

Our immune system is perhaps one of the most important evolutionary benefits granted to us; our body’s ability to defend against infection and disease is one of the reasons

  • Arjun Sen
  • Stephanie Maack
Arjun Sen, Stephanie Maack 3 Apr 2020 • 9 min read
Stay Woke: Caffeine and Parkinson’s
Neuroscience

Stay Woke: Caffeine and Parkinson’s

The adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has possibly become a reality in the form of the most popularly consumed psychoactive drug, caffeine, in relation to Parkinson’

  • Daniel Chen
  • Manuela Rosenfeld
Daniel Chen, Manuela Rosenfeld 9 Mar 2020 • 7 min read
The Radical Role of Nitric Oxide in Learning
Issue 17

The Radical Role of Nitric Oxide in Learning

It was the summer of 1799. World famous chemist Sir Humphry Davy switched on his mercurial breathing machine, filling two bags with pure nitric oxide gas. He exhaled deeply and brought one bag to his lips. Today was going to be a tremendous day for science.

  • Anthony Abruzzini
  • Irika Sinha
Anthony Abruzzini, Irika Sinha 8 Mar 2020 • 13 min read
Melody and Memory: The Potential of Music Therapy for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Neuroscience

Melody and Memory: The Potential of Music Therapy for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

As modern medicine advances, the average life expectancy has been increasing, leading to the discovery of a plethora of diseases in the newest generation of the longest-living humans. Among these diseases is dementia.

  • Layla Jamil
  • Grace Wang
Layla Jamil, Grace Wang 8 Mar 2020 • 7 min read
Weeding Out Misconceptions: Neurological Effects of Marijuana
Issue 17

Weeding Out Misconceptions: Neurological Effects of Marijuana

Due to marijuana’s supposed low addiction potential, a perceived lack of long-term irreversible side effects, and various social dynamics normalizing it after the War on Drugs changed to a

  • Sophia Anderson
  • Sarah Wells
Sophia Anderson, Sarah Wells 8 Mar 2020 • 7 min read
Masochism
Issue 17

Masochism

Sub-Saharan African tribes use scarification as a rite of passage for milestones such as transitioning into adulthood [1]. Along with scarification, many cultures around the world incorporate pain into deeply

  • Kathryn Stangret
  • Kat Ramus
Kathryn Stangret, Kat Ramus 3 Feb 2020 • 10 min read
Saturday Night Football, Losing More Than A Game
Issue 17

Saturday Night Football, Losing More Than A Game

Across the country, the lights are warming up for college game night. One freshman is getting his first starting spot as kick-returner. Looking over the crowded stadium, he sees his

  • Kiran Pradhan
  • Angelique Guina
Kiran Pradhan, Angelique Guina 3 Feb 2020 • 9 min read
A Gut Feeling
Issue 17

A Gut Feeling

Bacteria have a historically well-deserved bad rap. After all, they make us sick and spoil our food. Therefore, a natural reaction to hearing that around a hundred trillion bacteria inhabit

  • Valerie Tsai
  • Nina Chen
Valerie Tsai, Nina Chen 3 Feb 2020 • 9 min read
Taken In Context
Issue 17

Taken In Context

It is freshman year and you stand in the middle of a crowded Chi Upsilon Eta fraternity party. Music is pounding in your ears and drunken yells fill the air.

  • Janet Lee
  • George Song
Janet Lee, George Song 2 Feb 2020 • 8 min read
How the Nose Knows
Issue 17

How the Nose Knows

Imagine walking into a house and smelling warm cookies. First, you know that you smell something . Then, you recognize the scent as freshly baked cookies. Immediately, your brain begins making

  • Carina Kill
  • Grace Wang
Carina Kill, Grace Wang 2 Feb 2020 • 10 min read
The Neuroaesthetics of Dance
Issue 17

The Neuroaesthetics of Dance

Neuroaesthetics—an emerging discipline of neuroscience—focuses on the biological bases of aesthetic experiences. One branch of neuroaesthetics focuses on the neurological processes that occur while participating in dance, whether

  • Anna Lee
  • Noor Al Huda Al Ghezi
Anna Lee, Noor Al Huda Al Ghezi 11 Jan 2020 • 9 min read
Mind Your Language
Featured Article

Mind Your Language

One of the most fundamental things separating humans from all other species on Earth is our ability to use language. While other living things may be able to communicate brief

  • Carina Kill
Carina Kill 14 Jun 2019 • 14 min read
Code of Conduct: Bayesian Predictive Coding
Featured Article

Code of Conduct: Bayesian Predictive Coding

To correctly interpret sensory data, the brain is faced with solving an inverse problem: one where the causes need to be inferred from the perceived outcomes [1]. There are many

  • Kathryn Stangret
  • Kat Ramus
Kathryn Stangret, Kat Ramus 12 Jun 2019 • 9 min read
Mind and Matter
Featured Article

Mind and Matter

It is impossible to ignore the association that exists in the modern era between meditation and the calming of one’s mind and emotions––the image of a lackadaisical hippie

  • Francisco Miralles
  • Noor Al Huda Al Ghezi
Francisco Miralles, Noor Al Huda Al Ghezi 10 Jun 2019 • 7 min read
Treating Pediatric Chronic Pain
Issue 16

Treating Pediatric Chronic Pain

A painful feeling starts in your fingertips and spreads through your hand, radiating up your arm until it reaches your brain, prompting an “Ouch!” Pain is most commonly defined as

  • Meena Meyyappan
  • George Song
Meena Meyyappan, George Song 4 Jun 2019 • 8 min read
Stand Up For Your Brain
Issue 16

Stand Up For Your Brain

To sit or to stand—a debate many rarely think about due to the prominence of sedentary lifestyles. Many of our daily activities involve sitting, such as being in front of a computer for hours or attending lectures.

  • Neha Krishnam
  • Angelique Guina
Neha Krishnam, Angelique Guina 31 May 2019 • 6 min read
Eye Opening Epilepsy
Issue 16

Eye Opening Epilepsy

Epilepsies include a variety of disorders, characterized primarily by a disturbance in neuronal activity known as a seizure.

  • Sharda Raina
    Sharda Raina
  • Allegra Johnson
Sharda Raina, Allegra Johnson 28 May 2019 • 7 min read
Changing Focus: ADHD in Women
Issue 16

Changing Focus: ADHD in Women

Picture a twelve-year-old girl. She’s always losing her homework. Whenever she starts a project she ends up with a half-cleaned room, an almost-done math assignment, only the first part

  • Sophia Anderson
  • Sarah Wells
Sophia Anderson, Sarah Wells 24 May 2019 • 10 min read
Express Before You Test
Issue 16

Express Before You Test

Anyone who has written an essay for a class knows that writing is a difficult yet necessary task. From grocery lists to PhD dissertations, writing is a vital method of

  • Elise Stefanou
  • Nina Chen
Elise Stefanou, Nina Chen 22 May 2019 • 11 min read
With a Grain of Salt: The MSG “Menace”
Cover Article

With a Grain of Salt: The MSG “Menace”

“No MSG”—two simple words plastered across food packaging and restaurant windows have consumers feeling relieved. MSG has long been criticized by consumers; some charge it as guilty for causing

  • Xuan Nhi Nguyen
  • Fiona Seung
Xuan Nhi Nguyen, Fiona Seung 19 May 2019 • 9 min read
Models of Memory
Issue 15

Models of Memory

Imagine waking up one day without any memory. You can probably picture yourself in a state of extreme confusion, not knowing who you are, where you are, or how you

  • Shawn Fisher
  • Chloe Chiu
Shawn Fisher, Chloe Chiu 8 May 2019 • 10 min read
Motor Conversion Disorder
Issue 15

Motor Conversion Disorder

Motor conversion disorder is a subset of conversion disorder, which is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in neurology; it accounts for at least four percent of all general

  • Kathryn Stangret
  • Anthony Abruzzini
Kathryn Stangret, Anthony Abruzzini 6 May 2019 • 8 min read
Swell! Expansion Microscopy
Issue 15

Swell! Expansion Microscopy

Companies boasting about their diapers’ comfort, mobility, and, most importantly, absorbency, represent the hallmark of any respected diaper brand. If you have ever seen a diaper commercial, you have seen

  • Evan Anderson
  • Angelique Guina
Evan Anderson, Angelique Guina 2 May 2019 • 8 min read
How the Brain Learns Addiction
Issue 15

How the Brain Learns Addiction

A quick Google search for “addiction” gives over 800 million results in less than a second. This vast cyberspace includes hotline numbers, treatment facilities, and heartbreaking statistics. According to the

  • Mimi Mcmurray
  • Mehria Ibrahimi
Mimi Mcmurray, Mehria Ibrahimi 17 Apr 2019 • 9 min read
Orchestrating Healing: Conducting Polymers and Neural Interfaces
Issue 15

Orchestrating Healing: Conducting Polymers and Neural Interfaces

The ability to help treat blindness and restore mobility to those with paralysis is approaching reality as neuroscientists develop neural interfaces to study and aid damaged neural systems [1]. At

  • Stephen Lee
  • Kat Ramus
Stephen Lee, Kat Ramus 15 Apr 2019 • 9 min read
Like, Comment, Subscribe
Issue 15

Like, Comment, Subscribe

The boom of the digital age and social media revolution has been a significant phenomenon in human history. As digital communication continues to become more ubiquitous, social media networks are

  • Kit Slocum
  • Nina Chen
Kit Slocum, Nina Chen 13 Apr 2019 • 13 min read
FOXO Transcription Factors and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Issue 15

FOXO Transcription Factors and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are tragic conditions that cause the loss of memory and motor control. As these diseases progress, patients eventually forget everything, including

  • Mikayla Fraunfelder
  • Fiona Seung
Mikayla Fraunfelder, Fiona Seung 9 Apr 2019 • 7 min read
The Spoken Bird
Issue 15

The Spoken Bird

With about 10,000 species, birds make up one of the most diverse classes in the animal kingdom.

  • Gabby Knox
  • Elizabeth Calvillo
Gabby Knox, Elizabeth Calvillo 7 Apr 2019 • 11 min read
Computing a Better Diagnosis
Issue 15

Computing a Better Diagnosis

In the early 20th century, the primary purpose for mental disorder classification was to organize asylums.{[1]  The process for categorizing symptoms lacked standardization and thus was inconsistent. Even so,

  • Kaya Bramble
  • Annette Mercedes
Kaya Bramble, Annette Mercedes 3 Apr 2019 • 7 min read
Biomaterial Scaffolds
Issue 15

Biomaterial Scaffolds

Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs at an estimated global incidence rate of 250,000 to 500,000 every year, with causes such as car collisions, falls, and violence [1]. Currently,

  • Julia Bergquist
  • Lais Conceicao
Julia Bergquist, Lais Conceicao 1 Apr 2019 • 10 min read
Bug Off: The Neural Effects of Insecticides
Issue 15

Bug Off: The Neural Effects of Insecticides

The first thing that comes to mind when people think of insects is probably not their tiny brains. However, scientists have been studying and taking advantage of the relatively simple

  • Carina Kill
Carina Kill 29 Mar 2019 • 9 min read
Medical Mushrooms: Psylocibin-Assisted Therapy
Issue 15

Medical Mushrooms: Psylocibin-Assisted Therapy

Psychedelics face an overwhelming stigma in Western culture that has limited scientific investigation into their uses since the 1960s. This came as a result of a lack of knowledge that

  • Francisco Miralles
  • Sarah Wells
Francisco Miralles, Sarah Wells 23 Mar 2019 • 8 min read
The Gendered Effects of Neurotoxicants
Issue 14

The Gendered Effects of Neurotoxicants

For the past several decades, the number of cases of mental and neurodevelopmental disorders has been steadily increasing.

  • Stephen Lee
  • Angelique Guina
Stephen Lee, Angelique Guina 22 Feb 2019 • 4 min read
Neural Oscillations
Issue 14

Neural Oscillations

With the new millennium, interconnectivity has undoubtedly become an integral part of society; and with it, the need to learn new information with ease and grace. Traditionally, this has meant

  • Andy Chia
  • Grace Wang
Andy Chia, Grace Wang 21 Feb 2019 • 14 min read
The Blood Brain Barrier Baffles Big Pharma
Issue 14

The Blood Brain Barrier Baffles Big Pharma

Despite there being a large unmet need for treatments in neurological disorders, big pharma is beginning to withdraw from drug development due to the challenge of crossing the blood-brain barrier,

  • Jessica Passlack
  • Ishira Parikh
Jessica Passlack, Ishira Parikh 19 Feb 2019 • 10 min read
Understanding Schizophrenia
Issue 14

Understanding Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder that can begin in late adolescence and early adulthood with an array of severe symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions. When left untreated, these symptoms

  • Ana Jojic
  • Lais Conceicao
Ana Jojic, Lais Conceicao 17 Feb 2019 • 6 min read
Insomnia: Why Students Are Sleeping in Class
Issue 14

Insomnia: Why Students Are Sleeping in Class

It’s no secret that college students struggle to get sleep. Between juggling midterms, homework, and 8:30 a.m. classes, it isn’t just a stereotype that students are

  • Annaliese Miyamoto
  • Chelsea Shu
Annaliese Miyamoto, Chelsea Shu 16 Feb 2019 • 8 min read
A New Approach to Huntington’s
Issue 14

A New Approach to Huntington’s

Among inherited neurodegenerative disorders, Huntington’s Disease (HD) is the most common.  [1]  HD is a grim diagnosis, for the disease not only takes lives but also leaves the descendants

  • Karlee Orvik
  • Kat Ramus
Karlee Orvik, Kat Ramus 12 Feb 2019 • 5 min read
Up and Running
Issue 14

Up and Running

While not everyone participates in endurance sports, anyone can reap the benefits of exercise. A variety of studies show that participation in both aerobic and non-aerobic exercise for as little

  • Rachel Arnold
  • Karissa Shutt
Rachel Arnold, Karissa Shutt 11 Feb 2019 • 7 min read
Speak Your Mind
Issue 14

Speak Your Mind

Inner speech, also known as verbal thinking or inner voice, is a common daily experience believed to be significant in the retention of short-term memory, development, self-awareness, and cognitive thought.

  • Zohdi Cooperrider Young
  • Grace Wang
Zohdi Cooperrider Young, Grace Wang 9 Feb 2019 • 7 min read
Non-Invasive Deep Brain Stimulation
Issue 14

Non-Invasive Deep Brain Stimulation

One of the most clinically promising treatments for a wide array of neurological conditions is deep brain stimulation (DBS). As its name suggests, this treatment involves the electrical stimulation of

  • Shawn Fisher
  • Ohnshim Kim
Shawn Fisher, Ohnshim Kim 8 Feb 2019 • 10 min read
In Your Dreams: Insights from Dream Research
Cover Article

In Your Dreams: Insights from Dream Research

Why Do We Dream? Dreams have held cultural and religious significance throughout history, and in some cases, they have influenced history or culture themselves. James Watson, who won the Nobel

  • Shannon Gu
  • Sarah Beasley
Shannon Gu, Sarah Beasley 6 Feb 2019 • 8 min read
Leadership Applications Now Open!
Neuro News

Leadership Applications Now Open!

Applications for the 2019-2020 Grey Matters leadership team are now open! Available positions include Editing Coordinator, Production Manager, Design Director, Events Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and Website Manager. Applications are due

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 1 Feb 2019 • 1 min read
Estrogen & Multiple Sclerosis
Issue 13

Estrogen & Multiple Sclerosis

In a case study by researchers at the Royal Free Hospital in London, a 26-year-old man was hospitalized due to a sudden onset of weakness and fatigue on the right

  • Assel Shardarbekova
  • Ariel Chan
Assel Shardarbekova, Ariel Chan 19 Dec 2018 • 6 min read
Reflecting on Mirror Neurons
Issue 13

Reflecting on Mirror Neurons

On the lush savannah stand a herd of gazelles, grazing. Behind them, men prowl, registering one another’s actions in order to work together and formulate a plan to split their spoils.

  • Andy Chia
  • Keaton Weil
Andy Chia, Keaton Weil 16 Dec 2018 • 13 min read
How Alzheimer’s Spreads
Issue 13

How Alzheimer’s Spreads

An estimated 5.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [1]. In 2014, AD claimed around 100,000 lives, and this number is only expected to grow [1]

  • Jason Lim
  • Keaton Weil
Jason Lim, Keaton Weil 13 Dec 2018 • 4 min read
Puppy Love: The Role of Oxytocin in Human-Animal Relationships
Issue 13

Puppy Love: The Role of Oxytocin in Human-Animal Relationships

With the weight of exams, papers, and deadlines on students’ shoulders, it’s not unusual for colleges and universities to promote programs that assist students in managing their stress levels.

  • Lisa Sponseller
  • Sarah Beasley
Lisa Sponseller, Sarah Beasley 11 Dec 2018 • 6 min read
Rewiring the Spinal Cord
Issue 13

Rewiring the Spinal Cord

The largest concern for patients and physicians regarding traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) is the severity of irreversible damage. Spinal cord injuries do not heal in the same way as

  • Rohnin Randles
  • Lais Conceicao
Rohnin Randles, Lais Conceicao 9 Dec 2018 • 4 min read
The Floating Brain: Neuroscience of Microgravity
Issue 13

The Floating Brain: Neuroscience of Microgravity

Anyone who has ever flown across the world is aware of the exhausting journey that a 12-hour flight can hold, from headaches due to the engine’s grueling background noise

  • Ishira Parikh
  • Ariel Chan
Ishira Parikh, Ariel Chan 7 Dec 2018 • 10 min read
Fetal Effects of Opioid Abuse
Issue 13

Fetal Effects of Opioid Abuse

According to the New York Times, the opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in America, and drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans [1]. Opioids are

  • Neha Krishnam
  • Karissa Shutt
Neha Krishnam, Karissa Shutt 4 Dec 2018 • 5 min read
Feeding Behavior
Issue 13

Feeding Behavior

Within the human body, many conditions need to be kept within a physiologically optimal range for the system to function properly. This is highly important at the cellular and subcellular

  • Sedona Ewbank
Sedona Ewbank 28 Nov 2018 • 16 min read
Dive Into the Mind of an Octopus
Issue 13

Dive Into the Mind of an Octopus

Humans are intelligent beings capable of complex cognitive feats such as self-awareness. There are many existing and emerging theories proposing different explanations for this exceptional intelligence. A common strategy for

  • Briana Lee
  • Amanda Levine
Briana Lee, Amanda Levine 28 Nov 2018 • 8 min read
The Mosaic Brain
Issue 13

The Mosaic Brain

Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed the stunning level of diversity in the human brain: virtually every neuron is genetically unique due to hundreds of mutations present in each cell

  • Julia Bauman
  • Floyd Summers
Julia Bauman, Floyd Summers 28 Nov 2018 • 6 min read
Open Your Mind: Understanding Implicit Bias
Issue 13

Open Your Mind: Understanding Implicit Bias

Although society has progressed toward equality, discrimination continues to play a role in the daily lives of minorities. At the time of the last census, non-white minorities comprised about one-fourth

  • Karlee Orvik
  • Erika Morales
Karlee Orvik, Erika Morales 27 Nov 2018 • 12 min read
Walking Away from Parkinson’s
Issue 12

Walking Away from Parkinson’s

Transporting ourselves from one place to another can seem rather simple to the majority of individuals. We whiz from one class to the next without much conscious regard for our

  • Valeria Aizen
  • Grace Wang
Valeria Aizen, Grace Wang 1 Oct 2018 • 4 min read
An Exploration of Acupuncture
Issue 12

An Exploration of Acupuncture

Cultures and traditions continue to transcend borders as our world becomes more connected. With an increasing flow of novel practices, alternative medical treatments have become a popular choice for many

  • Lila Faulhaber
  • Keaton Weil
Lila Faulhaber, Keaton Weil 1 Oct 2018 • 9 min read
Crossing the Blood Brain Barrier
Issue 12

Crossing the Blood Brain Barrier

Over a century ago, Paul Ehrlich injected blue dye into the bloodstream of mice to view their biological structures. After dissecting the mice, he was surprised to find that all

  • Manjari Anant
  • Karissa Shutt
Manjari Anant, Karissa Shutt 1 Oct 2018 • 6 min read
Teaching Machines
Issue 12

Teaching Machines

Using machine learning techniques, today’s computer algorithms are capable of solving problems previously thought to be exclusively within the capabilities of human beings. Modern machine learning algorithms have shown

  • Shawn Fisher
  • Erika Morales
Shawn Fisher, Erika Morales 1 Oct 2018 • 9 min read
The Brain on Porn
Issue 12

The Brain on Porn

Since the advent of the internet, pornography’s involvement in the lives of the public continues to increase. 66% of men and 41% of women view pornography monthly in the

  • Brittney Dias
  • Sarah Beasley
Brittney Dias, Sarah Beasley 1 Oct 2018 • 8 min read
In Living Memory: Understanding Hyperthymesia
Issue 12

In Living Memory: Understanding Hyperthymesia

The Curious Case of Hyperthymesia When Jill Price talks about her day, she might give a full rundown of what she ate for breakfast, what commercials she saw, and what

  • Andy Chia
  • Chelsea Shu
Andy Chia, Chelsea Shu 1 Oct 2018 • 11 min read
OCD and the Immune System
Issue 12

OCD and the Immune System

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which a person experiences excessive unwanted thoughts, urges, or impulses that may or may not be followed by repetitive, compulsive behaviors [1]

  • Assel Shardarbekova
  • Grace Wang
Assel Shardarbekova, Grace Wang 1 Oct 2018 • 8 min read
A Brain Divided
Issue 12

A Brain Divided

A frequently misquoted myth about the brain is that scientists and researchers are “left-brained” and artists and writers are “right-brained.” But what would happen if each side actually had to

  • Rohnin Randles
  • Tenaya Tresko
Rohnin Randles, Tenaya Tresko 1 Oct 2018 • 8 min read
Dravet Syndrome: A Model for Autism and Epilepsy
Issue 12

Dravet Syndrome: A Model for Autism and Epilepsy

Autism and epilepsy affect millions of people worldwide and have a profound impact on the lives of patients as well as their friends and family. These disorders are challenging to

  • Lais Conceicao
Lais Conceicao 1 Oct 2018 • 10 min read
The Opioid Epidemic
Issue 12

The Opioid Epidemic

Our country is in a crisis. It dwells in our rural towns and inner cities. It resides in affluent suburbs and one-bedroom apartments. It can attack your teenage brother or

  • Isabelle Bauman
  • Lizzie Hanks
Isabelle Bauman, Lizzie Hanks 1 Oct 2018 • 6 min read
The Evening with Neuroscience 2018
Internal

The Evening with Neuroscience 2018

The Evening with Neuroscience is a celebration of that remarkable brain in your head. This event is an opportunity for the public to engage directly with brain researchers. We invite

  • Grey Matters
Grey Matters 30 Mar 2018 • 1 min read
Brain Machine Interfaces
Issue 11

Brain Machine Interfaces

Not long ago, the idea that the brain could directly control external devices only existed in the world of science fiction novels. However, with the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)

  • Assel Shardarbekova
  • Erika Morales
Assel Shardarbekova, Erika Morales 1 Oct 2017 • 4 min read
Moving Toward Motion
Issue 11

Moving Toward Motion

Introduction One of the major functions of the nervous system is to control muscles and coordinate their activity to generate movement. Most motions we execute are a product of sensory

  • Jonathan Lam
  • Karissa Shutt
Jonathan Lam, Karissa Shutt 1 Oct 2017 • 9 min read
Ketamine: A Novel Treatment For Major Depression
Issue 11

Ketamine: A Novel Treatment For Major Depression

Finding New Ways of Thinking About Depression Within the last decade, a new agent has appeared in the spotlight of psychiatric research: ketamine. This drug, also known as “Calypsol,” is

  • Vanessa Kasties
  • Alesca Delmundo
Vanessa Kasties, Alesca Delmundo 1 Oct 2017 • 11 min read
Power Play
Issue 11

Power Play

Introduction Many people are familiar with phrases like “top dog” and “alpha male,” whether in reference to a pack of wolves or a competitive workplace environment. These are colloquial portrayals

  • Molly Lindstrom
  • Jan Jimenez
Molly Lindstrom, Jan Jimenez 1 Oct 2017 • 8 min read
Finding Your Way: The Neuroscience Behind Mental Maps
Cover Article

Finding Your Way: The Neuroscience Behind Mental Maps

Think back to the most memorable place you’ve been. Whether it be the alleys and roads that bisect to make up your childhood neighborhood or a distant country you

  • Alex Rubin
  • Nina Chen
Alex Rubin, Nina Chen 1 Oct 2017 • 13 min read
A Royal Pain
Featured Article

A Royal Pain

The Concussion that Caused a Commotion: A Look at King Henry II of France Clad in armor and lances at hand, two jousters mounted their steeds. The competitors aimed their

  • Jan Jimenez
  • Karsten Eckert
Jan Jimenez, Karsten Eckert 1 Oct 2017 • 10 min read
Rest Assured
Issue 11

Rest Assured

Sleep sets people back. Every night, people stop and doze off; they don’t eat, work, or learn. Evolutionarily, it should be a recessive trait—after all, non-sleepers could get

  • Lais Conceicao
  • Yuzi Li
Lais Conceicao, Yuzi Li 1 Oct 2017 • 1 min read
Issue 11
Issue 11

Issue 11

Editor’s Note The beauty of exploring the vast world of neuroscience is that there is never a shortage of topics to discuss. From studying neurons microscopically, to exploring diseases

  • Grey Matters
Grey Matters 1 Oct 2017 • 1 min read
Cutting for the Competition: How Dehydration Affects the Brain
Issue 11

Cutting for the Competition: How Dehydration Affects the Brain

Modern athletes do everything in their power to improve their performance. They follow intense training regimens, adhere to strict diets, and always look for an additional edge over their competition,

  • Nicolas Germanos
  • Keaton Weil And Eva Grate
Nicolas Germanos, Keaton Weil And Eva Grate 1 Oct 2017 • 6 min read
Losing Yourself: Alzheimer’s and Identity
Issue 11

Losing Yourself: Alzheimer’s and Identity

Alzheimer’s and Identity It’s easy to take ourselves for granted. Identity is something we rely on for our entire lives, whether it is used to express and describe

  • Gina Kumar
  • Alesca Delmundo
Gina Kumar, Alesca Delmundo 1 Oct 2017 • 5 min read
Criminal Minds
Issue 11

Criminal Minds

On November 7, 1974, an attractive dark-haired man in his late twenties approached a young woman in a Utah mall. He flashed a police badge and calmly informed her that

  • Emily Jackson
  • Andrew Leever
Emily Jackson, Andrew Leever 1 Oct 2017 • 8 min read
Motor Neuron Disease
Issue 11

Motor Neuron Disease

Our nervous system, generally speaking, is composed of three types of neurons: sensory, motor, and interneurons. Together, these neurons create pathways that transmit signals from all across our bodies via

  • Valeria Aizen
  • Grace Wang
Valeria Aizen, Grace Wang 1 Oct 2017 • 8 min read
Road To Repair
Issue 10

Road To Repair

The spinal cord is like a highway, sending and receiving information between the brain and the whole body. Our abilities to sense, move, and react are all transmitted as information

  • Jan Jimenez
Jan Jimenez 1 Sep 2017 • 10 min read
Depression
Issue 10

Depression

Every day, millions of students experience the feeling of almost indescribable emptiness caused by major depression, also known as major depressive disorder or simply depression...

  • Cara Currier
  • Sarah Beasley
Cara Currier, Sarah Beasley 1 Sep 2017 • 14 min read
Distorting Perception
Issue 10

Distorting Perception

The ability to see is often attributed to the eyes, but this is only the beginning of visual processing. It is estimated that one-third to one-half of the human brain

  • Enoch Chung
  • Sarah Beasley
Enoch Chung, Sarah Beasley 1 Sep 2017 • 8 min read
Wordplay: The Neural Networks of Word Processing
Issue 10

Wordplay: The Neural Networks of Word Processing

As we go through our daily routines, whether they be in a bustling coffee shop packed with sleep-deprived students or in the high-ceilinged library reading room, we are surrounded by

  • Valeria Aizen
  • Nina Chen
Valeria Aizen, Nina Chen 1 Sep 2017 • 9 min read
The Night Shift
Issue 10

The Night Shift

“Rise and shine!” Or, better said, “shine and rise!” The sun provides a central cue for waking hours because the light it emits serves as a regular signal that enforces

  • Lais Conceicao
Lais Conceicao 1 Sep 2017 • 7 min read
Digest This: How Gut Bacteria Affects the Brain
Issue 10

Digest This: How Gut Bacteria Affects the Brain

In recent years, the scientific community has increasingly been going with its gut. That is to say, scientists have been looking to the human gastrointestinal microbiota for its role in

  • Sedona Ewbank
  • Karissa Shutt
Sedona Ewbank, Karissa Shutt 1 Sep 2017 • 10 min read
Fighting Brain Cancer: CAR-T Cell Therapy
Issue 10

Fighting Brain Cancer: CAR-T Cell Therapy

A fifty-year-old man with glioblastoma – one of the most invasive and aggressive types of brain cancer – had failed to find a treatment that worked for him; radiation, anti-tumor chemotherapy, and

  • Danielle Sandbach
Danielle Sandbach 1 Sep 2017 • 4 min read
Neural Stem Cells: Completing the Puzzle
Issue 10

Neural Stem Cells: Completing the Puzzle

“Everything may die, nothing may be regenerated”  –Santiago Ramón y Cajal When neurons were first discovered, the prominent perspective on neuroanatomy was “once it’s gone, it’s gone for

  • Alex Rubin
  • Karsten Eckert
Alex Rubin, Karsten Eckert 1 Sep 2017 • 9 min read
Depression
Issue 10

Depression

Every day, millions of students experience the feeling of almost indescribable emptiness caused by major depression, also known as major depressive disorder or simply depression. Major depression, one of the

  • Cara Currier
  • Sarah Beasley
Cara Currier, Sarah Beasley 1 Apr 2017 • 14 min read
Proprioception: The Sixth Sense
Issue 9

Proprioception: The Sixth Sense

Touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing: many believe these are the limits of the nervous system’s sensory capabilities. However, the complexity of the brain and its interaction with the

  • Molly Lindstrom
  • Mathi Manavalan
  • Lais Conceicao
Multiple authors 1 Nov 2016 • 6 min read
Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder
Issue 9

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A New Name A concise definition is a powerful tool in medicine and medical science. As we learn more about the biomedical world, our ability to better

  • Tian Qiu
  • Jan Jimenez
Tian Qiu, Jan Jimenez 1 Nov 2016 • 6 min read
Caffeine Genes: The Genetics of a Coffee Habit
Issue 9

Caffeine Genes: The Genetics of a Coffee Habit

Living in the city where the original Starbucks opened, Seattleites are no strangers to drinking coffee. During the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a cup of coffee can offer

  • Danielle Sandbach
  • Nina Chen
Danielle Sandbach, Nina Chen 1 Nov 2016 • 4 min read
A Changing Tolerance for Alcohol
Issue 9

A Changing Tolerance for Alcohol

Alcohol has been a major factor in decision-making throughout history and often gives rise to our most (and sometimes least) memorable stories. With a multifaceted influence on society, health, and

  • Arielle Menn
  • Rachel Hill
  • Anni Hong
Multiple authors 1 Nov 2016 • 8 min read
Neuroscience and Public Health: A Look at the Zika Virus
Issue 9

Neuroscience and Public Health: A Look at the Zika Virus

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the end of the international public health emergency for the Zika virus (ZIKV), ZIKV remains a public health challenge requiring effective action

  • Jonathan Lam
  • Alesca Delmundo
Jonathan Lam, Alesca Delmundo 1 Nov 2016 • 10 min read
Through the Eyes of the Mantis Shrimp
Issue 9

Through the Eyes of the Mantis Shrimp

Crawling on the bottom of the Indian and Pacific Ocean are many species of colorful stomatopod crustaceans, commonly known as mantis shrimp. For a species to occupy such a bustling

  • Lila Faulhaber
  • Sarah Beasley
Lila Faulhaber, Sarah Beasley 1 Nov 2016 • 7 min read
The Immune Brain
Issue 9

The Immune Brain

Historically, scientists believed the brain was “immune privileged,” meaning the immune system has little to no direct access to the central nervous system (CNS). The vessels necessary for immune cell

  • Anna Kus
  • Ariel Chan
Anna Kus, Ariel Chan 1 Nov 2016 • 6 min read
The Cochlear Implant Explained
Issue 9

The Cochlear Implant Explained

The cochlear implant is an electronic device that restores auditory perception in a person with partial to severe deafness. The first cochlear implants date back to the 1970s [1]. During

  • Enoch Chung
  • Keaton Weil
Enoch Chung, Keaton Weil 1 Nov 2016 • 8 min read
Food for Thought
Issue 9

Food for Thought

There’s a problem in our society of which most people are blissfully unaware: we aren’t feeding our brains. One of the most important nutrients for proper brain development

  • Karlee Orvik
  • Grace Wang
Karlee Orvik, Grace Wang 1 Nov 2016 • 10 min read
Astrocytes and Epilepsy
Issue 9

Astrocytes and Epilepsy

In the 1800s, neuroscientist Ramon y Cajal researched the cellular composition of the brain, leading to an idea known as the “neuron doctrine.” In essence, it is the idea that

  • Paige Bartlett
  • Sarah Beasley
Paige Bartlett, Sarah Beasley 1 Nov 2016 • 5 min read
Brain-Ethics
Issue 9

Brain-Ethics

Neuroscience research has advanced over the last few decades at an unprecedented pace: the U.S. government even declared the 1990s to be the “Decade of the Brain,” a shout-out

  • Garreck Lenz
  • Karsten Eckert
Garreck Lenz, Karsten Eckert 1 Nov 2016 • 11 min read
Neuroscience

In the Memory of Henry Molaison

What H.M. lost, we now know, was a critical part of his identity.     —Dr. Thomas Carew Scientists have grappled with the question of how memories are stored for quite some time. Today many technologies exist that allow for a variety of approaches to

  • Nicole Riely
  • Justen Waterhouse
Nicole Riely, Justen Waterhouse 15 Jan 2016 • 4 min read
Isolating the Brain from Sensory Input
Issue 6

Isolating the Brain from Sensory Input

Our capacity to respond to, and communicate with, the outside world is contingent on the brain’s ability to both consciously and unconsciously process sensory information. While sensation may seem

  • Saahiti Jasti
  • Alesca Delmundo
Saahiti Jasti, Alesca Delmundo 16 Dec 2015 • 6 min read
Distorting the Mind's Perception of Time
Issue 6

Distorting the Mind's Perception of Time

The way in which people perceive time depends on the situation they’re in. Imagine sitting in detention, staring at the clock—after sixty ticks of the second hand, the

  • Althea Poteet
  • Cassandra Chee
Althea Poteet, Cassandra Chee 16 Dec 2015 • 10 min read
Ethical History: A Contemporary Examination of the Little Albert Experiment
Issue 6

Ethical History: A Contemporary Examination of the Little Albert Experiment

In 1917, two curious researchers looking to examine the effects of fear conditioning began a study at Johns Hopkins University that would later become one of the most controversial experiments

  • Sehar Bokhari
  • Micaela Bartunek
Sehar Bokhari, Micaela Bartunek 16 Dec 2015 • 6 min read
Honeybee Cognition
Issue 6

Honeybee Cognition

The term “worker bee” has become synonymous with a person who spends their days toiling away without thinking at all about the task at hand.  However, this idea simply does

  • Ben Arnold
  • Rikki Tsoi
Ben Arnold, Rikki Tsoi 15 Dec 2015 • 5 min read
Sensory Substitution: The Brain's Ability to Adapt to Loss
Issue 6

Sensory Substitution: The Brain's Ability to Adapt to Loss

The adult brain weighs about three pounds and looks fairly unassuming. The organ’s seemingly uniform appearance does little to betray its underlying complexity. Over a period of several years,

  • Ryan Carlson
  • Mara Potter
Ryan Carlson, Mara Potter 15 Dec 2015 • 7 min read
A Childhood Lost: PTSD in Children of the Gaza Strip
Issue 6

A Childhood Lost: PTSD in Children of the Gaza Strip

No child should grow up with the fear that the next breath they take in could be their last. Such extreme stress can affect the delicate developmental processes that take

  • Evan Lester
  • Jan Jimenez
Evan Lester, Jan Jimenez 3 Dec 2015 • 13 min read
CTE: The Unexpected Consequences of Recurrent Head Trauma
Issue 6

CTE: The Unexpected Consequences of Recurrent Head Trauma

Sports are expensive. From a new pair of cleats to multi-million dollar stadiums, people spend a lot of money on the games they love. Perhaps the biggest cost, however, is

  • Rachel Hill
  • Riley Hwang
Rachel Hill, Riley Hwang 3 Dec 2015 • 5 min read
Default Mode Network: Running on Default
Issue 6

Default Mode Network: Running on Default

It seems intuitive that the brain is active when one is engaged in tasks like studying, and less active when taking a break. But what actually happens in the brain

  • Trent Nivala
  • Keaton Weil
Trent Nivala, Keaton Weil 3 Dec 2015 • 7 min read
Synthetic Telepathy: The Future of Brain Communication
Issue 6

Synthetic Telepathy: The Future of Brain Communication

Telepathy is a concept usually associated with science fiction. The idea of reading an individual’s thoughts or interacting with them without words seems preposterous, and yet it captivates us

  • Gautham Velchuru
  • Mara Potter
Gautham Velchuru, Mara Potter 3 Dec 2015 • 11 min read
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Issue 6

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Everyone has vivid dreams from time to time, and in many of them, dreamers take actions that they wouldn’t necessarily want to replicate in real life. Thankfully, the brain

  • LeAnn Nguyen
  • Reanna Jarchow
LeAnn Nguyen, Reanna Jarchow 3 Dec 2015 • 8 min read
Of Computers and Brains
Most Popular

Of Computers and Brains

Earlier this summer  [1]  , Gary Marcus – a New York University professor of neural science and psychology –  wrote a very influential piece for the New York Times called Face It, Your

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 5 Aug 2015 • 6 min read
How Neurons Behave as we Form Memories
Neuro News

How Neurons Behave as we Form Memories

One of the things that pushed me toward neuroscience was the desire to understand memory and how we learn things. I know many others who feel the same way, but

  • Cassandra Chee
Cassandra Chee 17 Jul 2015 • 5 min read
The Pleasure of Music
Cover Article

The Pleasure of Music

Introduction Ask any person to name the things in life that bring them pleasure, and chances are good that they will mention music. Music is a universal source of enjoyment

  • Cassandra Chee & Mara Parks Potter
Cassandra Chee & Mara Parks Potter 1 Jul 2015 • 10 min read
The “Magic” Behind Magic Mushrooms
Featured Article

The “Magic” Behind Magic Mushrooms

Take a moment to read these quotations: “I try to judge less and forgive more. I no longer worry about money.” “I think my heart is more open to all

  • Trent Nivala
  • Amanda Hainer
Trent Nivala, Amanda Hainer 9 Jun 2015 • 5 min read
Characteristics of an Alzheimer's Brain
Issue 4

Characteristics of an Alzheimer's Brain

It is hard to imagine a life without memory. Childhood memories and experiences continue to shape how one grows and develops as an adult. Everyone carves time out of their

  • Sally Leong
  • Randy Huynh
  • Cassandra Chee
Multiple authors 8 Jun 2015 • 8 min read
Snow World
Issue 4

Snow World

For patients who have suffered traumatic burn injuries, the pain continues long after they’ve been taken to the hospital. While opioids are sufficient to manage their pain from the

  • Lauren Selby
  • Mara Potter
Lauren Selby, Mara Potter 8 Jun 2015 • 3 min read
The Cellular Basis of Neurodegenerative Disease
Issue 4

The Cellular Basis of Neurodegenerative Disease

Neurodegenerative disease is on the mind of the American public. More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is expected to increase in coming

  • Paige Haas
  • Rikki Tsoi
Paige Haas, Rikki Tsoi 8 Jun 2015 • 15 min read
P300 BCI: Reading the Mind
Issue 4

P300 BCI: Reading the Mind

We tend to take communication for granted. Talking, laughing, smiling, and writing are integral components of our lives. And while we overlook their presence, their absence has profound impacts. For

  • Alice Bosma-Moody
Alice Bosma-Moody 8 Jun 2015 • 2 min read
The Placebo Effect: An Illusionary Treatment with Real Results
Issue 4

The Placebo Effect: An Illusionary Treatment with Real Results

Every year, over half a million Americans suffering from osteoarthritis undergo pain-reducing arthroscopic surgery of the knee [1]. Surgeons clean out loose fragments of cartilage surrounding the knee joint in

  • James Gillespie
  • Jan Jimenez
James Gillespie, Jan Jimenez 8 Jun 2015 • 9 min read
Spina Bifida
Issue 4

Spina Bifida

During pregnancy, a number of routine tests are done to inspect the health of the fetus. One such test checks for spina bifida, a condition where the fetus has an

  • Sneha Ingle
  • Mara Potter
Sneha Ingle, Mara Potter 8 Jun 2015 • 3 min read
Bacteria and the Brain
Issue 4

Bacteria and the Brain

Microbiome research is taking neurobiology to an unexpected place: the gut. Recent research has demonstrated a link between the microorganisms that live in the stomach and seemingly unrelated conditions like

  • Elaina Larson
  • Rikki Tsoi
Elaina Larson, Rikki Tsoi 8 Jun 2015 • 6 min read
The Neural Basis of Phantom Limb Pain
Issue 4

The Neural Basis of Phantom Limb Pain

Physical pain is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life. Most of us have experienced the sharp pain that comes with a paper cut, the dull ache of sore muscles, and

  • Prince Wang
  • Micaela Bartunek
Prince Wang, Micaela Bartunek 8 Jun 2015 • 5 min read
Understanding the Small Things
Issue 4

Understanding the Small Things

Cells first were made visible with very simple microscopes designed several centuries ago. The evolution of microscopic techniques has since allowed for highly detailed image capture at nearly 10,000,

  • Julia Licholai
  • Micaela Bartunek
Julia Licholai, Micaela Bartunek 8 Jun 2015 • 4 min read
The Magical Art of Manipulation
Issue 4

The Magical Art of Manipulation

Throughout history, magicians have often refused to reveal the secrets behind their trade. Veiled by centuries of occult traditions, these performers executed their tricks in front of spellbound audiences, often

  • Justin Bethel
  • Amanda Hainer
Justin Bethel, Amanda Hainer 8 Jun 2015 • 10 min read
Art Neureau 2015
Featured Article

Art Neureau 2015

On a lovely Tuesday evening, a unique art event took place in the Fremont Abbey Arts Center. Art Neureau is a one-of-a-kind intersection between art and neuroscience—two disciplines which

  • Tyler Defriece
Tyler Defriece 29 May 2015 • 3 min read
Decisions, Decisions…
Neuroscience

Decisions, Decisions…

How did you get here? Every person who is reading this article made a different set of decisions that led them to this point in time. The path of cumulative

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 3 May 2015 • 5 min read
Evening with Neuroscience 2015
Neuroscience

Evening with Neuroscience 2015

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 1 Apr 2015 • 1 min read
Alien Hand Syndrome
Neuroscience

Alien Hand Syndrome

It’s a disorder that makes you fling your cereal away, undress yourself in public, steal merchandise, and even look dangerous to the rest of the world. For over five

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 4 Jan 2015 • 5 min read
Grey Matters’ Clothing & Food Drive
Neuroscience

Grey Matters’ Clothing & Food Drive

Donation collection: December 1st and the 3rd-5th from noon to 3:00 p.m. in Red Square. Look for the Grey Matters table. The time of winter is fast approaching,

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 27 Nov 2014 • 2 min read
SfN 2014’s Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society Presentation
Neuroscience

SfN 2014’s Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society Presentation

With the holidays approaching, homes will soon be filled with foods to fit the season. The smells and tastes of traditional holiday cuisines have the power to conjure up memories

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 18 Nov 2014 • 3 min read
Attention: How a Possible Function of SSRIs Could Be Staring Us in the Face
Featured Article

Attention: How a Possible Function of SSRIs Could Be Staring Us in the Face

When TV commercials sing the famous jingle, “Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea,” Pepto Bismol fans rejoice. There’s an appreciation out there when multiple problems have a single solution.

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 14 Nov 2014 • 5 min read
Food for Thought: How Your Brain Controls What You Eat
Featured Article

Food for Thought: How Your Brain Controls What You Eat

One of the most frequent decisions we make is what to eat, but just because it’s a common task doesn’t mean it’s a simple one—at least

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 7 Nov 2014 • 4 min read
A Bee’s Perspective: Cocaine and Reward Processing
Featured Article

A Bee’s Perspective: Cocaine and Reward Processing

Cocaine affects reward processing in the brain resulting in feelings of well-being and euphoria. Because of such effects, the drug is helping researchers interested in how reward centers are related

  • Elly Larson
Elly Larson 11 Oct 2014 • 2 min read
Tapeworms on the Brain
Featured Article

Tapeworms on the Brain

For most people, the mere thought of a parasite setting up residence in their tissues is enough to induce a serious case of the creeps. There is something particularly horrifying

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 2 Oct 2014 • 3 min read
Neuroscience

Grey Matters Welcome Meeting

Grey Matters Journal is having a welcome  party  meeting. Come learn more about the journal, our work, and how you can get involved. We will meet Thursday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Allen Library . Food and prizes to accompany brain geekery.

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 24 Sep 2014 • 1 min read
Know Your Claustrum!
Featured Article

Know Your Claustrum!

Figure 1  A general schematic of the claustrum, as shown in the Crick and Koch paper “What is the function of the claustrum?” It seems like consciousness is always on

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 25 Jul 2014 • 3 min read
Meditation: Mind Over [White] Matter
Featured Article

Meditation: Mind Over [White] Matter

It has long been thought that behaviors involving diet and exercise can be used to change the shape of one’s body; however, is it possible to use behavior to

  • Tyler Defriece
Tyler Defriece 16 Jul 2014 • 4 min read
Neuroscience

Spring Quarter Welcome Meeting

Hello Neuroscience Enthusiasts, Spring is here! Let’s celebrate the sunshine and cherry blossoms by geeking out about the brain. Grey Matters is an undergraduate neuroscience journal whose mission is to enhance public understanding, grow the neuroscience community, and develop accomplished science communicators. You

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 14 Apr 2014 • 1 min read
Mysterious Microglia
Issue 3

Mysterious Microglia

In April 2013, President Barack Obama announced an initiative to fund approximately one hundred million dollars of neuroscience research, called the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative (BRAIN). By

  • Brooks Gribble
Brooks Gribble 30 Mar 2014 • 8 min read
Selective Visual Attention
Issue 3

Selective Visual Attention

In a popular demonstration video by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, viewers are asked to count the number of times a team in white shirts passes a basketball. But as

  • Darren Hou
Darren Hou 30 Mar 2014 • 6 min read
Issue 3

Memory Distortion

It is well established that some experiences, such as stress, can strongly disrupt memory formation and recall. In particular, glucocorticoids, a hormone released from the adrenal glands, have an inhibitory effect on memory recall [4]. In recent a study exploring human memory consolidation and

  • Eva Alderman
Eva Alderman 30 Mar 2014 • 5 min read
The Language of Music
Issue 3

The Language of Music

A new style of jazz began to emerge in New York City during the mid-1940s, dubbed “bebop” by its pioneers.  With its trademark flurry of complicated melodic lines, bebop is

  • Cody Kommers
Cody Kommers 30 Mar 2014 • 10 min read
Imagination: a Container for Infinity
Issue 3

Imagination: a Container for Infinity

Try to picture a scene, or think about making a movement. If you’re musically inclined, compose a brief tune in your head. These are things most people do with

  • Lars Crawford
Lars Crawford 30 Mar 2014 • 12 min read
White Matter and Early Childhood Neglect
Issue 3

White Matter and Early Childhood Neglect

Just last month, a study was published in JAMA Pediatrics that took a new approach to studying the neurological effects of long-term early childhood neglect. Unlike previous studies conducted on

  • Lauren Selby
Lauren Selby 30 Mar 2014 • 2 min read
Building Palaces of Memories: A Glimpse at the Method of Loci
Issue 3

Building Palaces of Memories: A Glimpse at the Method of Loci

In 6th century Thessaly, the poet Simonides of Ceos is leaving a nobleman’s banquet hall after a rather unfortunate lyrical poem performance. As he steps outside, a loud crash

  • Alexa Erdogan
Alexa Erdogan 30 Mar 2014 • 4 min read
How the Brain Takes Out the Garbage While You Sleep
Issue 3

How the Brain Takes Out the Garbage While You Sleep

Evidence suggesting that sleep is crucial to your health continues to pile up. A recent finding published in Science has shed light on one of the mechanisms behind the restorative

  • Oleg Kritsky
Oleg Kritsky 29 Mar 2014 • 3 min read
Amusia
Issue 3

Amusia

In 1878, Professor Grant Allen reported a man who was unable to perceive differences in pitch. The subject described that attending concerts was similar to sitting in a room for

  • Jasmine Correa
Jasmine Correa 29 Mar 2014 • 2 min read
Testing Tumor Paint: Current Clinical Trials
Issue 3

Testing Tumor Paint: Current Clinical Trials

In 2010, Dr. Jim Olson founded the Seattle-based company Blaze Bioscience to test and develop Tumor Paint for clinical use. Tumor Paint BLZ-100, Blaze Bioescience’s first candidate, is currently

  • Alice Bosma-Moody
Alice Bosma-Moody 29 Mar 2014 • 1 min read
In the Memory of Henry Molaison
Issue 3

In the Memory of Henry Molaison

Scientists have grappled with the question of how memories are stored for quite some time. Today many technologies exist that allow for a variety of approaches to answering this question,

  • Nicole Riley
Nicole Riley 29 Mar 2014 • 4 min read
Artificial Intelligence: A Look at Neural Networks
Issue 3

Artificial Intelligence: A Look at Neural Networks

The brain’s processing prowess has prompted many to wonder whether computers could become “smarter” by mimicking human brains. This might be accomplished by designing artificial neural networks, a manufactured

  • Jacob Gile
Jacob Gile 29 Mar 2014 • 2 min read
Prosopagnosia
Issue 3

Prosopagnosia

The human face is the index of the mind. We differentiate between individuals and recognize familiar faces based on one’s distinctive facial structure. You identify your mother from your

  • Alec Sullivan
Alec Sullivan 29 Mar 2014 • 6 min read
The History of Electrophysiology
Issue 2

The History of Electrophysiology

In the early eighteenth century the most noteworthy connection between electricity and nervous function was that very little was known about either. Based on the ideas of the time, there

  • Benjamin Cordy
Benjamin Cordy 25 Mar 2014 • 5 min read
The Neurophysiology of Fatherhood
Issue 2

The Neurophysiology of Fatherhood

In recent decades, the investigation to understand the neural and hormonal correlates of motherhood has yielded important insights into the neurophysiological changes that mark maternal development. In addition to initiating

  • Justin Andersen
Justin Andersen 26 Feb 2014 • 7 min read
Fixed Neural Circuits
Issue 2

Fixed Neural Circuits

Early work in developmental neuroscience led researchers to conclude that axonal growth in the developing and regenerating brain is a specific, targeted process, and not simply random or determined by

  • Alice Bosma-Moody
Alice Bosma-Moody 26 Feb 2014 • 6 min read
Keeping Recording Devices Inside the Brain: In the Modern Age of Neuroimplants
Issue 2

Keeping Recording Devices Inside the Brain: In the Modern Age of Neuroimplants

As if from the pages of science fiction, the field of neuroprosthetics has exploded, reshaping what was thought possible. Such devices have allowed people to control the movement of robotic

  • Chantruyen Ho
Chantruyen Ho 25 Feb 2014 • 5 min read
Smooth Brain
Issue 2

Smooth Brain

Imagine a human brain. Visualize its characteristic grooves and folds. See how they serpentine across the entirety of its mass, like a thousand rivers through a forest of grey and

  • Alexa Erdogan
Alexa Erdogan 25 Feb 2014 • 9 min read
The Hypothalamus: A Sleep Regulation Structure
Issue 2

The Hypothalamus: A Sleep Regulation Structure

Until the 1950s, common theories of sleep involved the brain shutting down, or powering off, similar to a car engine. Research since then, however, has shown high levels of activity

  • Darren Hou
Darren Hou 25 Feb 2014 • 3 min read
Processing Perception: Visual Fields and Nervous System Specificity
Issue 2

Processing Perception: Visual Fields and Nervous System Specificity

The first step in any research endeavor is to start with the basics. David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel were some of the pioneers of sight research who focused on the

  • Nicole Riley
Nicole Riley 25 Feb 2014 • 4 min read
Desynchronizers and the Circadian Sleep Cycle
Issue 2

Desynchronizers and the Circadian Sleep Cycle

From the blaring televisions to all-in-one smartphones, it is easy to focus attention towards screens at all moments of the day. Increasing technological advancement has brought mankind into an era

  • Khalil Somani
  • Justin Bethel
Khalil Somani, Justin Bethel 25 Feb 2014 • 4 min read
GABA Receptors & Autism Spectrum Disorders
Issue 2

GABA Receptors & Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder generally characterized by hindered social interactions. Hypersensitivity and motor impairments are often symptoms of the illness. The potential causes of ASDs remain

  • Sneha Ingle
Sneha Ingle 25 Feb 2014 • 1 min read
Love Actually (it’s neuroscience)
Featured Article

Love Actually (it’s neuroscience)

Love is an insane neurochemical flood. For those of us lucky enough to have experienced it, this comes as no surprise. A wide variety of neurochemicals have been implicated in

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 14 Feb 2014 • 2 min read
Killer Whales Are Non-Human Persons
Neuroscience

Killer Whales Are Non-Human Persons

What makes humans so special? Is it their ability to use language and empathize with others? Their ingenuity? Their tool making? It has been known for some time that other

  • Lars Crawford
Lars Crawford 7 Dec 2013 • 5 min read
To Sleep or Not to Sleep: That is the College Student’s Eternal Question
Featured Article

To Sleep or Not to Sleep: That is the College Student’s Eternal Question

Ironically, I am currently in Odegaard, the University of Washington’s 24-hour library, writing an article about sleep deprivation at one in the morning. As I am writing, I am

  • Courtney Roberts
Courtney Roberts 23 Nov 2013 • 4 min read
The Vestibular System and the “Spins”: A Proposal
Neuroscience

The Vestibular System and the “Spins”: A Proposal

Humans have eyes to observe the world in three dimensions, but how do people perceive their own motion/orientation in space even when their eyes are closed? Believe it or

  • Stacie Shibano
Stacie Shibano 21 Nov 2013 • 3 min read
Neuroscience

SfN Day 4 | Mechanisms of Adult Neuroplasticity

Image Credit: Tamily Weissman, Harvard Those who have been reading carefully these past few days may have noticed the emergence of a theme in my reports. After starting with the way the tissue in the midbrain responds to changes in cellular and molecular signals

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 14 Nov 2013 • 3 min read
SfN Day 3 | Dr. Jeff Lichtman’s Presidential Lecture on Connectomics
Featured Article

SfN Day 3 | Dr. Jeff Lichtman’s Presidential Lecture on Connectomics

It is clear that not all wiring in our nervous system is genetic. People are not born with the capacity to cook a soufflé, play the piano, or ride a

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 12 Nov 2013 • 2 min read
SfN, Day 2
Featured Article

SfN, Day 2

Today’s topic of interest was Learning and Memory – particularly the ways in which memories are stored. For many years it was commonly accepted that a memory was physically represented

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 11 Nov 2013 • 1 min read
SfN, Day 1
Featured Article

SfN, Day 1

How to Make a Midbrain: Today at sfn , I attended a symposium on the mechanisms guiding physiological changes in the midbrain. The midbrain begins developing very early due to the

  • Justin Waterhouse
Justin Waterhouse 10 Nov 2013 • 2 min read
Issue 1

A Short History of Mind Control

Image Copyright 2013 R.P.N. Rao and A. Stocco Research on remotely controlling the brain has been going on for awhile now, and has recently advanced to staggering heights. In 2002, a team at State University of New York implanted stimulating electrodes into

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 4 Oct 2013 • 1 min read
Issue 1

More Modularity

Although it does not hold true for all circumstances, the theory of a brain that exhibits modular localization of functions has been demonstrated in many studies. MRI and PET imaging techniques have been used to identify patterns in how the brain responds to behavior,

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 4 Oct 2013 • 1 min read
Mod: A History of Modular Theory of the Mind
Issue 1

Mod: A History of Modular Theory of the Mind

No one can say that the great scientists, anatomists, and philosophers of the past were dull in describing the brain. It can be said, however, that some were less accurate

  • Jesse Miles
Jesse Miles 1 Oct 2013 • 5 min read
The Shape of an Idea
Issue 1

The Shape of an Idea

Most of us are speaking metaphorically when we describe a color as “loud”, a sound as “sharp”, or the feeling of envy as “green”. But for some, these associations are

  • Kayla Ritchie
  • Justin Waterhouse
Kayla Ritchie, Justin Waterhouse 1 Oct 2013 • 12 min read
Smarter, Better, Faster, Longer
Issue 1

Smarter, Better, Faster, Longer

700 years ago, an African goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats became frisky and energetic after eating from a little bush with red berries. As the myth goes,

  • Omar Abdelbadie
Omar Abdelbadie 1 Oct 2013 • 11 min read
Brain Computer Interfaces
Issue 1

Brain Computer Interfaces

Over the last fifteen years, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) – computerized systems that allow the brain to control external devices – have gone from the imaginative realm of science fiction to real world

  • Michelle Drews
Michelle Drews 1 Oct 2013 • 6 min read
On Hominid Intelligence
Issue 1

On Hominid Intelligence

The human brain is widely viewed as one of the most complex and remarkable known objects. Indeed, after considering its intricate structure and vast functionality, it is easy to admire

  • Benjamin Cordy
Benjamin Cordy 1 Oct 2013 • 8 min read
Dreaming of Reconstruction
Issue 1

Dreaming of Reconstruction

As research in the field of perceptual experience advances, neuroscientists continue to uncover new methods to see through the eyes of human beings – almost literally. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging

  • Alexa Erdogan
Alexa Erdogan 30 Sep 2013 • 3 min read
Issue 1

Do Electric Rats Dream of Cheese?

A group led by Dr. Henry Markram in Switzerland is working on building a computer model of the brain. Initially, the group modeled a single rat cortical column. Now, however, they are working to construct an entire rat brain using as many as 100,

  • Emily Cooper
Emily Cooper 30 Sep 2013 • 1 min read
Issue 1

A Fish Called Neo

The brain of most animals is encased in a thick, protective skull. For this reason, neuroscientists have struggled to view activity at the level of individual neurons in real time. A recent experiment in transgenic zebrafish, however, has allowed researchers to do just that,

  • Kayla Ritchie
Kayla Ritchie 30 Sep 2013 • 1 min read
Can You Ever Really Be John Malkovich?
Issue 1

Can You Ever Really Be John Malkovich?

Hailed as one of the most unique screen plays ever written, Charlie Kaufman’s Being John Malkovich tells the story of what might transpire if a portal into another man’

  • Kayla Ritchie
Kayla Ritchie 30 Sep 2013 • 2 min read
Issue 1

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

As more football players donate their brains for study, the alarming prevalence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the Alzheimer’s-like disease that plagues many current players and retirees, has troubled the sports community and galvanized research on this lesser known illness. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or

  • Ellen Van Wyck
  • Taylor Callaway
Ellen Van Wyck, Taylor Callaway 30 Sep 2013 • 1 min read
Neuroscience

Research Brief: The Bosma Lab

The Bosma Lab focuses primarily on characterizing electrical events in the developing brainstem (specifically the hindbrain and midbrain), using the mouse as a model. With help from a fluorescent dye that binds to calcium (an ion implicated in neuronal firing), spontaneous, synchronized events can

  • Thalamus
Thalamus 29 Sep 2013 • 1 min read
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