Neuroscience News

Adults who played Pokémon videogames extensively as children have a brain region that responds preferentially to images of Pikachu and other characters from the series.

In a Stanford study of 30 children with autism, intranasal vasopressin improved social skills more than a placebo, suggesting that the hormone may treat core features of the disorder.

Clinicians may be able to determine whether people with post-traumatic stress disorder will respond to psychotherapy by analyzing a key brain network and memory, according to Stanford researchers.

Stanford researchers have found that transient changes in the numbers and activation levels of a handful of circulating immune cell types can predict the likelihood of dementia one year after a stroke.

A pattern of inflammatory activity in circulating blood cells just two days after a stroke predicts the loss of substantial mental acuity a full year later.

Stanford bioinformatics researchers are working on a smartphone app that could help diagnose autism in minutes – and provide ongoing therapy as well, all with fewer visits to specialized clinics.

Mom’s voice causes a strong response in the brains of typically developing children, but the response is weaker in children with autism, a Stanford study has demonstrated.

Patients taking antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors do not respond well to hydrocodone, such as Vicodin, Stanford researchers report.

Ian Gotlib is convinced that by learning to spot predictors of depression as soon as possible, psychologists can one day help prevent the disorder.

In mouse studies, a Stanford-led team has developed an engineered immune cell that eliminates several types of childhood tumors. The innovation may help patients with relapsed or metastatic disease.

Humans have relied on plants for millennia to treat a variety of neurological ailments. Now, researchers are using microscopic worms to better understand how plant molecules shape behavior – and perhaps develop better new drugs.

In a small trial, brain scans revealed who was most at risk of relapsing after being treated for addiction to stimulants like amphetamines or cocaine. The finding could identify people who need help staying drug-free.

Simply learning of a genetic risk can alter a person’s physiology, a recent study found, causing people to perform less well on exercise tests or altering hormones that indicate fullness after a meal.

Three types of cells in the brain’s white matter show interwoven problems during the cognitive dysfunction that follows treatment with the cancer drug methotrexate, Stanford neuroscientists have found.

How digital medicine is improving patient care

Stanford Medicine pain psychologist Beth Darnall wants to see psychology incorporated into pain treatment. She discusses that in a new interview.