Brain

Vanderbilt psychologists have discovered that when you shift your attention from one place to another, your brain 'blinks'—or experiences momentary gaps in perception. Read More

The Affective Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt University is currently recruiting healthy adults, 50–59 years old, for a multi-day study that attempts to understand the relation between brain chemistry and decision-making. Read More

Two brain signaling pathways have overlapping functions in regulating anxiety, suggesting that therapeutics aimed at one or the other will impact both. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered how a promising cancer immunotherapy causes brain swelling, findings that could lead to ways to protect brain function while fighting cancers. Read More

A new microfluidic device containing human cells that faithfully mimics the behavior of the blood-brain barrier is providing new insights into brain inflammation, the silent killer. Read More

Understanding how mutations affect the structure and function of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors will shed light on the mechanisms underlying some types of epilepsy. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified cocaine-induced modifications at specific neuronal connections, which could aid the development of new therapies for substance abuse disorders. Read More

Research by Associate Professor of Psychology Suzana Herculano-Houzel finds that human intelligence comes from the number of neurons in our brains—and it was the invention of cooking that made neuron development possible. Read More

Assistant Professor of Psychology Jennifer Trueblood is one of four young scientists who have made significant contributions to psychological science chosen by the Psychonomic Society to receive its 2016 Early Career Award. Read More

The first study to systematically measure the number of neurons in the brains of birds has found that they have significantly more neurons packed into their small brains than are stuffed into mammalian and even primate brains of the same mass. Read More

A team of neuroscientists at Vanderbilt University has taken an important step toward uncovering the mystery behind the California sea lion's prodigious intelligence by conducting the first comprehensive study of their central nervous systems. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators report an improved model for estimating brain health, using MRI. Read More

Functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed faulty circuits between the thalamus – a central hub of brain activity – and other brain regions. Read More

A new experiment shows that auditory melodies can enhance a musician's visual awareness of written music, particularly when they match. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified the role that a key protein associated with autism and the co-occurrence of alcohol dependency and depression plays in forming the spines that create new connections in the brain. Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers took a significant step toward answering longstanding questions about the origins of consciousness with a recent discovery of global changes in how brain areas communicate with one another during awareness. Read More

A new brain mapping study pinpoints the areas of the brain responsible for “mental time travel." Read More

Two proteins interact to maintain selenium levels in the brain, and protect neurons from degeneration. Read More

Gordon Logan has been awarded the 2014 Howard Crosby Warren Medal, which is given annually by the Society of Experimental Psychologists for the most significant advances in the field in the last five years. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have used two types of neuroimaging to establish a “map” of connections for a brain region important in anxiety and addiction. Read More