Much faster than a traditional MRI, MEG can be used to provide even more information about brain activity.

The discovery in the late 1950s that the level of dopamine was decreased in the brains of Parkinson’s patients was followed in the 1960s by successful treatment with the drug levodopa, which is converted to dopamine in the brain. This historical event is one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in the field of neurology.

What do standing frustrated in a supermarket checkout line or sitting in a traffic jam have in common with fleeing predators, as was done in the early days of human beings?

The cerebrum, the largest part of the human brain, is associated with higher order functioning, including the control of voluntary behavior. Thinking, perceiving, planning, and understanding language all lie within the cerebrum’s control.

Considered the most common mental illnesses, anxiety disorders affect an estimated 18 percent of the adult population in a given year, or 40 million Americans.

To be able to see anything, eyes first need to process light. Vision begins with light passing through the cornea.

Researchers throughout the world are pursuing a variety of new ways to repair or replace neurons and other cells in the brain. For the most part, these experimental approaches are still being worked out in animals and cannot be considered therapies for humans at this time.

Medical professionals have come to rely on even more specialized forms of the MRI machine, each suited to spotting specific warning signs.

The messages sent from one brain cell to another are the basis of brain function. Brain cells communicate through both electrical and chemical means.

One of the most common and least understood neurobiological disorders, Tourette syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects about 200,000 Americans. Males are affected three to four times as often as females.