Studies of the body’s own pain-control system demonstrated the existence of naturally occurring opioids — the endorphins.

Processing information from the sensory systems is one of many functions of the brain. Such information is often the first step in other brain activities, including learning and retaining knowledge.

Genes and the environment converge powerfully during early sensitive windows of brain development to form the neural circuits underlying behavior. Although most neuronal cell death occurs in the embryo, the paring down of connections occurs in large part during critical periods in early postnatal life.

Brain injury is all too common, but treatments are being improved constantly. Those who survive a brain injury face a lifetime of disability, with economic costs approaching $60 billion annually.

Cells within the nervous system, called neurons, communicate with each other in unique ways. The neuron is the basic working unit of the brain.

The moment light meets the retina, the process of sight begins. About 60 years ago, scientists discovered that each vision cell’s receptive field is activated when light hits a tiny region in the center of the field and inhibited when light hits the area surrounding the center.

Currently approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease do not modify the course of the disease and offer only temporary mitigation of some symptoms, such as agitation, anxiety, unpredictable behavior, sleep disturbances, and depression.

The ability to react quickly in response to threatening events has been with us since the time of our earliest ancestors.

As our understanding of the processes that underlie brain damage progresses, it becomes possible to use small-molecule drugs, such as antibiotics and anti-tumor drugs, to alter these processes.

Chemical reactions within brain cells translate the neurotransmitter message for the neuron.