Neglect, stress and abuse are all more common among the poor. New studies show that these factors can cause long-term changes in learning, brains and behavior, and suggest how to prevent damage in the vulnerable years. Could treating depressed mothers promote healthy interactions with their kids?

Changes in the junctions between nerve cells determine how well a bird will learn to sing. Regular change in these junctions helps the bird remember the song of its species, which it needs to learn to reproduce that song. Study could explain why older people have such trouble learning a new language.

You can’t hold your eyes completely still, but what is the purpose of those tiny movements? A new study could explain why we make them — and why we seldom notice them.

First of all, it’s important to remember that many people don’t enjoy these experiences, said Jack Nitschke, a UW-Madison professor of psychiatry and psychology. But those who do may be seeking thrills provided by the amygdala, a brain region that controls our emotional responses to salient objects and events.
The amygdala kicks in when we encounter [...]

Injecting a protein in the brain stifles the drive to drink among lab rats; one dose lasts three hours or more. Does GDNF offer a new angle on alcoholism?

Mice can tell the sex, mating status and identity of another mouse — all from sniffing urine. A new study of how mice read pheromones also gives insight into the human sensory apparatus…

Following Sigmund Freud, many people used to believe dreams were a way of dealing with thoughts and issues that were too painful or bizarre to confront during waking life. From this idea, the entire field of dream interpretation emerged.
Most scientists no longer believe this, though. “The truth is, we don’t really know why we dream,” [...]

In many ways, science is all about finding the meaning in the mysteries of math.

Chocolate doesn’t just tingle the tongue; it’s a soup of many compounds that affect the brain, including caffeine and theobromines. And it’s true: chocolate does affect women differently than men, says Anthony Auger, an assistant professor of psychology at UW-Madison.
Auger, who studies sex differences in the brain, agrees that women have a stronger craving for [...]

It’s a wonder of the human brain: When we pay attention to something, it becomes brighter, more distinct, more memorable.