It’s one of those research stories in which the story is as good as the research. It involves cutting-edge fMRI, a neuroscientist struggling to use it to directly associate blood responses with neural signals, and a student who aspired to work in the scientist’s lab and had just the rare condition for the job (of calculating the connections, that is).

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, an effort undertaken by The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), which has worked to provide help to those dealing with the life-altering affects of brain injuries for more than 35 years.

Survivors of a recent earthquake who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have greater cortical thickness and reduced volume in specific regions of their brains when compared to other survivors with no reported symptoms, according to results of a study published online March 1 in the journal Radiology.

Warning labels on cigarette packaging featuring graphic images have a significant impact on the brains of young adult smokers, particularly in neural regions responsible for emotion, memory and decision-making, according to results of study published on in the journal Addictive Behavior Reports.

A new review of the literature suggests that a breakdown in the integrity of the locus coeruleus (LC), the small region of the brain that releases the key neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), may figure more prominently in late-onset Alzheimer’s than previously suspected.  

Despite recent research and positive historical trends signaling an overall decline in instances of dementia in certain populations, persistence is needed to ensure that progress against the disease does not reverse course, according to a historical perspective published online Feb. 11 by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Some people think they’re always right. Others seem to find themselves on the wrong side of every argument. But neuroscientists have discovered that some people simply agree with others to avoid the mental stress of an ongoing disagreement.

New research suggests that fMRI may have a role to play in evaluating the effectiveness of potential new painkillers and could allow “more effective and safer pain medications to reach patients who suffer from chronic pain sooner,” according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.