Editor's note

Our series this week has looked at what’s happening in our brain in various mental states, and how we can change our own brain function. Yen Ying Lim examined the potential of exercise, hypnosis and meditation to make our brains less susceptible to disease. While Siobhan Schabrun questions whether we can use drugs or other devices to make ourselves smarter. Read the full series here, as well as some other great articles on the brain, from our archives.

Alexandra Hansen

Section Editor: Health + Medicine

Changing the Brain

Lifestyle factors such as meditation can change our brain for the better. gGuilherme Romano/Unsplash

We can change our brain and its ability to cope with disease with simple lifestyle choices

Yen Ying Lim, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

How can exercise, meditation and hypnosis change our brains and potentially prevent disease?

Could it be this easy? from www.shutterstock.com

Mind-bending drugs and devices: can they make us smarter?

Siobhan Schabrun, Western Sydney University

We know things like exercise can increase our brain function, but taking a pill would require less effort.

It’s not just our taste buds thanking us when we give ourselves a sweet treat. Rakicevic Nenad/Unsplash

Why that cigarette, chocolate bar, or new handbag feels so good: how pleasure affects our brain

James Kesby, The University of Queensland

Our society and culture play a big part in what our brain sees as rewarding.

New brain cells can form after injury. from www.shutterstock.com

How injuries change our brain and how we can help it recover

Michael O'Sullivan, The University of Queensland

Brain injuries damage regions of the brain and this damage can extend post-injury. But other brain regions can pick up the slack, and there are things we can do to help.

From the archives

Explainer: what is the blood-brain barrier and how can we overcome it?

Jürgen Götz, The University of Queensland

The blood-brain barrier helps protect the brain, but it also creates difficulties in treating brain disorders. Ultrasound may offer a safe way to more effectively deliver therapies.

We're capable of infinite memory, but where in the brain is it stored, and what parts help retrieve it?

Amy Reichelt, RMIT University

Our memories provide us with insight into events, knowledge of the world around us and influence our actions and behaviours – forming important aspects of our personality.

Explainer: what is traumatic brain injury?

Travis Wearne, UNSW; Emily Trimmer, UNSW

Survivors of traumatic brain injuries might have behavioural issues or have problems holding down a job for years after a blow to the head or a bad fall.

What happens in the brain when you no longer need the information you've learnt?

Amy Reichelt, UNSW

Throughout our lives we have multitudes of experiences that shape how we then behave in the world. Some of these lessons are learnt rapidly, such as why we shouldn’t put our hand on a hot pan on the stove…

Neuroscientists require images to understand what’s happening in the brain. Chase Sherwell/QBI

Neuroscience in pictures: the best images of the year

Wei Luan, The University of Queensland; Merja Joensuu, The University of Queensland; Ravi Kiran Kasula, The University of Queensland

Take a look at some of the amazing neuroscience images out of the Queensland Brain Institute this year.

 

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