Brains that go bump in the night

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Brains that go bump in the night

“The witching hour… was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every grown-up was in a deep, deep sleep, and all the dark things came out from hiding and had the world all to themselves.”
-Roald Dahl, The BFG

In folklore and literature, the sleeping hours represent a state of heightened vulnerability, a time when the “ghoulies and ghosties, and long-leggedy beasties” roam free and wreak havoc. Today, neuroscientists are unraveling the biological underpinnings of nightmares, night terrors, and other sleep disturbances. 

Recently, I had the chance to sit down to discuss these nighttime phenomena with biologist H. Craig Heller, PhD, a member of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute and an expert in the neurobiology of sleep. 

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New in Neuroscience: How twitching in your sleep helps your brain develop

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New in Neuroscience: How twitching in your sleep helps your brain develop

Have you ever seen a puppy or infant twitching at night and wondered if he/she was having a nightmare? As worrisome as they may be, these sleep twitches, termed “myoclonic twitches”, are not exclusive to our bad dreams. In fact, many species exhibit these twitches, and an increasing amount of evidence suggests that they may play a more important role during development than occasionally disturbing our sleep.

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New in Neuroscience: Microglia in your brain put their trust in your gut

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New in Neuroscience: Microglia in your brain put their trust in your gut

Ancient humans often referred to the “bowels” as the seat of emotional experience. We now attribute higher functions such as thought and emotion exclusively to our brains, but the idea that what’s going on in your gut may control your instincts may actually have some biological credibility.

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New in Neuroscience: Do neurons gradually ramp or instantly step to a decision?

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New in Neuroscience: Do neurons gradually ramp or instantly step to a decision?

We make decisions from the moment we get up (what to eat for breakfast? what should I wear today?) until the moment we go to sleep (do I actually need to brush my teeth?). Decisions are important – some of them guide the course of our entire lives. How does our brain carry out this complex and highly important process?

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Neurotalk Season 5 Episode 1: Jie Shen on Alzheimer's and Presenilins

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Excited to present the first episode of the season!! In this episode, our guest is Jie Shen, a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. We speak with her about her education in China, figuring out your true love for science (even if you're not yet sure!), and the role of presenilins in Alzheimer’s disease.

Stick with us next week for an interview on decision making with Anne Churchland, Asst. Professor at CSHL.