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brainstem

·July 24, 2026·9 min read

Future Obesity Drugs to Target Specific Brain Circuits

Using site-specific knockout mouse models, researchers found that GIPR agonists suppress appetite via the brainstem, while GIPR antagonists act in the hypothalamus to release a "brake" on hindbrain satiety.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 22, 2026·10 min read

Ancient Brainstem Neurons Discovered to Control Attention

Selective spatial attention is controlled by an evolutionarily ancient circuit of inhibitory neurons in the brainstem.

Featured

·April 30, 2026·7 min read

Brain Prioritizes “Sound Offsets” During Hearing Repair

Researchers have discovered that within just 24 hours of noise-induced hearing damage, the brainstem reorganizes its inhibitory circuits to restore "sound offset" signals, the critical markers that tell us when a sound has ended.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 12, 2026·8 min read

Overlooked Brainstem Pathway Discovered to Control Human Hands

New research reveals that an evolutionarily old pathway in the brainstem is a secret key to how humans use their hands.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 2, 2026·10 min read

High-Speed Eye Tests Detect “Invisible” Brain Injuries

Scientists discover that the brain's ability to track movement remains impaired for decades after a concussion, revealing the long-term reality of head injuries.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 4, 2025·6 min read

BrainSTEM Atlas Maps Every Cell of the Developing Human Brain

Scientists have built one of the most comprehensive single-cell maps of the developing human brain. The new BrainSTEM framework analyzed nearly 680,000 fetal brain cells to chart their growth and interactions, offering a detailed reference for studying neuron development.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·October 8, 2025·8 min read

Hunger, Fear, and the Brain’s Hidden Switch to Turn Off Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects nearly 50 million Americans, yet new research reveals the brain may have an internal switch that can turn it down. Scientists identified a group of neurons in the brainstem that regulate long-term pain by integrating signals related to hunger, fear, and thirst.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·June 20, 2025·4 min read

Chronic Pain Linked to Neuron Overactivity in the Brainstem

A new study reveals that neurons in the brainstem respond very differently to acute versus chronic pain, potentially explaining why some pain persists long after injury. In acute pain, neurons in the medullary dorsal horn reduce their activity through a natural “braking” system involving A-type potassium currents, helping limit pain signals.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 2, 2025·4 min read

Brain-Body Links in Emotion and Health

Researchers have developed D-PSCAN, a novel imaging technique that enables high-resolution, minimally invasive observation of the brainstem’s nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in living animals. The NTS, a vital relay for signals from organs via the vagus nerve, plays a key role in emotion regulation and overall mental health.

This shows a head, a brain, neurons, and sound waves.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·January 10, 2025·5 min read

New Neuron Types Discovered in Brainstem’s Sound Processing Center

Researchers have identified and mapped diverse cell types in the cochlear nucleus, the brainstem region responsible for processing sound. Using advanced molecular techniques, they uncovered distinct and newly identified cell types that process specific sound features, such as sharp noises or pitch changes.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 2, 2024·6 min read

Brainstem Plays Vital Role in Visual Attention

Researchers highlights the locus coeruleus (LC), a small brainstem region, as critical in enhancing visual sensory processing through its production of norepinephrine. In the study scientists used optogenetics to activate these specific neurons in non-human primates, significantly improving their performance in a visual attention task.