This morning I suffered from a disturbing failure of my recognition memory. I couldn't figure out what Dexter or Californication were even though I had watched both series from start to end. Even after asking my wife the names of the shows seemed completely unfamiliar though I could recall the general content. [more inside]
posted by srboisvert on Nov 2, 2009 - 24 answers

The old adage 'No Pain, No Gain' appears intuitive when it comes to developing physical prowess. I only started to see gains in the gym after pushing myself to the point where I'd wake up thinking I'd be crippled for the rest of my life. Is the same true for cognitive improvements too? [more inside]
posted by Zé Pequeno on Oct 30, 2009 - 18 answers

Can ECT affect musical ability? [more inside]
posted by emilyw on Oct 21, 2009 - 5 answers

Seeking accurate data points for improving survival rates for neurological disorders, but have no idea where to start. [more inside]
posted by jonathanbell on Sep 29, 2009 - 3 answers

My mind is blown, it's not my own, where did my idea go? I'm feeling fine, but I've lost my mind! Help? [more inside]
posted by Salvor Hardin on Sep 20, 2009 - 11 answers

Bad memories are interrupting my life. What do I do and how do I cope with it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 2, 2009 - 19 answers

Please help me remember the name of this stage of psychological development, where you can begin to discern the volumetric differences between containers of different sizes. [more inside]
posted by Sutekh on Aug 28, 2009 - 6 answers

Facebook has an application dedicated to Top Five lists called Living Social. I find it distressing that, when attempting to list five things – books, for example – according to how highly I rate them, I can’t seem to do it. Quotes, a particular love of mine, are also problematic. As are memories, foods and anything else you might feel compelled to ask me. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 21, 2009 - 18 answers

Those who have learned to speak and think in another language, do you remember the age (and day) you started thinking in your current spoken language? [more inside]
posted by querty on Aug 4, 2009 - 30 answers

Is there an instrument or gadget that will allow me to produce multiple tones of specified frequency simultaneously? [more inside]
posted by shazzam on Jul 30, 2009 - 12 answers

Looking of resources to help a friend recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury. Where can I get started? [more inside]
posted by trbrts on Jul 13, 2009 - 5 answers

For the past year, caffeine has had a strange effect on me. I drink soda or coffee -- and within minutes, I feel groggy, fuzzy headed, and almost kind of drunk. I get absolutely no stimulating effects. The more I drink, the more fuzzy-drunk I feel. Caffeine used to make me feel wonderful -- awake, cheerful, on-point. I've never drank an excessive amount (2 coffees a day, max). Can anyone explain what might be going on in my brain chemicals?
posted by the jam on Jun 24, 2009 - 18 answers

Does incense hinder or help the thinking process? [more inside]
posted by pranalaxmi on Jun 3, 2009 - 9 answers

I just had an MRI and MRA in response to these issues, and the radiologist's report should be relayed to me in a day or two. I've already had one normal CT scan. I received a copy of all the images from this scan - should I look at them? [more inside]
posted by elektrotechnicus on May 29, 2009 - 10 answers

How can I stop my brain switching to auto-pilot? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 21, 2009 - 14 answers

Why don't I pay attention to lyrics? [more inside]
posted by orville sash on May 21, 2009 - 39 answers

I'm having brain surgery and need to get a medical loan for about 150k. Help? [more inside]
posted by sickinthehead on Apr 27, 2009 - 20 answers

What are some good vitamins for brain and general health? [more inside]
posted by peregrine81 on Apr 26, 2009 - 6 answers

Can you think of any recent writing, or art, about it being somehow intellectually damaging, or spiritually dangerous, or in any other way harmful to constantly be plugged into content, particularly via an ipod or some other mp3 player? [more inside]
posted by Ash3000 on Apr 25, 2009 - 17 answers

At what age do your memories begin? [more inside]
posted by Billegible on Apr 19, 2009 - 77 answers

Can human beings achieve a 'lizard brain consciousness? Is it scientifically documented? What techniques can one use to access this. [more inside]
posted by Not Supplied on Apr 12, 2009 - 17 answers

How does frequent television viewing affect the developing brain? [more inside]
posted by Houyhnhnm on Apr 9, 2009 - 9 answers

it seems no question, no matter how absurd, is too strange. Everything seems to get a sensible answer. So from the deepest pockets of my private imaginings: is the brain a bit like a massive max-msp patch? [more inside]
posted by compound eye on Apr 1, 2009 - 10 answers

Does neckache causes your brain to not function at its full potential? [more inside]
posted by red_rika on Mar 25, 2009 - 5 answers

What herbs or vitamins or food will make more blood flow into my brain? [more inside]
posted by lynnie-the-pooh on Mar 18, 2009 - 20 answers

What are your favorite neuroscience blogs? [more inside]
posted by solipsophistocracy on Mar 11, 2009 - 8 answers

I have always had a large head. The rest of my body is normal-sized but I always takes the largest size hats. I guess I am looking for some perspective now that I am a bit older on how unusual it is, what are the causes, who else has a large head and how they deal with it. [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Mar 2, 2009 - 42 answers

What is the brain chemistry involved in reading a good book? What areas of the brain are stimulated? What chemicals experience an uptick? Is there a particular combination unique to reading for pleasure? [more inside]
posted by SaharaRose on Feb 17, 2009 - 10 answers

Everyone knows the brain is the seat of the emotions, not the heart. Where can I find an illustration of a brain with an arrow through it? [more inside]
posted by levijk on Feb 14, 2009 - 11 answers

In need of some daily source of random math problems (upto basic calculus) that will reinforce or (if necessary) re-establish some real fundamental concepts in the algebra portions of calculus, unless something else might work. [more inside]
posted by JoeXIII007 on Feb 11, 2009 - 4 answers

I want to get pictures of my brain. What kind of pictures and how? Or is this ridiculous? [more inside]
posted by dame on Feb 4, 2009 - 20 answers

What chemicals in the brain are responsible for a sense of mental clarity? More inside about why I'm interested... [more inside]
posted by specialfriend on Feb 3, 2009 - 16 answers

Looking for some brain-food! Specifically, documentaries... [more inside]
posted by jdlugo on Jan 27, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me find an article about intelligence that, if i recall correctly, describes the mind as a rubber band. [more inside]
posted by edmz on Jan 14, 2009 - 0 answers

I am approaching 40. How do I stop my brain turning to mush?
posted by MrMerlot on Dec 21, 2008 - 24 answers

Last night I visited my grandmother's nursing home at dinner time and ended up spoon feeding her for the first time. No matter how hard I tried to suppress it, my mouth kept reacting to the spoon. Why? [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Dec 5, 2008 - 15 answers

What is the physical resource inside your brain that gets used up when you focus and concentrate for long hours? How do you beef up the ability to sustain concentrated thought, aside from diet/exercise/sleep? [more inside]
posted by parallax7d on Nov 24, 2008 - 16 answers

I exhibit many, if not all, of the symptoms of ADHD-I AKA "ADHD predominantly inattentive". After further research I also exhibit many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Should I see an endocrinologist, a general practitioner, a psychiatrist? Or all of the above? Long explanation follows. [more inside]
posted by thegmann on Nov 20, 2008 - 10 answers

Diagnosisfilter: I used to love coffee. It made me feel like all was right with the world. Recently, coffee makes me mentally confused and foggy... confused to the point that it's sometimes hard to follow conversations. It doesn't seem to matter how much I drink, it doesn't make me more alert. While the coffee response is the most weird symptom, I've generally felt rundown and foggy lately. It doesn't seem to matter how much I sleep (I can sleep for 12 hours and still feel tired). I have a doctor's appointment in a few weeks, but I want to know what you all think. Thanks everybody!
posted by specialfriend on Nov 14, 2008 - 17 answers

My Google-fu is failing me. I'm looking for the details of the type of Seve Ballesteros' tumor and its location within the brain. [more inside]
posted by toastedbeagle on Oct 23, 2008 - 4 answers

Would it be feasible to have a small electrode permanently implanted in my brain? [more inside]
posted by waxboy on Oct 16, 2008 - 13 answers

What can I expect in terms of side effects for radiation treatment of brain cancer? [more inside]
posted by Atom12 on Sep 29, 2008 - 16 answers

I'm making a certain type of typo more and more frequently. Should I be worried? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Sep 22, 2008 - 36 answers

Brain Training Games like Brain Age are a big hit lately -- Do you think they actually improve cognition? [more inside]
posted by phylum sinter on Sep 6, 2008 - 9 answers

Help me learn everything I need to know about visual processing (and improving it). [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Sep 6, 2008 - 7 answers

I like Brain Age (aka "Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training") for Nintendo DS. What similar, Windows-compatible game would you recommend my mother? [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane on Sep 6, 2008 - 5 answers

When I'm sober and attempting to kill a fly, I can't hit it in time. When I'm tipsy, I swat it easily. In reading and conversation, I make connections sooner when drunk than when sober. I've always heard that alcoholism slows reaction time ... so what gives? NOTE: My drunken spelling and grammar errors definitely increase when drunk. Are various functions affected differently by alcohol?
posted by coizero on Sep 1, 2008 - 21 answers

When it's really quiet as I try to fall asleep, I'll sometimes hear faint sounds that seem to have been things I'd heard earlier in the day, with what's almost like a residual effect. It mostly seems comprised of co-workers talking, TV/radio broadcasts, and the vocal parts of songs (which doesn't include "Helter Skelter"). It's almost like hearing one's own "inner voice" (at least, I'm assuming), but more faint and on auto pilot. Is this a fairly common occurrence, and what's the cause of it? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on Aug 15, 2008 - 28 answers

What foods encourage neurogenesis?
posted by meta.mark on Aug 12, 2008 - 5 answers

I've been feeling slow lately. How can I sharpen my mental powers? [more inside]
posted by decoherence on Jul 30, 2008 - 19 answers