Jon Hamilton

Human brain cells in a dish have learned to play Pong, a simple video game created in the 1970s. This novel achievement is part of a larger effort to understand how brain cells learn.

Scientists have devised a new model for studying disorders like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. It uses clusters of human brain cells grown inside the brain of a rat.

Scientists have made a drug based on LSD that seems to fight depression without producing a psychedelic experience.

Scientists have identified a drug that appears to produce the antidepressant effects of LSD without the psychedelic side effects — at least in mice. (Story aired on ATC on Sept. 28, 2022.)

A controversial new drug for ALS could add months to patients' lives – if it actually works

Scientists have identified a drug that appears to produce the antidepressant effects of LSD without the psychedelic side effects — at least in mice.

In March, experts who advise the FDA questioned the efficacy of an experimental new drug for ALS. In September, they voted to approve it anyway.

A company started by two scientists has developed a hard hat that will do a better job protecting workers from on-the-job brain injuries. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 9, 2022.)

For some people, a rare genetic mutation makes dementia inescapable. Three sisters have decided to confront fate with a genetic test and have joined a research project on possible treatments.

The latest generation of hard hats are designed to cushion the brain during an impact by absorbing forces that cause the head to spin.

Three sisters set out to learn why many of the people in their family develop Alzheimer's disease in middle age — and what they can do about it.

Experimental drugs for Alzheimer's disease have been a disappointment so far. Researchers at the Alzheimer's Association International Meeting in San Diego trying to figure out what comes next.

An atlas showing how Alzheimer's changes individual brain cells could help researchers find new treatments for the disease.

A strip club in Hollywood is one of the latest places in the nation seeing increased unionization efforts. Dancers say their occupation is dangerous and they need more protection.

A woodpecker's brain takes a big hit with every peck against a tree. Yet the animals don't get brain damage. A team of scientists says the reason is the brain's very small size.

A new study refutes the popular idea that a woodpecker's brain is cushioned from the violent impacts of pecking. It offers a different reason the birds avoid brain damage.

Because people with Down syndrome are very likely to develop Alzheimer's, they are ideal candidates for experimental drugs meant to halt the disease.

Some monkeys make complex vocalizations, others don't. The reason why could help explain how the human brain evolved to produce speech. (Story first aired on All Things Considered on June 21, 2022.)

Marmoset monkeys make complex vocalizations. Macaque monkeys don't. And the reason could help explain how the human brain evolved to produce speech.

Despite a high risk of brain injuries, military personnel rarely develop a disabling brain condition often found in former boxers and football players.