Resources and Links
Our goals are to provide interested browsers with information about the brain and nervous system; neuroscience research that is currently being conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin; and to point you to resources that we have found to be interesting, or maybe just fun!
About Traumatic Brain Injury - brainline.org
Basic information about Traumatic Brain injury, including links to articles and videos. Information about traumatic brain injury sorted by topic. All TBI Topics.
Alzheimer's Disease - Alzheimer's Association
Topics include: Facts and Figures, Stages, Younger/Early Onset, Dementia, 10 signs, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Myths and much more.
BrainFacts.org
A public information resource for the neuroscience community to explain what neuroscientists do, share the excitement of scientific discovery, and tout the impact for individuals, families, and societies.
Brain Function, Anatomy & Diagram
Interactive brain map.
Brain Tour - Alzheimer's Association
Image heavy powerpoint presentation that covers both brain basics and Alzheimer's effect on the brain.
The Ear - Neuroscience for Kids
Information about hearing, hearing loss and balance as well as links to interactive demonstrations and activities.
FMRIB Centre - Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
Introduction to FMRI (background, maps, uses, etc.)
How Vision Works - How Stuff Works
This article discusses the amazing inner workings of the human eye.
National Geographic: The Brain
This interactive web resource has articles with photos and demonstrations about how the brain works to process information from our bodies, generate thoughts and emotions, store and recall memories, and control movement.
The Neurotropin: Pain for Dummies
A 10 part series: "What you always wanted to know about pain but were afraid to ask".
NIDA for Teens - Facts on Drugs
Get the facts: Find the real facts fast on how different drugs affect the brain and body.
NINDS Disorders
NINDS Disorders is an index of neurological conditions provided by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This valuable tool offers detailed descriptions, facts on treatment and prognosis, and patient organization contact information for over 250 identified neurological disorders.
Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System - The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook
Information about the Autonomic Nervous System including anatomy, function, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
RSS Press Releases - American Academy of Neurology
Subscribe to research as soon as it's published in Neurology. Available by category (ex. Alzheimer's Disease and Memory, Brain Injury, Stroke, etc.)
WebMD - Parkinson's Disease
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Parkinson's Disease
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
From the back cover ... "In his most extraordinary book, "one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century" (The New York Times) recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders. Oliver Sacks' The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat tells the stories of individuals afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual aberrations: patients who have lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts; who are no longer able to recognize people and common objects; who are stricken with violent tics and grimaces or who shout involuntary obscenities; whose limbs have become alien; who have been dismissed as retarded yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or mathematical talents.
The Amazing Brain by Robert Ornstein
From the back cover... "Whether viewed as a biological organ, an incredible machine, a supercomputer, or simply a miracle, the human brain is surely one of the most amazing things in the universe - and the more we find out about it, the more amazing it becomes. Beginning with the simplest view of brain anatomy, mechanisms, and processes, and making use of the most up-to-date research available, The Amazing Brain takes the reader on a visual and intellectual exploration of the history, evolution, construction, and chemical and electrical operation of the only object we know of that is able to contemplate, study, and describe itself.
Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are by Sebastian Seung
From the front flap... "We know that each of us is unique, but science has struggled to pinpoint where, precisely, our uniqueness resides. Is it in our genes? The structure of our brains? Our genome may determine our eye color and even aspects of our personality. But our friendships, failures, and passions also shape who we are. The question is: how?
Sebastian Seung, a dynamic professor at MIT, is on a quest to discover the biological basis of identity. He believes it lies in the pattern of connections between the brain’s neurons, which change slowly over time as we learn and grow. The connectome, as it’s called, is where our genetic inheritance intersects with our life experience. It’s where nature meets nurture.
The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life by Joseph Ledoux
From the back cover... "What happens in our brains to make us feel fear, love, hate, anger, joy? Do we control our emotions, or do they control us? Do animals have emotions? How can traumatic experiences in early childhood influence adult behavior, even though we have no conscious memory of them? In The Emotional Brain, Joseph LeDoux investigates the origins of human emotions and explains that many exist as part of complex neural systems that evolved to enable us to survive.
Spinal Surgery: Written Simply by a Spinal Surgeon by Kenneth L. Jarolem
From Amazon book description... "Spinal Surgery Written Simply by a Spinal Surgeon explains in simple terms the complicated subject of spinal surgery. Various treatments are described as well as the risks and benefits of surgery. Over one hundred pictures are used to explain spinal anatomy and various spinal disorders. Case examples are also used to illustrate neck, upper and lower back problems, and their surgical treatment."
Pain: The Science of Suffering by Patrick Wall
From the back cover... "Patrick Wall looks at these questions and sets his scientific account in a broad context, interweaving it with a wealth of fascinating and sometimes disturbing historical detail, such as famous characters who derived pleasure from pain, the unexpected reactions of injured people, the role of endorphins, and the power of placebo. He covers cures of pain, ranging from drugs and surgery, through relaxation techniques and exercise, to acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation, and herbalism."
The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic by Linda Carroll
From the back cover... "THE CONCUSSION CRISIS brings an explosive but largely unseen epidemic out of the shadows. It puts a human face on a pressing public health crisis through poignant stories of athletes (from the peewees to the pros), soldiers, and others whose lives have been forever changed by jolts to the head and brain. Weaving their cautionary tales with a clear and accessible explanation of the advancing science and medicine, The Concussion Crisis is the definitive exploration of the invisible injury behind today’s alarming headlines. Journalists Linda Carroll and David Rosner sound an urgent wake-up call to every family and argue for changing a macho culture that refuses to treat concussion seriously as the traumatic brain injury it is."
Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are by Joseph LeDoux
From the Amazon book description... "In 1996 Joseph LeDoux's The Emotional Brain presented a revelatory examination of the biological bases of our emotions and memories. Now, the world-renowned expert on the brain has produced with a groundbreaking work that tells a more profound story: how the little spaces between the neurons—the brain's synapses—are the channels through which we think, act, imagine, feel, and remember. Synapses encode the essence of personality, enabling each of us to function as a distinctive, integrated individual from moment to moment. Exploring the functioning of memory, the synaptic basis of mental illness and drug addiction, and the mechanism of self-awareness, Synaptic Self is a provocative and mind-expanding work that is destined to become a classic."
Brain Map Rap
Funny rap about the parts of the brain and their functions.
50 Brain Teasers
Brain teasers and games to stimulate your mind and teach how the brain works. Including sections on attention, memory, logic, etc.
The Human Brain Coloring Book by Marian C. Diamond and Arnold B. Scheibel
The book provides a means of learning about the structure and function of the human brain through a process of coloring-by-directions (directed coloring).
Improbable Research
It's packed with genuine, improbable research culled from more than 20,000 science, medical, technical and academic journals.
Mental disorders visualized in six minimalist posters
Mental and neurological disorders are hard enough to explain in words, but how about with just a few blocks of color? Graphic designer Patrick Smith tries to capture an impressionistic sense of some serious illnesses with his minimalist designs.
Neuroscience at the Movies lessons by Heather Stewart
List of mainstream movies that are relevant to the field of neuroscience, separated by topic.
"Why do we eat chilli?" by Jason Goldman for The Guardian.
"Chillies burn our tongues, make our eyes water and bring us out in a sweat. Jason Goldman looks at a peculiarly human form of masochism."
"A Harvard Psychiatrist Explains Zombie Neurobiology," article by Mark Strauss for i09.com Mad Neuroscience. Harvard psychologist, Dr. Steven C. Schlozman, gives a lecture touring "the human brain using the living dead as a narrative theme."
"Insane Science: 5 New Books That Explain The Brain," by Michael Shaub for NPR books.
"Neuroscience isn't just about parts of the brain and hard-to-pronounce chemicals; the books listed here cover everything from religion to pornography, from die-hard optimists to remorseless sociopaths. Sure, there's a lot of knowledge to be mined in these volumes, but most importantly, they're all fast, fun reads."
"The web's best optical illusion videos... and how they trick your brain," by Alasdair Wilkins for 109.com.
"The human brain is one of the most remarkable things on this planet...but that doesn't mean it can't make mistakes, particularly when it comes to how we see the world. Here are five mind-blowing optical illusions and how they work."