uk brain

Grief is something we all encounter. Whether it's losing a loved one, a friend, a job and everything else, loss can have a profound effect on us and our brains. Dr Lisa Shulman has delved into the notion of loss and grief and their impacts upon the brain in her book Before and After Loss: A Neurologist's Perspective on Loss, Grief and the Brain.

We all feel a little lonely sometimes - but what does loneliness and isolation do to the human mind? Professor Nathan Spreng tells us how loneliness is similar to hunger, a signal that we need nourishment from social interaction and what loneliness can lead to happening in the brain.

Neurologist Dr Randall Wright says our brain can react to binge watching television the same way as it does becoming addicted to drugs. By tapping into the brain's pleasure circuit, our brains can physically rewire to want more of the digital stimuli. But, by making sure it doesn’t interfere with our sleep and making it social, we can still enjoy online content.

It’s one of the most tumultuous events to happen to a woman, but very little study has been undertaken about what pregnancy does to the brain. In this episode of HuffPost’s original series on the inner workings of the mind, neuroscientist Sarah McKay explains how the body prepares itself for pregnancy changes and what the lasting effects can be on a person’s brain function.

Exercise causes profound changes in brain structure and function and these changes can have really important effects, both in the short and the long term, on our mood and our mental abilities. In this episode cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Tom Bullock explains how exercise supercharges our decision making, the surprising possibility of why we get an exercise ‘high’ and how it can help restore the brain as we age.

It is increasingly clear the coronavirus can cause many neurological issues, from mild cognitive decline to severe inflammation.