Brain and Nervous System

February is here, and Dr Sandro Demaio has joined thousands of Aussies to hit pause on a habit in his life — drinking alcohol. This is why.

Three of Australia's leading COVID-19 experts share their personal safety strategies and reflect on what must happen if we're to blunt the growing health crisis the pandemic is causing — and prepare for the next one.

We take a look at some of the latest research on keeping your brain healthy and reducing the risk of dementia.

ADHD medications, antidepressants, acne medication and even some antibiotics could impact your ability to detect heat stroke or increase your risk of sunburn. Here is why and what you can do about it. 

The coroner investigating footballer Shane Tuck's death says the AFL should limit contact training sessions to reduce the risk of concussion.

UNSW has been conducting a "preliminary" investigation into research misconduct for more than two years. Now the university itself will be investigated.

When writer Az Cosgrove started his transition journey, a shocking tumour led to a devastating brain injury that put him in a wheelchair. But that didn't stop him affirming his true identity.

There are over 200,000 Australians with an autism spectrum condition. But lack of healthcare training and understanding is leaving many of them without quality care.

Sydney pastry chef Christopher Thé and health experts from the University of New South Wales develop a brain-friendly cake for food delivery charity, Meals on Wheels.

An Aboriginal woman's fight for financial freedom has revealed what experts say is a deeper problem of "culturally biased" cognitive exams, as part of the NT's Public Guardian and Trustee system.

Wendy Smith's 20-year-old son, Antonio, died after a collision on a football field. Now, she is calling for better education around concussions and head knocks, along with a national injury database.

Surgeons in New York perform the first whole-eye transplant in a human, an accomplishment being hailed as a breakthrough even though the patient has not regained sight in the eye.

Angie Smith's son Riley was complaining of a headache when he abruptly lost consciousness. She would later learn that her seemingly healthy 15-year-old son had suffered a stroke.

Damian Jamieson moves carefully to avoid aggravating a back injury sustained in a workplace accident. But when he's fully submerged underwater, exercise physiologists have a hard time stopping him. 

Most concussions don't happen on the sports field. Brain injury is a risk for everyone — and a single knock can have lasting consequences — but it is under recognised in the community and can be difficult to get support. 

After coming out of an induced coma, the businesswoman was diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects the way people communicate and do even basic tasks.

Three-year-old Sofi Garcia has had hundreds of seizures in her life, but her parents will not let the common neurological condition define her. They're hoping her story will show how epilepsy can impact more than a person's physical health.

Ted Badgery never wore a helmet in the ocean until recently. Now, he rarely surfs without one. 

The tragedy of children being forgotten in cars is becoming more common in Australia. A memory expert explains how it can happen to anyone.

Although emotions like fear and anxiety originate in your brain, they ultimately travel through your body and make your heart race and your stomach twist, writes Arash Javanbakht.

Resisting temptation in the modern world feels almost like a superpower. But how does it work? And can anyone learn to do it?

Dreams keep our brains ticking over. They wash the thoughts from the day's events at a molecular level. They might even help us imagine what's possible during our waking hours, write Drew Dawson and Madeline Sprajcer.

The parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerves is the counterbalance to our stress response. It makes us more calm, relaxed and sociable, writes Theresa Larkin.

He may look like he's fully recovered from a serious car crash but, a year on, Cooper Maher is still silently suffering the impacts of a brain injury.

There may be times during their menstrual cycle when women with ADHD find it harder to plan, organise and focus their attention. And they may find their ADHD medication doesn't seem to work as well. Here are some insights into why.