(Free) Resources For Neuroscience Enthusiasts

Have you always found the brain fascinating but you just don’t know where to start? We are here to help!

Neuroscience may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. There are ample resources online that are suitable for everyone and all levels. Here’s a list of the best (and free!) resources available for all neuroscience enthusiasts:

Websites

Neuroscience For Kids:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html

As its name suggests, this website is targeted at kids. Nonetheless, it is a brilliant resource for all neuroscience beginners! It covers a huge variety of topics, ranging from how we sleep, to why we laugh as well as common mental disorders. It does so in a straightforward, simple way that is easy to follow. 

For the AI lovers and tech savvy:

http://learn.neurotechedu.com/lessons/

NeuroTechX created an online module about brain-computer interfaces. It covers what makes up a brain-computer interface, how it is made and some of the current technologies in the field. 

Instagram Accounts

The Brain Scientist:

Daniel (aka The Brain Scientist) is a neuroscientist at UCLA who shares bite-sized information about various areas of neuroscience, along with some captivating images of the nervous system. He also shares his daily life in the lab (pre-COVID, at least), so if you are interested in the day-to-day life of a neuroscientist, this is the page for you.

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These cells might help us restore consciousness to coma patients. What you’re looking at are neurons in the thalamus, a little bundle of tissue that’s sometimes called the “relay station” of the brain (because it listens and talks to pretty much every other part of your brain). In 2007, a patient who’d been minimally conscious for 6 years (!) started responding after scientists stimulated his thalamus. And just this year, scientists in Wisconsin showed that stimulating this part of the brain can snap animals right out of anesthesia! Inspired by these discoveries, my labmates at UCLA have been working on stimulating this part of the brain in patients *without* surgery, by using ultrasound (i.e. super high-pitch sound waves!). We still have a lot to learn about the role of the thalamus in consciousness, and in treatments for coma and vegetative patients. But the future of science and medicine is looking bright 😊 Image credit: Gil Mandelbaum, Harvard Medical School

A post shared by Daniel Toker (@the_brain_scientist) on Jul 16, 2020 at 11:29am PDT

Basically Brain:

Another great instagram account is Basically Brain. They aim to educate the general public on psychotherapy and mental health through their daily informative posts that cover a wide range of psychological disorders.

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🧠Here’s what research has found:⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ This illness is expected to be a complex, multisystem neuroimmune disease. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Recently, some novel clues for CFS/ME were found, such as higher levels of immunosuppressive cytokines, especially TGF-β, an altered composition of the gut microbiome, and nanoelectronic assays for potential diagnostic biomarkers. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ However, the clear mechanisms of CFS/ME or its objective diagnostic markers have not yet been found.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ In addition, despite numerous approaches with various interventions, no definitively effective treatment has been approved for patients with CFS/ME. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Through a large-scale clinical study (called the PACE trial), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) were recommended as effective therapies for CFS/ME; however, there is debate and criticism by both scientists and patients.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Kim, D. Y., Lee, J. S., Park, S. Y., Kim, S. J., & Son, C. G. (2020). Systematic review of randomized controlled trials for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(1), 1-12.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ #psychiatry #psychiatrie #psychiatrist #psychology #psychologie #psychologist #psychologistsofinstagram #psychologystudent #psychologystudents #therapistsofinstagram #mentalhealthquotes #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthisimportant #mentalhealthsupport #endstigma #endthestigma #itsokaynottobeokay #itsoktonotbeok #instadaily #psychologymemes #brainscan #positiverecovery #neurology #biologicalpsychology #neuroscience #neurotransmitters #neuropsychology #basicallybrain

A post shared by Basicallybrain (@basicallybrain) on Aug 12, 2020 at 11:08am PDT

Books

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks, a physician and a neurology professor, shares some unusual case studies of his patients in “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”. Each chapter tells the story of a different patient with a rare neurological disorder. The book is interesting and informative; some technical language is used but Sacks does a great job at keeping it relatively simple and readable for everyone.

Youtube

Neuroscience Crash Course 

CrashCourse is a great resource for all science students and enthusiasts. Hank, the presenter, is a self-proclaimed geek who delivers a huge range of scientific topics in an engaging and highly informative format. This special edition of CrashCourse, in collaboration with the British Neuroscience Association, covers the nervous system and the brain. 

Podcasts

Podcasts are great as they cover a wide breadth of topics while also keeping it light and fun. Two podcasts that we found particularly enjoyable are “A Neuroscientist Explains” and “Naked Neuroscience”. Both podcasts are made by respected neuroscientists who cover, in a simple and digestible format, various neurological concepts. The episodes are short (up to 1 hour) and they target a different topic each time. 

A Neuroscientist Explains by Dr. Daniel Glaser and the Guardian 

Naked Neuroscience by Dr. Katie Haylor and BBC

Online Course

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life by Professor Peggy Mason, offered through The University of Chicago and Coursera.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/neurobiology#about

This is a great course for beginners as it covers everything for brain electricity and neuronal connection to the gross brain. It is interactive and flexible, as you can do it at your own pace (typically takes about 28 hours to complete). When the course is completed you can even get a certificate, so apart from learning the basics of neuroscience, it will also look great on your CV!

We hope you enjoy these great resources and learn a bit more about the brain. Let us know if there are any more available resources that we can share with our fellow neuro enthusiasts!