Brain interventions

Photo of a person with a headset holding a device, looking at a cookbook on a sofa with magazines and a remote nearby.
EMERGING THERAPIES

A personalised alternative to antidepressants is on the way

A form of personalised, at-home, brain-based treatment for depression is getting close – but is psychiatry ready for it?

by Paul Fitzgerald

Photo of a conductor leading a choir on stage, blue background, choir members in black attire, focus on conductor’s back.
NEUROSCIENCE

The brain has a team of conductors orchestrating consciousness

The brain is like an orchestra: each region plays its part. But it takes a team of conductors to orchestrate consciousness

by Morten L Kringelbach & Gustavo Deco

Photo of a person lying on a sofa, looking relaxed with eyes closed. They are wearing a grey jumper and holding their hair.
BRAIN INTERVENTIONS

Mental disorders are brain disorders – here’s why that matters

The most vital quandary of mental health disorders and therapies today is not whether they change the brain but how

by Camilla Nord

Colourful digital illustration of neuron activity overlaid with graph lines showing brainwave patterns on a black background.
BRAIN INTERVENTIONS

In the deepest despair, electroconvulsive therapy offers hope

In the past, ECT could be violent and brutal. But today, it’s one of the best treatments for severe depression that we have

by Wendy Burn

Illustration of a torpedo fish and its embryo, featuring detailed textures and anatomy, from a vintage scientific book.
BRAIN INTERVENTIONS

These are truly exciting times for the science of brain zapping

Yes, there’s been hype, but electrical brain stimulation is a genuine technique, and the science behind it is improving

by Hannah Filmer