Brain Development Blog Posts

What Do Drugs Do to Teens’ Brains? “ABCD Study” Looks for Answers

April 11, 2016 / The NIDA Blog Team

It seems like for every question we answer about brain science, there are a hundred more we haven’t answered yet. Read More »

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The Art of Meditation: Focusing Your Brain

December 04, 2014 / Eric Wargo, Ph.D.

The brain is a powerful instrument. Meditation can help it do even more amazing things by sharpening and enhancing its powers. Read More »

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Graphic of a stick figure equally utilizing the left-brain and right-brain.

“Left-Brained” or “Right-Brained”? It’s Not That Simple After All

June 04, 2014 / Sara Bellum

Science has just revealed … (wait for it …) You need your whole brain! Sounds obvious enough, but it’s not uncommon to hear people say, “He’s awesome at taking tests, he must be left-brained.” Or, “She’s a really good painter—she must be right-brained.” Read More »

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Boy holding his head while reading a book

Understanding Learning and Memory

March 28, 2013 / Roger Sorensen, Ph.D., M.P.A., NIDA Program Official

What’s your new geometry teacher’s name? How do you get to your friend’s house? Where did you put your smartphone? Have you noticed that practice makes you play the piano better? Read More »

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I Feel Your Pain: Teens and Empathy

February 21, 2013 / Sara Bellum

Can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes? Developing empathy—being able to read someone else’s feelings and relate them to your own—depends to some extent on brain development. Read More »

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