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Elena Renken

Contributing Writer

Latest Articles

Illustration of brain formed by bubbles.
Abstractions blog

Sleeping Brain Waves Draw a Healthy Bath for Neurons

By Elena Renken
December 16, 2019
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An organized tide of brain waves, blood and spinal fluid pulsing through a sleeping brain may flush away neural toxins that cause Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Illustration
neuroscience

How Microbiomes Affect Fear

By Elena Renken
December 4, 2019
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New studies help to explain how microbes in the gut can shape a host’s fear responses.

A Tsimané man plays an instrument resembling a violin.
Abstractions blog

Perceptions of Musical Octaves Are Learned, Not Wired in the Brain

By Elena Renken
October 30, 2019
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Singing experiments with residents of the Bolivian rainforest demonstrate how biology and experience shape the way we hear music.

Animation of one icon tracing a wave pattern over a brain, followed by another icon that erases the pattern.
neuroscience

Dueling Brain Waves Anchor or Erase Learning During Sleep

By Elena Renken
October 24, 2019
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While we sleep, one kind of slow brain wave helps to reinforce memories, but a competing wave weakens them.


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