Researchers have shown how the brain subconsciously remembers details around past dangers. While lying in a functional magnetic resonance brain scanner 14 patients were shown a series of abstract pictures followed by a one-second electric shock - equivalent to a pin-prick. Afterwards many of the volunteers could not consciously recall the sequence of images, but the scanner revealed that two key areas, the ventral striatum and part of the cerebral cortex, were working together to figure out what was coming next. The researchers think blocking this system could help treat chronic pain by interrupting such a brain process.

Detailed scans of brain cells in Parkinson's disease patients have revealed the action of the placebo effect on an unprecedented scale, at the single neuron level. The research provides further evidence for a physiological underpinning for the placebo effect.

Researchers have discovered that dopamine levels in our brains vary the most in situations where we are unsure if we are going to be rewarded, such as when we are gambling or playing the lottery. Dopamine plays an important role in how we experience rewards from a variety of natural sources, including food and sex, as well as from drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Researchers have discovered that our ability to assess how other people are feeling relies on two specific areas of the brain: the medial temporal region and the orbital frontal cortex. The findings are expected to have implications for the treatment of developmental disorders such as autism.