In August 2012, after providing all the funding for The Brain from Top to Bottom for over 10 years, the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction informed us that because of budget cuts, they were going to be forced to stop sponsoring us as of March 31, 2013. Ever since we got this news, the little team that produces this web site has been looking for a new source of stable institutional funding so that we can continue our mission of providing the general public with the best possible information about the brain and neuroscience.

We have approached a number of organizations, all of which have recognized the value of our work. We are still in negotiations with some of them, which may prove fruitful within the next few months. But so far, we have not managed to find the funding we need. For the moment, we must therefore ask our readers for donations so that we can continue updating and adding new content to The Brain from Top to Bottom web site and blog.

The "fundraising thermometer" that you see below shows, in order of priority, from the bottom up, what work we plan to do with the money that we raise and how much money we still need to raise to meet our annual budget. We will update this thermometer regularly, so that readers always have an accurate picture of our finances.

Please rest assured that we are doing our utmost to keep this site accessible in the original spirit of the Internet: the desire to share information free of charge and with no advertising.

Whether your support is moral, financial, or both, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Bruno Dubuc, Patrick Robert, Denis Paquet, and Al Daigen





Funding Update

April 22, 2013

It has been only two weeks since we began our fundraising drive for The Brain from Top to Bottom, and we have already received nearly $2 500. That will be enough to pay for basic maintenance and management of the site for the coming year and to write blog posts for the next few weeks. These results are very encouraging. Please pass the word to anyone else you know who enjoys this site and might want to might want to help fund the rest of its activities. And thank you so much for your support!



Monday, 30 April 2012
Theories on Drug Addiction

processus-opposantsThe abusive consumption of a drug can result in dependency on it. The various phenomena associated with drug dependency—also commonly referred to as “drug addiction”—are fairly well known: initial pleasure, then tolerance, withdrawal, and so on. But these phenomena are so complex that it is hard to construct satisfactory models for them. Hence, many theories have been developed to try to explain drug dependency/addiction, and these theories are still being debated today. (more…)

Pleasure and Pain | No comments

Monday, 23 April 2012
Taking Photos To Remember Your Own Life

mosaiqueWhen people with episodic (autobiographical) memory problems wear a chest-mounted camera that automatically takes 2000 to 3000 photos every day, these photos can help them to remember their past activities. Studies with subjects who had various forms of amnesia showed that photos taken with such a camera let them remember more activities than a diary that they kept for the same purpose.

i_lien SenseCam – a device for restoring and protecting memories
a_lien A Memorable Device

Memory and the Brain | No comments

Monday, 16 April 2012
Fewer Glial Cells Than You Might Think?

astrocyteMost neuroscience textbooks still state that the number of glial cells (non-neuronal cells, such as astrocytes) in the human brain is far higher than the number of neurons. The figure often given is 10 times higher, and some authors even speak of up to 50 times higher. But studies done over the past few years offer a far more conservative estimate: a ratio of around one to one. (more…)

From the Simple to the Complex | No comments

Monday, 9 April 2012
Better Optical Illusions

illusion-d'optiqueOptical illusions are fascinating in many ways—they can create objects that cannot exist, movement in a static image, different colours with the same colour, and so on. They can also give us a better understanding of how the human visual system works, as witness this web site dedicated to the best optical illusions that scientists who study this subject have managed to devise in a contest that is held every year. (more…)

The Senses | No comments

Monday, 2 April 2012
Meditation Can Reduce Stress

meditationIn a study published in 2007, people who practiced a method of meditation known as Integrative Body-Mind Training, or IBMT, for five days showed better attention and better ability to manage stress and its harmful effects than people in a control group who were given only relaxation training. (more…)

The Emergence of Consciousness | No comments