Penn State Hershey Neuroscience Institute recently established of clinic for individuals suffering from Restless Legs Syndrome (Willis-Ekbom Disease). Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder that affects 5-15 percent of the population.

With 15 faculty members at Penn State and a major grant from the NSF's Partnership for International Research and Education, the Center for Language Science is using fMRI and other tools to fathom the bilingual brain at work.

Penn State Lehigh Valley will hold its annual commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. The campus will award associate and bachelor's degrees to roughly 50 local students. The featured speaker for the event is Mayim Bialik, a neuroscientist and actress who can be seen on the hit CBS comedy "The Big Bang Theory."

Penn State Hershey Neuroscience Institute is observing Brain Awareness Week March 14-20. The Institute specializes in expert stroke care, treatment of brain tumors, deep brain stimulation treatment for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and much more.

"Stuttering is a neurophysiological problem, not a psychological
problem, but what causes it is still a mystery," explains Gordon
Blood, professor of communication sciences and disorders.

New research points to a genetic route to understanding and treating epilepsy. A team led by Timothy Jegla, an assistant professor of biology at Penn State, has identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain.

Babies who lack iron early in life score poorly on developmental tests. "And the damage appears not to be reversible," says professor of nutrition John Beard.

Plus, in a weird metabolic twist, as they grow old such children may become at higher risk for multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's—diseases linked to too much iron in the brain.

Neuroscience is changing the face of modern warfare. "Emotionless warriors" and thought scans of detainees may not be that far in the future. What are the medical and ethical ramifications of these innovations? Find out by watching the debut of "Conversations from Penn State." This new series, hosted by veteran interviewer Patty Satalia, offers thoughtful, in-depth exchanges with a broad range of remarkable people - most of whom have made a name for themselves at Penn State University.