Health & Disease

In a cartoon, an assortment of people — young and old, male and female — queue for a restroom, waiting to relieve their full-to-bursting bladders.

To pee or not to pee? That is a question for the bladder — and the brain

How do we sense the need to urinate? The basic urge is surprisingly complex and can go awry as we age.

Animated illustration shows a golden key turning a switch inside the brain of a woman feeling despair. The key opens her eyes to a beautiful vista – a golden shoreline glistening in the sun. Ketamine is helping people with suicidal depression to feel better.

Listening to ketamine

The fast-acting drug offers a new way to treat depression and fathom its origins. Recent approval of a nasal spray promises to expand access, but much remains unknown about long-term use and the potential for abuse.

Microscopic image shows a false-colored section of the mouse hippocampus, highlighting the buildup of cellular waste that characterizes juvenile Batten disease, a rare genetic disorder.

Living World

When the brain’s waste disposal system fails

Marco Sardiello explains how problems with the cell’s lysosomes lead to disease

Conceptual illustration of migrant farmworkers. Migrants often work in hazardous jobs.

Society

Unhealthy work: Why migrants are especially vulnerable to injury and death on the job

A mysterious kidney disease is just one of the many health risks faced by immigrant laborers. In a Q&A, occupational health expert Marc Schenker discusses the hazards and a few potential solutions.