New research presents neurotechnology as a powerful tool for studying the brain and enabling targeted therapies for neurological disorders. Devices like nerve stimulators and brain implants can monitor or modulate neural activity, offering potential treatments for conditions such as paralysis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
New research reveals profound effects of pregnancy on maternal brain physiology, mood, and behavior. Maternal mental health conditions like depression and anxiety affect 20% of new mothers in the US, with untreated cases having long-term negative impacts.
Recent studies have shed light on the biological mechanisms that connect sleep and anxiety, highlighting the importance of sleep in regulating stress responses. Research has shown that inadequate sleep can lead to increased anxiety and stress, while also exacerbating mental distress.
The study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in metabolic conditions like obesity and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. Pesticide exposure is also found to disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to brain-gut alterations that can exacerbate these conditions.
Dr. Michael Yartsev was selected as the 2022 Peter Gruss Young Investigator Award winner for his groundbreaking research on naturalistic behavior in bats. His work has made a significant impact on the scientific community, inspiring young scientists and promoting cooperation.
Researchers found that astrocytes can transfer their mitochondria to damaged neurons after a brain hemorrhage, stimulating the production of an enzyme that neutralizes free radicals. This treatment showed improved neurological recovery in mice, but not if the mitochondria were without the protective enzyme Mn-SOD.
The Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity Center (CNAP) at Kansas State University will continue its neuroscience research, thanks to a $11.2 million NIH grant. The funding will support junior faculty development and infrastructure upgrades for neuroplasticity research.
Research suggests that individuals with PTSD exhibit decreased activity in the hippocampus, leading to impaired threat reactivity and memory formation. This study reveals a significant interaction between hippocampal activity and physiological arousal in predicting PTSD symptoms.
Research finds that preschoolers' brain maturation improves inhibitory control abilities, with 4-year-olds outperforming 3-year-olds in tasks requiring stopping actions. The cognitive control network's distinct regions and white matter connections are associated with different aspects of self-control development.
Researchers found alcohol alters synchronized brain activity in the amygdala of mice, differing by sex. The study suggests that alcohol can trigger changes in anxious behavior by affecting the amygdala's activity states.
A new theory developed by a collaboration between a former cosmologist and a computational neuroscientist has identified essential connections between brain cells. The theory, published in Physical Review Research, uses geometric framework to predict structure from function in neural networks.
Research published in JNeurosci found that Gulf War veterans with chronic pain have changes in brain structure involved in pain processing, including larger frontal cortex areas and smaller insular cortices. These structural differences may contribute to the development of effective treatments for Gulf War Illness.
Research found that stimulating a specific brain circuit relieves pain and reduces defensive behaviors in rats, indicating potential physical and psychological relief. The pathway also increases reward and feeding behavior, suggesting improved emotional state.
Research published in eNeuro found that physical consequences, such as slipping, can improve motor learning by refining movement responses to mistakes. Participants who experienced a slip improved their ability to adjust steps to new situations, demonstrating better generalization of learned skills.
Researchers at UT Southwestern discovered that timing feedings to match the active period of the circadian cycle extended the life span of lab mice more than three times as much as caloric restriction alone. The findings showed improved metabolic health, lower inflammation and cancer incidence in long-lived animals.
Research suggests dopamine is involved in emotion recognition, particularly in low-dose individuals. Dopamine levels influence emotional perception, with lower levels improving emotional recognition while higher levels impairing it. This finding has implications for understanding social cognition impairments in neurological disorders.
The 29th annual CNS meeting will feature scientific talks, posters, and receptions, with a focus on the latest advances in cognitive neuroscience. Registered press members will have access to these sessions, as well as a quiet Press Room, while COVID safety protocols are in place.
The brain detects unwanted memories and proactively inhibits them using the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). If inhibition fails, the ACC triggers a reactive alarm to alert other regions to stop the intrusion. This study sheds light on the neural mechanisms of controlling intrusive thoughts.
Research finds that brain circuit strength is linked to a child's ability to understand numbers. A four-week number sense training program targeting the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and hippocampus improved learning outcomes for elementary school-aged children across abilities.
Researchers are combining optogenetics and fMRI to study the links between brain activity and behavior. This hybrid approach allows for targeted manipulation and monitoring of brain function in awake and behaving rodents, providing valuable insights into neural mechanisms.
Researchers found that stimulating a specific area of the auditory cortex improved speech perception in an epilepsy patient, allowing them to decipher spoken sentences with clarity. The study used invasive brain stimulation to enhance speech detection over background noise.
The Human Brain Project (HBP) has brought together neuroscientists from different disciplines to work collaboratively on common goals. The HBP researchers outline their scientific approach and illustrate the potential of EBRAINS infrastructure for neuroscience research.
Researchers found that viewing nostalgic images from childhood reduced pain perception in adults, with the strongest effect on low-intensity pain. Nostalgic images decreased activity in brain regions involved in pain perception, including the left lingual gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus.
A study by the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has identified a new neural mechanism of habit formation, showing that striatal dopamine signals are region-specific and temporally stable across action-sequence habit formation. This finding challenges traditional theories on dopamine signaling in habit development.
A new study published in JNeurosci found that the brain selectively responds to unfamiliar voices during sleep, even when familiar voices are present. This ability allows the brain to strike a balance between resting and being responsive to its environment.
A team of researchers used neural network data to study grid cell activity in the brain, finding that collective neural activity is shaped like a torus, or doughnut. The study provides new insights into how large networks of neurons produce properties that cannot be inferred from individual cells.
New research published in JNeurosci reveals that impaired cognition can be part of normal aging, rather than an early sign of Alzheimer's. Cognitively frail adults showed brain structure and activity similar to healthy controls, suggesting lifestyle factors like physical activity and education may play a role.
Researchers have published an extensive 7T fMRI dataset to study how humans perceive and interpret naturalistic photographs. The Natural Scenes Dataset provides a massive scale of brain data for training complex deep-learning models that predict brain activity.
The special issue examines the collective dynamics of complex networks with applications in neuroscience, climate modelling, and Earth science. The papers cover a broad range of topics including dynamics of excitable systems, cluster dynamics, and interplay of noise and feedback.
A multidisciplinary team from UCI has published a new guide for statistical analysis in neuroscience research, providing an overview of mixed-effects models and clear instructions on their application. The guide aims to improve the validity and reproducibility of experimental findings in the field.
New research published in eNeuro found that sharing happy stories increases feelings of closeness and synchronizes brain activity between the speaker and listener. Brain synchrony was linked to increased interpersonal closeness, particularly in regions involved in emotional processing and theory of mind.
Researchers assessed short- and long-term effects of stress on rodent models to better understand the brain's response. The study's findings aim to develop targeted treatments for anxiety disorders and PTSD.
Researchers uncover how sensory inputs and cognitive processes interact in the brain to create our perception of the world. The study explores the neural basis of perceptual phenomena, shedding light on disorders like ADHD, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.
The Society for Neuroscience has partnered with Fujifilm as the Platinum sponsor of Neuroscience 2021, showcasing a diverse lineup of speakers and sessions. The virtual meeting features over 9,000 presenters and 1,000 poster sessions, prioritizing exceptional science from the global neuroscience community.
A new study found that the brainstem plays a key role in modulating pain signals in the spinal cord based on expectations, with increased activity linked to the placebo effect and decreased activity to the nocebo effect.
Research finds that fruit flies fall asleep when moved in slow circles, and this effect continues in flies missing key circadian clock genes. The study also reveals the role of nanchung receptors, which are sensitive to vibrations and motion, in inducing daytime sleep.
Researchers discovered a distinct brain signature associated with team flow, characterized by increased beta and gamma waves in the middle temporal cortex. This neural pattern is linked to enhanced information processing and synchronization between teammates during the team flow state.
The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) conference, ECNP 2021, will take place in Lisbon and online from October 2-5. Over a thousand abstracts are expected to be presented on various topics in psychiatry and neuroscience.
A new study found that cognitive control plays a significant role in determining whether individuals cheat or not. Participants who tended towards honesty were more likely to cheat, while those with a moral inclination towards dishonesty were more likely to remain honest. This suggests that cognitive control can override moral impulses...
Scientists challenge existing thinking on opioid tolerance and respiratory depression, proposing a new balanced approach to developing safer analgesics. They found that arrestin-3 engagement limits tolerance development but does not exacerbate respiratory depression.
Researchers at Brown University introduce 'dignity neuroscience,' arguing that universal rights are rooted in human brain science. The concept posits five core elements - agency, autonomy, and self-determination; freedom from want and fear; uniqueness; and unconditionality - which reflect fundamental features of the human brain.
Researchers found that sleep twitches guide the transformation of redundant to complex electrical activity in the motor cortex of rat pups. By four days after birth, sleep twitches are essential for developing this neural network, marking a key developmental transition.
A new study reveals that learning Braille changes the brain's white matter, with somatosensory and visual cortices strengthening connections at varied rates. The research found that white matter in both regions underwent significant reorganization, with notable differences in timing and extent.
Studies have shown that oxytocin neurons connecting the hypothalamus to a reward area fire when vole fathers care for their offspring, increasing paternal behavior. This neural pathway is also involved in maternal behavior, highlighting potential connections between fatherly and motherly care.
The event highlights the experiences of four past Rappaport Fellowship awardees, showcasing how their backgrounds in clinical research, brain studies, and behavioral/molecular endpoints impacted their careers. This webinar aims to revolutionize the study and treatment of mental illness by integrating psychiatry and neuroscience.
Research found human hippocampal neurons fire during specific moments in time, encoding information about the time and order of events. These neurons contribute to episodic memories by tracking time and sequence of events.
Research finds that foxes selectively bred for tameness and aggressiveness display similar brain changes to regions in the prefrontal cortex. This contradicts previous studies which found shrinking brain sizes in domesticated species.
Africa's largest human genetic diversity makes it crucial for understanding neurological disorders, yet research output is heavily influenced by external funding sources. The study highlights the need for greater domestic funding to support sustainable African neuroscience research and combat brain drain.
A study by West Virginia University found that most animal studies disregard the rodents' natural circadian rhythms, leading to issues with reproducibility and validity. Researchers recommend using techniques such as housing animals in darkness during the day to simulate nighttime conditions.
The eleventh edition of the Art of Neuroscience competition has been won by Yas Crawford for her artwork 'Cognition IX', which explores neurological interoception in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients. The winner was chosen from over 293 entries and received praise for its perfectly composed image, full of movement and dynamic flow.
New research reveals that stressed male mice can pass on their stress behaviors to their offspring through changes in the sperm's genetic code. This finding indicates that sperm transmits short-term environmental information to offspring, influencing their stress responses.
Brain activity patterns in prefrontal cortex reveal white lie motives, with selfish motives encoded by medial prefrontal cortex and ventral subregion activity similar to selfish behavior.
A new study found that the brain's neural representation of a familiar face strengthens faster when viewing someone in person. The type of exposure affected how much the signal changed, with in-person interactions strengthening it the most.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a novel technique to study the neuroscience of motor control in mice by focusing on their tongue movements. This approach reveals similarities between mouse tongue movement and primate reach tasks, allowing for new insights into motor control and potential applications in understanding n...
Researchers found that two brain subnetworks are responsible for constructing and evaluating imagined scenarios, with the ventral network focused on vividness and the dorsal network on valence. This discovery sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying imagination.
Scientists from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have discovered a new brain circuit underlying curiosity and novelty seeking behavior. By studying mice with freedom to choose, they found that specific neurons were more active during deep investigation compared to shallow investigation.
New research published in JNeurosci found that brain areas active while viewing pictures of hands also encode if a 3D tool is held properly. This challenges current understanding of how the brain controls hand movement and could improve brain-machine interfaces for prosthetics.
Researchers used Facebook data to map participants' social connections and found that brain activity patterns reflected the distance between individuals, with closer people having similar patterns. Information about each connection's personality was encoded in the medial prefrontal cortex.
New research published in JNeurosci suggests that stress alters brain activity in self-inhibition areas but doesn't trigger binge-eating. This challenges the long-held theory that stress impairs inhibitory control and leads to binge-eating, indicating a more complex underlying mechanism.
The film IN SILICO chronicles the ambitious quest to simulate the human brain on supercomputers, exposing controversy and ego in the scientific process. It encourages critical evaluation of brain research and technology, highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to neuroscience.