Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have developed a method to visualize the human cerebellum with unprecedented detail using a 7-Tesla MRI scanner. The technology enables the reconstruction of the cerebellum's patterns and layers, providing new insights into its role in motor skills and cognition.
Researchers found that myelin accumulates axonal mitochondria in PV cells, supporting their high energy demand due to intense activity. This differs from other cell types where mitochondria are evenly distributed or more abundant when myelin is reduced.
A new study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience used electrodes implanted in epilepsy patients to directly measure electrical activity in the insula, a brain region critical for emotions. The researchers found that neurons in this region respond to the level of pain experienced by others, providing evidence for how we empat...
A new study at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has examined how the dopamine system processes aversive events. The researchers found that the release of dopamine gradually decreased during exposure to unpleasant stimuli, and stimuli preceding such exposure began to have a similar depressing effect on dopamine neurons.
Researchers have discovered that rapid eye movements during REM sleep can provide insight into the mechanism behind dreaming in mice. The study found that head direction cells continue to work during sleep, allowing scientists to measure the mouse's dreams for the first time.
A new study reveals that powerful hierarchical situations can make it easier to commit harmful actions, as agency and empathy are split across multiple individuals. Commanders and intermediaries show reduced activation in empathic brain regions when pain is inflicted on the victim compared to people who can decide and act for themselves.
Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have published a dataset of electrophysiology data recorded from two monkeys' visual cortex during resting state. The dataset provides high-density receptive field coverage and can be used to yield new insights into background activity influencing visual information processing.
Researchers found that myelination, even patchy on interneurons, is required for full inhibitory potential. Myelin loss can cause abnormal brain activity and lead to cognitive impairments.
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.
Researchers successfully implanted a microelectrode array in the visual cortex of a blind volunteer, allowing her to identify lines, shapes and simple letters. The implant stimulated neurons to produce phosphenes, creating an image and demonstrating safety and efficacy.
The study reveals that feedback to the primary visual cortex (V1) is necessary for segregating figures from the background, a crucial function of our vision. Disrupting this feedback renders objects invisible, highlighting its importance in figure-ground perception.
Scientists from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience found that mice have a region called 'focea' with improved visual sensitivity, similar to the fovea in human retinas. This discovery suggests that mice may be better models for studying human vision than previously thought.
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.
Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have discovered a small molecule that can be used to rejuvenate the brain and counteract memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. The molecule, microRNA-132, regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis and is required for the neurogenic process in the adult hippocampus.
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.
Brain cells produce brief electrical impulses triggered from highly specialized regions that adapt to sensory experiences. The study found that these trigger sites shrink with increased experiences and grow larger with reduced input.
Researchers at Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience developed high-resolution brain implants that enable recognition of artificially induced shapes and percepts. The breakthrough technology allows for a rudimentary form of vision restoration, enabling profoundly blind individuals to navigate and interact more easily.
A new gene therapy project at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience seeks to repair brain damage caused by MS by identifying molecules that stimulate myelin and axon repair. The goal is to develop a drug promoting functional recovery of the nervous system, potentially revolutionizing treatment for advanced MS.
Researchers found activated T cells in brain tissue of MS patients, indicating local inflammation is driving the disease. This discovery supports the idea that white blood cells on the outside of the brain no longer influence the disease in advanced stages.
Researchers found that degrading perineuronal nets improves learning abilities in mice but disrupts memory storage. Children's brains have flexible connections allowing for better learning and recovery from brain injury due to intact perineuronal nets.
In a study published in Current Biology, researchers found that rats exhibit harm aversion, stopping use of their preferred lever when it would cause pain to a neighboring rat. This phenomenon is linked to the same brain region associated with empathy in humans, suggesting that harm aversion is deeply ingrained in our biology.
A new technique reveals that myelin produces multiple waves of electrical potentials traveling at high speeds, contradicting earlier assumptions. This discovery has significant implications for understanding demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Researchers discovered that rats can use empathy to sense danger and react accordingly, showing a more interactive process than previously thought. By observing the emotions of other rats, they can prepare for potential threats, with less scared bystanders reducing fear in demonstrators.
Higher brain areas provide feedback to primary visual cortex, reducing surround-suppression effect. Understanding this process is crucial for developing prosthetics that enable blind people to see again.
Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience found that the cerebellum is involved in higher perceptual abilities beyond motor coordination. The discovery highlights the importance of functioning small brains in social cognition and suggests that problems with the cerebellum may impair aspects of this cognitive function.
Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have found that congenital nystagmus is caused by electrical oscillations in retinal neurons. The study shows that defects in just a few proteins result in erroneous movement signals sent to the brain, leading to the oscillating eye movements characteristic of the condition.
Researchers found that restful REM sleep helps brain circuits adapt to stress, while restless REM sleep disrupts this process. This finding has significant implications for treating mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Research at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience reveals that insomnia may be caused by a failing neutralization of emotional distress. Good sleepers can settle past experiences as neutralized memories, but people with insomnia are unable to do so.
Researchers found that rat brain activates same cells when observing others' pain as when experiencing pain itself, indicating shared empathy mechanism. The cingulate cortex region is responsible for this emotional sharing, and suppressing its activity can prevent rats from freezing in response to others' distress.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in treating nerve damage by combining neurosurgical repair with gene therapy, which stimulates the survival of nerve cells and regeneration of nerve fibers. The discovery is an important step towards developing a new treatment for people with nerve damage.
Researchers identified five distinct subtypes of insomnia, each with unique characteristics and underlying brain mechanisms. These findings have significant implications for treatment effectiveness and the prevention of depression, offering a new direction in understanding this complex mental disorder.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals the nature of immune cells in the human brain, including their location and function. The research provides valuable insights into the immune system's role in brain disorders such as multiple sclerosis and tumors.
Scientists have discovered that the thalamus, a deep brain structure, plays a crucial role in regulating critical periods of learning and development. The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, have important implications for understanding developmental problems such as intellectual disability and albinism.
Researchers at Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience found increased synchrony between sensory cortices and subcortical regions in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, contributing to hypersensitivity. This decoupling is thought to reflect the inability to block out irrelevant sensory information.