Researchers mapped the brain cells in the electrosensory lobe of African weakly electric fish, revealing a balance between fast and slow changes to cell connections. This balance allows the fish to filter out electrical interference and continually learn and adapt, shedding light on how biological brains learn throughout life.
A new study in mice reveals that brain cells in the orbitofrontal cortex respond differently when animals expect information versus no information. The researchers identified a unique neural signature associated with the intrinsic value of knowledge, which could guide animals in pursuing knowledge.
Human microglia mature slowly compared to other animals, influencing cognitive abilities and enabling powerful brain functions. The discovery sheds light on what made the human brain unique during evolution.
Researchers at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute found that specialist neurons exist but are the exception, not the rule. Most neurons can display a huge diversity of responses and help the brain solve complex tasks.
Researchers at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute have developed a brain-controlled hearing system that can help people focus on one conversation among many. The system, which leverages the brain's natural ability to filter through background noise, dynamically isolates specific conversations in real-time.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of 82 mice at various stages of aging and found similar changes in both humans and mice. The study suggests that understanding age-related brain decline in mice could lead to new insights into human brain aging.
Researchers identified a brain region called the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) as a key player in controlling consummatory behaviors. Stimulating this area can drive mice to consume sweets, while inhibiting it leads to weight loss.
Researchers mapped the human sweet taste receptor's 3D structure in unprecedented detail, revealing its binding pocket and shedding light on why people differ in their sensitivity to sweets. This breakthrough could lead to the discovery of new regulators to curb sugar cravings.
Researchers discovered that the anterior cingulate cortex is involved in using mental models to simulate the future and make decisions. The brain structure encodes multiple aspects of decision-making, including the likelihood of a specific outcome.
Scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute mapped the brain's complex calculations to link distinct events separated in time, shedding light on anxiety and trauma-related disorders. The hippocampus uses bursts of activity to form associations, saving energy by encoding information in synapses rather than constant electrical activity.
A Columbia-led study found that early exposure to cannabis makes young brains more sensitive to cocaine, shedding light on the neurobiology of drug use in adolescence. The research revealed key molecular and epigenetic changes in adolescent rats' brains after synthetic psychoactive cannabinoids were followed by cocaine.
A study in mice has identified a brain mechanism that responds to sugar entering the gut, not just when it touches the tongue. This discovery offers promising avenues for minimizing sugar cravings and potentially reducing incidence of obesity and diabetes.
Researchers found that advancing glioma cells desynchronize neuronal activity and blood flow changes, affecting neurovascular coupling and potentially leading to seizures. The study provides promising targets for disrupting tumor growth and offers insights into diagnosis and surgical guidance.
Researchers at Columbia University used 3D imaging to study how the nose detects and processes different odors, revealing a complex code that is shaped by interactions within the nose. The study challenges traditional views on how the brain identifies individual components of mixed scents.
Researchers discovered that TBK1 mutations in mice with ALS-like symptoms initially slow disease progression but later accelerate it. The study sheds light on the complex relationship between ALS genetics and its mechanisms, highlighting challenges in developing safe treatments.
Researchers discovered the anterior lateral motor cortex plays a crucial role in integrating vast amounts of information to make decisions, surpassing previous understanding of its primary function. This finding highlights the brain's remarkable ability to adapt to context and informs scientists' larger understanding of brain function.
Researchers analyzed brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's and corticobasal degeneration, finding that modifications to the tau protein influence its misfolding behavior. The study reveals key insights into how tau filaments form, grow, and spread throughout the brain, potentially accelerating the fight against neurodegenerative ...
Researchers discovered that the darcin pheromone triggers a complex response in the brain of female mice, driving both innate and learned sexual behaviors. The study mapped the neural circuitry responsible for processing the pheromone, revealing its role in integrating sensory information with an animal's internal state.
Researchers found a brain circuit that enables fruit flies to see in color, similar to the human capacity for color vision. The study sheds light on the transmission of information from the eye to the brain and could inspire future technologies for those with vision impairments.
A Columbia University study finds that serotonin is the chemical that drives a fly's startle response, causing it to freeze momentarily. The research provides insights into the biology of this ubiquitous phenomenon and offers clues about what may happen in human bodies when we get startled.
A team of neuroengineers at Columbia University has uncovered the steps that take place in the brain to pick out one voice from among many. The auditory cortex, the brain's listening center, decodes and amplifies one voice over others at lightning-fast speeds, with two areas, Heschl's gyrus (HG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG), playi...
Researchers restored normal working memory to a mouse model of schizophrenia, eliminating a core symptom that has proven virtually impossible to treat. The findings, published in Neuron, hold immense promise for treating over 21 million people diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The new SCAPE 2.0 system allows for faster and more detailed imaging of living tissues, revealing previously unseen details of biological systems. This technology has the potential to impact various fields such as genetics, cardiology, and neuroscience.
Researchers will image protein structures at an atomic scale, gaining insight into disease mechanisms and developing new diagnostic and treatment strategies for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Lewy body dementia.
Researchers from Columbia University and the Spanish National Research Council have discovered a method to systematically identify the role of each Hox gene in a developing fruit fly. This breakthrough offers a new path forward for decoding the underlying genetic mechanisms that guide growth and development, aging, and disease.
Researchers at Columbia University identified a neural circuit in the auditory cortex where cells' responses became specialized for learned songs. This flexibility helps birds adapt to new songs and offers clues about humans' ability to learn languages.
A recent study in mouse neurons reveals how the protein CPEB3 primes neurons to store long-term memories. P bodies, specialized isolation chambers within neurons, contain dormant CPEB3 and transfer it to synapses, where it strengthens connections and stabilizes memories.
A recent brain study reveals that our brains can identify objects by performing lightning-fast statistical calculations, incorporating previous experiences, to calculate a complete mental representation of an object. This study challenges conventional views on how our brains extract information from the environment.
A new brain-controlled hearing aid technology developed by Columbia engineers can identify and amplify the correct speaker in a crowded environment. The device uses artificial intelligence to monitor wearers' brain waves and boost the voice they want to focus on, solving the 'cocktail party problem' that modern hearing aids struggle with.
Researchers have identified a brain area that rapidly senses spatial constraints, enabling instant orientation and navigation. The study uses advanced imaging technologies to decode the activity of millions of neurons in the occipital place area, which encodes scene geometry.
Researchers discover gene TIA1 helps the brain keep fearful memories in check, reducing PTSD-like behavior in female mice. The study highlights key role of TIA1 in essential biological processes and offers promising new target for combating PTSD.
Columbia engineers and neuroscientists use SCAPE microscope to create 3D videos of individual nerve cells moving, stretching, and switching on inside fruit fly larvae. The study reveals how nerve cells called proprioceptive neurons work together to help the body sense its position in space.
Research demonstrates somatosensory cortex, responsible for touch, also participates in reward learning. The findings suggest that learning and memory may permeate the brain, challenging conventional wisdom on brain function.
Researchers have pinpointed a type of cell that helps the brain navigate and remember important locations, providing insight into psychiatric disorders. The discovery focuses on VIP-expressing cells in the hippocampus, which play a key role in directing flexibility in brain activity.
Researchers create system that can reconstruct words a person hears with unprecedented clarity using speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence. The breakthrough could help people who cannot speak, such as those living with ALS or recovering from stroke, regain their ability to communicate with the outside world.
Researchers at Columbia University have uncovered a striking resourcefulness in the genome that coordinates gene regulation to detect diverse scents. By rearranging its structure in three-dimensional space, the genome generates biological diversity needed for the nose to parse an infinite number of scents.
Researchers have identified a brain region that controls both social memory and aggression, revealing a complex link between the two behaviors. The discovery sheds light on psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, where altered CA2 function may contribute to abnormal social behaviors.
Researchers discovered that small, spherical mitochondria inside brain cells help neurons grow and form proper connections. This unique shape is tied to the neuron's shape and allows for optimal calcium uptake, driving healthy axonal growth and cellular communication.
A Columbia-led team has been awarded $16.75 million from the BRAIN Initiative to study the primary visual cortex, a region crucial for making sense of visual information. The five-year project aims to bridge the gap in knowledge between theoretical and experimental neuroscience.
Researchers found that osteocalcin, a bone hormone, reverses memory loss in the aging brain by interacting with key proteins like RbAp48. Exercise may also positively affect the brain through osteocalcin release, suggesting a potential way to stave off age-related memory loss.
Researchers aim to understand the molecular signatures of Alzheimer's, CTE, and other neurodegenerative diseases by mapping the three-dimensional structures of protein tangles. This knowledge will enable the design of drug molecules that prevent tangle buildup and aid in early detection through biomarkers.
Researchers found that re-engaging the brain immediately after injury can help recover from brain damage or stroke faster. The study suggests that other primitive brain regions may be involved in touch perception and that patients could benefit from earlier reintroduction to activities.
A team of neuroscientists at Columbia University has figured out how to tease apart the many roles EGFR plays in the body. They report their findings in PLOS Genetics, solving a long-standing question about EGFR signaling and development. The study sheds light on the link between EGFR and disease, offering clues for diseases like cancer.
A study from Columbia University neuroscientists found that the human brain employs precise logic to decision-making, allowing prior knowledge to be updated based on new evidence. Participants learned to recognize and incorporate bias in a statistically optimal manner without confirmation bias.
Researchers at Columbia University identified neural-circuit activity in electric fish that enables the brain to tune out self-generated signals, allowing animals to focus on external stimuli. This mechanism may inform studies of sensory disorders like tinnitus, which disrupts the brain's ability to cancel out self-generated sounds.
Researchers manipulate neurons in the amygdala to eliminate natural craving for sweet taste, while still recognizing flavors. The findings suggest a promising area of focus for treating eating disorders by isolating emotional reactions from flavor identification.
Researchers developed a mathematical model showing that two brains can agree on new odors if both have experienced similar overlaps in scents. The model resolves long-held paradoxes about the brain's smell center and highlights an underlying elegance to the olfactory system.
A new algorithm developed by Columbia University researchers deciphers the genome's most hard-to-translate segments, providing a more complete picture of what DNA encodes. This breakthrough may help find the links between genes and disease, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and autism.
A study on Caenorhabditis elegans reveals a gene that regulates exploration and homeboding in worms, which also exists in the human genome. This gene responds to adrenaline and is linked to behavior in mice, with implications for understanding parental behavior in humans.
Researchers identified the nerve cells responsible for a fly's escape response, providing clues into comparable survival mechanisms in humans. The study's findings shed light on conditions like allodynia, where gentle touch triggers pain-like sensations.