Researchers studied visual restoration therapy for stroke patients, finding that the training induces specific changes in brain activity. The study demonstrates a potential for visual therapy in partially-blind stroke patients and provides an important starting point for understanding its effectiveness.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have developed an attention training program that can help older adults block out distractions and improve concentration. The study found that brain activity in areas related to sight and sound increased, while performance on a task improved after the eight-week training.
Indiana University neuroscientists Olaf Sporns and Christopher Honey found that the brain's spontaneous activity is shaped by its wiring diagram. Their computational model of a macaque monkey's brain shows how fluctuations in activity emerge from chaotic neural interactions, revealing rich temporal structure at multiple time scales.
Researchers found that three months of Vipassana meditation improved ability to detect a second target within the typical attentional blink window. Meditation reduced brain activity associated with seeing the first target, allowing more resources for the second target.
Researchers have identified how the brain's dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) compensates for disruption caused by a stroke. The study found that the PMd in the intact hemisphere increases activity to 'rescue' function in the damaged hemisphere, leading to recovery of movement.
A recent study by Carnegie Mellon scientists found that a mouse brain can significantly compensate when limited to sensing the world through one whisker. The results provide new understanding of brain adaptability in response to sensory deprivation, which can be applied to stroke or traumatic brain injury treatment.
Scientists have developed a new method to read brain activity patterns associated with specific thoughts, enabling the decoding of secret intentions. The technique, called multivariate pattern recognition, combines brain imaging data with sophisticated computer algorithms to predict subjects' decisions.
The study found that the brain's reward centers are activated when thinking about potential gains, but turned down for potential losses. Neural activity in areas such as the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum is more sensitive to possible losses than gains, predicting individual differences in risk-aversion.
Neuroscientists at Duke University mapped neural activations for focused attention, shedding light on brain regions and timing involved. The study may aid clinicians addressing attention-related problems in conditions like schizophrenia and ADHD.
A new study by Northwestern University researchers shows that the brain learns to differentiate between similar smells simply through passive experience. Prolonged sensory exposure induces 'expertise' in specific smell categories, leading to improved odor discrimination and retention of this expertise for at least 24 hours.
A Northwestern University study uses EEG measures to show how attention alters brain activity, revealing that paying attention makes brain responses to stimuli more coherent. This synchronization enables a stimulus to stand out and guides behavior.
Researchers found an imbalance of activity in the right and left frontal areas of the brain, indicating a dysregulation in emotion and motivation systems. This imbalance may be genetically based and is similar to patterns seen in individuals with depression.
A new study from the University of Michigan Health System suggests that hormone therapy may help retain certain memory functions in postmenopausal women. The research found increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex of participants taking combined estrogen-progestin hormone therapy, compared to those on placebo.
Researchers discovered a neural signature in bilingual individuals, showing increased brain activity in both left and right hemisphere language regions. The study suggests that bilingual brains process languages more efficiently than monolingual brains.
Adults with autism exhibit differences in coordinated neural activity, suggesting inefficient communication between brain regions. Researchers found abnormal connectivity patterns in the left hemisphere and decreased connections between frontal lobes and rest of autistic brain.
Researchers discovered that food anticipation activates key hunger centers in the brain, while satiety circuits respond to the first bites of food. The study sheds light on the intricate processes governing appetite regulation and suggests a potential link between hormones like leptin and brain activity.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis used brain imaging to identify the most effective memory techniques, finding that visual inspection and verbal elaboration improved memory performance. The study also found individual differences in learning strategies were associated with distinct brain activity patterns.
A new UCLA study found that brain activity responds differently to opposition candidate's face depending on the viewer's party affiliation. The brain's cognitive networks regulate emotions in response to opposing candidates' faces, with increased negative feelings toward opponents and positive feelings toward favorites.
Researchers found that women's brains responded with stronger electrical activity when viewing erotic images than non-erotic content, regardless of its pleasantness or disturbance level. The study suggests that the brain processes erotic material differently, potentially due to evolutionary factors.
Researchers used fMRI to monitor brain activity in pairs during a social exchange game, revealing a new 'social agency map' that tracks responsibility in social exchanges. The study improves understanding of psychiatric and developmental disorders with broken social capacities.
The study found that hand function is directly related to brain activity and that changes in the brain well after the stroke are paralleled by changes in physical ability. Interventions like muscle vibration and mental practice can enhance motor cortical output, leading to improvements in hand use.
A new study reveals that mental preparation involving inward focus of attention promotes insight even prior to the presentation of a problem. Brain activity patterns before problem solving, as measured by EEG and fMRI, differ between those who solve problems with insight and methodically.
Researchers identify specific brain function responsible for counting 'how many' versus 'how much', a major finding in understanding dyscalculia. The discovery could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of the learning disability, similar to recent breakthroughs in dyslexia.
Neural activity prior to an event can predict whether it will be remembered, according to a new study by UCI neuroscientist Michael Rugg. The study found distinct neural patterns that indicate whether words would be recalled in a later test.
Researchers at University College London discovered that brain activity before an event is linked to memory recall. The study used EEG scans to show that preparing the brain for a task can enhance long-term memory, and that this preparation can be done by being 'in the right frame of mind' and staying alert between cues.
Researchers found that low-dose MDMA had no effect on brain activity when no music was played. However, loud music increased the negative impact of low-dose MDMA and high-dose MDMA on brain activity. Brain activity returned to normal in rats not exposed to music after a day.
Dyslexic children exhibited different patterns of brain activity when performing language tasks related to spelling, but their brains normalized after receiving specialized instruction. The study found that a developmental approach to teaching spelling was most effective in improving dyslexic children's spelling skills.
Researchers found that individuals carrying the Epsilon4 allele showed reduced activation in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. This suggests that these individuals may be at risk for Alzheimer's disease and could potentially benefit from early interventions designed to delay or prevent its onset.
Researchers developed a new method to study mental time travel by analyzing brain scanning data. They showed participants images and then asked them to recall what they had seen, using computerized pattern-recognition program to track brain activity patterns. The results suggest that memory retrieval is a form of mental time travel.
Researchers found that older adults increase activation in control-related brain regions and additional frontal brain areas when faced with difficult tasks. In contrast, young adults tend to deactivate certain brain regions. These findings suggest that older adults can adapt to challenging situations, although their brains may respond ...
Researchers used a novel method to monitor brain activity during blinking, finding that brain areas responsible for visual input are temporarily suppressed. This neural mechanism may help prevent the brain from becoming aware of the eyelid sweeping down over the pupil during a blink.
A new brain scan study found that smokers who experience intense cravings exhibit heightened sensitivity to smoking-related images. The researchers suggest that these findings may lead to the development of diagnostic tests and personalized quitting methods for smokers.
A study by Clifford and Harris found that an 'invisible' image can influence the appearance of an image in the other eye, suggesting signals from the invisible image travel to the brain's occipital lobe. This challenges the long-held belief that the occipital lobe is the seat of visual consciousness.
Researchers Marcel Just and Tom Mitchell use computer models to interpret fMRI brain scans, developing a computational theory of brain activity during language processing. They also demonstrate how reading different words and sentences influences brain activity and identify specific brain regions involved in language comprehension.
A recent study found that nicotine can eliminate the differences in brain activity between men and women during hostile or impulsive acts. Brain imaging research conducted by UCI showed that when participants were given nicotine, the brain-metabolism activity was virtually identical for both sexes.
The study, led by Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, demonstrates the ability to distinguish patterns of brain activity in awake animals, including fleeting changes during sleep stages. The new analytical technique enables unprecedented insights into the healthy brain and neurological diseases like epilepsy and Alzheimer's.
Researchers discovered that brain activity in the hippocampus, a key learning center, correlates with improved memory performance after sleep. Spatial memories were found to be strengthened during slow wave sleep, suggesting that sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating recent memory traces.
Researchers at Purdue University found that adults who stutter process language differently than those who don't, even when not speaking. The study, published in August, measured brain electrical activity and response time to find complex interactions between language and motor systems.
Researchers found that virtual reality significantly reduces pain-related brain activity, with drops of up to 97%. The study used specialized magnetic resonance imaging to track brain activity and showed a significant change in conscious perception of pain when virtual reality was used.
Researchers found that students can quickly learn and recognize words in a new language, with brain activity showing rapid changes after just 14 hours of instruction. This contradicts the common notion that learning a second language is difficult and time-consuming.
Recent research from MIT found that brain activity does not increase when switching between tasks quickly, indicating that there are no complicated mechanisms for multitasking. Instead, individuals must complete one task before moving on to the next, a finding with implications for our understanding of cognitive processes.
Researchers discovered that tactile input affects how we perceive rotating objects, suggesting a link between touch and object motion perception. Brain activity studies revealed increased activity in regions processing visual motion when subjects experienced both touch and sight simultaneously.
Research by Mark Jung-Beeman and colleagues found increased neural activity in the right temporal lobe when solving problems with insight, suggesting a distinct computational and neural mechanism. This suggests that creative thinking relies on at least one unique brain process that involves reinterpretation and integration of information.
Researchers found that Tourette syndrome patients' brain activity during memory tasks normalized after receiving levodopa treatment. The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging and showed increased activity in certain brain regions, which decreased after treatment.
A six-month aerobic exercise program improved cognitive performance on a decision-making task in older adults by reducing behavioral conflict. The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure changes in brain activity in middle-frontal and superior parietal regions, which were associated with improved performance.
A Carnegie Mellon statistics student has developed a method to mitigate noise in brain imaging, allowing for clearer pictures of brain activity. This technique could lead to more efficient experimental procedures and pave the way for more challenging experiments.
A new study from University of Wisconsin-Madison found that mice denied access to a running wheel showed higher levels of neuronal stimulation in certain brain regions, indicating motivation to run. This suggests that some animals may have an addictive nature towards exercise.
Researchers used fMRI to study brain activity in response to Western and traditional Chinese music. They found no overall differences in brain activation between cultures, but significant differences based on musical training. Musicians showed greater brain activity in response to Western music and greater recall of both styles.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that individuals with greater activity in the left side of the prefrontal cortex had a stronger immune response against disease. The researchers measured brain activity and immune function in 52 individuals between 57-60 years old, and found a positive corre...
Duke University researchers found that individual clusters in the visual cortex do not specialize in recognizing specific combinations of stimulus features. Instead, they respond to a broad range of stimulus combinations predicted by spatial and temporal properties of the visual stimulus.
Researchers used PET scans to predict treatment response in OCD and depression patients, finding distinct brain activity patterns associated with improvement. The study demonstrates the potential of functional brain imaging to tailor psychiatric care, with implications for accelerating treatment discovery.
Researchers have found a link between improved memory and the use of neurofeedback, with volunteers showing a significant increase in recall from 70.6% to 81.6%. Neurofeedback allows individuals to watch their brain activity and learn to control it, leading to improved cognitive performance.
A study found that a quadriplegic individual's brain preserves its ability to 'feel' and 'move' despite severe spinal cord injury. The findings indicate stability in the brain's motor patterns, suggesting a small portion of the spinal cord may still be intact.
A study by Northwestern University found that aging slows brain activity in language areas, particularly in the left front lobe and parietal cortex. However, this decrease is associated with increased processing efficiency, as older adults perform equally well on language tasks compared to younger counterparts.
A new study demonstrates that learning and speech therapy can alter the way compensatory pathways in the brain work after a stroke. The research supports the hypothesis that brain pathways in the right hemisphere are directly involved in the recovery of language skills.
A new device called SARA has been developed to detect fetal brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and light stimulation. The study found that 4 of 10 fetuses had measurable brain responses to light pulses, with the response time decreasing with increasing gestational age.
Researchers have developed a new technique to record visual evoked brain activity in human fetuses, using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Four out of ten fetuses showed brain responses to visual stimuli, paving the way for further studies on neurological development.
Researchers discovered that damaged brains can reorganize and compensate for damage by engaging new systems to perform memory tasks. This finding has implications for the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, highlighting the potential benefits of brain imaging studies in tracking changes and understanding recovery.
A new study suggests that routine overnight EEG monitoring is unwarranted for autistic children, as the incidence of Landau-Kleffner syndrome is miniscule. The study found that only a small percentage of patients with autism spectrum disorder exhibit abnormal EEGs during sleep.
Researchers found that watching classic horror films improved reasoning and intelligence, while anxious moods hindered performance on difficult tasks. The prefrontal cortex region was jointly influenced by mood state and cognitive task, suggesting a regulatory role in integrating emotional signals with cognition.