Articles tagged with Motor Circuits
Researchers identify brain circuit that supports flexible behavior, but is hijacked by cocaine to drive repetitive actions. Activating or suppressing opposing neural pathways can either promote rigid behavior or interrupt cocaine-driven repetitive behavior.
A study found that singing mice didn't evolve a bigger brain or new neural connections to produce complex songs. Instead, their brains roughly tripled the number of neurons connecting the mouth-movement control center with target regions for hearing and vocalizations.
A new study reveals that astrocytes actively participate in motor-learning circuit rewiring by eliminating synapses in the striatum. The research identifies MEGF10 as a key molecular mediator of this process, which is regulated by dopamine signaling and neural activity.
Researchers proposed a four-level modulation strategy for dual three-phase open-winding PMSM drives, achieving higher efficiency and lower current harmonics. The proposed strategy reduces average current THD by more than 29% and switching frequencies by up to 90%.
Chong Xie and his team at Rice University have won a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop an implantable neural electrode system for high-resolution, long-term neural recording and stimulation. The project aims to improve the resolution of existing devices by increasing the density of neurons sampled.
Researchers create detailed wiring diagram of motor circuits in fruit flies, revealing complex nerve coordination for leg and wing movements. The study advances understanding of how the central nervous system coordinates individual muscles for various behaviors.
Researchers at RIKEN Center for Brain Science discovered neural circuitry in the spinal cord that enables brain-independent motor learning and recall. The study found two critical groups of neurons: one necessary for new adaptive learning and another for recalling adaptations once learned.
Researchers discovered a class of cerebellar inputs, called climbing fibres, are essential for associative learning to occur. These
Researchers found a brainstem region that regulates breathing rhythm, ensuring breathing remains dominant over speech. The circuit also involves premotor neurons in the hindbrain region called the retroambiguus nucleus (RAm), which are activated during vocalization.
A new approach to PTSD treatment may involve targeting cerebellar inhibitory interneurons, which play a critical role in fear memory formation. The research found that these interneurons drive fear memory consolidation via learning-induced HCN plasticity.
A WVU researcher is studying corollary discharge circuits in fruit flies to better understand how the brain integrates sensory information and coordinate movement. The goal of this research is to shed light on human disease and human performance, with potential applications for improving fighter pilot safety.
A new study by neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute finds that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and motor cortex collaborate to update understanding and behavior when a task requires more steps. The ACC helps M2 adjust to new rules, but reduced activity leads to increased negative outcome encoding cells' activity in M2.
The study reveals that top-down information from the higher-order motor cortex to the primary motor cortex is crucial for motor learning, while newly formed synapses in the thalamus store acquired motor memories. This challenge to the widely held view suggests a two-step process for motor skill learning.
A new AI system uses artificial neural networks to recognize objects more accurately and stably, despite changing visual inputs. The system mimics human eye movements to improve machine vision capabilities, reducing errors in self-driving cars and other applications.
Researchers have identified three distinct brain circuits in the thalamus that contribute to Parkinson's disease symptoms, including motor dysfunction and depression. By manipulating these circuits, they were able to reverse Parkinson's symptoms in mice, suggesting potential new therapeutic targets.
Researchers found a correlation between Parkinson's gene alpha-synuclein and vocal production in zebra finches. The study suggests that this link could lead to earlier diagnoses and treatments for Parkinson's patients.
Researchers identify a neural circuit in midbrain, thalamus, and cortex that orchestrates neuronal activity to trigger planned movement. The discovery has important clinical implications for motor disorders like Parkinson's disease.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen has made significant breakthroughs in treating Parkinson's disease by targeting specific neurons in the brainstem. By stimulating excitatory neurons in the caudal area of the pedunculopontine nucleus, researchers were able to restore normal walking function in mice with Parkinson's symptoms.
Researchers used zebrafish to study spinal cord development and its role in controlling new movements, discovering patterns of neural activity that can be applied to human locomotor activities like walking and swimming. The study aims to improve treatments for movement disorders by identifying target neurons for restoration.
Researchers studied the brain activity of singing male and female plain-tailed wrens, discovering that they synchronize their duets by inhibiting the song-making regions of their partner's brain. This inhibition allows for a seemingly telepathic performance, with the birds becoming a single entity through sensory linkages.
A study published in Nature reveals that a specific region of the brainstem is responsible for various fine motor activities of the forelimbs. The researchers used optogenetic and viral methods to mark neurons and observe their activity, identifying four neuronal subpopulations correlated with specific functions.
A study co-led by John H. Martin found that genetic mutations in the Bax/Bak pathway affect neural motor skills development in infant mice. The researchers discovered that disruptions in this pathway hinder the formation of proper connections between the brain's motor cortex and spinal cord.
Researchers found that practicing movements at different speeds improves certain nerve functions, particularly for patients with spasticity after a stroke or spine injury. The study suggests tailoring physical therapy routines to reflect the type of neural circuit controlling the movement for optimal rehabilitation outcomes.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new role for motor neurons in influencing rhythmic movements. Motor neurons directly control the recruitment of upstream excitatory interneurons via gap junctions, indicating they are not passive recipients of signals from interneuronal circuits.
The MIT model suggests that neurons constantly change connections to explore many possible solutions, but with a balance between hyperplasticity and low signal-to-noise ratio. This allows the brain to learn new skills while retaining previously learned ones, especially if they are not similar.
Researchers developed a diagram of the brain circuitry enabling interplay between motor system and auditory system. This discovery could provide insight into schizophrenia and mood disorders, where individuals hear voices others do not.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have identified a new brain circuit controlling whisker movements in newborn mice. The circuit reveals how motor neurons integrate inputs from the LPGi region of the brainstem to enable voluntary whisking behaviors, shedding light on neural control of finger movements in humans.
Researchers discover that spinal muscular atrophy results from motor circuit dysfunction, not motor neuron or muscle cell dysfunction. The study identifies a novel molecular pathway and proposes potential therapies involving potassium channel blockers.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes establish a connection between brain circuits and Parkinson's disease symptoms, identifying a potential treatment strategy. By activating specific pathways, they can mimic Parkinson's-like symptoms and even restore motor function in mice with dopamine deficiency.
Young songbirds babble before learning to sing, using two separate brain pathways for learning and production. Disabling these pathways reveals surprising similarities with human learning behaviors.
A study published in Neurology found that reading ability is a protective factor against the negative effects of lead exposure on the brain. Workers with higher reading levels showed less cognitive decline compared to those with lower reading abilities.