Articles tagged with Systems Neuroscience
Harvard University neurobiologists have created mice that can detect light using optogenetics, a breakthrough tool for understanding the neural basis of olfaction. The study reveals how the brain processes odors and sheds light on the temporal organization of sensory information.
The study reveals that rodent brains contain working navigational neurons from birth, with different cell types maturing over time. This finding suggests that the sense of direction may be innate, but experience also plays a role.
Researchers found that our brains use the timing of visual input to recognize objects, even when they appear differently. By analyzing neural activity in monkeys, they demonstrated that the brain can learn to confuse similar images through temporal contiguity, leading to improved object recognition.
Studies found that music and language rely on common processes in the mind, including two memory systems: one for rules and syntax, and another for memorized melodies. The discovery opens new avenues of research into the relationship between language and music.
Researchers have identified a circuit diagram that allows movement information from one hemisphere to reach the H2 cell in the opposite hemisphere, enabling the fly to differentiate its own movement from environmental movement. The study found that the HSE cell directly and the CH cell indirectly provide input to the H2 cell.
The Smart Sensor Enabled Neural Threat Recognition and Identification (SENTRI) system uses software developed by Dr. Ted Berger to recognize suspicious noises. It can distinguish between gun fire and other noises, as well as small-arms fire from heavy weapons.
Researchers found that paying attention to a sudden sound improves ability to see visual stimuli, suggesting a stronger linkage between sight and hearing. The study provides insights into normal brain activities and may lead to better understanding of attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia.
Scientists use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to separate expectation and perception, revealing the role of the posterior parietal cortex in funneling expectations into the visual cortex. This breakthrough may shed light on attention deficits after brain injury and inform rehabilitation strategies.
Researchers found that aging by itself does not impact brain systems crucial for learning and memory, but combining old age with pre-existing brain damage leads to severe issues. This study has significant implications for understanding Alzheimer's disease and dementia in humans.
Two distinct brain regions are activated by faces, one specializing in rapid face recognition and the other responding to eye and mouth movements, which convey important social signals. This complex process involves multiple brain areas working together to extract essential information related to social communication.
A study by UPMC researchers found that serotonin receptors in the brain decline by 55% with age, even after accounting for normal aging changes. This decline may contribute to the development of depression and Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the need for effective treatments.
Male sparrow brains grow larger when housed with females, with increases of 15-20% in brain regions controlling song production. Social cues influence the birds' breeding efforts and song behavior, revealing new insights into the avian brain's plasticity.
A study by Morris Moscovitch finds that face recognition occurs in a distinct brain system, separate from object recognition. Despite difficulties with recognizing common objects, the ability to identify faces remains intact.
Researchers from Emory University and UCLA identified a brain region responsible for recalibrating eye-hand coordination in response to visual distortions. The posterior parietal cortex area PEG was found to be selectively activated during the process, suggesting its role in visuomotor recalibration.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered a natural brain chemical called orphanin FQ (OFQ) that counteracts the effects of opioids. This finding provides hope for developing new therapies to alleviate opioid-related side effects and treat addiction.