Articles tagged with Brain Structure
Researchers at University of Utah Health discovered sustained connections between brain regions in individuals with autism. The study found that these prolonged connections may contribute to the symptoms of autism, including social dysfunction and difficulty shifting between activities.
A new study reveals that klotho acts as a shield between the brain and immune system, protecting against age-related cognitive decline. The research found that low levels of klotho in the choroid plexus lead to increased brain inflammation, which can impair brain functions.
Researchers created data-driven models of individual brains to understand how brain structure affects cognitive tasks, such as language demand. The study identifies potential strategies for enhancing performance through targeted brain stimulation.
Scientists have identified three sub-types of depression using brain imaging, including one that is unresponsive to commonly prescribed serotonin boosting drugs. The study found that childhood trauma and functional connectivity patterns in the brain play a crucial role in determining treatment effectiveness.
A new study using computational models shows promise in understanding how brain structure impacts performance on language-related tasks. The research found relationships between brain characteristics and task speed, potentially leading to advancements in treating diseases and enhancing human performance.
A study of brain lesions reveals consistent connections between regions linked to volition and agency, which are components of free will. The identified networks suggest possible underpinnings of free will and could aid studies of related neuropsychiatric disorders.
Researchers found that hospitalization, critical illness, and major infection are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. Critical illness was also linked to inflammation in the brain and systemic inflammation.
A major study from University of Sussex confirms that acts of kindness activate the brain's reward network, regardless of personal benefit. The research found distinct neural responses to altruistic and strategic kindness, with some areas more active during pure altruism.
A study of teenage twins reveals that both genetic and environmental factors shape brain activity during sleep. The findings suggest that frontal regions are under stronger environmental control, while regions towards the back of the brain are more influenced by genetics.
A study by McGill University found that confidence in speech can overcome accent bias, making accented speakers equally believable to native speakers. The researchers discovered different brain regions are activated when evaluating speech from within and outside groups.
A team of engineers and physicians at USC and UC San Francisco developed a novel decoding technology that can predict mood variations from neural signals in the human brain. The study may lead to new closed-loop, tailored therapies for depression and anxiety disorders.
A new study reveals that OLM cells in the hippocampus play a key role in controlling anxiety and risk-taking behavior. The manipulation of these cells can modulate anxiety and may lead to breakthroughs in treating pathological anxiety.
A recent study published in Personality Neuroscience found that certain brain regions and personality traits can help protect against depression and anxiety. Researchers identified common factors in brain structure and personality that contribute to resilience against emotional distress.
A novel brain network has been discovered that links chronic pain in Parkinson's disease to a specific region of the brain, including the subthalamic nucleus. This research provides new insights into pain processing and suggests a potential target for pain relief in PD and other neurological diseases.
Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth investigated concurrent cannabis and nicotine use on brain networks. The study found that combined use had greater connectivity compared to isolated use of either substance. These findings suggest unique contributions of cannabis and nicotine on brain network connectivity.
Recent MRI studies have revealed various neural manifestations of depression, including abnormal brain activities and white matter damage. These findings suggest that MRI biomarkers may be useful for early diagnosis and treatment outcome evaluation.
A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that women's brains are five times more extensive in damaged tissue after repeated soccer heading compared to male players. The study suggests sex-specific guidelines may be necessary for preventing soccer-related head injuries.
A study found that children who have a stronger brain response to food rewards are more likely to overeat, even when not hungry. The research suggests a way to identify brain responses that can predict obesity development and may help prevent overeating at an earlier age.
A new study published in the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior found that individuals can improve their food choices by adopting a 'health-focused' mindset during meal planning. This approach triggers activity in the prefrontal cortex, linked to self-control and future meal planning.
Researchers used natural conversations to study neuronal activity, finding that brain regions relevant to articulation reliably display activity during perception of spontaneous spoken language. This suggests a shared premotor-cortical substrate for speech production and perception.
Neuroscientists discover that dislike and dehumanization are not the same thing, processed by different brain regions. Researchers used fMRI to observe participants' brain activity while rating feelings towards groups, finding that dislike and dehumanization were distinct but often overlap.
Researchers used magnetic brain stimulation to study the interaction between brain regions and networks in language production. They found that the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) plays a critical role in integrating and segregating communication between brain networks, particularly in open-ended language tasks.
A human neuroimaging study found that the brain creates perceptual illusions when speech is degraded due to prior expectations. The study suggests that predictive coding plays a crucial role in speech perception, with reduced activity in the left superior temporal sulcus associated with misperception.
A study discovered rapid recruitment of auditory-to-motor cortical pathways when participants played or passively listened to learned melodies. Brain connectivity between motor and auditory areas was also associated with training success, suggesting potential implications for rehabilitation strategies based on audio-motor learning.
Researchers created personalized brain models using The Virtual Brain platform, accurately predicting the effects of tumors on brain connectivity. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for integrating neuroimaging data with virtual brain modeling to enhance surgical planning.
Middle-aged adults with lower socioeconomic status exhibit less organized functional brain networks and reduced cortical gray matter thickness compared to those with higher SES. The study suggests that SES influences brain anatomy and network organization across adulthood, playing a role in age-related brain decline.
Researchers found that brain regions responsible for understanding what we see have trouble communicating with other brain networks, increasing risk of mental illness. This breakdown may help target interventions and therapies.
A study found that changes in brain networks can predict psychosis in high-risk patients. Cortical folding was analyzed to identify potential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis.
Scientists have identified distinct subclasses of pyramidal cells in the subiculum, a region crucial for memory and navigation. These subclasses are associated with processing local and global cues, shedding light on the neural mechanisms underlying spatial recognition.
Researchers at McLean Hospital have identified a method to predict depressed patients' treatment prognosis by analyzing brain activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. The study showed that patients with higher activity before treatment are more likely to respond positively, allowing clinicians to tailor treatment approaches.
A new study led by University of Arizona cognitive scientist Aneta Kielar found that people with primary progressive aphasia, a rare dementia, can recruit intact areas of the brain to decipher sentences. This brain compensation offers hope for developing targeted treatments for PPA.
Researchers discovered that patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia use different brain regions to process language, compensating for damaged areas. This finding holds hope for targeted treatments and earlier disease assessments.
A study by Case Western Reserve University researchers found a link between impaired brain coordination and attention deficit disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. The study revealed that the ErbB4 gene helps coordinate brain regions to maintain attention.
Salk Institute scientists discover brain's memory storage is dynamic, with some synapses growing larger and others shrinking as a result of learning. This balance allows for increased overall storage capacity, enabling the brain to store more information.
A study found that iron-deficient piglets exhibit reduced iron content and structural deficiencies in key brain regions, including the hippocampus. After iron supplementation, these deficits persisted, highlighting the long-lasting impact of early-life iron deficiency on brain development.
Researchers discovered that individual neurons fight back to maintain signaling between brain regions, slowing disease progression in glaucoma. This finding suggests a potential new therapeutic approach to preserve vision and slow degeneration in age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes discovered that fast-spiking interneurons play a fundamental role in brain plasticity, improving procedural learning and potentially linked to psychiatric diseases. The study found that these neurons act like gatekeepers for plasticity, restricting changes in connection strength between neurons.
Researchers at WashU Medicine found that temporarily shutting off neuronal signals to a healthy part of the brain may aid stroke recovery. Mice with clipped whiskers showed improved recovery of right forepaw use, while those with intact whiskers had limited improvement.
A new study published in Cell Reports reveals the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) is crucial for maintaining balance in mice. The LVN triggers a two-step response to keep the animal steady, widening its center of gravity and strengthening limb muscles and joints.
A study using functional MRI data from 163 participants found a functional brain network associated with creativity involving the default mode, executive, and salience networks. The strength of this network's connectivity was linked to an individual's creative ability score.
Researchers developed a probabilistic modeling approach using artificial intelligence techniques to predict seizure-generating brain regions from non-seizure data. This could significantly improve the accuracy and reduce the time needed for identifying these regions, potentially transforming the field of epilepsy surgery.
Researchers found the subthalamic nucleus is responsible for detecting unnatural android movements, similar to Parkinson's disease. This study improves understanding of both android design and Parkinson's pathology.
Researchers found that Costa Rican paper wasps' brains follow biological rule when overall brain size increases, but specific subregions don't. Complex brain structures like mushroom bodies and antennal lobes decrease in proportional size in smaller-bodied wasps.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new brain mapping technique that highlights the relationship between brain connectivity and IQ. The study found a significant link between the density of connections in higher-order brain regions and individual intelligence.
The primate brain's anterior medial patch uses a combinatorial code to adjust neuron firing rates for face recognition. This coding mechanism is also found in the fruit fly olfactory system.
Scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a significant link between mitochondrial changes and cocaine addiction. By blocking these changes, researchers were able to reduce cocaine-induced behavior in mice.
A study published in Schizophrenia Research found a positive association between corpus callosum integrity and musical aptitude, while reduced integrity was linked to hallucination proneness. Researchers suggest that musical training could potentially counteract an individual's predisposition to hallucinations.
A study published in Brain Connectivity found significant differences in functional architecture and interactivity of the default mode network in adolescent and young adult males with autism spectrum disorder compared to those without ASD. These findings could lead to the development of new imaging-based diagnostic markers for autism.
A new web-based application called NeuroExpresso provides a comprehensive catalogue of brain cell type data, helping to better define their functions and properties. The tool uses marker genes to estimate cellular composition of mouse and human tissue.
According to University of Illinois psychology professor Aron Barbey, the brain's ability to flexibly transition between network states is crucial for general intelligence. This flexibility involves forming and reforming connections in response to changing needs, supporting both crystallized and fluid intelligence.
A study of prairie vole relationships finds that males who drink alone spend less time with their partner, whereas those who drink together or not at all huddle longer. This suggests that discordant drinking can directly affect prairie voles' relationships.
New brain stimulation techniques offer safer, targeted means to study brain function, improve memory, and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. These advancements have the potential to reach areas deeper in the brain, deliver customized stimulation, and study diseases in new ways.
Researchers have developed Neuropixels probes, thin silicon devices that record the activity of hundreds of neurons in mice and rats. This technology will allow scientists to understand complex neural networks and potentially lead to new treatments for diseases like depression and Alzheimer's.
Researchers used neurostimulation to activate brain regions associated with face and color processing, inducing illusory faces and rainbows in a patient. The findings suggest functional and anatomical specificity of these brain regions.
A NIH study found that infant cries activate specific brain regions related to movement and speech in mothers worldwide. Consistent behaviors across cultures suggest hard-wired reactions to infant cries.
A new study by Rice University researchers reveals a strong negative correlation between the brain's flexibility and modularity, with highly modular brains showing low flexibility. The study presents a theoretical framework to explain this relationship, suggesting that flexibility and modularity tap into different cognitive processes.
High-modularity brains excel at simple tasks, while low-modularity brains outperform on complex tasks. The study's findings suggest that brain modularity impacts cognitive function and has implications for understanding the brain as a network.
Researchers found that video game genres impact cognitive training, with strategy games offering unique benefits for memory and processing speed. Strategy games were associated with improved white matter connectivity in brain regions related to memory, while action games were linked to a brain region governing mood.
Researchers found that female mice brain structures organize sex and aggressive behavior differently, with separate cell groups controlling each. In contrast, male mice brain circuits overlap in controlling both behaviors, suggesting a fundamental difference in brain organization between sexes.
Researchers have found a subgroup of neurons in mice that drive the critical instinct of thirst, which decreases with increased water consumption. These neurons are connected to other brain regions and play a direct role in regulating thirst drive through goal-directed actions.