Articles tagged with Brain Structure
Researchers at the University of Zurich studied soccer fans' neural responses to ingroup and outgroup suffering, finding that brain regions associated with empathy for others' pain are activated when witnessing an ingroup suffer. This correlates with a greater willingness to help, whereas watching an outgroup suffer leads to decreased ...
Researchers studied zebrafish brain activity to understand how the circadian clock and sleep affect synapse numbers, identifying a gene involved in regulating these changes. The study found that synaptic plasticity is recharged at night, benefiting memory and learning.
Neuroscientists found that cortical rhythms can effectively rally groups of neurons in widely dispersed regions of the brain to engage in coordinated activity. The study used data from four macaque monkeys and showed that the timing of electrical spikes was synchronized with brain rhythms occurring in distinct frequency bands.
Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a new method to track brain development in children using functional MRI scans, which may shed light on psychological and developmental disorders. The approach uses mathematical analysis to identify abnormal brain function, enabling early detection and potential treatment.
Depression is associated with dysfunction of specific brain regions involved in cognitive control and emotional response, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex. Persistent abnormalities after treatment may indicate a need for complementary therapy.
A study found that moderate exercise, such as walking, enhances brain circuit connectivity, combating age-related declines in brain function. This improved connectivity is associated with better performance on cognitive tasks like planning, prioritizing, and multitasking.
Researchers at Harvard University found that humans use the same brain circuits for complex moral decisions as those used in mundane choices. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex tracks expected moral value, integrating information on number of lives saved and probability of success. This discovery advances our understanding of how peopl...
A new study found that menstrual cramps can cause alterations in the brain's gray matter, even when pain is not present. Researchers discovered abnormal changes in specific brain areas involved in pain transmission and regulation, suggesting that the adolescent brain may be vulnerable to menstrual pain.
A major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease, with similar improvements in motor function regardless of the targeted region. The study also revealed small differences in non-motor effects such as mood and cognitive function.
Researchers disrupted activity in the right temporo-parietal junction using transcranial magnetic stimulation to impair subjects' ability to make moral judgments requiring understanding of others' intentions. This finding highlights the critical role of the TPJ in making moral judgments.
Researchers identified a distributed neural system for general intelligence, with specific brain regions and connections linked to performance on various tests. The study's findings support an existing theory about intelligence as a whole-brain function, integrating different processing abilities such as working memory.
Children with poor reading skills showed increased brain connectivity after intensive training, making significant gains in reading and potentially leading to improved treatments for developmental conditions like autism. The study suggests that behavioral training can enhance brain function and improve communication between brain regions.
A brain scan study found that active cocaine abusers can suppress activity in brain regions linked to drug craving when asked to inhibit their response. This suggests that clinical interventions designed to strengthen inhibitory responses could help prevent relapse and improve treatment outcomes.
A NJIT engineer has discovered that particles disperse rapidly on liquid surfaces due to the oscillation of particles in a phenomenon known as repulsive hydrodynamic force. The smaller the particles, the faster they move, with nanometer-sized particles reaching speeds of up to 167 kilometers per hour.
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified a brain region that strongly reacts to emotional faces and voices. The research found that the posterior superior temporal sulcus responds supra-additively to simultaneous visual and auditory emotional stimuli.
Researchers discovered that tropical paper wasps' brain structures alter to tackle complex tasks, integrating sensory inputs. The brain's dendrite network grows in complexity as the wasps transition from nest work to foraging, adapting to new environments.
Researchers discovered that learning a new task alters the brain's spontaneous activity patterns, particularly in regions involved in attention and visual processing. This 'anti-correlation' between brain areas improves task performance and facilitates future skill retrieval.
Researchers found social cognition brain activity in children as young as 6 years old, similar to adults. By age 11, the 'right tempero-parietal junction' took on a more specialized role in thinking about others' thoughts.
A new neuroimaging study finds that honest people show no additional neural activity when telling the truth, implying that extra cognitive processes are not necessary to choose honesty. In contrast, dishonest individuals exhibit increased activity in control-related brain regions when tempted to lie.
Researchers found distinct brain structure differences between queens and workers of eight New World social wasp species, linked to their respective social roles. Brain regions responded to specific challenges, such as vision and chemical communication, revealing the importance of environment in shaping brain architecture.
Researchers at MIT found that neurons in the prefrontal cortex fire in unison and send signals to the visual cortex to generate high-frequency waves associated with attention, learning, and consciousness. This neural synchrony enables communication between distant brain regions.
A brain-imaging study found that cocaine users show reduced activity in areas involved in monitoring behavior and regulating emotions, suggesting these impairments may underlie addictive vulnerability. Improving these functions could help addicted individuals resist drugs.
A new study reveals that child brains are differently organized than adult brains, but still capable of performing complex cognitive tasks. Researchers found that young brains have localized networks based on physical proximity, which transition to long-distance networks centered on functionality as children mature.
Researchers use MRI to identify brain regions that activate while at rest, potentially leading to new diagnostic tools for ADHD and other mental health disorders. By analyzing brain activity in typically developing subjects versus those with disorders, the team aims to pinpoint distinct functional differences.
A new study found that neurons in the visual word form area of the left visual cortex prefer individual real words over pronounceable nonsense words. This discovery supports experience-driven tuning of neurons to real words and provides evidence for neural plasticity beyond lower-level representations.
Research in PLOS ONE identifies early interactions between vision and language domains during reading, with the speech motor areas active simultaneously as words are processed. This finding has potential clinical applications for individuals with developmental dyslexia and acquired reading disabilities.
Studies using brain imaging have identified distinct regional vulnerabilities within five intrinsic networks, suggesting a class-wide phenomenon of network degeneration. These findings support the hypothesis that spatial patterning of disease relates to structural or physiological aspects of neural network biology.
Researchers aim to create a whole-brain circuit map in the mouse brain within two to three years, providing insights into neurodevelopmental illnesses. The project would involve tracing inputs and outputs of each area using standardized protocols and technologically feasible techniques.
Scientists have long debated the function of microsaccades, but researchers at the Salk Institute found they are actively controlled by the superior colliculus. The study reveals that individual neurons in this area are highly specific about which microsaccade directions and amplitudes they command.
A new study from McGill University finds that MCH neurons are activated during sleep and could be important in regulating the sleep state. The study provides deeper understanding of the sleep-wake cycle and vital insight into the basis of sleep disorders such as narcolepsy.
Researchers found a brain region that facilitates rapid switching between learning and remembering, improving learning efficiency. The study used fMRI to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying this process, revealing complex interactions between different brain areas.
Scientists analyze brain structure and find PHLPP enzyme silences vital cell-survival protein, leaving vulnerable cells susceptible to damage. The discovery could lead to solutions for age-related memory loss and provide insights into the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve delicate task performance by 24%, outperforming single-hemisphere and sham treatments. The study used healthy volunteers to test the effects of dual-hemisphere tDCS, showing significant benefits for non-dominant hand skills.
Researchers have discovered a persistent brain signal that never switches off, suggesting its role in supporting cognitive functions and maintaining the brain's structure. This low-frequency signal is thought to be more fundamental than previously identified gamma frequency activity.
NYU researchers discovered that critical spacing is a key parameter in brain's cortical architecture underlying object recognition. The spacing between objects determines whether they can be identified or 'crowded' and unrecognizable.
A study found that participants with greater activation in the anterior prefrontal cortex, a key brain structure for short-term memory, scored higher on intelligence tests and exhibited better self-control. This neural link suggests that improving brain function in this area may lead to increased self-control.
Researchers found that phytoestrogens from soy can cause irreversible changes in the brain's reproductive development, leading to early-onset puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause. The study also shows that these compounds can alter the sex-specific organization of the hypothalamus, a critical region for female reproduction.
Scientists have discovered that inhibiting an enzyme involved in programmed cell death can protect brain regions from neurodegeneration in living birds. The research has the potential to help develop clinical strategies for treating strokes and human age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and dementia.
Researchers used laser micro-dissection to study gene expression in the human hypothalamus, a region crucial for stress response and depression development. The study found significant changes in five genes involved in corticotrophin-releasing factor activation, which may lead to new therapeutic strategies.
A study found reduced gray matter density in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex of combat-exposed veterans with PTSD, but not their identical twins. The researchers suggest that stress exposure may cause this damage, leading to emotional consequences.
A study published in PNAS found that the brain's ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is activated when individuals infer the thoughts and feelings of people who are similar to themselves. However, this activation is not seen when considering dissimilar individuals. The research suggests that people rely on their own experiences to m...
Researchers have discovered that a brain network linked to introspective tasks is less intricate and well-connected in children, with firmer connections forming as individuals mature. This finding has implications for understanding the effects of aging, brain injuries, and conditions like autism on brain function.
Researchers at UCLA discovered a strong association between the contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) gene and autism, particularly in boys. The study found that CNTNAP2 is most active in brain regions involved with language and thought, suggesting a link to speech delay and other symptoms of autism.
Researchers discovered distinctive activity differences in specific brain areas of hypnosis-susceptible individuals, which showed suppressed or increased activity during memory suppression and recall. The study suggests that hypnosis may model forms of amnesia by affecting an early executive decision on retrieval.
A study identified ADK as a molecular link between astrogliosis and neuronal dysfunction in epilepsy. Mice engineered with less ADK were protected from chemical-induced epilepsy, suggesting an ADK-based treatment strategy for individuals with epilepsy.
Researchers have identified brain regions where speech sounds are perceived with abstract meaning, independent of sensory input. The study found two left-hemisphere speech-processing regions that code speech at an abstract level.
Advanced imaging techniques reveal that normal aging degrades bundles of axons in the central nervous system, disrupting communication between different brain regions. This decline contributes to cognitive decline and affects processing speed, executive function, and memory.
Cambridge researchers identified distinct brain patterns in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and their close family members. This discovery could lead to more accurate diagnosis and prediction of OCD risk, as well as a better understanding of the underlying causes of the condition.
Researchers have identified a brain region, the left supramarginal gyrus, that selectively amplifies behaviorally significant speech sounds. This area is involved in categorical perception, which is crucial for recognizing distinct patterns in sensory input.
Researchers found that specific brain regions show similar patterns of activity when viewing ambiguous images, implying these regions contribute to conscious experience. The study's findings may help understand disorders like dyslexia by providing insight into the functional role of motion-perception areas in the brain.
A study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals that the brain uses a mechanism in the V2 region to identify figure and background regions of an image, providing a structure for conscious perception. This mechanism enables the brain to quickly generate a foreground-background map, allowing us to focus attention on one region at a time.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have identified a brain region, the planum temporale, as responsible for perceiving 'sound space', or the location of sounds. The study found that this region is activated when subjects are not concentrating on those sounds and can represent sound locations in a non-intentional manner.
A team of researchers has identified the region in the brain responsible for perceiving sound space. The study used an improved experimental design to map the auditory spatial location center and found that the planum temporale is activated when people locate sounds in space, indicating a nonintentional representation of spatial location.
A new study found that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with altered responses in frontal-striatal areas of the brain, leading to cognitive and behavioral deficits. The research also suggests a link between prenatal alcohol exposure and an increased risk of substance-use disorders.
Researchers found evidence of two separate networks in the brain that control voluntary behavior, such as reading a word or searching for a star. These networks work independently but toward a common purpose, and understanding their dynamics may aid in treating brain injuries.
Researchers found a tight correlation between the severity of spatial neglect symptoms and the degree of impairment in communication within and between two brain networks. This study suggests that testing for communication breakdowns could improve clinical assessment and treatment of stroke and other brain injuries.
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.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered that brain region activation predicts altruistic behavior, suggesting that the ability to perceive meaningful interactions is critical for altruism.
Ghrelin, a stomach hormone, induces food intake by signaling in the brain's reward circuitry, controlling craving behavior. Blocking ghrelin may suppress feeding and seeking out food or energy.
Studies using fMRI reveal that the hippocampus integrates perceptual strands to form coherent memories. The intraparietal sulcus plays a crucial role in binding multiple features of stimuli into a common representation, essential for episodic memory formation.