Articles tagged with Thalamus
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A team of researchers has made a significant discovery about the neural mechanisms of consciousness. By stimulating the central lateral thalamus in macaques under anesthesia, they were able to wake the animals and elicit normal waking behaviors. This breakthrough sheds light on the specific area of the brain responsible for consciousness.
Researchers found structural brain connectivity changes between migraine patients and healthy volunteers, as well as between episodic and chronic migraine patients. Strengthening connectivity was observed in areas implicated in migraine's pathophysiology, while weakening connectivity patterns were seen in the temporal lobe of migraine ...
Research in mice reveals the motor cortex needs continuous feedback to generate dexterous movements, unlike other neural circuits that can operate with sustained input. The study found blocking incoming signals or disrupting rhythmic patterns impaired grasping skills, highlighting the importance of precise timing and signal processing.
A new study found that current boxers and MMA fighters experience brain volume loss in areas related to head trauma, while retired fighters show loss in areas linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The researchers found a different pattern of brain changes between younger and older athletes.
Researchers at the Allen Institute have mapped the mouse brain's neural connections, revealing an underlying hierarchy of brain circuitry. The study provides a detailed view of how neurons communicate with each other and offers insights into diseases such as Alzheimer's and schizophrenia.
Researchers at MIT have identified a brain circuit that filters out distracting sensory stimuli, allowing us to focus on our chosen input. The circuit is controlled by the prefrontal cortex and involves the basal ganglia, which play a role in controlling attention.
Researchers at George Washington University are developing a non-invasive diagnostic tool for newborn brain injury using electroencephalography (EEG). The team, led by Matthew Colonnese, aims to improve the interpretation and understanding of EEG in neonates, both preterm and term.
Researchers have identified specific neurons in the brainstem of mice that encode sweetness and convey sweet taste-specific signals. This breakthrough study reveals new information about how different taste qualities are processed by distinct types of neurons.
Researchers from UMH-CSIC Institute of Neuroscience found that the brain's somatosensory cortex is formed and functional before birth due to spontaneous electrical activity of the embryonic thalamus. This discovery suggests a critical role for thalamic waves in organizing the cortical map and shaping sensory processing.
Researchers identified the posterior tail of the dorsal striatum as a critical region for integrating sound and reward signals. The study found that signals from two parallel pathways are combined to guide behavior towards the best reward, with enhanced integration in the posterior striatum.
Researchers studied neural activity of thalamus and cerebral cortex to understand sensory perception of tactile stimuli. They found that functional interactions between neurons in these areas influence the decision on stimulus detection.
A study found that estradiol hormone therapy helps strengthen brain connections in transgender women, particularly in the thalamus area. This can lead to improved symptoms like hot flashes and sensory perception.
A team led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet neurobiologist Laura Busse investigated how the brain processes visual stimuli. They found that most types of retinal ganglion cells transmit information to the visual thalamus, but with selective processing and weighting at the first neuronal waystation.
Researchers found that activating the locus coeruleus (LC) improves sensory information transmission and perceptual performance. The study provides insights into new treatments for neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease and depression.
Researchers found that even extensive thalamus damage does not severely impair consciousness, challenging decades-old medical dogma. The study identifies a new pathway from the brainstem through the hypothalamus and basal forebrain into the cortex as critical for maintaining wakefulness.
Researchers from NERF used Neuropixels probes to measure electrical activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously, revealing that both visual cortex and thalamus are affected by movement. This discovery suggests that locomotor modulations may improve processing of fast-changing visual scenes during exploration and navigation.
A new study from MIT has found that a region of the thalamus is key to switching between rules required for different contexts. The mediodorsal thalamus suppresses irrelevant representations, protecting them as short-term memory for reactivation. This process helps maintain neural representations and enables context-dependent actions.
A team of researchers at University of Alabama at Birmingham has identified a sentinel area of the brain that may give an early warning before clinical seizure manifestations appear. An algorithm was also developed to automatically detect this early warning, allowing for neurostimulation of the sentinel area to potentially block seizures.
Researchers developed a means of tracking retinal neuron activity as it delivers visual information to the thalamus, revealing organized clusters and shared sensitivities among different types of neurons. This finding suggests the retina's version of Pointillism, where nearby dots fuse together to create diverse colors.
New study finds that eye dominance and visual acuity are governed by separate areas of the brain, making it possible to correct one without affecting the other. Researchers can now address acuity directly, bypassing normal eye dominance restoration.
A recent study published in JNeurosci found that premature babies undergoing painful procedures exhibit abnormal thalamic development and cognitive/motor impairments. Minimizing painful procedures could help promote brain health and improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.
A study at Brown University reveals a previously unknown set of matching barrel structures in the cortex, providing insight into how sensory information is processed. The discovery suggests that layer six may play a greater role than previously realized in communicating with the thalamus.
Researchers found a complicated pattern of neural activity during different time intervals, with neurons adjusting their activity depending on the required interval. The brain doesn't change the trajectory when the interval changes, it just changes the speed at which it goes from the initial state to the final state.
Scientists have discovered that the thalamus, a deep brain structure, plays a crucial role in regulating critical periods of learning and development. The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, have important implications for understanding developmental problems such as intellectual disability and albinism.
A KAIST research team has identified a new mechanism that causes the hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including tremors. The discovery presents a new perspective on three decades of conventional wisdom and opens up new avenues for alleviating motor problems.
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital found that restricting a key brain chemical, adenosine, helped adult mice learn from passive sound exposure, similar to young children. The study suggests extending the learning window in humans by targeting adenosine activity with drugs.
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes discover distinct neurons in the reticular thalamus, a region involved in attention, perception, and consciousness. The study reveals that targeting specific cell types can disrupt seizures or affect cognition and emotion.
A new study found that learning to read in adulthood reorganizes deep brain structures, including the thalamus and brainstem, which helps filter visual input. This process enhances reading capabilities, with better alignment of signal timings between brain regions leading to improved navigation through texts.
Studies in mice funded by NIH reveal thalamus sustains ability to distinguish categories and hold thoughts in mind. The structure boosts synchronous activity of PFC neurons to sustain memory of category, improving working memory performance.
A new study published in Nature finds that the thalamus strengthens connections within the prefrontal cortex, enabling it to focus attention and make decisions. This discovery has implications for understanding cognitive deficits in diseases such as schizophrenia and improving cognition by adjusting thalamic function.
Researchers have successfully manipulated optogenetics and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to capture large-scale brain-wide neural activity propagation and interaction dynamics. The study revealed dynamic network wiring in the mammalian species, challenging previous assumptions about brain connectivity.
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital identified a small RNA that regulates the production of a protein targeted by antipsychotics, providing new clues for quieting the 'voices' of schizophrenia. The microRNA was linked to disruptions in brain circuits and age-related delays in symptom onset.
Research by George Washington University researchers found a special amplifier that boosts weak neural signals in the developing brain, allowing for accurate information transfer. This unique amplification circuit is thought to be responsible for the differing levels of seizures in young and old individuals.
A 25-year-old man recovering from a coma made remarkable progress after receiving an ultrasound treatment at UCLA. The technique, called low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation, targets the thalamus to excite brain tissue and improve consciousness. Researchers plan to test the procedure on additional patients this fall.
A team of neuroscientists has mapped single neural connections over long distances in the brain, discovering that the wiring is more complex than previously thought. The results reveal connections 'skipping' layers, allowing for more efficient processing and potentially enabling specialized detection of visual features.
Researchers identified the mediodorsal thalamus as a key brain area involved in rapid information processing and decision-making. The study found that monkeys with lesions to this area struggled to adapt their behavior and make informed choices.
A study published in The Journal of Physiology found that neurons in the thalamus can be conditioned to respond to placebos in Parkinson's patients. When apomorphine was administered before a placebo, it increased thalamic neuronal activity and clinical improvement. The response lasted up to 24 hours.
Researchers at Georgia State University found no evidence of a genetic overlap between risk for schizophrenia and smaller subcortical brain volumes in a global study involving nearly 600 researchers. The study analyzed brain scans from almost 12,000 individuals worldwide to examine the genetic basis of schizophrenia.
The thalamus enhances and stores sensory information, allowing the brain to filter out important data and forward it in an amplified form. Researchers have identified the higher-order thalamus as a key player in this process, which has implications for understanding sensory perception and behavior.
Using optogenetics and other technology, researchers have for the first time precisely manipulated this bursting activity of the thalamus, tying it to the sense of touch. The work reveals that cells in the thalamus detect potential threats and quickly focus on life-or-death decisions before switching to detailed analytical processing.
Researchers altered brain activity of rats by changing firing rates of neurons in the central thalamus, waking some and putting others into unconscious states. The study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan brain activity and may guide deep brain stimulation therapies for neurological disorders.
Researchers used optogenetics, fMRI, and electrophysiology to track brain activity and show how stimulation frequencies affect arousal. They found that altering deep-brain circuit firing frequency dramatically alters forebrain activity and alertness levels.
Scientists mapped the thalamus circuitry that may be involved in neurological disorders such as autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia. The study found that inhibitory neurons in the thalamus play a critical role in filtering out distractions.
Researchers found a link between depression and the paraventricular thalamus, a previously untied region of the brain. The study used a mouse strain with mitochondrial dysfunction, which exhibited periodic depressive episodes resembling human cases.
Researchers have identified a neural pathway in the brain that predicts an animal's next move, using differential firing patterns of specific neurons. The study confirms that this pathway, involving the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, enables animals to plan their trajectory.
A new study describes how the neocortex selectively samples sensory information from the thalamus, controlling the throughput of sensory input. The researchers found that cortical neurons control thalamic neuron activity by varying signal frequency, either suppressing or enhancing it.
Researchers found an inhibitory connection between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus, crucial for cognitive functions like attention and decision-making. This discovery may help explain schizophrenia's underlying mechanisms and indicate a path to new treatments.
Research on 224 professional fighters found smaller brain volumes and slower processing speeds associated with repeated head blows. Higher Fight Exposure Scores were linked to greater cognitive impairment and mental slowing.
Researchers found that removing specific receptors affects brain boundary formation differently than expected, suggesting new molecules may be involved. This discovery sheds light on the neural network development and could lead to therapies and diagnostics for brain diseases.
A new study from SDSU found that autism affects a broad range of sensory and motor systems, not just social abilities. The research suggests that the diagnostic criteria for autism may fail to consider the full spectrum of problems children with autism experience.
The brain develops sensory regions through a combination of genetic and thalamic input. Thalamic input is essential for the differentiation of visual areas, contradicting previous dogma that genetics alone determine cortical architecture.
A new study in mice reveals that the timing of gene mutation during thalamus development significantly affects TSC-like behavioral symptoms and disease severity. The research highlights the importance of the thalamus in brain function and suggests a potential target for future treatments.
A new study found that MRI atrophy in the thalamus is a strong predictor of multiple sclerosis (MS) development and progression. Thalamic atrophy was associated with increased risk of conversion to clinically definite MS, outperforming traditional methods for evaluating patients at risk.
Researchers have found that atrophy of the thalamus is a key predictor of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients. Thalamic atrophy can help identify patients at risk for developing MS, allowing clinicians to diagnose earlier and monitor disease progression.
Researchers alter mouse brain activity to mimic schizophrenia changes, revealing a causal link between brain activity and cognitive problems in normal mice. Decreased thalamic activity disrupts communication between the thalamus and prefrontal cortex, leading to working memory deficits.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor activity in brains of sleep-deprived volunteers. The study found decreased activity in specific brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex, linked to feelings of mental fatigue. This discovery could lead to the development of new measures for assessing...
Researchers at Brown University have made the first direct measurements of cause-and-effect responses between the nonspecific thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. The study reveals that inhibitory neurons respond strongly to thalamic signals, leading to a pattern of excitation in the cortex that sustains attention and arousal over time.
A new study by the Max Planck Florida Institute found that changes in sensory experience can cause massive rewiring of the brain's connections, even in older adults. This rewiring involves fibers supplying the primary input to the cerebral cortex, a key area for sensory perception and cognition.
Researchers at UTHealth found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects the thalamus, a brain region controlling cognitive function, sensory processing, and motor skills. The study used MRI scans to compare patients with MS to healthy controls, revealing volume loss in the thalamus related to disease severity.
Researchers at KIT biologists identified key factors controlling thalamus development, enabling potential tissue replacement therapy for stroke patients. They are now developing 2D cell culture systems and 3D cultivation projects to activate these factors in undifferentiated cells.