Articles tagged with Thalamus
Researchers identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy. The study showed defective signaling between the cerebral cortex and thalamus can produce absence seizures in experimental mice.
Research suggests the thalamus acts as a center for transmitting migraine pain, regulating its intensity and sensitivity to environmental stimuli. This new understanding may lead to future treatments targeting the thalamus.
Researchers gather to share new scientific data on migraine disease, exploring its unique role of the thalamus, recent gene identification, and childhood abuse correlations. Migraine specialists welcome a new era of discovery and advancement in understanding and treating this disabling disease.
Researchers have discovered that neurons in the sensory information pathway change their firing levels to enhance discrimination between different sensations. This modification allows brains to switch from detecting an object to identifying it more accurately.
A study at Karolinska Institutet found that the dopamine system of healthy, highly creative people is similar to that of people with schizophrenia. High creative skills are also linked to a higher risk of certain mental illnesses. The study suggests a possible mechanism behind creativity and mental health.
New studies demonstrate the thalamus' importance in sensory processing, refuting its previous view as a passive relay station. The structure is found to be involved in higher-order cortical functioning, including auditory and visual systems.
Researchers identified abnormalities in nerve pathways connecting key brain areas, suggesting a possible cause of writer's cramp. The study used diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) to assess white matter changes, finding differences between patients and healthy controls.
A Rice University research team has found that damage to the ventrolateral nucleus (VL) of the thalamus can lead to cross-wiring in the brain, resulting in synesthesia. The study, led by Tony Ro, used neuroimaging and behavioral studies on a patient with a rare stroke to demonstrate the VL's role in sensory processing.
A study published in Annals of Neurology found that the ventrolateral nucleus, a deep brain area, is involved in sensory processing. Researchers used behavioral and neuroimaging studies to investigate a patient who experienced changes in sensory perception after a stroke affecting only this region.
Researchers discovered that cortical inhibitory cells suppress communication by receiving more stimulation from the thalamus and reacting strongly due to faster response time. This finding helps explain early stages of brain processing, memory, language, cognition, and sheds light on epilepsy causes.
Researchers found that nitric oxide enhances communication between the thalamus and cortex, allowing for more complex brain operations. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of major brain disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder.
The American Academy of Neurology has released new guidelines for treating essential tremor, recommending medications such as propranolol and primidone to reduce limb tremors. Surgery is also an option when drug therapy is ineffective, with deep brain stimulation found to be more effective than thalamotomy in reducing tremors
Researchers found a 31% greater number of nerve cells in the thalamus involved with emotional regulation, leading to physical enlargement and structural abnormalities in individuals with severe depression. The study suggests that brain development abnormalities are responsible for depression.
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers reveals the subplate, a transient nerve cell structure, plays a crucial role in strengthening thalamic connections to the cortex and mapping out visual wiring patterns. Without it, defects in vision development can occur, such as cerebral palsy.
A study published by the American Academy of Neurology found that deep brain stimulation significantly improved dystonia symptoms in seven patients, with three experiencing near-complete resolution. The treatment showed promise as a safe and effective therapy for previously untreatable diseases.
Researchers studied brain activity in patients with epileptic seizures to understand how synchronized gamma waves contribute to conscious perception. The studies found that synchronized fast neural activity in the sensory area is necessary for perceiving simple stimuli.
A Wake Forest research team has identified a specific brain region, the thalamus, as being 'exquisitely sensitive' to alcohol consumption. The study found that this region produces characteristic spindle brain waves during stage II sleep, which are enhanced by low doses of alcohol but reduced later in the night.
A new brain imaging study found the thalamus, a key sensory filter, is smaller than normal in people with schizophrenia from its earliest stages. This may explain why individuals experience confusion during their illness due to impaired information processing and overload in certain brain regions.
Researchers found that the thalamus, a key brain region, can remodel its connections after sensory nerves are severed, potentially leading to recovery of function after stroke or nervous system damage. The discovery sheds light on the brain's ability to reorganize and challenges scientific dogma that it is fixed after infancy.
A study at the University of Toronto has discovered a biological basis for phantom sensations experienced by amputees. The researchers found that neurons in the brain that used to represent sensation in the lost limb remain functional and are now driven by stimulation of other body parts, usually the part closest to the amputated limb.
A Wake Forest University study found that poor readers' brains differ physiologically from normal readers, with the thalamus being less active. This could lead to pre-clinical diagnosis and understanding of reading genetics, stages of reading, and potentially therapeutic interventions for dyslexia.