Pulses News and Research

RSS

Researchers identify neural hub for accurate sensory predictions

In the split second after you hear a noise, your brain is already making a potentially life-or-death deduction: Did I do that, or did something else? Our nervous systems answer this question using something called corollary discharge, a copy of a motor command that tells sensory areas what to expect from our own actions.

12 Jun 2026

New study identifies brain circuit behind TMS’s antidepressant effects

A circuit that runs from the prefrontal cortex near the front of the brain to a deeper brain structure called the insular cortex appears to mediate the antidepressant effects of a newer form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

9 Jun 2026

Researchers unravel the mechanism behind precise timing of master biological clock

Imagine a train parked at the station. Passengers climb aboard and find their seats. Conductors move up and down the aisles, checking tickets.

3 Jun 2026

New ultrasound pacemaker design promises minimal recovery time for cardiac patients

MIT engineers have developed a noninvasive pacemaker that stimulates the heart using ultrasound. The design could one day provide a surgery-free alternative to traditional cardiac implants.

2 Jun 2026

A brain-based approach may improve smoking cessation treatment success

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of reward and the ability to resist.

8 May 2026

New brain findings open pathways for understanding behavioral and neurological disorders

When danger lurks, instinct keeps us safe. It compels us to run from a burning building or wrestle a knife-wielding attacker to the ground. It also adjusts our body physiology to support these behaviors.

8 May 2026

Study reveals how magnetic stimulation repairs depression-related brain circuits

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, FDA-approved therapy that uses brief magnetic pulses to treat depression, particularly in patients who do not respond to medication.

7 May 2026

Ballroom dancers' brains sync up while moving together

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered something that experienced ballroom dancers have long known: When dancers are in tune with each other, their brains may sync up, helping them move as one.

4 May 2026

Brain blips in epilepsy can be predicted before onset

Epilepsy is best known for seizures, but many people with the condition also experience much more frequent and subtler disruptions.

30 Apr 2026

New spinal cord interface restores bladder control and sensation

Approximately 308,000 people in the United States live with spinal cord injury. Nearly all lose bladder control. And yet the vast majority of research and engineering attention in neurotech has poured into motor restoration-making paralyzed limbs move again.

30 Apr 2026

Ablation can lead to better outcomes for patients with advanced atrial fibrillation

A minimally invasive heart procedure may be a better first-line treatment than medication for people living with advanced forms of atrial fibrillation, according to a major international clinical trial led by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

27 Apr 2026

Northwestern engineers create artificial neurons that communicate with living cells

Northwestern University engineers printed artificial neurons that don't just imitate the brain - they talk to it.

15 Apr 2026

Clinical trial tests laser therapy for vaginal dryness in breast cancer survivors

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is now enrolling patients into a clinical trial aimed at helping women recover from the vaginal side effects of breast cancer treatment.

13 Apr 2026

New steerable optical fiber reaches previously inaccessible larynx tumors

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have developed a flexible optical fiber that can be threaded through a medical endoscope and steered into the larynx to destroy hard-to-reach tumors on the vocal folds, an advance that could expand outpatient laser treatment options for patients whose only other choice might be surgery under general anesthesia.

8 Apr 2026

Trial tests fast-acting brain stimulation for postpartum depression treatment

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai today announced the enrollment of its first patient in a U.S. Department of Defense-funded pivotal clinical trial to evaluate whether a fast-acting, drug-free brain stimulation therapy can safely and quickly relieve symptoms of postpartum depression.

1 Apr 2026

New research challenges traditional models of language processing

Multiple regions of the brain engage in fast-moving conversations to understand language, UTHealth Houston researchers have discovered, dispelling a prior school of thought that only one region of the brain was responsible for language processing.

1 Apr 2026

TENS therapy reduces movement pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia patients

Adding TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to outpatient physical therapy reduced movement-based pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia, and the effects lasted for at least six months, according to a new study led by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care.

27 Mar 2026