Thalamus News and Research

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The Thalamus is an area of the brain that helps process information from the senses and transmit it to other parts of the brain.

Researchers settle 60-year debate on the fundamental mechanisms of visual perception

A scientific dispute spanning six decades about fundamental mechanisms of visual perception in mammals has now been settled. Researchers at TUM have succeeded in observing the visual information flow from neuron to neuron.

2 Apr 2026

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for chronic pain treatment

A new map of a brain circuit specific to chronic pain suggests a promising route to treatment for the roughly 60 million Americans living with persistent pain, according to a study published in Nature.

1 Apr 2026

Key gene mutation disrupts the brain’s ability to update beliefs in schizophrenia patients

One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is difficulty incorporating new information about the world. This can lead patients to struggle with making decisions and, eventually, to lose touch with reality.

18 Mar 2026

Wearable sensors as a tool for MS monitoring

Wearable sensors may help identify people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are more likely to have worsening disability and loss of brain volume, according to a study published on March 4th, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Mar 2026

AI-powered tool automatically segments human brainstem white matter bundles

Small and dense but filled with vitally important neural fibers, the brainstem has been hard for brain imaging technologies to dissect.

9 Feb 2026

MRI scans reveal human brain growth from pregnancy through birth

Analyzing brain growth across pregnancy and early life, this study offers new insights into sex-specific development and its implications for neurodevelopment.

3 Feb 2026

Study uncovers a neural brake that limits motivation during unpleasant situations

Most of us know the feeling: maybe it is making a difficult phone call, starting a report you fear will be criticized, or preparing a presentation that's stressful just to think about.

9 Jan 2026

Altered stress signaling helps explain relapse in alcohol use disorder

A new study by Scripps Research reveals that alcohol dependence disrupts two signaling pathways in a stress-related part of the brain-and offers insights on developing drugs to treat this condition.

22 Dec 2025

Missing piece of myelin results in slower, less consistent signal transmission to the brain

Our nerve cells are surrounded by a protective layer (myelin). This protective layer allows signals to pass between cells incredibly quickly.

11 Dec 2025

Doctors warn about cardiovascular dangers from excessive energy drink use

Downing several strong energy drinks every day may pose a serious stroke risk, doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports, after treating an otherwise fit and healthy man in his 50s with a daily 8-can habit and exceedingly high blood pressure.

9 Dec 2025

WSU researchers discover how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit – or a connection between two brain regions – drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

9 Dec 2025

Personalized brain stimulation approach shows promise for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new, personalized approach to deep brain stimulation (DBS) for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.

20 Nov 2025

Systematic analysis reveals psilocybin's impact on obsessive-compulsive behaviors

A systematic review published today in Psychedelics by Mr. James Gattuso and colleagues at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health synthesizes clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive-compulsive behaviors, revealing consistent therapeutic potential across human patients and validated animal models.

29 Oct 2025

New computer model lets researchers simulate how brain circuits make decisions

Every day, your brain makes thousands of decisions under uncertainty. Most of the time, you guess right. When you don't, you learn. But when the brain's ability to judge context or assign meaning falters, thoughts and behavior can go astray.

22 Oct 2025

Tailored deep brain stimulation offers new hope for hard-to-treat epilepsy

Doctors and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have developed a new treatment for epilepsy patients who don't respond to medication and aren't candidates for surgery. Their approach, published today in Nature Communications, uses deep brain stimulation (DBS) that is tailored to each patient's unique brain wiring.

21 Oct 2025

CogLinks model reveals how the brain adapts to changing rules

18 Oct 2025

New computer model sheds light on how brain circuits support flexible thinking

Every day, your brain makes thousands of decisions under uncertainty. Most of the time, you guess right.

16 Oct 2025

Ancient lead exposure may have shaped human evolution and language

A groundbreaking international study changes the view that exposure to the toxic metal lead is largely a post-industrial phenomenon.

15 Oct 2025

Deep brain stimulation shows promise in reducing severe stuttering

While stuttering was believed to have purely psychological causes up until about 30 years ago, scientists today attribute it to a variety of factors capable of contributing to its development.

9 Oct 2025

Scientists uncover 53 genetic clues that shape math ability beyond IQ

Researchers uncovered 53 genetic loci linked to quantitative ability, distinguishing it from general intelligence and non-cognitive skills. The study highlights brain pathways in axon guidance, synaptic signaling, and mRNA splicing as biological underpinnings of math-related ability.

22 Sep 2025