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BIST researchers develop new retinal prosthesis to address visual degeneration

A healthy retina contains photoreceptor cells that convert light changes into nerve impulses, which are then carried along the optic nerve to the brain, where they are decoded into images. Diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa cause the photoreceptor cells to stop functioning, while the rest of the eye remains healthy.

24 Jan 2018

Brain activity patterns linked to clinical outcomes achieved through DBS in dystonia patients

Dystonia affects more than 500,000 people across Europe. Globally, it is the third most common movement disorder after Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.

22 Dec 2017

New scalp device delivering electric fields improves survival in patients with glioblastoma

A device attached to a patient's scalp that delivers a continuous dose of low-intensity electric fields improves survival and slows the growth of a deadly brain tumor, according to a new clinical trial led by a Northwestern Medicine scientist and published Dec. 19 in the journal JAMA.

19 Dec 2017

New device uses fast-moving fluids to insert conductive carbon nanotube fibers into the brain

Rice University researchers have invented a device that uses fast-moving fluids to insert flexible, conductive carbon nanotube fibers into the brain, where they can help record the actions of neurons.

18 Dec 2017

Pitt researchers win NIH BRAIN award to enhance sensory feedback of prosthetic devices

Our tactile senses keep us aware of our environment and are essential for the execution of natural movement. Though there have been many advances in modern prosthetic devices, the loss of sensory feedback remains an issue, and many amputees struggle with everyday movement.

18 Dec 2017

Researchers use cryptographic techniques to decode activity of motor neurons

Cracking the German Enigma code is considered to be one of the decisive factors that hastened Allied victory in World War II. Starting with clues derived from espionage, computer scientists were able to work out the rules that turned a string of gibberish characters into plain German, providing life-saving and war-shortening intelligence.

13 Dec 2017

Researchers develop molecular beacon to find hypoxic spots in real time

Areas of hypoxia, or low oxygen in tissue, are hallmarks of fast-growing cancers and of blockages or narrowing in blood vessels, such as stroke or peripheral artery disease. University of Illinois researchers have developed a way to find hypoxic spots noninvasively in real time.

8 Dec 2017

Electrodes implanted in the brain could be used to control robotic arm in amputees

A new study by neuroscientists at the University of Chicago shows how amputees can learn to control a robotic arm through electrodes implanted in the brain.

28 Nov 2017

Gelatin promotes faster healing of the blood brain barrier after injury

Researchers already know that gelatin-covered electrode implants cause less damage to brain tissue than electrodes with no gelatin coating. Researchers at the Neuronano Research Centre at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that microglia, the brain's cleansing cells, and the enzymes that the cells use in the cleaning process, change in the presence of gelatin.

6 Nov 2017

OHSU study shows better clinical outcomes for deep brain stimulation while patients are asleep

Deep brain stimulation is a long-established surgical procedure that eases the effects of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor through pulses from tiny electrodes implanted in the brain. Currently, most surgeons around the world conduct this surgery while the patient is awake.

3 Nov 2017

Neuronal cross-talk in the sleeping brain may play role in memory formation

Using an innovative "NeuroGrid" technology, scientists showed that sleep boosts communication between two brain regions whose connection is critical for the formation of memories.

30 Oct 2017

New device that fits on a key chain can accurately test for allergens

More than 50 million Americans have food allergies and often just trace amounts of allergens can trigger life-threatening reactions.

26 Oct 2017

Research findings reveal which brain region stimulates divergent behavior

Have you ever been stuck in a rut, going through the same motions day in and day out? How do you motivate to change your behavior?

24 Oct 2017

Flexible sensors can measure rhythmic contractions of the digestive tract

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have built a flexible sensor that can be rolled up and swallowed. Upon ingestion, the sensor adheres to the stomach wall or intestinal lining, where it can measure the rhythmic contractions of the digestive tract.

10 Oct 2017

Drones could help perform routine health checks in neonatal care

Drone technology is being developed to perform routine health checks remotely in a bid to reduce infection spread in neonatal care.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers create first realistic model of the heart to simulate arrhythmia

A group of researchers from MIPT and Ghent University(Belgium) has developed the first realistic model able to reproduce the complexity of the cardiac microstructure.

11 Sep 2017

First realistic heart model may help better understand onset of cardiac arrhythmias

A group of researchers from MIPT and Ghent University (Belgium) has developed the first realistic model able to reproduce the complexity of the cardiac microstructure.

6 Sep 2017

MIT engineers devise automated approach to monitor neurons

Recording electrical signals from inside a neuron in the living brain can reveal a great deal of information about that neuron's function and how it coordinates with other cells in the brain.

30 Aug 2017

Pitch intonation in voices identified by special neurons

When a word is being emphasized upon during speech, we tend to raise our pitch. Studies of voice modulation and intonations have shown that the pitch can change the meaning of the word. So, it is not always what is said, but how it is said, find researchers of a new study appearing in the latest issue of Science.

24 Aug 2017

Bionic vision restoration: could future technologies restore sight?

The brain is very plastic, which means that the brain is able to adapt to new signals. In the case of bionic vision restoration, the photoreceptors have died, the brain is not receiving anything biologically, and you are going to then send something which is artificial, prosthetic, and has been created outside the body.

21 Aug 2017