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Study finds how decisions are relayed back into visual processing parts of the brain

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that decisions based on visual information, which involve a complex stream of data flowing forward and backwards along the brain's visual pathways, is broadcast widely to neurons in the visual system, including to those that are not being used to make the decision.

27 Jul 2021

Brain’s locus coeruleus may be a sophisticated regulator of learning and behavior

Small and seemingly specialized, the brain's locus coeruleus (LC) region has been stereotyped for its outsized export of the arousal-stimulating neuromodulator norepinephrine.

26 Jul 2021

Gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in glaucoma mouse models

A form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma, according to research supported by NIH's National Eye Institute.

23 Jul 2021

Researchers elucidate the mechanisms that facilitate accurate identification of moving images

An international collaboration elucidates the mechanisms that facilitate accurate identification of moving images. The findings have been published in Nature Communications.

22 Jul 2021

Scientists decipher the activity of the brain in deep sleep

Thanks to a unique system that decodes brain activity during sleep, a UNIGE team is deciphering the neuronal mechanisms of memory consolidation.

16 Jul 2021

Spending time outdoors has a positive effect on the brain, study shows

If you're regularly out in the fresh air, you're doing something good for both your brain and your well-being.

16 Jul 2021

Brain signals translated into speech give paralyzed man back his words

Scientists at UC San Francisco have successfully developed a "speech neuroprosthesis" device that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to text on a screen.

15 Jul 2021

Research sheds light on a new mechanism for inhibitory synapse specificity in the cortex

Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that the cell adhesion protein IgSF11 determines the layer-specific synaptic connectivity of a distinct class of cortical interneurons.

15 Jul 2021

Early life exposure to antibiotics could alter brain development

Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher.

14 Jul 2021

Sleep twitches guide metamorphosis of motor cortex in rats

Electrical activity in the motor cortex of rats transforms from redundant to complex over the span of four days shortly after birth. Sleep twitches guide this metamorphosis, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

14 Jul 2021

Modular network organization critical for persistent neural activity and brain communication

Recall a phone number or directions just recited and your brain will be actively communicating across many regions. It is thought that working memory relies on interactions between these regions, but how these brain areas interact and properly represent memory has remained a mystery.

12 Jul 2021

Scientists identify novel entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2

Scientists from the Northeastern University, China, and University of Michigan, USA, have recently identified five potential entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2. These receptors specifically express in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and have a high binding affinity for the viral spike protein.

12 Jul 2021

Researchers discover new genetic driver of autism and other developmental disorders

A research group including Kobe University's Professor TAKUMI Toru (also a Senior Visiting Scientist at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) and Assistant Professor TAMADA Kota, both of the Physiology Division in the Graduate School of Medicine, has revealed a causal gene (Necdin, NDN) in autism model mice that have the chromosomal abnormality called copy number variation.

9 Jul 2021

Study shows how learning Braille alters brain structure over time

Learning changes the brain, but when learning Braille different brain regions strengthen their connections at varied rates and time frames.

8 Jul 2021

Research can contribute to earlier diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy

Research conducted at Cruzeiro do Sul University in São Paulo, Brazil, can contribute to earlier diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy, a disorder characterized by damage to peripheral nerves, with symptoms such as pain and paresthesia (pricking, burning and numbness), mainly in the legs and feet.

7 Jul 2021

Study reveals the brain activity that underlies superagers' superior memory

As we age, our brains typically undergo a slow process of atrophy, causing less robust communication between various brain regions, which leads to declining memory and other cognitive functions. But a rare group of older individuals called "superagers" have been shown to learn and recall novel information as well as a 25-year-old.

7 Jul 2021

Brain cells snap DNA strands in numerous locations to make memories

The urgency to remember a dangerous experience requires the brain to make a series of potentially dangerous moves: Neurons and other brain cells snap open their DNA in numerous locations--more than previously realized, according to a new study--to provide quick access to genetic instructions for the mechanisms of memory storage.

6 Jul 2021

New technique identifies specific neural pathways involved in executive functions of the brain

The human brain is a wonderfully enigmatic organ, helping to juggle multiple tasks efficiently to help us get through a long day! This feature, called executive function, seats primates like us at the pinnacle of evolution.

2 Jul 2021

Study finds beneficial link between acute aerobic exercise and cognitive function

Over the past 20 years, many studies have investigated the effects of acute aerobic exercise on cognitive performance. In recent years, meta-analyses of data from these previous research studies have demonstrated that these a single bout of moderate aerobic exercise temporarily improves cognitive performance.

1 Jul 2021

Study uncovers common neural mechanism for cognitive impairment in autism and schizophrenia

Many neurodevelopmental disorders share similar symptoms, such as learning disabilities or attention deficits.

30 Jun 2021