Scientists Paint a New Comprehensive Picture on How Humans Think
It is one of the most fundamental questions in neuroscience: How do humans think? Until recently, we seemed far from a conclusive answer. However, scientists…
Neuroscience
Neuroscientists Identify Brain Activity Pattern Linked to Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a brain disorder that produces hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive impairments, usually strikes during adolescence or young adulthood. While some signs can suggest that a…
Dendrites Help Explain the Unique Computing Power of Our Brain
Neurons in the human brain receive electrical signals from thousands of other cells, and long neural extensions called dendrites play a critical role in incorporating…
Researchers Explain Why Certain People Possess Amazing Memory Abilities
How do house hunters who visit 20 homes daily still recall details of the master bedroom of a specific one? Our memories can perform this…
Neuroscientists Discover Fundamental Rule of Brain Plasticity
Our brains are famously flexible, or “plastic,” because neurons can do new things by forging new or stronger connections with other neurons. But if some…
Scientists Target Brain Protein for Cure to Alcoholism
A protein in the brain that binds to alcohol could be the key to curing alcoholism, reports UH College of Pharmacy medicinal chemist Joydip Das…
Neuroscientists Link APOE4 Gene to Alzheimer’s
People with a gene variant called APOE4 have a higher risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease: APOE4 is three times more common among Alzheimer’s patients…
Scientists Identify Possible Neurobiological Home for Spiritual Experiences
Yale scientists have identified a possible neurobiological home for the spiritual experience — the sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Activity in the…
Neuroscientists Identify the First Potential Treatment for Cosmic Radiation
Planning a trip to Mars? You’ll want to remember your anti-radiation pills. NASA and private space companies like SpaceX plan to send humans to the…
Turtle and Lizard Brains Shed Light on Human Brain Evolution
Our cerebral cortex, a sheet of neurons, connections and circuits, comprises “ancient” regions such as the hippocampus and “new” areas such as the six-layered “neocortex”,…
Neuroscientists Develop Calcium-Based MRI Sensor to Monitor Neural Activity
System detects direct signals of neural activity; could reveal patterns underlying behavior. MIT neuroscientists have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensor that allows…
Machine-Learning System Replicates Human Auditory Behavior, Predicts Brain Responses
Using a machine-learning system known as a deep neural network, MIT researchers have created the first model that can replicate human performance on auditory tasks…
The Culturally Co-opted Brain: How Reading Changes the Way We Think
From a research perspective, reading and writing is a fascinating phenomenon. After all, the first writing systems date back less than 6,000 years – the…
Stabilized Supralinear Network – Software with Smarts
A computer-aided network shows how ion channels in the membrane of neurons are able to control such wide-ranging abilities as short-term memory and brain waves….
Scientists Identify Several Genes That Cause Abnormally Small Heads
Scientists have identified several genes that when mutated can cause children to be born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. But exactly how these genes…
Neurologists Track and Precisely Image Myelin Throughout a Lifetime
Myelin acts as insulation for millions of brain cells, allowing for swift and efficient transmission of signals across brain regions. Despite its crucial role, little…
Boosting TREM2 Protein Levels Improves Alzheimer’s Symptoms
Scientists have known for about five years that mutations in the gene TREM2 increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Now, UCLA researchers have…
Neurologists Identify a Genetic ‘Switch’ That Could Improve Memory
A neural circuit mechanism involved in preserving the specificity of memories has been identified by investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative…