Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainWhat makes people brain distinct from that of all other animals-- including also our closest primate relatives? In an analysis of cell kinds in the prefrontal cortex of 4 primate species, Yale researchers identified species-specific-- particularly human-specific-- features, they report on Aug. 25th in the journal Science.And they discovered that what...
Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty ImagesA recent study published in the journal Nature suggests that when we experience surprise, our brains are more likely to be attentive. Researchers, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discovered that a hormone called noradrenaline can impact brain activity and behavior in response to unexpected events. Noradrenaline is one of several chemicals...
A small implant that wraps around nerves and cools them has been shown to deliver targeted pain relief in rats. If it is as safe and reliable in human beings, the "nerve cooler" could assist individuals in managing pain without addicting opioids.Why it is crucialApproximately 20% of Americans live with chronic pain, and millions...
Identifying how neural activity changes with learning is anything but black and white. Recently, some have presumed that learning in the brain, or biological learning, may be visualized in terms of optimization, which is how learning happens in artificial networks like computers or robots.A new approaches piece co-authored by Carnegie Mellon University and University...
According to a study conducted by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators, targeting a particular protein usually overexpressed in prostate cancer can assist stop or retard the disease from spreading to other body parts.The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, opens the possibility of using available commercial medications, including one approved by the Fda for...
Illustration of the brain. Credit: Capillary Technologies.Experiencing a frightening incident is likely something you will always remember. Why does it remain with you when other kinds of events become increasingly hard to remember with time?A mechanism for the formation of fear memories in the amygdala, the emotional center of the brains, has been identified...
A micrograph showing a labeled astrocyte. Yukiko Goda and her team have demonstrated how astrocytes play a prominent part in tuning the changes in neuronal activity that enable memory formation. Credit: RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Thomas ChaterBetter learning and longer memoriesRIKEN neuroscientists have identified an intriguing system for how neuronal activity in mice...
Much of the electrical activity in the brain looks like noise and is not associated with reactions to any particular stimuli. The scientists found that there was structure in the noise that could reveal the state of attentiveness in the brain. In this model of brain activity in the monkey visual cortex, the overall...
DETI mapping results from the brain of a person viewing one of the stimuli used in the experiment (far left). The central column shows a flattened topographical map of the electrodes over the back of the head, illustrating the variation of DETI maps at each electrode across that scalp region. On the right-hand side,...
The ‘Third Thumb’ device being used to blow bubbles single-handedly. Credit: Dani ClodeUsing a robotic 'Third Thumb' can impact how the hand is represented in the brain, finds a new study led by University College London researchers.The group trained individuals to use an additional robotic thumb and found they could effectively carry out dextrous...
