Latest

spinal cord

This shows a couple, their brains and spines.

·September 23, 2025·9 min read

Spinal Cord Found to Shape Arousal and Sex

A new study overturns the traditional view that the brain solely directs male sexual behavior while the spinal cord executes ejaculation. Researchers identified Galanin-expressing spinal neurons that both drive ejaculation and regulate arousal, integrating sensory input, brain feedback, and internal states.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 23, 2024·5 min read

Mapping Brain-to-Spinal Cord Pathways for Motor Control

Researchers have created a 3D atlas mapping brain regions that connect to V1 spinal interneurons, which shape motor output. By using a genetically modified rabies virus, they pinpointed connections from the brain to these diverse "switchboard operator" cells in the spinal cord.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 19, 2024·4 min read

Notochord Guides Neural and Spinal Formation

Scientists have developed human stem cell models containing the notochord, a critical tissue that guides spine and nervous system formation during embryonic development. Using precise chemical signals inspired by natural processes in chicken, mouse, and monkey embryos, the researchers successfully coaxed human stem cells to form a notochord and a miniature trunk-like structure. This innovation mirrors key features of human development and could advance the study of spine-related birth defects and conditions like intervertebral disc degeneration.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 2, 2024·4 min read

Safer Epilepsy Treatment for Pregnant Women with Drug Combo

Rapamycin could counteract the harmful effects of Sodium Valproate, a common epilepsy medication, on fetal spinal cord development. Sodium Valproate is widely prescribed but poses risks during pregnancy, causing spinal malformations in fetuses.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 26, 2024·7 min read

How Reflexes Shape Smooth Movement

Researchers have uncovered how the spinal cord helps modulate reflexes to allow for smooth, voluntary movements. Using simulations, the study shows how circuits within the spinal cord regulate stretch reflexes, preventing disruptions during skilled movements like reaching.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 11, 2024·6 min read

Wrap Around Spinal Cord Device May Transform Injury Treatment

Researchers developed a groundbreaking electronic device that wraps around the spinal cord, offering a new method for treating spinal injuries without the need for brain surgery. This device can record and stimulate nerve signals across the entire spinal cord, providing a complete 360-degree view of spinal activity.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 11, 2024·5 min read

Spinal Cord Learns and Remembers Movements Autonomously

The spinal cord possesses its own learning and memory capabilities, challenging the long-held view of it as merely a message relay between the brain and body. Through innovative experiments, the team identified two distinct neuronal populations that enable the spinal cord to independently adapt and remember movements.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 7, 2024·4 min read

Monitoring Spinal Cord Activity During Surgery in Real-Time

fUSI technology is offering new hope to chronic back pain sufferers by providing high-resolution images of the human spinal cord during surgery. This innovative tool not only visualizes the spinal cord but also tracks the cord's real-time response to treatments, marking a significant leap over traditional imaging methods like fMRI, with its superior sensitivity to neuroactivation and reduced susceptibility to motion artifacts.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 21, 2023·4 min read

Wearable Microscopes Advance Spinal Cord Imaging in Mice

A newly invented wearable microscope produces high-definition and real-time images of neurons and activity in the mouse spinal cord in previously inaccessible regions.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 10, 2023·5 min read

Cat Locomotion Could Unlock Better Human Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Somatosensory feedback from specialized sensors helps inform the spinal cord about ongoing movement and keeps a cat from falling when they encounter obstacles.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 5, 2022·7 min read

Novel Research Demonstrates New Method of Spinal Cord Tissue Repair

A new hybrid of biomaterial nanoparticles in conjunction with existing methods of tissue regeneration was successfully synthesized to promote and regenerate tissue following spinal cord injury. The new method has the potential to treat spinal cord injuries.