Brain activity during conscious wakefulness presents large integrated and dynamic network modules which fragment during sleep.
Researchers combined intact neurons from a rat's spinal cord with a tissue-engineered 3D muscle system, creating a biohybrid robot, or biobot. After culturing the system for seven days, the motor neurons from the spinal cord produced electrical activity, causing contractions in the artificial muscles and mimicking the behavior of the peripheral nervous system. The findings could have positive implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders that affect motor control.
Neurons in the anterior intraparietal cortex learn to modulate their activity to compensate for errors in brain-machine interface tasks. Findings suggest the extent to which a person can learn a new skill is constrained by preexisting neural networks.
Teenagers who were exposed to alcohol while in the womb are more likely to have disruptions in neural connections through the corpus callosum, which can lead to cognitive impairment and a range of neurological, and psychological disorders. Researchers recommend pregnant women completely abstain from drinking alcohol.
A new study reports both planned and spontaneous movements have the same neural activity during the action, but the preceding brain activity differs.
Researchers uncover how the posterior parietal cortex encodes and organizes information about body movement.
