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brain mapping

The image shows a chemical synapse schema.

·May 27, 2013·3 min read

Scientists Discover the Origin of a Giant Synapse

Researchers discover the mechanism and protein responsible for the creation of the giant Calyx of Held synapse in the brain's auditory system.

The image shows a brain with light beams entering it.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 16, 2013·2 min read

Physicist’s Tool has Potential for Brain Mapping

Researchers have developed a fiber-optic, two-photon optogenetic simulator which can be used to stimulate a light sensitive protein introduced into neurons and living cells in the brain. The researchers suggest this technology would be a useful tool for the BRAIN mapping initiative.

The diagram shows the location of the hippocampus in the brain.

Featured Neurology

·May 15, 2013·4 min read

Brain Rewires Itself After Damage or Injury

When the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with memory and learning, is damaged, the prefrontal cortex takes over. This demonstration of neuroplasticity could give rise to new treatment options for Alzheimer's disease and other conditions associated with damage to the brain.

Featured Neurology

·May 8, 2013·2 min read

Brain Anatomy of Dyslexia Is Not the Same in Men and Women, Boys and Girls

Researchers discover significant sex-based brain anatomy differences between males and females with dyslexia.

The image shows a color map of the brain from a dMRI scan.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 22, 2013·4 min read

First Neutron Scattering Experiments on Brain Tissue Reveal Weaknesses in Formaldehyde Preservation, Reducing Reliability of Post-Mortem Analysis

A new study demonstrates the power of neutrons to model cellular water diffusion in brain tissue.

A brain scan is shown with a highlighted area

Autism Featured

·March 20, 2013·3 min read

Atypical Brain Circuits May Cause Slower Gaze Shifting in Infants Who Later Develop Autism

Infants at 7 months of age who go on to develop autism are slower to reorient their gaze and attention from one object to another when compared to 7-month-olds who do not develop autism, and this behavioral pattern is in part explained by atypical brain circuits.

Featured Neurology

·March 6, 2013·2 min read

Human Brain Treats Prosthetic Devices as Part of the Body

According to new research, the human brain can adapt to treat a relevant prosthetic as a substitute for a person's non-working body part, and not as an extension to their immobile limb.

The image shows a drawing of the brain with the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) highlighted in red.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 6, 2013·4 min read

One Region, Two Functions: Brain Cells’ Multitasking Could be a Key to Understanding Overall Brain Function

The lateral intraparietal area (LIP), a region of the brain known to play a vital role in spatial and visual processing also has a parallel function, categorizing visual information, a new study suggests.

the image shows different fmri scans of the cerebral cortex.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 22, 2013·2 min read

Has Evolution Given Humans Unique Brain Structures?

Comparing fMRI scans of human brains and those of rhesus monkeys, researchers believe they have new evidence which proves humans have unique cortical brain networks.

The image is a computerized illustration of a brain in a human head, set to look like an x-ray.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 20, 2013·4 min read

Secrets of Human Speech Uncovered

A new study has uncovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the complex coordinated activity of tiny brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue and larynx as we speak.

The image shows 11 year old pianist, Danny Barenboim playing at a concert in 1956.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 12, 2013·3 min read

Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development

A new study suggests early musical training has a significant effect on the development of the brain. Practicing instruments before the age of seven boosts the normal maturation of connections between motor and sensory regions of the brain, researchers suggest.

Corticogenesis with six cortical layers is shown.

Autism Featured Genetics Neurology

·February 11, 2013·3 min read

Genes for Autism and Schizophrenia Only Active in Developing Brains

Genes linked to autism and schizophrenia are only switched on during the early stages of brain development, according to a study in mice led by researchers at the University of Oxford.