ElectrophysiologyFeaturedNeurology·February 5, 2013·5 min readReflex Control Could Improve Walking After Incomplete Spinal InjuriesA training regimen to adjust the body's motor reflexes may help improve mobility for some people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. During training, the participants were instructed to suppress a knee jerk-like reflex elicited by a small shock to the leg. Those able to calm hyperactive reflexes saw improvements in their walking.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·February 4, 2013·4 min readFinding the Way to MemoryA new study reveals DCC, the receptor for a crucial protein in the nervous system known as netrin, plays a key role in regulating the plasticity of nerve cell connections in the brain.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience Business·January 30, 2013·3 min readIBM’s Watson to Join Research Team at Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer becomes the first university of receive a version of IBM's Watson system. Rensselaer hopes to find new uses for Watson and develop its cognitive capabilities, as well as using the system for Big Data research.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 30, 2013·2 min readScientists Uncover a Previously Unknown Mechanism of Memory FormationA recent study indicates microRNAs may play a far more important role in memory formation than previously thought. The research suggests microRNA—miR-182 is involved in developing memory in the amgydala.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 29, 2013·2 min readStudy Shows how Brain Cells Shape Temperature PreferencesA new study shows a complex set of overlapping neuronal circuits works in concert to drive temperature preferences in the fruit fly Drosophila by affecting a single target, a heavy bundle of neurons within the fly brain known as the mushroom body. These nerve bundles play critical roles in learning and memory.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 28, 2013·4 min readNeuroscientists Pinpoint Location of Fear Memory in AmygdalaResearchers examine the how fear responses are learned, controlled, and memorized. They show that a particular class of neurons in a subdivision of the amygdala plays an active role in these processes.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 17, 2013·3 min readIs Athleticism Linked to Brain Size?Research shows that exercise-loving mice have larger midbrains.Read More
FeaturedNeurology·January 17, 2013·5 min readFindings on Potential to Prevent, Reverse Serious Disabilities Affecting Children Born PrematurelyResearchers report that low blood and oxygen flow to the developing brain does not, as previously thought, cause an irreversible loss of brain cells, but rather disrupts the cells’ ability to fully mature.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 24, 2012·2 min readResearchers Say Daily Drinking Can Be RiskyDrinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. A new study indicates there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking - a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 19, 2012·3 min readFirst Micro-Structure Atlas of the Human Brain CompletedA European team of scientists have built the first atlas of white-matter microstructure in the human brain.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 17, 2012·2 min readDiscovery of Two Opposite Ways Humans Voluntarily Forget Unwanted MemoriesIf only there were a way to forget that humiliating faux pas at last night's dinner party. It turns out there's not one, but two opposite ways in which the brain allows us to voluntarily forget unwanted memories, according to research.Read More
Psychology·October 15, 2012·3 min readLanguage is Shaped by Brain’s Desire for Clarity and EaseUsing an artificial language in a carefully controlled laboratory experiment, researchers found that many changes to language are simply the brain's way of ensuring that communication is as precise and concise as possible.Read More
