motor neurons

A graphic of two rats with white lights sparking between their heads is shown to depict the BTBI activity.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·February 28, 2013·6 min read

Brain-to-Brain Interface Allows Transmission of Tactile and Motor Information Between Rats 1000s of Miles Apart

Researchers electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve simple behavioral puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart - one in Durham, N.C., and one in Natal, Brazil.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 23, 2013·3 min read

New Brain Circuit Sheds Light on Development of Voluntary Movements

A research team describes the entire network of brain cells that are connected to specific motor neurons controlling whisker muscles in newborn mice. A better understanding of such motor control circuits could help inform how human brains develop, potentially leading to new ways of restoring movement in people who suffer paralysis from brain injuries, or to the development of better prosthetics for limb replacement.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 21, 2013·3 min read

Researchers Turn One Form of Neuron into Another in the Brain

A new finding turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head, demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated neuron into another within the brain.

Featured Genetics

·January 15, 2013·2 min read

Researchers Identify New Genetic Mutation for ALS

Researchers have identified a new genetic mutation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opening the door to future targeted therapies.

An image of fly spinal cord equivalent is shown.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 11, 2012·6 min read

Novel Mechanisms Underlying Major Childhood Neuromuscular Disease Identified

A study suggests that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disease in infants and children, results primarily from motor circuit dysfunction, not motor neuron or muscle cell dysfunction, as is commonly thought. In a second study, the researchers identified the molecular pathway in SMA that leads to problems with motor function.