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Picower Institute at MIT

·May 12, 2025·6 min read

Brain Wave Phase Locking May Be Key to Unconsciousness

Despite acting through different molecular mechanisms, ketamine and dexmedetomidine both disrupt brain wave phase alignment in ways that reliably induce unconsciousness. A new study reveals that these anesthetics trigger a common signature: increased phase locking at low frequencies, particularly between brain hemispheres, while disrupting local cortical communication.

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·May 12, 2025·5 min read

How Your Brain Splits Space to Double Its Perception Power

Despite popular myths about left- and right-brain thinking, research shows the hemispheres truly do divide up certain tasks—especially visual spatial perception. A new review reveals how each hemisphere processes the opposite side of your field of vision, not only early on but even in higher-level cognition like attention and memory.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 28, 2025·8 min read

Dopamine Signals Teach the Brain to Unlearn Fear

A new study reveals that dopamine release along a specific brain circuit helps extinguish fear by activating reward-related neurons in the amygdala. Researchers showed that dopamine from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) drives the brain’s positive learning process during fear extinction, rather than simply suppressing fear.

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·April 26, 2025·8 min read

Sensory Stimulation Boosts Memory and Brain Growth in Down Syndrome

New research shows that 40Hz sensory stimulation (GENUS) improves memory, enhances brain circuit connectivity, and increases new neuron growth in mice modeling Down syndrome. In the study, daily light and sound exposure boosted performance in memory tasks and promoted gene activity linked to synaptic development.

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·April 22, 2025·7 min read

Reading Brainwaves to Fine-Tune Consciousness in Surgeries

A new clinical trial shows that using EEG to guide anesthesia in children significantly reduces the amount of anesthetic needed while improving post-surgery recovery. By monitoring brain wave patterns, anesthesiologists maintained safe unconsciousness with lower doses of sevoflurane, leading to faster awakening and fewer cases of post-anesthesia delirium.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 8, 2025·7 min read

Brains Rewire Themselves to Survive Deadly Infection

New research reveals how the simple nervous system of C. elegans worms can dramatically reconfigure itself to survive infection. When exposed to harmful bacteria, the worms adapted by rewiring the roles of key neurons and neuromodulators to reduce feeding and resist quiescence.

This shows a man at a computer and a marmoset.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 18, 2025·6 min read

Why We Keep Exploring Even After Learning the Best Strategy

A new study reveals that both humans and marmosets continue to adjust their behavior even after learning an optimal task strategy. Instead of sticking to a known successful approach, they subtly modify their responses based on their most recent experience.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 10, 2024·7 min read

How Sleep Shapes Our Brain’s Mental Navigational Maps

A new study reveals how the brain forms cohesive mental maps of spaces and highlights the critical role of sleep in this process. While "place cells" in the hippocampus mark specific locations, weaker spatial cells stitch these points into a comprehensive cognitive map.

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·October 7, 2024·8 min read

How Conscious Thought Fades Under Anesthesia

A new study has shown that conscious thought relies on synchronized brain rhythms to maintain communication between sensory and cognitive brain regions. Under general anesthesia, this rhythm-based communication breaks down, disrupting the brain's ability to detect and process surprising stimuli.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 6, 2024·2 min read

Neural Longevity: Study Explores How Neurons Live So Long

Scientists are investigating the extraordinary longevity of neurons, which can survive for over 90 years, in a new research project. This study aims to uncover the genetic and molecular mechanisms that enable neurons to live so long.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 8, 2024·8 min read

Light and Sound Therapy Maintains Myelin in Alzheimer’s

A new study finds that 40Hz light and sound therapy helps maintain myelin, a crucial brain structure, in Alzheimer's patients. This therapy, which protects neurons and supports brain function, could offer new treatment avenues for neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers discovered that this stimulation enhances neural connections and reduces harmful inflammation. The therapy also shows potential for treating other conditions involving myelin loss, such as multiple sclerosis.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 24, 2024·9 min read

Neural Vulnerabilities and Resilience in Alzheimer’s Explored

Researchers uncover how specific brain cells and circuits become vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease and identify factors that may promote resilience to cognitive decline. Analyzing gene expression in over 1.3 million cells across multiple brain regions, the study highlights the role of Reelin in neuron protection and choline metabolism in astrocytes for cognitive resilience. These findings pave the way for potential therapeutic targets to sustain cognition and memory amid Alzheimer’s pathology.