thalamus Research Articles - Neuroscience News

Study identifies brain injury as a cause of dementia in some older adults

Neuroscience NewsOctober 23, 2019

MRI neuroimaging can distinguish between memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. Using new image analysis software, researchers discovered TBI causes the most amount of damage to the ventral diencephalon, a brain area associated with memory and learning, and the least amount of atrophy to the hippocampus, a brain region most impacted by Alzheimer's.... Read More...

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Gene variants influence size of brain stem and other structures

Neuroscience NewsOctober 21, 2019

Researchers identified 48 common genetic variants that appear to play a role in the size of the brainstem and other subcortical structures. Forty of the variants were novel. The findings also revealed 199 genes related to the variants which regulate brain development and susceptibility to neurological disorders.... Read More...

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This shows the L5p neurons in the thalamocortical circuit

Finding the root of consciousness: Is this brain cell your ‘mind’s eye’?

Neuroscience NewsSeptember 30, 2019

Researchers believe they have identified specific neurons that are responsible for conscious awareness. Previous studies have implicated both thalamocortical circuits and cortico-cortico circuits in consciousness. The new study reports these networks intersect via L5p neurons. Directly activating L5p neurons made mice react to weaker sensory stimuli. The researchers say if consciousness requires L5p neurons, all brain activity without them must be unconscious.... Read More...

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New findings on human speech recognition

Neuroscience NewsAugust 28, 2019

Increased activity of the ventromedial geniculate body indicates the processing of auditory information begins before the auditory pathways reach the cerebral cortex.... Read More...

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Frog in your throat? Stress might be to blame for vocal issues

Neuroscience NewsJuly 28, 2019

Stress can have an impact on voice disorders. Researchers found those with higher salivary cortisol levels also exhibited brain activity that impacted the larynx. Those who were more introverted were more likely to have stress reactions related to speech.... Read More...

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Research Identifies New Pathways for Sensory Learning in the Brain

Neuroscience NewsJuly 15, 2019

Automated robotic technology allows researchers to identify new pathways activated when the brain rewires circuits in response to experience.... Read More...

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This shows brain scans from teen cannabis users

Early-and-regular cannabis use by youth is associated with alteration in brain circuits that support cognitive control

Neuroscience NewsJune 20, 2019

Compared to peers who do not use cannabis, teens and young adults with significant marijuana use history have reduced activation in brain areas that support cognitive control and conflict resolution.... Read More...

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This shows a cartoon of a woman trying to read with lots of distractions in the background

How we tune out distractions

Neuroscience NewsJune 12, 2019

A pathway linking the basal ganglia to the thalamus enhances sensory discrimination and is used to suppress 'background noise'. The pathway, which is controlled by the prefrontal cortex, selectively suppresses sensory input as it flows to the thalamus.... Read More...

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Learning fine motor coordination changes the brain

Neuroscience NewsJune 12, 2019

Study identifies a population of neurons in an area of the midbrain, called the red nucleus, that alter when fine motor skills are learned. The more an action is practiced, the stronger the connections between these neurons become. ... Read More...

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This brain scan highlights the thalamus and OFC

Brain activity of Spanish Popular Party voters triggered by rivals

Neuroscience NewsMay 16, 2019

Neuroimaging study of Spanish voters reveals negative political messages illicit stronger neural responses. Messages about corruption activate brain areas associated with risk and disappointment. ... Read More...

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This shows the researcher's daughter and the broccoli sprouts she is growing

Broccoli sprout compound may restore brain chemistry imbalance linked to schizophrenia

Neuroscience NewsMay 8, 2019

Sulforaphane, a compound derived from broccoli sprouts, may be a useful new treatment for those suffering from schizophrenia. In a recent set of animal and human studies, researchers characterized novel chemical imbalances in the brain related to glutamate. Levels of glutamate, they discovered, can be altered by administering sulforaphane.... Read More...

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Trigger region found for absence epileptic seizures

Neuroscience NewsApril 26, 2019

Absence epilepsy may be triggered by an impairment in communication between the striatum and somatosensory cortex.... Read More...

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