How mammals’ brains evolved to distinguish odors is nothing to sniff at
Study reveals at least six types of mammals distinguish odors in similar ways, using neural networks that are evolutionarily preserved across species.... Read More...
visual cortex
Stimulating neurons to induce particular perceptions in mice’s minds
Using optogenetics, researchers stimulated neurons in the visual cortex of mice to induce illusory images in the animals' minds.... Read More...
The way a single neuron processes information is never the same
When a neuron receives information, dendrites functionally work together to adjust for the complexity of the input.... Read More...
Researchers controlled the behavior in a mouse’s brain with single-cell precision
Using holographic optogenetics, researchers were able to control visual behavior in mice by activating neurons in the visual cortex.... Read More...
Deciphering how the brain encodes color and shape
Visual neurons selectively respond to color and shape along a continuum. While some neurons are only activated by either a specific color or shape, others are responsive to color and shape simultaneously. The findings contradict previous beliefs about how visual processing works.... Read More...
Neurons’ “antennae” are unexpectedly active in neural computation
When the soma of specific neurons is active, the dendrites of the same neuron are also active, even when animals are not engaged in a cognitively demanding task. ... Read More...
Brains of children with epilepsy able to re-map after surgery to retain visual perception
Following surgery, the brains of children with epilepsy are able to remap and compensate for damaged areas of the visual cortex. The findings shed light on brain plasticity.... Read More...
Waterfall illusion: when you see still objects move – and what it tells you about your brain
Researchers reveal what optical illusions tell us about the workings of the brain.... Read More...
Brain stimulation enhances visual learning speed and efficiency
Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) helps boost visual learning in patients with chronic cortical blindness, leading to a recovery in motion processing within 10 days of exposure. The effects of the tRNS treatment appear to last for at least six months.... Read More...
Developing a headset to transfer visual perceptions from the sighted to the blind
Researchers are developing a new brain-to-brain communication headset that will allow the transfer of visual information from those with sight to the blind. The non-invasive system will 'write' information to neurons reprogrammed to fire in response to magnetic signals. ... Read More...
Room for thought: Brain region that watches for walls identified
MEG neuroimaging implicates the occipital place area (OPA) in our ability to rapidly sense our surroundings. The findings may advance improving machine learning and robotics technology aimed at mimicking visual processes in the human brain.... Read More...
Why visual stimulation may work in fight against Alzheimer’s: Mouse study
Inducing gamma oscillations with visual stimulation via a process known as gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli, or GENUS, was shown to reduce amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau in mouse models of dementia. Providing GENUS daily during the early stages of neurodegeneration helps preserve neural and synaptic density across multiple brain areas and improves cognitive performance for learning and spatial memory tasks.... Read More...